7.2.1 Commencement: 1981
7.2.2 Objectives:
1. To mobilize and organise Dalit people in each village under their own leadership.
2. To identify and harness their potential capabilities in their own service.
3. To create awareness and educate them about their own problems.
4. To motivate them to respond to their problems on their own and make use of their potential capabilities to find solutions.
5. To inculcate qualities of leadership, community consciousness, organisational skill, attitude of service and team work among them.
7.2.3 Activities:
1. Dalit men and women who are educated and employed become members in the sevadal of each village.
2. They are constituted into 4 different teams
a. Food Team
b. Health Team
c. Awareness Teamd. Service Team
3. Each team consists of 8 members – 4 men and 4 women except that in the case of Health Committee all members are women only.
4. The Food team takes care of all matters relating to food including Agriculture Viz., food habits, food needs, nutrition, agriculture labour, agriculture practices, agriculture productivity, facilitating assignment of uncultivated wastelands by the Govt. to Land less poor, acting as liaison with Govt. agencies on development issues. The committee also organises measures to resist repression and exploitative labour practices of local land lords.
5. The Health Team takes care of all Health matters such as creating awareness of personal and community Hygiene, herbal cures, impact of caste, untouchability, poverty and superstitions on their health, first line primary health care medicines for simple ailments, information about Health Care facilities, prenatal and postnatal Health Care etc.,
6. The ‘Awareness Team’ enlightens the community about fundamental rights and responsibilities of citizens, legal safe-guards against practice of untouchability, Govt. policies and programmes concerning Dalits. They organise Dalits in the village on local issues concerning them and act as liaison between local community and the Govt. Authorities for the proper implementation of Govt. Orders and Legal Provisions concerning Dalits.
7. The Services Team organises meetings, seminars, discussions on various socio-economic issues concerning Dalits, Promotes Ambedkar Study Centers and Ambedkar Youth Centres, celebrates National Festivals and Birth and death anniversaries of National Leaders, facilitates intercaste and group marriages and gives performances of street plays and folk arts.
7.2.4 Role of CARDs :
CARDs works as an active facilitator, motivator and guide in the work of the Dalit Sevadals and their team. They meet periodically and review their activities from time to time under the guidance of CARDs.