CONFEDERATION OF SC/ST/BC ORGANIZATIONS (COSO)cosoindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Brochure-of-COSO.pdf · computer education center for out of school children. While addressing

Confederation of Scheduled Castes/Tribes and Backward Class Organizations, Haryana 1

CONFEDERATION OF SC /ST/BC ORGANIZATIONS (COSO)

AN INTRODUCTION

CONFEDERATION OF SC/ST/BC ORGANIZATIONS (COSO), INDIA 1039 Deep Complex, Halo Majra, UT Chandigarh

Email: [email protected], [email protected] Tel: 0172-5019158, 0172-5049554

Mob: 09417302104

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Tel:0172-5019158,0172-5049554


Confederation of the schedules caste organization was founded informally in the year 1999 recognizing the need for building the capacities of dalit organizations, creating a state level forum of the scheduled caste organizations dedicated to communication and advocacy on the issues of rights ,entitlements and just rights, shaping the leadership skills of youths, men and women, and creating a political and social climate of opinion for developing the best social policy for the realization of the rights of dalits,marginalized and the most oppressed in the society. The confederation emerged out of the special personal histories of struggle of the its founders who felt the need to create a state level forums for working for the rights of poor and oppressed primarily dalits through generating an organized force of men ,women and organization committed for establishing just, equitable and harmonious society. Over the years ,the confederation has emerged as a powerful organisation working for taking up the critical issues of dalits and minorities at the state, national and international levels. Following diagrammatic representation shows the key domains of the work of the organisation:

The key achievments of the organisation since its foundation in the chosen domains of its work are noted below: Following the theme of the volutarism in action and empowering the vulnerable groups Confederation of Sceduled Castes, Scehdeuled Tribes and Backward castes continued to take up activities for the social,community mobilization for realising the development rights of

Policy advocacy

Dalit and Minorities Leadership development

Quality elementary and secondary education

COSO, an organization dedicated to

socially inclusive,

ecologically safe India

Community mobilisation

Budget monitoring

Lobbying for rights and entitlements

Employment

And livelihoods


dalits,marginsied,minorities and the oppressed primarily in the state of Haryana while expressing solidarity with the national level civil society movements. In taking up programmes, it was realised that support from the government and international agencies engaged in realising the development rights of the Dalits was not always enough as these tended to be time-bound and therefore could not be sustained unless there was sufficeint voluntary engagement of the community leaders. While deciding for capturing the opportunities offered by the national and international agencies , It was realized that the activites need to be continued even without any support from agencies and based on the voluntrary contribution of the community and the members of the organization.

E D U C A T I O N A L U P L I F T M E N T O F D A L I T S A N D M I N O R I T I E S

A-1: AWARENESS ABOUT RIGHTS TO EDUCATION

Following the slogan and slogan of Dr.B.R.Ambedkar, the organisation has been working for

realisation of the education for all goals among the Dalits being cognisant of the reality that it

is only with education that communities historically marginalised and pushed out from

ownership of resource and education could achive overall goals of equity and justice socially,

cultural and politically. With this objective, the organisation has been organising camps in the

different disdtrict of Haryana sharing information on the government schemes, motivating

children, women and youths to avail the benefits of the welfare schemes and demand the

rights to equitable development through active participation in the local governance

institutions, meeting the block and district level associations. More than 70 Meetings were

organized across the state on the right to education among especially among the Dalits and

minorities in Haryana as they are, economically and educationally backward and they have not

been able to acheive inclusive justice as yet.

A-2: EDUCATION CENTRE FOR DROP OUT AND OUT OF SCHOOL

CHILDREN:

During 2007-2009 , COSO undertook a

massive programme for the drop out and

out of school children through bring them

at the alternative education centre ,


providing teaching learning material and mainstreaming their education in the government

schools.

