Bangalore: The fourth DV readers workshop for its senior-most Dalit family members held at Shimla from July 9 to 11, 2004 was also a big success. In fact, one workshop is surpassing the other and attracting more and more members.
The Shimla workshop was attended by 35 members from the six states of Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi. The Editors of DV and its Hindi and Punjabi editions were also present.
The greatness of the workshop is unlike the country’s other dailies and periodicals, Dalit Voice is not a business but constitutes a vast fighting family of crusaders for social justice: soldiers of the Father of India, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. That is why there is so much of a rush to attend the workshop, but we restrict the attendance for the following reasons.
(1) It is a workshop and not a public meeting. Only seniormost members are selected.
(2) As we go in for a cheap but good place to fit into our limited budget, we must restrict the attendance.
Like all the previous workshops, Shimla also did not have women — confirming the charge that Dalit movement is an all-Malie affair. Two lady students at Himachal Pradesh University attended just half a day.
Discipline was good. The enthusiasm was fantastic. As representatives of the lowest of the country’s low, it was extremely heartening to note that they love Dalit Voice. And more than that the Editorial line of the DV was immensely liked and there was not even one differing voice. DV is read from cover to cover and religiously preserved.
Punjab being the most important of the six states naturally it stole the attention at the workshop because of the brewing tension between the Dalits and Jat Sikhs. The decision arrived to resolve this contradiction is already published. (DV Aug.1, 2004 2004 p.20: Paradox of Punjab”). A separate story appears on p. The credit for the success of Shimla workshop goes to Subhash Chand Musafir and Ramesh Kumar Tirdia. We need hundreds of such dedicated souls.
Efforts are being made to hold the next workshops at Bhopal for MP, Bombay for Western Maharashtra.
