Congress exposes its Anti-dalit face: first denied scholarship, now shagun: Ranike
Congress exposes its Anti-dalit face: first denied scholarship, now shagun: Ranike Lambasting Punjab government for its failure to disburse “shagun” under Ashirwad scheme to Dalit girls on their marriage during the last nine months, former minister and Akali leader Gulzar Singh Ranike said that this gross apathy towards welfare of the schedule castes in the state reflect on the Congress government’s anti-dalit mindset. In a statement issued here today from the party headquarters, Ranike said that first the Congress government had denied post-matriculation scholarship to the schedule caste students resulting in steep fall in their enrolment in the institutions of higher education in Punjab. Ironically, the union government had already released the scholarship amount to the state government but it diverted the funds and consciously denied admission to schedule caste students as a part of its conspiracy to deprive them of education, he added. Ranike said that the Congress party had in its manifest had promised the schedule castes that the shagun amount would be enhanced from Rs. 15,000 to 51,000 but did not honour its commitment. However, the shagun amount was marginally enhanced to Rs. 21,000 which was just pittance. Shockingly, the shagun has not been disbursed for the last nine months in most districts of Punjab which amounts to literally abandoning the scheme, said Ranike adding that the Shagun is basically given to girls assistance to set up their new home. How long, how long, these girls have to wait for shagun ask these girls and their parents from the cruel government, bemoaned Ranike sharing their agony and restlessness. Punjab has the highest concentration of Schedule Caste population and by conservative estimates over 50,000 girls are awaiting shagun and their number is piling up daily. Ranike said that the state government has not released a benefit of Rs 51000 to the inter-caste couple which is to be shared by equally by the state and the union government. The Akali leader said that the Shagun scheme was launched by the Akali government soon after it came to power in 1997 and then Amarinder Singh’s had a dig at it, saying,” Sarkar koi mama lagi hai ki shagun pa ke aave ( the government is not uncle to the girls going to be married and why should it pay shagun). However, the Congress had to continue the scheme during its tenure under public pressure and its popularity but Amarinder Singh has failed to change his mind set since then and disbursing shagun or allied benefits to the schedule caste community is the last priority of the Congress government. - PTC News