COSO started

60 Alternative

Education

Centres in

Yamuna

Nagar and 26

Alternative

Education

Centres in

Ambala for

out of school

children. Most of these out of school children belonged to SC, ,Muslims children in slum

areas, migrant familities , brick kiln workers and they fall in the age group of 7-14 years.

Children have been provided books,

notebooks , HB pencils , eraser, rubber ,bags

,slates and slati /pencil ( for slates), wax

color, drawing books have been provided to

the children at all the 90 centres. Cildren are

making the best use of teaching learning

materials with the help of volunteers.Out of

the school children in the age group of 3-7

years are reaching the AIE centres as they

consider that to be closer. They are also

getting durries to sit while the same is not

found in the government schools. Parents are

getting more attracted to the AIE centres run under SSA by COSO. However, COSO has

been endeavoured to ensure that out of school children after getting education at AIE centers

enroll in the schools.Teaching Learning Materials and Equipments were provided to the

children. TLE for the centre included .chair-1, .blackboard-1, dusters, Tat patti and durri for

the vocational centers, Tat patti for the AIE centeres,Camper container,Plastic table,Numerals

chart,Alphabetic Hindi chart,Alphabetic English chart, Number Table (Mathamatical chart)

,Vegatable Chart ,Fruit Chart,Animal chart,Map of the state ,attnedance register ,pen for the

teahcers and Stock Register for centre heads.TLM set distributed for the children had note

books for English, Hindi and Mathamatics ;School Bags with logo of

COSO,Pencil,Eraser,Sharpner,Wax color for drawing,drawing sheet chart and slates with slate

pencil.


A-3:VOCATIONAL CENTRE FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION OF OUT OF SCHOOL CHILDREN :

30 vocational centres in Yamuna Nagar and 25

vocational centres in Ambala were initiated with

enthusiastic particiaption of out of drop out and out of

school girl children in the age group of the 9-14. The

vocations that were chosen for the training included

tailoring , beauty care , fashion designing, computer

hardware and software, electrical and mobile repair.

Vocational Centers were provided with Scissors,Thread

box,Inch and tape,Scale,needle,crosia and

threads,wooden frame and clothes for the courses in

sewing ,knitting and embroidery:

BEUTICIAN COURSE

Out of school girls interested in Beautician course are getting trained .There are some children

who have dropped out and crossed the age of 14 . They are also being educated at the centers.

COSO has not been able to be strict with the age group with respect to some children as they

have been keen in participating at the vocational centres They are being taught English

language considering their interest in the same and then considering the requirements of

careers.Accessories for the other vocations have been provided as per the requirement.

TRAINING OF THE VOLUNTEERS:

Educators were chosen after following the

guidelines and they were trained on the

objectives of COSO and SSA

HARYANA. The training was organised

for orineting the volunteers for realsising

the objective of SSA in Haryana with

special focus in the villges whrere these

centers have been started. The vocational

centers have become very popular and the

poor children who due to various reasons

dropped out of the schools hve enrolled

themselves at the vocational centers. As

per the SSA guidelines they are being

provided alternative innovative education

along with training in the

lifeskills.Volunteers of the AIE and vocational were trained on the obejctives of SSA


HARYANA and they were oriented to realise the objective of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

Volunteers participated in the training enthusiastically and they were motivated to put in their

best efforts for mainstraming the out of children

for work of SSA.They were trained in centre

management, community mobilisation, counselling

for out of children and their parents, interacting

with the village education committees set up in the

various villages.

ACCESS TO QUALITY ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION :

COSO communicated for creation of all the necessary infrasture for provision of not only

elementary education but also secondary education for all the children. It pointed out that

inadequate infrasture in rural areas and urban areas created lots of hurdles for access to

secondary education especially for dalit,poor ,minorities. It continued oppossing the

stratification of education as the existence to different quality of education through public

policy create competence gaps for children studying in government schools. The organisation

continues to pursue the goals of access to quality secondary education for all.

