WHAT WE DO?
National Conference of Dalit Organisations (NACDOR) strongly believes in the philosophy and the teachings of Baba Saheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. NACDOR represents a secular, progressive, democratic and a forward looking movement of the Dalits. Considering self help and community initiative as the most important instrument of socio-economic empowerment, NACDOR innovates ideas; develops alternatives; and mobilizes Dalits for their economic, social and cultural rights and equal dignity of all human beings.
The NACDOR Regional Coordinators provide guidance with regard to the NACDOR's policy, procedure and agenda. Every local Unit chartered in a particular state works closely under the guidance of the State Coordinator. Regional Coordinators, State Coordinators, Prominent Dalit Activists, Intellectuals, writers and progressive democratic intellectuals of non-Dalit background form the National Governing Board of NACDOR, which is headed by the National Coordinator of NACDOR. Some changes are expected in National Governing Board structure of NACDOR after NACDOR-II, which is planned in December 2006.
TRAINING DALIT LEADERS
The primary focus of the NACDOR continues to be the protection and enhancement of the constitutional rights of Dalits and other marginalised. The NACDOR believes strongly that the future Dalit leaders must be developed today, and such development is a long term programme of NACDOR. It is not that the Dalit Movement did not produced competent or talented Dalit leaders, but considering huge socio-economic marginalisation, historical neglect and exclusion, Dalit Community has largely remained starved of Dalit Leaders at all levels. Therefore, NACDOR is involved in locating and contacting grass-root Dalit Organisations across India to provide them basic necessary skills of an effective leadership. As this is a very ambitious programme of the NACDOR, we continue to look for newer partnership for funding and support. In year 2005, NACDOR in association with its founding organisation, the Centre for Alternative Dalit Media (CADAM), organised two two-day training for Political Empowerment of the Dalits with the help and support of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), India.
In year 2006, we propose to organize four such trainings. One of these will be focusing on Dalit Women, another on Dalit Youth and other two on Political Empowerment of Dalits. These will be organized in Delhi, Amritsar (Punjab), Rewa (Madhya Pradesh) and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)
MAKING BUDGETS AND PLANNING FAIR
This programme is based on NACDOR’s firm belief that that unless short-term and long-term Plans and national and state budgetary processes consciously take care of the interests of the Dalits and other marginalised sections, Developmental Planning and Budgetary Processes would not fulfil the basic mandate of socio-economic justice to these sections.
The background of this programme lies in the research carried out by Mr. Ashok Bharti, founding president of Centre for Alternative Dalit Media (CADAM) and founder of NACDOR, which concluded that no five-year plans or annual plans conceived or executed by the Government of India allocated or spent more than two percent of the total planned allocations or expenditures. This become revealing when seen in the light of the population share of the Dalits (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes), which is about 25% of the total population of the country.
Based on the above research, its findings and to convey these shortcomings in the India’s Development Planning, CADAM, the founder of the National Conference of Dalit Organisations (NACDOR), took initiative to develop a holistic development discourse that consider Dalits and disadvantaged sections as the central focus of the Development Planning Process.
Accordingly, CADAM organised a seminar on Dalits and the Approach Paper to the 10th Plan on 24th June 2001 at Gandhi Peace Foundation in New Delhi. Dalit Intellectuals and other concerned citizens from all over India were invited to analyse and discuss the Approach contained in the Approach Paper. As a result of the detailed discussions, a Memorandum expressing the concerns of the Dalits and marginalised was sent to the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman and the Advisor (Backward Classes) to the Planning Commission. This was widely covered by various newspapers http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/06/29/stories/02290008.htm
This memorandum had impact on the deliberations of NDC and the Prime Minister, who also heads the Planning Commission publicly stated in that at the time of Detailed Planning, interests of the Dalits would be duly considered. http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/06/30/stories/01300002.htm
To further the discourse, National Conference of Dalit Organisations (NACDOR) in association with CADAM and Social Development Foundation organised a two-day National Conference on Dalits, Marginalised and 10th Five-Year Plan in New Delhi on 16th and 17th December 2002 at Gandhi Peace Foundation, in New Delhi. This conference had in-depth discussion on the Draft Document of the 10th Five Year Plan. About one hundred eminent intellectuals, academicians, writers, social and political leaders, and activists from Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, participated in the Conference. A detailed Memorandum was prepared and submitted to the Prime Minister and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission.
DALITISING DEVELOPMENT PLANNING AND BUDGETARY PROCESSES IN UP
NACDOR with financial support of ActionAid Uttar Pradesh Regional Office, has launched a project of Dalitising Development Planning and Budgetary Processes in Uttar Pradesh directly under the guidance of its National Coordinator, Mr. Ashok Bharti. This project is based on NACDOR’s fundamental belief that unless short-term and long-term Plans consciously take care of the interests of the Dalits and other marginalised sections, Developmental Planning and Budgetary Processes would not fulfil the basic mandate of socio-economic justice to these sections. This project has been visualised to keep following long term goals in view.
Long-term goal: The campaign is ultimately aiming at an increase in plan and budgetary allocation - proportionate to the needs / population of Dalits in the state. Along with this, Dalits need to be at the centre of the Planning process. There should be an integrated approach at each and every stage of planning including the resource allocation stage. The SCP for SCs needs to be monitored for its strengthening and effective implementation. The approach towards Dalits needs to evolve from fringe allocation on a charitable principle to mainstreamed rights based allocations.
Active participation of community and elected representatives is planned through education, training and sensitisation processes. This will lead to an environment of enhanced participation of these representatives in mass Advocacy and Lobbying programmes. To begin with, this process will begin in four districts, and will progressively cover the whole of the State of Uttar Pradesh.
OBJECTIVES
Keeping the above inferences in view, the following are the objectives of the project:
1. Influencing the Development Planning and Budget Allocation process to become positively sensitive to the needs of Dalits and Marginalised especially in the context of education, food and livelihood.
2. Involving people in a participatory process of developing stakeholding of the Dalits and Marginalised sections in Development Planning.
3. Taking the Development Planning debates and dialogues beyond the confines of the boundaries of academic / intellectual circles to make it an issue of common concern.
4. Legislative and parliamentary advocacy and lobbying for making planned allocations in proportion to the population of Dalits and other marginalised and ensuring social audit by grass-root dalit groups.
FELLOWSHIP
Dr. Ambedkar and Savitri Bai Phule Fellowship for Dalit Leadership: 16 Dalit women and men working as grass root activists will be awarded Dr. B R Ambedkar and Savitri Bai Phule Fellowship for Dalit Development. These fellows will be trained to take up leadership roles. A token amount will be paid to these volunteers to look after their out of pocket expenses that they incur while travelling / meeting / campaigning/ organising etc. To maintain gender parity, 8 Fellowship will be awarded to women activists.