Addressing a “Dalit-minority international conference” organized by Cabinet colleague Ram Vilas Paswan, the Prime Minister did not mince words sharing his thoughts on discrimination faced by Dalits and Muslims.

Drawing parallels between racial apartheid and untouchability, Singh said this “unique discrimination” is a “blot on humanity.”

Sharing the dais with former prime ministers V P Singh and I K Gujral, the Prime Minister said that Muslims have been deprived of an equal share of development benefits. Some minorities in India have done better than others, he said, citing the example of Jains and Sikhs. “However, other minorities, especially the Muslim community in certain parts of our country, have not had an equal share in the fruits of development,” Singh said.

Singh said the plight of Muslims has been established by data provided in the Sachar committee report which studied the social, economic and educational status of the Muslim community in the country. “It is incumbent upon any democratically elected government to redress such imbalances and eradicate such inequities. Our government is indeed committed to doing so,” he said.

Singh said: “Dalits have faced a unique discrimination in our society that is fundamentally different from the problems of minority groups in general. The only parallel to the practice of untouchability is apartheid,” he said. “Untouchability is not just social discrimination, it is a blot on humanity,” Singh said.

Calling for a “political, social, cultural and intellectual battle,” against such discrimination, the PM noted that constitutional and administrative measures alone are not sufficient. “Our government is deeply and sincerely committed to the equality of all sections of our society and will take all necessary steps to help in the social, educational and economic empowerment of Dalits. This is our solemn commitment,” Singh said.

He said the UPA government will address problems facing the SC and ST communities on account of acquisition of land, their displacement, their livelihood and forcible migration in search of job opportunities. The Prime Minister said his government wants to take steps to reduce social and economic inequalities, “without hurting the process of growth and without reducing the incentives for individual enterprise and creativity.”

Noting that even in a free society there were glass windows and glass ceilings, he said that the first step in dealing with such problems was to recognise their existence. “The second step is to come up with universally acceptable policies that are not viewed as a zero-sum game, but as win-win solutions through which everyone is better off and no one is worse off,” Singh said.

The conference with delegates from 83 countries, will continue on Thursday.