Bangalore : A 13-member Japanese delegation of Burakumin came on a three-day tour of South India and spent two days with the leaders of the Samata Sainik Dal, Karnataka, here on March 19 and 20. They also met the Editor of Dalit Voice and members of the Dalit Sahitya Academy.
The delegation was led by Shigekiyo Matsunaga, chairman, Fukuoka-India Educational and Cultural Exchange Organisation, and Takashira Haraguchi its Secretary-General.
They said they were shocked to see the living conditions of Dalits in Madras and Bangalore. The leader and members were all having copies of the Japanese edition of the Dalit Voice which was being brought out by Usui from Nagano, Japan.
Some members had visited India earlier and some had met the Editor in Japan.
They explained that the contacts between the Burakumin and Indian Dalits had slowed down in recent years because of their pre-occupation with establishing international contacts with other oppressed groups. They were planning an international conference of the oppressed in May. They said since the Dalit Voice was the “Gateway for India”, they were very much interested in strengthening the journal. Bhagwandas, Advocate, Delhi, accompanied the team.