A-4: COMPUTER EDUCATION:

Recognising the need to accelerate acquisition of the ICT based skills among children primarily belonging to Dalits and minorities and poor , the organisation has been running the computer education centres. Adolescents who could not continue their education in the school and resisted mainstreaming were enrolled at the centre. Most of them got admission in the diploma courses offered by the ITIs. Inaugurating one of the centres in 2007, Dr Krishna Pandit , parliament secretary ,health anaugrated the computer education center for out of school children. While addressing the gathering she appreciated the work of COSO and called for more rigourous efforts by for mainstreaming the children in the schools. As a person, she called for best use of services provided at the vocational centers and wished for 100% IT literacy in Haryana.


A-5: LEARNING SUPPORT CENTRES FOR CHILDREN WITH LOW LEARNING LEVELS:

Utilizing the backbone of the volunteers of the organisations, the organisation assigned the

responsibility to the volunteers in the district to providing learning support to children

through facilitating their homework and supporting in the learning of the lessons in

Mathamatics and Science. The initiative started recently has been popular among the students

.However, there is a need to sustain the same through creating a structure of incentive for the

learning support providers.

A-6:ACCESS TO QUALITY ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION:

COSO communicated for creation of all the necessary infrasture for provision of not only

elementary education but also secondary education for all the children. It pointed out that

inadequate infrasture in rural areas and uraban areas created lots of hurdles for access to

secondary education especially for dalit,poor ,minorities. It continued oppossing the

stratification of education as the existence to different quality of ducation through public

policy create several sorts of competence gaps for children studying in government schools.

The organisation continues to pursue the goals of access to quality secondary education for

all.

A-7: SHIKSHA ADHIKAR YATRA:

In 2007,COSO collaborated with Center for Alternative Dalit Media for generating wider

awareness on the right to education across the habitations in Haryana .The district teams of

COSO took up initiative to change the mindset

of the people of rural area and backward classes

to prepare their children for education. As

education is basic necessisty for country to

develop and mainly the minorities like

SC/ST/BC to enhance the better and secure

future. Minorties especially muslims are being

depressed by the upper classes so,they must

have strong weapons of education in order to

deal the upper classes. Our organisation being

the most widely spread in the state of Haryana

started these siksha adikar yatra in almost all districts. Minorities mainly the SC/ST/BC being

prepared for education through Shiksha song by our volunteers and distributing some basic

materials for the education and helping them in getting admission in near by government

schools.


A-8: SUPPORT FOR POOR STUDENTS BELONGING TO DALIT COMMUNITIES :

Around 100 students are being supported by the donation of the members of the

organisations spread across the state of Haryana. The support is through individual

sponsorships to the students for pursuing technical and higher education in order to ensure

that poor students among dalits are enable to carry on education.

A-9 ACHIVEMENTS IN FIELD OF EUCATION :

Our organisation through AIE centers provide basic education to the minorities student

mainly SC/ST/BCs help them in getting addmission in the near by government school.

Nearly 500 students are being addmited to government school by our volunteers in the

district of yamunanagar and ambala. These students now knows the benefits of educatin and

started going to schools.

For higher education, our education provide the studend the finicial held and even the

residential help. Many students who left the school after 10th/12th are being addmited to

higher education in polytechnical college and are doing different type of engneering like civil

engneering, mechincal engneering etc. Nearly 5o students are been supported by our

organisation like this.

Our organistion with the help of scheme for SC/ST/BC help the minorties students mainly

the SC/ST/BC educated students to get jobs in government provinces. Even the organistion

help the unemploye minorities to start up their small business in order to earn for their basic

livehood and also to send their child to schools.

B - F I G H T I N G S U P E R S T I T I O N A N D I N E Q U I T Y :

Fighting superstitions that create hurdle in the realisation of the human rights and immanent

potentialities has been on the key objective of the organisation. In order to realise these, the

organisation has been conducting awareness camps. The key content of these camps are noted

below:

Promoting intercaste marriage and denouncing caste based discrimination among Dalits

Developing scientific views on the the issues of social,political and economic concern

Promotion of scientific temper among the youths ,men and women.


