Discrimination studies were very much relevant to the students of social work, especially in the light of social problems such as Dalit issues. This was stressed by Commissioner, Government Data Centre, Tamil Nadu government, P Sivakami.

Addressing a gathering of students and various eminent personalities at the University of Madras, Sivakami expressed grief over Dalits and Dalit-oriented programmes craving for attention in various parts of the country. Speaking on the topical issue at a seminar on Special Component Plan (SCP), jointly organised by the Sociology department of the University of Madras and Social Watch, an NGO, Sivakami added that many governments did not adequately publicise SCP and other Dalit-oriented programmes. She, however, maintained that the Tamil Nadu government had been making enough provisions to overcome any problem in the state over the issue.

Jayakumar, MLA from Namakkal near Salem, the special invitee of the day, expressed grief over the miserly allocation of funds to Dalits and Dalit rehabilitation programmes and said that SCP was slowly turning to out be a failure. Citing statistics and data, Jaikumar said that the state government was especially callous in this regard. For example, a sum of Rs. 111 crore was allotted as funds in the year 2002-03 rather than the stipulated amount of Rs.1,092 crore as a rightful share meant for the development of the SC/ST community. He said that the funds, which actually ought be allocated on the basis of the population of the SC/ST community, was not followed sincerely which had subsequently resulted in such meagre allocations thus resulting in the continued backwardness of the community.

Students and faculty of the department of Sociology attended the seminar. The one-day seminar also witnessed the participaton of various NGOs and social workers. The event was jointly hosted by Social Watch, an NGO involved in research on Dalit issues.

Special Component Plan is a 20-year-old development strategy introduced by the then Prime Minister of India, Late Indira Gandhi, in order to uplift the Dalits.

C S Sathish Anand