November 7th to 10th, 2013, CBCI offices for SC/BC, Women and Youth jointly organised ‘Dalit Women Leadership Training Program’ at Palotine Animation Centre, Nagpur. On 7th all the women 40 women gathered from all over India. On 8th Fr. Franklin, CBCI Secretary, Office for Youth offered Holy Mass and prayed for the success of the Program. At 9am Sr. Margarette from Karnataka led the prayer as well as inaugural session. Sr. Helen, CBCI Secretary, Office for Women welcomed every one. Fr. Franklin did the icebreaking and made the group to know each other. Fr. Deva Sagay Raj Secretary for CBCI Office for SC/BC gave the key note address for the program. Dalit women activist Ms. Asha Kawtal led the first session and explained the status of Dalit woman today. Her session opened the cruelty done for the dalit women in Indian Society. She spoke with facts and figures. Her session was interactive as well as thought provocative.
Then Fr. Bosco SJ from Andra Pradesh explained who is a dalit? Why in India they are discriminated? He explained with the historical back ground. He strongly condemned that dalit Christians and Muslims are not considered as Indian citizens when other dalits are given every status in the government schemes. Why this discrimination for us?.
There were interactive sessions as well as group discussions. Group visited ‘Deeksha Bhoomi’ at Nagpur where Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar got deeksha as a Buddhist. Other resource persons empowered the women leaders.
