Don't use the word Dalit to identify someone: Punjab SC panel
Darpan News Desk IANS, 21 Sep, 2021 11:09 AM
Chandigarh, Sep 21 (IANS) Taking note of the word 'Dalit' being used for newly-appointed Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi by the media, the Chairperson of the state Scheduled Castes Commission, Tejinder Kaur, on Tuesday issued instructions not to use the nomenclature to mark the identity of any person belonging to Schedule Castes.
In a statement issued here, Kaur said the nomenclature Dalit does not find mention in the Constitution or any other statute.
Even the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has directed all state governments and Union Territory administrations to use the word Scheduled Caste instead of Dalit for persons belonging to SCs.
Acting on the reports of violations being made by the media, the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry has issued a notice to private satellite TV channels, asking them to comply with an order passed earlier by the Bombay High Court to not use the word Dalit in reports, Kaur said.
With only a couple of hours left for the February 4 Punjab assembly elections to get unerway, leaders and workers of various political parties on Friday moved from door to door in a last-ditch effort to woo voters amid tight security in the border state.
Over one lakh security personnel, including central paramilitary forces, will be on high alert as Punjab voters on Saturday exercise their franchise in 117 assembly segments as well as the by-election for the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat.
Aap Aadmi Party (AAP), which is eyeing to wrest power in Punjab, will deploy 15,000 volunteers equipped with spy cameras outside the polling stations in the state tomorrow to keep a "close watch on distribution of liquor or cash to lure voters".
