I am happy to associate myself with this International Seminar on an extremely important topic, namely, ‘Comparative Contexts of Discrimination: Social Exclusion and Equal Opportunity Policies in Asia’ being organized here by the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies.

I understand that this International Conference has been organized to discuss the problems of social groups which have suffered from denial of equal opportunities and equal rights due to their social background, like race, color, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality or social origin which exist in many nations in the world under diverse social, economic and political systems.

The spheres of discrimination varies from country to country. Denial of equal opportunities often lead to low level of education, unequal access to civil rights, lower participation in governance and high poverty and deprivation among the excluded groups.

I understand that the participants who have come from various countries from Asia and India will discuss the nature of discrimination suffered by the various social groups based on their social identity. The participants will also discuss the consequences of discrimination on the social and economic condition of groups which have suffered from exclusion and discrimination and will also discuss equal opportunities policies (like affirmative action and reservation policies) used by the governments in countries in Asia for inclusive progress of all individuals.

It is quite important that about ten countries from Asia will share their experiences. These, I understand, include India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan from South Asia and China, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, from East Asia and New Zealand from the Pacific. The experiences of the countries from Asia will definitely benefit the other countries in using each other’s experiences in developing suitable 'Inclusive Policies'.

I heartily compliment the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies for the admirable work they have been doing for providing knowledge support to the deprived sections of our society and also for acting as the resource centre for them. The Founding Fathers of our Constitution had visualized an egalitarian society, where every citizen would have the right to optimize his of her potential. In this context, the endeavours of organizations like the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies are indeed praiseworthy in providing invaluable services to promote the cause of the socially deprived sections.

It is a matter of grave concern that the practices of discrimination and exclusion in the social, economic, political and cultural spheres are common to several societies, though their nature and consequences vary from one country to another. Discrimination and social exclusion lead to widening of inequalities, deprivation of equal opportunities and lack of access to national resources. It applies equally to India and other Asian countries, where discrimination is largely based on caste, gender, religion and regional and ethnic identities.

It has been acknowledged that social exclusion finds its parallel in poverty, inequality, deprivation, alienation and marginalisation in society. Social stratification is also one of its variants. In broader terms, various forms of social exclusion can be identified in the context of societies like ours which may include exclusion from goods and services, labour markets, land, security – both physical and environmental – security of livelihood, human rights, protection against contingencies such as illness and death and above all exclusion from macro-economic developmental strategies, which can encompass life and livelihood as a whole, and can severely restrict participation in social services, welfare and security networks, consumer culture and even in political choices. It goes without saying that inclusiveness of the marginalized groups is an intensive process and this has to be increasingly balanced with the need for sensitive facilitation to build the confidence of vulnerable groups to participate as well as to change attitudes and hierarchies that hinder their development.

In India, we have recognized the problems of several social groups, which have suffered in from denial equal opportunity in the past. They also continued to suffer from the exclusion and discrimination due to their cultural/social identity like caste, ethnicity, gender, religion and other in various spheres of our society, polity and economy. We have social groups like Scheduled Castes, which have suffered from the intense discrimination and social exclusion in the past. They were denied equal rights to education, property, civil and religious rights. Then there are Scheduled Tribes which suffered from physical and social and cultural isolation. The Other Backward Castes also suffered form backwardness which is similar to that of scheduled caste. There are other groups like nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes and De-notified tribes which have also suffered from isolation and backwardness. The women and certain religious minorities also have suffered from discrimination and denial of equal rights in several spheres, namely, lack of education, high poverty, lack of access to resources, denial of civil rights and political rights.

The Indian Constitution is firmly based on the principle of equality and non-discrimination. The Directive Principles of our Constitution calls upon the States to undertake safeguards against discrimination and use policy measures for educational and economic development of the discriminated groups such as SC, ST and others. It also requires the government to take steps for providing equal participation in political governance.