C - B U I D L I N G S O L I D A R T I T I E S F O R S O C I A L C O H E S I O N T H R O U G H M A I T R I B H O J F O R D A L I T S A N D M U S L I M S

Organising feast( maitri bhoj) for Dalits and Muslims for promoting solidarity among oppressed and build long lasting cooperative relationships in order to create a just social order through intevening on the structures and processes in injustice. Communal harmony and social cohesion has been one of the important outcome of these and for sharing the common problems of the society. Strong need for this was felt considering the experience of Gujrat where dalits and muslims who found themselve being the victims of communal mobilisation though historically they had the similar social histories. Futility of the hostility were realised and maitri bhoj were organised in several districts of the Haryana and Delhi. Further, it was in this context, that a massive rally was organised in Delhi in collaboration with Jamaat –e-Ulama-e-Hind for building strong cooperative relationship for realising inclusive development and distributive justice in the consumption and ownership of the national resources. This was

an innovative mean to counter the idea of communal forces that created enmities between the various social groups of India. The maitri bhoj higlighted the common concerns and aspirations of the weaker sections, dalits and the oppressed for getting the fair deal from governance in an atomosphere of cooepration, mutual understanding the conviviality. These initiatives of the organisation has established a new direction in the society where struggles have been sought to focus on the

protection of rights for all and discrimination for none.

D - P R E V E N T I O N O F A T R O C I T I E S

COSO continues to take up the issues of violence against dalits in the various districts of

Haryana as it considered the protection of the human rights of dalit its foremost

responsibility.Communication about the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989 continued

and special efforts were made for the implementation of the ACT in the state of Haryana that

continues to witness violence against dalits for assertion of their rights. Organisation is

congnisant of the need for building a climate of opinion for delivery of justice through


empowering leaderships and taking up confidence building measures among the social groups

in order to prevent the occurence of caste based atrocities.

D-1:CONSULTATIONS,PUBLIC MEETINGS AND SEMINARS ON THE ISSUES OF DEVELOPMENT ,HUMAN RIGHTS AND ACCESS TO WELFARE SCHEMES

250 seminars were organised on the various

issues in all the blocks and districts chandigarh,

Gurgaon, Narnaul, Fatehabad, Jhajjar, Kalanaur,

Sonipat, Panipat, Kurushetra, Ambala,Yamuna

Nagar,Mehem, Hasi, Jind, Kaithal. Convenor of

National Conference of Dalit Organisations also

particiapted in several programmes.Senoir

officers including IAS,retired IAS, community

leaders, youths and women. Issues that have been

are

caste

based

discrimination, protection of human rights, legal

assistance to the victims of the atrocities, How to

file FIR , policies and programmes of the

governmentof Haryana and Governement of

India. Several IAS officers, senior social workers ,

activists, community leaders ,academicians,

journalists, youth leaders, women leaders were

present in the seminar. The seminars were also

organised in the districts of UP such as Buland

Shahar, Anup Shahar,Aligarh and others and Delhi. These seminars have been useful

instrument for discussing the policies and programmes implemented by the government

agencies and accelerating access to the welfare schemes.

D-2:AWARENESS CAMPS

More than 100 awareness camps were organised by the various units of the organisation all

over Haryana . The key issues of the camps were governance , welfare schemes, access

deficits, empowerment, leadership building among youths for realising entitlements,

promotion of education and community support for prevention of atrocities, right to

information, National Flagship Programmes. The awareness camps has been an important

tool for building leaderships across the districts of Haryana that works for realising the rights

to equitable development with special focus on dalits,OBCs and minorities.


