Use the word ‘EWS’ in place of Dalits: Sukhu

Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 28

Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu today called for abolition of terms such as Dalits or Scheduled Castes as they vitiate society.

Instead, the term Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) should be used, he said.

Sukhu said it was the need of the hour to abolish such terms and use terms like EWS for categorising a particular community rather than alienating them from mainstream and having social bias.

“The Indian society is best in the world. There is a human aspect to relationships which is missing in the west but the caste system has led to various social evil practices leading to divisions in our society along caste lines,” he remarked.

Sukhu said the Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi and Dr BR Ambedkar had also called for abolition for caste system and untouchability in our society.

“It is high time that we should incorporate changes and abolish such terms or traditions which are coming in the way of unity of society, resulting in clashes or conflict between various castes on these lines,” he said.

He said Mahatma Gandhi and Dr BR Ambedkar wanted to amalgamate various sub-castes having cultural unity and economic similarity. “Gradually, the castes which will approximately be on a footing of equality will consolidate and ultimately a casteless society will be established,” he remarked.