In recognition of this constitutional obligation, the government has developed several equal opportunity policies in the form of reservation in education, government employment, public housing and legislature for SC and ST, and in selected spheres for the OBCs and for women and religious minorities. The Government has also enacted Civil Right Act, like Anti-Untouchability Act of 1955, Preventions of Atrocities against SC and ST and other similar Acts.

These Acts have provided protection against discrimination and social exclusion. The Equal Opportunities Policies have yielded good results leading to educational and economic development. These reservation policies in political spheres have enabled these groups to participate in governance.

In the present context, our country needs to deal with the phenomena of exclusion, which are historical, contemporary, social, political as well as developmental in nature. As you all know, historical exclusion refers to the persistence of caste and gender discrimination in society, which pre-date this century. The latter ranges from foeticide carried out through the application of modern technology to diminished status and role for women. Social exclusion can also be discerned in the educational and health sectors where preference is given to men than women. It is a societal phenomenon, which cuts across gender and caste.

The groups which are now seeking equal opportunity are asking for similar policies, in the form of reservation. New groups which are asking for equal opportunities include Women, Religious minorities like Muslims, Dalit Christians, Dalit Muslims, and similar groups.

We have to address the problem of these new groups. However, while considering the claims of various social groups, it is necessary to recognize that while the problems of the discriminated groups at one level are similar, there are also a difference in the nature of their problem which vary from group to group.

Several studies indicate that development exclusion has got several variants. One is evident in the denial or restriction of opportunities of certain social groups in the process of development; the other refers to the obsolescence of traditional occupations and consequently the emergence of new poor; and the last can be seen in the displacement of the poor due to development projects. This has caused threats to life and livelihood and has led to protests and social movements in different parts of the country.

The first Human Development Report published in 1990, in its opening words, said: 'The real wealth of a nation is its people. And the purpose of development is to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy long, healthy and creative lives'. The Report further states that in today’s pursuit of material and financial wealth and power, this simple truth is often forgotten. People are no more the main concern today; they are put last. Thus, inequality resulting from legitimization of unfair distribution of scarce goods and services cause social unrest and upheavals. The objective of a new social order is to produce new forms of power and dominance by rejecting and altering the persisting discriminations in the polity and society.

The purpose of development, it has been argued by development economists and political analysts, has to be seen as creating an environment in which the marginalized and exploited peoples can grow and live healthy and creative lives. This cannot be brought about through a mere economic competition which squeezes out human concern, which exploits the weak and promotes the interest of a few and amass wealth and power for some at the cost of others. It is only when the socially marginalized and exploited people are given their rightful share that there can be justice and equality.

In order to deal with social exclusion, several strategies have been attempted ever since Independence. As mentioned, the Indian Constitution has provided for affirmative action favouring the marginalized sections of society, particularly the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to correct the historical social aberrations. Over the years, women and persons suffering from disabilities have also been included in its domain. Different strategies like enactment of laws, political mobilization, coalitions or alliances in governance and executive orders have been tried out. Economic growth, wage employment, self-employment, land reforms, provision of subsidy, loan and credit, welfare, promotion of co-operatives, self-help groups for women’s social and economic empowerment, social activism, organizing the poor, inclusion of social concerns in the election manifestos of political parties, and special grants to backward regions present wide ranging strategies. They have been tried out by the State, voluntary organizations, trade unions, co-operatives, community groups and organizations.

With a view to providing justice to the weaker sections, various measures have been adopted such as removal of disabilities, granting of civil rights, provision of constitutional safeguards to prevent their economic exploitation and to provide them protection against atrocities. Besides these, welfare measures have been adopted with a view to reducing their dependence and making them self-reliant. These efforts have not gone in vain and they certainly have brought some significant positive results. The overall conditions of the under-privileged sections have improved but as compared to their advanced counterparts the pace of their progress has been relatively very slow.

