Kathmandu, June 22:

People from different walks of life today called on more and more Dalits to join politics to safeguard their rights.

Speaking at national press conference on ‘Participation of Dalit in Constituent Assembly and Our Role’, organised by the Dalit Welfare Association (DWA), UML leader Shankar Pokharel said Dalits will be a force to reckon with if they get into politics. “The Dalits should not only talk about their rights; they should also join politics.”

The Dalits should be proud of their profession, he said. “Our society runs after money,” he said, calling on the Dalits to adopt modern technologies in their professions so as to reap economic benefits to the maximum. Moti Lal Nepali, president of the DWA, said that Dalits have remained backward because of illiteracy and dependency. “Political scenario has undergone a sea-change, but the political parties have not changed yet,” he said, adding, “A cultural revolution is needed to transform the political parties.”

Awareness drives should be launched for benefit of villagers, Nara Maya Limbu from Save the

Children said.

The DWA held workshops on the “Participation of Dalit in CA” in all five-development regions from May 6 to May 20. The workshops concluded that a federal state system should be declared, an inclusive state structure worked out and proportional representation system should be adopted for CA polls.