Give to every human being every right that you claim for yourself

Robert Green Ingesoll

This picture has been created

for the 20th years of service completion

of POPE in 2007

Dr. Ambedkar’s picture shows that Ambedkar’s ideals and principles are immortal.

India map shows that POPE has envisioned the India as a whole for Dalit’s empowerment.

The legal project holder is a born Dalit who was discriminated by the society, educational institutions and even by the Church when he was in the youth hood stage. This has motivated him to start an NGO, exclusively for Dalits for their empowerment. He found out that there is a need for legal awareness and knowledge about Indian constitutions and human rights approach. In order to equip himself he studied Law and became a human rights Lawyer and pleading at the Court for the under privileged Dalits. Human rights based programme / education is more sustainable than any other programmes. An ordinary Dalit in any Indian village is denied for:

• Right to land and housing

• Right to drinking water and sanitation

• Right against exploitation

• Right against atrocities focused on Dalits

• Right to get food / livelihood

• Right to get share in development

• Right to enjoy the village common resources

• Right to redeem D.C. (Depressed caste) land Panchami land

• Right to safety and security

• Right to have a choice on religion

• Right to go for legal remedies once, human rights are violated

• Right to get minimum wage, fixed by the legal Act

• Right to enjoy the rights guaranteed under fundamental rights of Indian constitution.

In order to enjoy the rights of the under privileged rights, POPE has organized the following activities:

This is a people’s movement started on April, 14, 1998 on the basis of

Dr. Ambedkar’s ideology, incorporated the Dalits for a Casteless society with the specific ideals of “Dignity, Self-sufficiency and Self-rule”. This acts as a powerful weapon in the hands of the people to support and safe guard their fundamental Human Rights.

More than 30,000 villagers have membership in this movement in Tiruvannamalai District and also spreading to nearby District Villupuram. This movement is marching hopefully towards the formation of casteless society with Peace and Justice.

• Basic needs of the villages like water supply, electricity facilities etc., are taken care by the members of Dalit Makkal Mandram in the concerned villages

• Local problems are handled and solved peacefully by the involvement of DMM members

• Arrangements are being done by the DMM members for the old age pension to the needy

• Proper distribution of Government low cost food supply also another main concern of the DMM members

• DMM members will always be on their feet to extend their possible services for the good Administration of the village panchayat for the well being of the people

This is a federation of 225 elected rural Dalit panchayat leaders organized on December 31, 1997. It was started in view of educating the Dalit leaders on panchayat raj constitutions and strength their collective involvement for the welfare of the Dalits of their panchayats.

The old members except a few are replaced by the newly elected members. And it continues its activities of periodical gatherings, planning, and trainings to get encouragements and ideas in their village Administration.

To safe guard the Dalit people from their human rights violations and to protect the Human Rights of the Dalits. The solidarity of the 20 Dalit Advocates are being guaranteed by this forum. Members of this forum are very helpful during the crisis.

They take part in the fact-finding teams; take the leading part during the meetings with police and Government officials. They also jointly approach at the Court on behalf of the affected during caste and political violence.

Since DMM is involving in the people’s struggle for their liberation and human rights, it has to face the fight against the money power and the political power. By its few years’ experience, DMM learnt the power and need of the unity and the need of gathering the small movements in the working areas. So a co-ordination is formed by 12 like minded Dalit movements. These hands that joined against the caste discrimination by its sincere commitment has become the great source and security of the Dalits of Tiruvannamalai District.

DMM also has become a member of a Federation organized at State level for the land rights. Since most of the Dalits are depending on agricultural and agricultural related labours, DMM concentrates in this area also. The lands given by the Government to the Dalits for their livelihood are being occupied by Non-Dalits and leaving them again landless and powerless people. So DMM as the partner of the land right federation involving in the activities to recapture the D.C. lands.

This is our another major programme to support the depressed rural dalits legally in their struggles towards liberation.

• We have established a free legal aid centre in the District Head quarters.

• Through this, we guide and support the needy people legally to protect their human rights.

• We provide fee legal services against Dalit atrocities.

• Dalit panchayat leaders get proper guidance’s to handle their village problems.

• The free legal aid centre pressurizes the police as well as the Government for the registration and implementation of SC/ST 1989 (Prevention of Atrocities) and Rule 1995 and also takes proper steps to protect the rights of the Dalits

• Legal aid camps were arranged in few places with the support of the district legal services authority.

In order to protect the rights of Dalits Traditional Singers and Folk media Artists, an association was formed and provided the training and issued a certificate with this training and the certificate issued by POPE, the trainees have received the identity cards from the Government. With this identity card, they are now eligible to receive various benefits meant for them from State Government and Central Government.

Speaking for the oppressed and voiceless, who cannot speak for themselves is advocacy. POPE highlights the issues and problems to the Government authorities through media groups, collective action programmes, procession, giving memorandum to the policy makers such as senior Government officials and officers like District Collector and the Police Officers. Through this method, people have obtained link roads, transport facilities, drinking water supplies, and eradication of liquor sales in the village, pathways for funeral procession, funeral grounds and other basic needs fulfillment in the villages of Dalits.

POPE has identified and trained number of Dalit NGO functionaries on human rights, legal awareness, legal remedies, right to information, consumer’s right, citizenship training, filing petitions on public litigation issues, procedures for obtaining FIR (First Information Report) copies, bailing procedures, case appeal procedures etc. The trained NGOs are functioning in various districts of Tamil Nadu.

Dalit NGOs Network in North Tamil Nadu has been developed to address the following three issues.

• Redemption of DC lands for Dalits

• Obtaining share from the common properties of village

• Atrocities against Dalits, which includes atrocities against Dalit children, Dalit youth, Dalit women and Dalit people in general.

POPE, Social Organisation, has been supplementing the efforts of Government through the existing legislations.