We all agree that the problems of discriminated groups in the context of our society are dual in nature. Several social thinkers have suggested that some kinds of problems emanate from the lack of access to income earning capital assets like agricultural land, capital for business, quality employment and education, particularly due to denial of the same in the past for long periods of time, the consequences of which are visible today in the form of inter-group inequality in several indicators of human development. The other kinds of problems are in the form of persistence of discrimination in various societal transactions. Therefore, several perceptive observers have stressed that the discriminated groups require dual solution – one set of remedies are required to improve the ownership of land and capital assets, quality employment and education as compensation for that denial in the past, and another set of remedies are required to provide safeguards against discrimination. While the first set of remedies must be based on the justification of the principle of compensation for denial of rights in the past, the second set of remedies must be based on the assumption of providing safeguards against discrimination to ensure the due share and participation of the affected people in all areas of national life.

It is expected that the governmental policies aimed at social, educational and economic empowerment of the people will help enhance the capacity of discriminated groups to take advantage of the country’s social and economic progress. It is, however, necessary to recognize that economic and educational empowerment alone will not suffice; it will only empower the discriminated groups to enable them to make use of the ongoing economic and social progress, but will not ensure the ultimate use due to continuing discrimination, including the supply of social needs such as education and health.

In the absence of an equal opportunity policy in the form of affirmative action, the discriminated groups may continue to face discrimination. It is precisely for this reason that equal opportunity policies, which must be complementary to the policy of general economic empowerment, needs to be developed and implemented. The complementary nature of such policies will ultimately help the historically discriminated groups to receive their due share in economic and social progress.

Any democratic society faces the challenge of harmonizing two essentially contradictory political concepts – one, equality before the law irrespective of religion, caste, creed, race, and gender and the other social justice at the cost of the same commitment for equality before the law. Efforts have accordingly been made to provide redress for the underprivileged sections through the policy of reservations or quotas for them in government jobs, seats in educational; institutions and legislatures, and in governmental aid, loans and other developmental assistance.

Due to variation in the forms and spheres of discrimination, the consequences on the social, educational and economic situation of each of these groups also vary from group to group. Difference in inter-group inequalities in the human development points towards the consequences on access to property, business, employment, education, civil and cultural rights in varying degree to various social groups.

We in India, have developed policies, particularly for the SC and ST in legislature, education, public employment, public housing and selectively for OBC in education and employment and for women in local panchayat. However, it is also necessary that the problems of other groups (other than SC and ST, OBC), like Women, religious minorities and lower caste from different religions who continue to suffer from discrimination and educational and economic backwardness needs to be addressed through proper policies. The State must develop an inclusive policy for multiple groups, suffering from exclusion associated with caste, ethnicity, religion and gender.

An important issue therefore is to develop group specific inclusive policy to overcome the consequences of discrimination. Currently in India we are discussing the alternative ways of overcoming the deprivation suffered by various excluded groups such as other backward castes, dalits in different religious groups, religious minority and women.

Given the exclusionary nature of our economy, policy, society, culture and governance, it is necessary that we develop an inclusive policy which will ensure due representation and participation of all in the gains of social and economic development. Our economy, polity, society and governance will have to be more participatory and representative of various castes, ethnic, religious groups and women and this will make our democracy more inclusive and meaningful to all.

Friends this conference has been organized at an appropriate time, when we are looking for policies to address the problems of multiple groups. Recognizing this, our 11^th Five Year Plan talks not only about Economic Growth but is focused on 'Inclusive Growth', the growth that will benefit all particularly the poor and excluded social groups.

This conference is going to discuss the experience of Asian countries of the 'Inclusive policies'. I hope, the deliberation will result in arriving at solutions, which will help the States to develop policies, which will make the society more inclusive and participatory.

The Indian Institute of Dalit Studies have very rightly organized this international seminar to deliberate on the changing nature and forms of discrimination and specific problems of the discriminated groups in select countries in Asia. I am happy to inaugurate this Seminar and I am sure the participants will have very meaningful discussions. I wish the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies all success in their endeavours.

Thank you.