Bhubaneswar: Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday stated that inter-caste marriages should be encouraged to abolish caste system in the country.
“If the chief minister (of Odisha) announces Rs 20-25 crore reward for the district reporting the maximum numbers of inter-caste marriages, people will be motivated to encourage this system. Besides, the State government can consider announcing government job for one of the inter-caste couple... To end case system inter-caste marriages are necessary,” Athawale said.
The Dalit leader, on the sidelines of attending a review meet with officials of State government said the Centre also contemplating rewards of similar fashion to encourage such marriages.
“Our ministry is encouraging such marriages and people should come forward to encourage such things. We are also thinking in that way what best can be done to abolish the caste system,” the Union minister said.
Expressing concern over the sorry state of ‘divyangas’ in the country he said the ministry is considering pensions for the differently-abled persons of the country.
“We want to give them equality not sympathy,” he stressed.
Athawale maintained that reservations should be carved out for the poor among the forward castes.