Saturday, January 23, 2010

[ZESTCaste] Inquiry sought into moon plot for Mayawati

 

http://beta.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article91532.ece

Inquiry sought into moon plot for Mayawati
Special Correspondent

The Uttar Pradesh Government has sought an inquiry by the Ministry of
External Affairs (MEA) into the issue related to documents sent to the
Chief Minister Mayawati recently which said that a plot on the moon
had been allotted to her on her birthday on January 15, 2010.

The Cabinet Secretary, Shashank Shekhar Singh said that a letter to
this effect, written by the Principal Secretary of the Home Department
has been sent to the Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs since the
packet originated from the United States of America.

He said the matter concerned the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, a
proper probe was required, which only the MEA can conduct.

The Cabinet Secretary dismissed as baseless the possibility of a plot
being allotted on the moon to the Chief Minister. Mr. Singh said Ms.
Mayawati had no knowledge about it and has nothing to do with it. He
said it appears that a mischief has been played by someone.

The MEA has been urged to conduct a prompt inquiry, he added. EOM

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[ZESTCaste] Orissa villagers stop midday meal cooked by Dalits

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Orissa-villagers-stop-midday-meal-cooked-by-Dalits/570249


Orissa villagers stop midday meal cooked by Dalits

Debabrata Mohanty Posted online: Friday , Jan 22, 2010 at 0038 hrs
Bhubaneswar : Caste conflict in rural Orissa raised its ugly head once
again after villagers in coastal Kendrapara district on Wednesday
stopped midday meal at a government primary school protesting against
cooking by two Dalit women.
The cooking at Siddha Marichani Primary School in Sanamarichapalli
village of Rajnagar tehsil under Kendrapara district was stopped after
a section of Village Education Committee (VEC) members ordered the
Dalit cooks to

stop work. "They reasoned that the Dalits have no

right to cook at a school that accommodates upper-caste children,"
said Kendrapara Collector Sisir Kanta Panda, who has ordered an
administrative probe into the incident.

The village has a population of 700 people of which about one-third are Dalits.

The two Dalit women were locked up inside the kitchen for an hour
before the school headmaster rescued them. Headmaster

Rabindra Nayak said he was being forced by the

upper-caste villagers to disengage the two women. "But I pleaded my
helplessness as it was the decision of the higher authorities," he
said.

Incidentally, the state Women and Child Welfare Department, through a
notification, had ordered that preferably women

from Dalit and tribal community should be enrolled as mid-day meal
cooks in primary schools.

The Kendrapara Collector said he was disgusted with the incident.
"This should not happen. Do we go to a hotel and check the cook's
caste before eating there?" he asked.

The Maa Ambika, a women's self-help group running the mid-day meal
scheme in the school, has expressed unwillingness to continue
providing the meal. The group has alleged that they are being
ill-treated because of their Dalit status.

Though the School Education Department initially did not allow Dalit
women to cook mid-day meals on the grounds that upper-caste children
might skip the meals, it gave in after the National Human Rights
Commission last year asked the administration to stop the practice.

In February last year, Dalit students at a government-run primary
school in the same area were allegedly prevented from performing puja
and having prasad during Saraswati puja at a village in the district.
The headmaster was later put under suspension.

In December 2006, four Dalits had entered a 300-year-old Jagannath
temple at Keredagada village of Kendrapara, defying opposition to
their entry by upper castes for over a year. The Orissa High Court
came to the rescue of the Dalits, ruling on December 5 that they could
enter any Hindu temple.


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[ZESTCaste] ‘Giant’ replica of Indian Constitution may be displayed on Republic Day

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/-Giant--replica-of-Indian-Constitution-may-be-displayed-on-Republic-Day/570465

'Giant' replica of Indian Constitution may be displayed on Republic Day
Express News Service Posted online: Friday , Jan 22, 2010 at 0319 hrs
Rajkot : Dalit trust is trying to get recognition for the book by
Guinness Book of World Record

A Dalit trust in Rajkot has prepared a "maha" version of the Indian
Constitution and will display the book for public on April 14, the
birth anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.

If the state government agrees the trust's proposal to accept the book
officially, the book can even be displayed on this Republic Day.

"We wanted something very special to mark the Republic Day
celebrations. Not only Dalits, we want all to be part of the
celebrations," said Amarsinh Makwana, the founder member of the trust.
The trust is also trying to get an entry for the 12-foot long and
6-foot wide book in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The 2-tonne replica of the Indian Constitution, which will probably be
transported in a truck, has been prepared and printed in Rajkot by
Duda Makwana Kalyan Trust formed by Dalits.

The trust has also proposed the state government to accept the book.
If the government accepts it officially, the book can be released even
on this Republic Day, said sources.

The trust will launch a website on January 25 and begin preparations
for the Dalit convention to be held on April 14.

Makwana said, "All the 276 pages have been on a paper size of 12 feet
long and 6 feet wide. It has cost us nearly Rs 2 lakh to make the
"maha avatar" of the Indian Constitution."

"We have written to the state government to accept the book
officially. If they do so, it will become easier to promote the book
across the state," said Makwana.

He said they are awaiting the government response. "Even if the
government does not accept it, we will take the book across
Saurashtra," said Makwana.

He further said the trust has planned a march across seven districts
and 68 talukas of Saurashtra on the occasion of Dr Ambedkar's birth
anniversary.

The trust has done correspondence with the Guinness authorities and
hope they will recognise the record.


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