Caste-free society still a distant dream, rues minister

He added that government initiatives had not benefited marginalized communities due to the absence of reservation in the appointment of staff.

Vestiges of casteism continue to plague Kerala society, though not as severely as being witnessed in other States, observed K. Radhakrishnan, Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes, and Devaswom.

A caste-free society continues to remain elusive, he said while addressing a webinar on the contemporary Dalit issues in Kerala organised by the Abhimanyu Smaraka Trust on Saturday.

Mr. Radhakrishnan emphasised the need for the communist movement to work closely with the Dalit sections to keep the extremist and communal forces from exploiting the dissatisfaction among them. The party should continue to involve the Dalits who have steadfastly remained with the party, and should help implement the government projects for their upliftment.