Kei muri i te awe kāpara he tangata kē/Behind the tattooed face a stranger stands/Seeking understandings beyond first impressions/Recognising, engaging, understanding difference

Manickam Casimir (MC) Raj

Indigenous Affiliation: 
Dalit (Untouchables) of Karnataka, India
Position/Institution: 
Leading advocate for Dalit Human Rights & for electoral change; Founder of Rural Education for Development Society (REDS)

Manickam Casimir Raj was born in Tuticorin and lives in Karnataka. He has a B.Ph. (Philosophy), B .D. (Theology), M.A Sociology. He has studied Tamil, English, Kannada, Malayalam, Latin, Greek and French. He has extensive work, travel, study, research, writing and consulting experience.

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Positions held

National Secretary, Vigil India Movement 1981-82 (a Human Rights Organization); State Youth Coordinator, PEAL, Madurai, 1982; Founder - Director of REDS, Tumkur, 1984 -1995; National Coordinator of Training Task, 1991 – 1994; Executive Secretary of Dialogue Group, 1995-1996; Founder - Coordinator of  Solidarity,  1995- 2000; National Standing Committee Member, CAPART, Delhi; Coordinator of CEDAR-South Asia (Center for Dignity and Rights), 2001-2002; Dean of Studies, Two Years Diploma Course in Dalit Studies conducted by the Booshakthi Kendra

Design, development, organisation and/or facilitation of:

  • REDS (Rural Education for Development Society) into a peoples’ movement in Tumkur District which works in more than 1700 villages throughout Karnataka
  • Participatory training s for National YMCA Rural Coordinators, Church of North India Synodical Board of Social Services, CRDS, Nagaland, Church of South India Council for Education with Dr Badal Sen Gupta of  EED, Germany
  • 18 months Participatory Training for DOWCALM in Andhra Pradesh, FeDAL and PSK in Tamilnadu
  • Residential training programme for Dalit Youth in Tumkur District to cover 2000 young people in 10 -15 years
  • National level consultation on Globalisation in 1997 on behalf of EZE, Germany on the basis of EZE’s Policy Orientation Framework
  • Participatory Strategic Planning (PSP) for REDS, Solidarity, Training Task Group, Social Action Wing of Tamilnadu Theological Seminary and Jeevika
  • Participatory Evaluation of FEDINA Vikasa, SEED Trust, SEARCH projects in Tamilnadu and Karnataka and Internal Evaluations of  REDS
  • Evaluation of SKIP who is a Donor in Switzerland and submitted a report for evolving Global Policy Guidelines of SKIP. (1998)
  • The Declaration of the present Millennium as Ambedkar Yuga. He led a team of 12 young people and stayed in the villages for 43 days, covering 280 villages and 49,000 people. Consequently 42,000 people turned up for the Declaration function in 2000.
  • Sensitization Programme organized and conducted in Karnataka for top level bureaucrats. This programme is sponsored by the Social Welfare Department of the Karnataka and is partnered by the Siddhartha Educational and Cultural Association, Bangalore. This is an association of the spouses of the Dalit IAS and IPS officers of Karnataka.

Published Work

Participatory Training Methodology (published in English and in Bangla languages); From Periphery to Centre, Globalization, Casteism and Dalitism (English); Ashaktharige Shakthi ( A Kannada Training Book); Manifesto of the National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights (English); Booklet on Ambedkar Yuga (Kannada); From the Year 2000...Ambedkar Era  (English Book - 1999); The Internal Flame; Odaluri (Kannada); Millennium Challenges and Glimmer of Hope; Dalitology, A book of Dalit Science (890 Pages volume); Cosmosity (A book on Dalit Spirituality); DALITHINK, An Adventure into Dalit Philosophy; Dalitocracy, Theory and Praxis of Dalit Politics; DYCHE, The Dalit Psyche (1100 pages volume) ; KAKAPEE, A Novel (Published by PublishAmerica, USA; wrote Manifesto and co-authored the Black Paper of the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights, which have now become significant instruments in the struggle for Dalit Human Rights at the international level

