TENKASI: Governments of many States, including Tamil Nadu, have done little to obtain relief funds from the Dr Ambedkar Foundation for the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) members, who were subjected to various atrocities, revealed a response by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
According to the reply received by Madurai-based RTI activist S Karthik on Tuesday, the total amount sought by the governments from the foundation was witnessing a steep decline over the years. "All 28 States collectively received only Rs 4.79 crore between April 2017 and November 2021 from this foundation. Uttar Pradesh obtained Rs 2.2 crore for 48 victims and Gujarat received Rs 1.8 crore for 70 victims, while Tamil Nadu claimed just Rs 15.25 lakh for five victims during this period. As many as 19 States did not even claim a single rupee," he rued.
Apart from offering relief funds to SC/ST victims of atrocities, the foundation, which was established in 1992, extends financial incentive to inter-caste married couples, awards meritorious students, and provides medical aid to the needy.
"The National Crime Records Bureau recently said atrocities against SC/ST communities were on the rise. However, the relief funds sought for these victims are on the decline. The government should urgently spread awareness on this foundation and the process to apply for relief," Karthik urged.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, a District Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Officer concurred that awareness programmes on the foundation is the need of the hour. "There are also cases where requests for funds get denied. For instance, inter-caste married couples are not eligible for relief from this foundation, if they had already received related incentives from the State government," he added.
Raoul Wallenberg Prize for 'Evidence' Kathir
Founder of Madurai-based NGO 'Evidence' Vincent Raj Arokiyasamy alias Evidence Kathir, has been awarded the Council of Europe’s Raoul Wallenberg Prize for his outstanding determination and persistence in bringing meaningful change to the lives of the Scheduled Castes (SCs).
He has rescued some 25,000 victims in 3,000 incidents of human rights violations. The award ceremony is to take place on Wednesday.
The award is conferred to mark the anniversary of Raoul Wallenberg’s arrest in Budapest in 1945. The Swedish diplomat used his status to save tens of thousands of Jews from the Holocaust. The prize is awarded every two years