Ahead of the Bihar elections, the big question: What do Dalits want? The NACDAOR report reveals key demands.
The report highlights land, education, and budget sharing as key issues; it will be released today.
Published on: 08 Oct 2025, 11:54 am
New Delhi— Ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, a leading organization working on Dalit rights has released a startling report focusing on the concerns and demands of the state’s nearly 15 million Dalit population. The report, “Bihar: What Dalits Want,” prepared by the National Confederation of Dalit and Adivasi Organizations (NACDAOR), will be released during a press conference on October 8 at the Press Club of India, New Delhi.
According to the report’s background note, despite constituting 20% of Bihar’s total voter population, elections remain a “bitter experience” for Dalit voters. NACDAOR has demanded that all political parties make “clear, concrete, and accountable promises” related to Dalits in their manifestos.
Key issues highlighted in the report:
1. The shadow of violence and discrimination: The report states that Dalits continue to face violence, intimidation, and humiliation aimed at maintaining their social oppression. It expresses deep concern about the continued rise of these violent tendencies.
2. The need for land reform: According to the report, land reform is a key issue in Bihar. Dalits own only 0.57 million hectares of the state’s 6.45 million hectares of agricultural land. Due to the practice of sharecropping, Dalit farmers, who actually cultivate the land, neither have land rights nor receive their full share of the labor.
3. Educational backwardness: The literacy rate of Dalits in Bihar is about 10% lower than the national average. According to the 2011 census, this rate was 55.9%. Dalit students have a high drop-out rate and their participation in higher education is significantly low.
4. Lack of adequate share in the budget: The report also points out that political parties talk about the welfare of Dalits, but when it comes to budget allocation, there is a huge difference between their claims and reality.
The report said that as long as the thinking of discriminating against Dalits and depriving them of their rights continues in the society, the dream of ‘Amrit Kaal’ of making India a developed country by 2047 will remain unfulfilled.
Through this report, NACDAOR aims to make the public and policymakers aware of the true situation of Dalits in Bihar. The organization’s national president, Ashok Bharti, will address the press conference. This report is being seen as an important document in the election environment, highlighting the priorities of Dalit voters.