Paper(s) / Speeches /Conferences

  • On Dalit Identity in the Era at the Bangalore University Conference (1999)
  • On the Indian Situation in the Asia Consultation on Globalisation, held in (1996)
  • On Dalit Rights in the International Conference on Dalit Rights organized by Voice of Dalit International  in London – Sept. 2000
  • On the Social, Educational and Cultural Rights of the Dalit people in the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil – January 2001. In the WSF moderated two sessions which CEDAR had organized
  • On the Cultural Religious Rights of the Dalit People at the Global Conference on Rights in Delhi-March 2001
  • On the Dalit situation and an appeal to the people of the Netherlands in particular and the people of Europe at the Festival Mundial in June 2001 in a large gathering of over 100,000 people organized by Amnesty International, the Netherlands section.
  • To a gathering in the Netherlands together with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands on the launching day of the World Citizens Campaign. The invitation letter from the Netherlands mentions Raj as “the wise man from the South”.
  • Nineteen lectures on Indian Culture in some American universities in October 2002
  • On “War on Terrorism” by the London Institute of South Asia, London 2007
  • The only Indian delegate to attend the Partners Conference of ICCO, Netherlands in Chiang Mai of Thailand

Research

  • One month research in Germany and England on the German Electoral System in view of promoting the political rights of the Dalit people in India by spearheading a campaign on Electoral reforms in India
  • Did research in Norway on the Culture and history of the Sami people and the Sami Parliament. The research is placed in the broader framework of the Norwegian electoral system.
  • ‘Dalitology’ –  the tenth Book by M C Raj which is major volume of 830 pages which was released in a function in Bangalore where more than 5000 people  attended it. It was released in Birmingham of England in 2002; and officially released in Indonesia and in Tiruchirapally. It has been published in Kannada and Tamil languages.

Booshakthi Kendra

Booshakthi Kendra, the International Dalit Cultural Center is the latest venture of M C Raj who has by now been affectionately termed as “Appaji”.  With his wife, Jyothi, Raj led the Great Dalit March on 14 April 2003 and personally walked a stretch of 22 kms at one go to mark the beginning of the work of Booshakthi Kendra. This is a Dalit Ashram, which propagates the values of equality, fraternity, resilience, peaceful co-existence with human dignity. This was preceded by an intensive visit to more than 300 villages to prepare the people for the Great March. The Booshakthi Kendra is a true symbol of a genuine search for alternatives to humanity in the true Indian worldview. The Booshakthi Kendra has taken up seriously the issue of 5 acres of land to each Dalit family in rural areas. It is also a nerve centre of the great cultural resurgence among the Dalit people, especially in Karnataka. He initiated a Two Year Diploma Course in Dalit Studies in the Booshakthi Kendra of which he is the Founder. He is the Dean of Studies. This Diploma Course is for Graduate students from all over India.

CERI (Campaign for Electoral Reform)

In 2007, more than 20,000 people assembled to formally elect their Dalit Leaders of the Movement through the Proportionate electoral system. CERI Initiated the Campaign for Electoral Reform in India(CERI) at the national and international levels to bring about a Proportionate Electoral System in India. Two International Conferences in Bangladesh and in Nepal besides a National Conference in Delhi and five State Conferences have been already completed.

CDM Project

The CDM Project is one of the two pro-poor CDM project in the world. It is the first Dalit CDM project in history. It has been the fruit of the hard labour of M C Raj and his team in the organization. This project has been registered with the UNFCCC to provide 180,000 solar lamps to 60,000 poor households in 1646 villages of Tumkur District.

           

Significant Achievements

  • REDS (Rural Education for Development Society) founded by Raj works in 2000 villages
  • Innovated Dalit Panchayats for the first time in Dalit history as a viable alternative for the internal governance of the Dalit community
  • Through REDS has recovered more than 6190 acres of land for Dalits
  • Has been a charismatic leader for stopping about 80% of untouchability practices in Tumkur District and complete removal of atrocities on Dalits in the same District. Recovered 6200 acres of land for the Dalit people in Tumkur District alone.
  • One of the biggest Donors in Germany, EED announced once in public that all the Dalit awareness that they have received in their organization is because of Raj
  • The Dalit Ashram, Booshakthi Kendra is the first of its kind in the entire history of India

Awards

    • The significant contribution of Raj and his organization REDS gained the Rajyotsava Award of the State Government in 1989
    • Raj was also given the Ambedkar Award by the Karnataka State Government in 2001
    • In 2009, Raj received the Ambedkar International Award for his book Dyche, the Dalit Psyche