E : C E L E B R A T I N G B I R T H D A Y O F D R . B . R . A M B E D K A R A S A D H I K A R D I W A S

COSO has been cognizant of the role model of Dr.B.R.Ambedkar and in the light of the great importance placed on the same , the organisation has been observing his birthday through organising state level public meeting and celebrating the birthday on 14 April as Adhikar Diwas. Several ministers and leaders have addressed the gatherings on the ocaassion of the birthday and called for addressing the issues of poverty, deprivation, livelihoods, health and govenrance while seeking transparency, accountability and responsiveness in governance. The occasion has been a powerful instrument for generating strong sense of dignitiy ,human rights, power for the all the communities and it has been been an occasion to remind about the struggles that need to be taken up persistently for upholding the rights of all to equity, justice and dignity.

F : L O W C O S T M A R R I A G E S , G E N D E R J U S T I C E A N D P R E V E N T I O N O F T H E S C O U R G E O F D O W R Y A N D F E M A L E I N F A N T I C I D E

In to order eradicate the scourge of dowry and promotion of gender justice, the organisation decided to perform low cost marriages with the support of the community through donations. This has been widely appreciated. Till date, the

organisation has facilitated the marriage of 25 girls belonging to districts of Yamuna Nagar, Kurushetra, Ambala, Bhiwani and Rohtak in the state of Haryana. The key objective of these marriages has been to protect the rights of the girl children, prevent female infanticide through promoting community support of marriage. These marriages are concrete interventions for the protection of the lives of girl children who are killed by some in order not to be burdeded with he cost of marrying the girls with dowry. COSO has been promoting culture of donation for the poorest and needy in


the neighbourhood that are distant and far and it is arguing that best donation is for the poorest across the social groups in order to directly assist families,households, women and needy. Organising the marriages, supporting the students belonging to scheduled castes in pursuing technical and higher education through collecting donations from among those with surplus income is the best way the well-off could assist the fellow members of the society and this is what COSO has been demonstrating as an example for the rest of the civil society organisations in Haryana and India.

G - P O L I C Y A D V O C A C Y

G-1:LOBBY FOR RESERVATION FOR DALIT CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS

(COSO) Confederation of the SC/ST/BC Organizations) submitted a memorandum on 27 June 2006 to Justice Shri Ranganath Misra, Chairman National Commission for Religious & Linguistic Minorities and requested to him to examine the justification for specification of

Dalit Christians as Scheduled Castes for the purpose of reservation after raising the issues in a meeting held in the month of June 2006 at Chandigarh. COSO pointed out that, in spite of various efforts made by the governments, caste discrimination and untouchability remained a major social concern specific to Indian Society. Further , the COSO pointed out that the Christians of Scheduled Castes Origin live and work along with Hindu Dalits. The stigma of untouchability and social ostracism haunt them wherever they go and whatever they do. Just because of being Christians, they are not spared

from communal violence and abuse by upper and dominant caste communities. Nor are they treated equally by the upper caste Christians. COSO pointed out that Dalit Christian continue to suffer from the same socio economic disabilities and that the change of religion does not alter their socio-economic status have been established by various commissions appointed by the governments from time to time and also by the many rulings by the Supreme Court.Moreover the discrimination against Dalit Christians based on the third para of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 goes against many articles of the Constitution of India. The memorendum called for halting this discrimination on the basis of religion and asserted that the violation of the constituional provision under Article 15 was done by the State itself. The memorendum highlighted the fact that the withholding reservation is against Freedom of Religion (Article 25). The Order forces


