Former chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and the Chairman of the Dalit Chetna Manch Vijay Sampla today addressed the Dalit Mahapanchayat on the occasion of Mahaparinirvan Diwas of Dr BR Ambedkar.

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Organised by the Dalit Chetna Manch, the panchayat addressed the key issues of the Dalit community.

Addressing a gathering, Sampla said, "Our Dalit brothers, who have been left behind in society should be brought forth. It is our duty towards society to hold their hands and help them move forward."

Taking a leaf from the life of Dr Ambedkar, Sampla said he could have garnered all kinds of facilities, but he dedicated his life to not only the Dalit community, but also to the nation. He called upon everyone to safeguard the principles of Baba Saheb Ambedkar.

Laying emphasis on the need for unity in the Dalit community, Sampla said while the problems of the Dalits were on the rise, all were busy being divided into Ravidasias, Valmikis and Kabirpanthis. We should rise above the sectarian thinking and unify as one single force to ensure equal rights for all Dalits.

He added that the Dalits of Punjab were facing same problems as the Dalits of Tamil Nadu, Gujrat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir or any other place in country. Similarly, the Ravidasias, Balmikis, Kabirpanthis and others too were facing same problems as Dhanak, Mahadasha and Baazigar people. All these problems need to be resolved.