Dear Readers,
Jaibhim.

A VERY GREAT, YES, GREAT AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN INDIA'S CONTEMPORARY HISTORY, THIS HAS HAPPENED:

English daily The Pioneer, CARRIED AN ADD of Madhya Pradesh Government headed by Shri Digvijai Singh on WORLD [page 9].

The half-page add made the following announcement:

1: that the MP Govt. has decided to distribute the Agricultural Land reserved for Grazing purposes, to be distributed amongst SC/STs of the State.
[MY NOTE: the un-divided MP has a total of 5.30 CRORE ACRES of AGRICULTURAL LAND, WHICH IS ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL GEOGRAPHICAL LAND OF THE STATE. OF this 5.30 CRORE ACRES, 5 percent was reserved [spread into Panchayats all over the State], for GRAZING purposes, and now about 3 per cent so, of that land, [roughly 15 lakh acres, as per a Cabinet decision, has to be distributed amongst Dalits, and Dalits alone. YOU CAN COUNT THE MARKET VALUE OF THIS HUGE LAND MASS?]

2. The MP Government HAS DECIDED TO SET UP A centre of EXCELLENCE in Information Technology especially for SC/STs in Indore city.
[my note: to my knowledge, this is the first ocassion when a Government in India has decided to DEMOCRATIZE Information Revolution, by deciding to set up a high quality Centre. this is going to cost the MP government a huge money]

3: The MP Government has decided to set up College Level Centres of Excellence in all the 45 districts of the State.
[my note: to my knowledge this is for the first time that a State government has taken decision of such a magnitude to set up a chain of COLLEGE LEVEL CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE IN ALL ITS DISTRICTS.]

4: The MP Government has taken a real BOLD DECISION TO SCRAPP NEGATIVE SYSTEM OF MARKING IN medical/enginnering ENTRANCE TESTS, AND MEDICAL COUNCIL OF INDIA IS OPPOSING IT. Shri Digvijai Singh has approached President and Prime Minister of India seeking their support.
[my note: remember few years back a news agency had flashed a NEWS item that SC/ST students getting admission in Medical/Enginnering Colleges with their final score in Entrance tests with Zeros. most papers carried the story, and we all felt very down. By removing NEGATIVE SYSTEM OF MARKINGS, THE MP Government has removed that kind of unfortunate scenario. And the Varna-Media is now behind the MP Government. See the INDIAN EXPRESS STORY headlined as :"keen on brownie points, Digvijay rakes of medical council controversy", filed by one YOGESH VAJPEYI, May 11, 2001, New Delhi edition]

And many more..., which i do not want to detail.

MY request to all the readers is this: support the MP government to the hilt, so that the MP CM Shri Digvijay Singh remains firm in his resolve. We are in touch with MP government, and are trying on something unique: that, is, let MP government initiate SUPPLIER/ DIVERSITY programme for Dalit traders/contractors as practiced to some extent in America for Minorities.

Those who have feelings for Dalits [I assume all of have], must also think of development issues, and if any Government, for whatever reasons [in democracy things happen like this], takes such bold steps, Dalits, irrespective of party affliations, must support, otherwise no government will be willing to take such steps.

Those who wish to CONGRATULATE MP Chief Minister Shri Digvijay Singh, and support his Govrnment's move, must take some time off from their busy schedules, and immediately mail at the following address. THOSE WHO ARE LIVING OUTSIDE INDIA HAVE AN UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTRIBUTE IN DALIT DEVELOPMENT: dramar@vallabh.mp.nic.in [ this address belongs to Dr. Amar Singh, a wonderful visionary and dynamic Dalit, who is a senior Dalit IAS officer, Secretary to Madhya Pradesh CM]

Warm Regards
sincerely
CHANDRA BHAN PRASAD