the Dalits to remain in a particular religion, allured by the socio economic privilege and then think that they would lose the same if they dare to choose a religion of their choice. It maintained that Dalit Christians, though they are Dalits, are deprived and denied of civil and legal safeguards and protection that are provided for Hindu Dalits under the Protection of Civil Rights Act 1976, Untouchability (Offences) Act 1955 and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. Thus they stand vulnerable to the abuses and attacks of the dominant castes, without any possibility of legal redressal as Dalits. Besides, the Government has already amended the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order) 1950 twice: First in 1956 to include Dalit Sikhs and next in 1990 to include Dalit Buddhists in the Scheduled Castes. COSO argued amendment could be made again to include Dalit Christians and Muslims as well in order to be fair and really just to the people across the religions with similar caste background. The memorendum to Shri Rangnath Mishra noted that the Government has already considered the demand of the Dalit Christians and prepared the draft amendment bill in 1996. The Statement of Objects and Reasons of Bill NO17 of 1996 says: "Converts to the Christian religion, who are of the Scheduled Castes origin, are precluded from the statutory benefits and safeguards accruing to members of the Scheduled Castes. Demands have been made from time to time for extending these benefits and safeguards to the Christians of the Scheduled Castes origin by granting them recognition as the Scheduled Castes on the ground that the change of religion has not altered their social and economic conditions. Upon due consideration of these demands, COSO proposed to amend the relevant Constitution (Scheduled Cates) Orders to include the Christian converts from the Scheduled Castes as the Scheduled Castes therein, hence the Bill." COSO made it clear from the above statement that the government is asserting that the 'change of religion has not altered social and economic conditions' and that it has 'duly considered the demand and proposed to amend the Order' and the statement holds good even now when caste violence is so open and the number is on the increase. Therfore COSO requested the chairman of the commission to to kindly recommend to the Government to include the Christians of Scheduled Caste Origin in the Scheduled Castes and provide them the same status as their counterparts in Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism and Islam.

G-2:REPRESENTING ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION OF DALITS IN THE UNITED NATIONS


Sh. Karamvir singh, President of the organisation on the basis of the intense work of the organisation got two opportunties for speaking in the United Naitons on the situation of Dalits and Minorities in India. The issues highlighted in 2007 by the president of the organisation e call to Election Commission for making arrangements for voting by Dalits in villages where they have been forced to abstain from voting. In the second deposition to United Nations ,the president of the

organisation called for creating urgent mechanisms for quality education, adequate representation of dalits, minorities, OBCs in the private sector, implementation of the policies for inclusive justice for social religious groups and caste both in the government and non-government sector, inclusion of provision for reservation in the 9th Session in order to make the

provision of reservation free from tampering, double electorate for dalits in order to ensure that the representatives elected by dalits are there to raise the demands and look after the interests of the dalits, scheduled tribes and other backward castes in the parliament, ensuring inclusive justice for dalit and muslim entrepreneurs in granting government contracts, enhanced allocation under special component plan, etc.

G-3: LOBBY WITH MINISTRIES AND COMMISSIONS


COSO has been submitting representing of the demands of the dalits, minorities and other backward and in this regards it has been meeeting the various ministries such as ministries of education, labour, social

empowerment and social justice. The organisation submitted memorendum to the Commission of Scheduled Castes and Tribes . In 2006, Sh.Karamvir Singh ,the president of the organisaiton met the Prime Minister of India with a Dalit Development Declaration that included the demands of the dalits, muslims ,sceduled tribes and OBC.

C O N C L U S I O N

The organisation has achieved substantial results over the year through dynamic interaction with the communities, children, women, youth and community leader since over the years since its inception leading dalit communities ,minorities and backward castes in Haryana, energsing leaderships, facilititating uptake of entitilements, dessiminating the provision of the welfare scheme, advocating with ministries ,national commissions and international agencies such as United Nations in order to achieve the ideals of inclusive development and wishes to continue its endeavours in the future for the realisation of the objectives. The organisation seeks more and more collaboration and cooperation with national and international organsiation for getting the due rights for poor ,oppressed,indegenous groups and minorities specially in Haryana while expressing solodarities for the national level movements and campaigns.

Documents

CONFEDERATION OF SC/ST/BC ORGANIZATIONS (COSO)cosoindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Brochure-of-COSO.pdf · computer education center for out of school children. While addressing