THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:The Festival on Democracy programme will discuss the challenges faced in the Empowerment of SC /ST communities in Independent India. The programme will be inaugurated by President Ramnath Kovind on Monday here at 11 am.
Governor P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan, SC/ST Welfare minister A K Balan, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and Deputy Speaker V Sasi will participate.
Rahul V Karad, Executive President of Pune World University and P S Krishnan, former advisor to Andhra Pradesh government will participate in the seminar which will be held at the South Auditorium of the legislative complex. Discussions will be held on Judicial system’s interference, experience and possibilities; Caste system and upliftment of Scheduled Castes; Judicial reality and expectation based on Constitution; and Reservation: Reality through Indian democracy.
N K Jayakumar, Dalit activist and academecian Kancha Iliah, Prof. Gopal Guru and Venkitesh Ramakrishnan will participate. Former Loksabha Speaker Meira Kumar will inaugurate the open forum which will take place after the plenary forum at 11 am on Tuesday. More than 50 MLA’s from various states and more than 1,000 delegates including people’s representatives and social workers will take part.