Trivandrum:
DV Readers Forum was inaugurated here on Jan. 29 by T. H. P. Chentharassery, the noted Dalit writer of of Kerala. The meeting, was attended by Dalits from different walks of life. Dr. M. Vasu, MBBS, of the Trivandrum Medical College Hospital, was elected convener of the Forum. It was decided that the Forum should meet every Saturday evening to discus the different issues raised in the DV and also to brief DV of the problems facing the Kerala Dalits and other persecuted minorities. It was also decided to form the Dalit Sahitya Akademy unit here to plan out a Malayalam edition of the DV, just as the Tamil edition (Dalit Kural) published from Madras by R. Elumalai of the Dalit Cultural Front. Chentharassery stressed the need to hold small camps of Dalit writers here, Kottayam, Ernakulam etc. C. Madhavan of the AG’s office said DV has created State-wide interest among Dalits and persecuted minorities and hence all of them must approach the convener (Dr. M. Vasu, Medical College Hospital, Trivandrum – 695 011). The following studies were suggested: Ambedkarism and its revolutionary import, Dalit history of India, scientific basis of culture and Dalit life, Dalitism and existing Indian ideologies, Dalitstan vs. Hindustan. Those outside Kerala can also contribute to this research. Madhavan made a firm plea that Dalits must be enabled to swim across centuries of cultural deprivation culminating in Dalitastan. Dalits of Coimbatore were congratulated for launching the first DV Readers Forum and speakers desired that similar forums should be started in other cities of India.
