Dalits and the Private Sector

With the New Economic Policy in 1990s, India has seen the increasing role of the Private Sector. Already marginalised Dalits witnessed their share in employment and economy shrinking. National Confederation of Dalit Organisations (NACDOR) right from its founding conference in 2001 visualized the increased role of the private sector and accordingly decided to work for “Increasing Dalit Stake and Space in Economy and Civil Society” to protect and enhance Dalit share in India's growing Economy. In its founding conference, the first National Conference of Dalit Organisations (NACDOR), held in 2001, following was adopted:

“The Conference asked the Government for ensuring the reservation in all the private sector socioeconomic efforts and institutions.

The Conference took serious note of Government’s attempt to reduce the job opportunities for the Dalits through various planned designs. The Conference condemned the Governments planning of reducing the employment in Public Domain by 3% per annum and demanded to increase investment for the generation of employment.

The Conference asked Dalits to prepare develop and equip themselves for jobs in private sector and other non-traditional sectors like NGOs, Media, Hospitality, Business and Entertainment etc. and train its people. The Conference appealed private sector to consider the claims of Dalits and marginalised sympathetically. The Conference requested the Dalits to get over the reservation hangover and look towards the opportunities beyond reservations.

The Conference also asked the government to frame pro-employment industrial policy and stop the retrenchment of the people in the name of new technology.”