This Ambedkar Jayanti, Dr. Natesan Burnad Fatima of the Society for Rural Education and Development(SRED), along with Dalit History Month is organizing a Dalit Food Festival that brings together Dalit history with its special cuisine. 

The program includes a photo exhibition featuring Dalit culture and history for school children and an array of traditional Dalit foods. Through this, elements of Dalit history that are forgotten will be depicted in a way that is exciting for young children. Dalit children are unaware of Dalit History and this event, held on Dr. B R Ambedkar’s birthday gives us the opportunity to bring stories and teachings of Dalit leaders, Dalit history, and Dalit food culture to the mainstream in a fun way.

Dr. Natesan Burnad Fatima is the founder and Executive Director of the Society for Rural Education and Development which has been working among the Dalit (untouchable) communities in Tamil  Nadu, India for the past 37 years. SRED mobilizes Dalit women, unorganized workers, farmers, sex workers and Mathamma women who are dedicated to temples to stand up against Human Rights violations and demand their Rights. To achieve these goals, Dr. Fatima carries out consistent fieldwork, capacity building and legal assistance at the grass root level.