Sunday, April 18, 2010

[ZESTCaste] Kumari Mayawati: 'Untouchable' champion of India's poor

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/8625337.stm

Kumari Mayawati: 'Untouchable' champion of India's poor

By Chris Morris
BBC News

The first woman Dalit (formerly "untouchable") chief minister of an
Indian state, Kumari Mayawati, is celebrated by those at the bottom of
the Hindu caste system as their champion, but also criticised for
amassing vast personal wealth.

Standing in the afternoon heat close to the banks of the Gomti River,
looking down from a flyover on a vast monumental park, you would be
forgiven for wondering whether the sun is playing tricks on you.

Is it a mirage?

A row of 60 giant elephants, carved from sandstone, stand guard along
a broad processional walkway.

" Mayawati is creating a special police force to protect her monuments
and her army of statues from harm "

There are domes and colonnades, granite pillars with brass elephant
heads, a vast lotus-shaped memorial surrounded by shimmering marble
and there are statues. Everywhere there are statues.

My first thought is to misquote the poet Shelley.

My name is Mayawati, Queen of Queens: Look on my work, ye mighty, and despair!

Because this is the piece de resistance of Ms Mayawati, the chief
minister of Uttar Pradesh state.

On a scale that puts the Taj Mahal to shame, the Bhim Rao Ambedkar
Monument celebrates the life of the man who wrote the Indian
constitution and championed the cause of the downtrodden.

He is a hero in particular to India's Dalits, or "the oppressed", the
community from which Ms Mayawati has risen.

Dalits used to be known as "untouchables".

Below the bottom rung of the Hindu caste system, they were considered
to be ritually polluted from birth.

Officially, untouchability was outlawed by Ambedkar's constitution 60
years ago.

And in urban areas, and among those who have managed to grab the
lifeline of education, its shadow has been diminished.

Segregation

But out in India's teeming villages, caste remains a dominant fact of life.

In many rural regions, Dalits are still forced to live in separate
segregated areas.

They are often prevented from collecting water from the same well as
higher caste people, and they do the jobs that no-one else wants to
do.

I have to confess that since I have been living and working in this
country I have tiptoed around covering the caste system.

" The elephant, the ubiquitous symbol of Ms Mayawati's political
party, is now riding high "

It is a failure on my part I will admit, as hierarchy reveals so much
about India and the Indian mindset.

But for outsiders, caste is fiendishly complicated, hard to understand
and even harder to explain.

In Uttar Pradesh, though, it is hard to avoid. The elephant, the
ubiquitous symbol of Ms Mayawati's political party, is now riding
high.

And so is the Dalit pantheon. There are an estimated 20,000 statues of
Ambedkar across this state, most of them commissioned by Ms Mayawati.

Vanity projects

She has also built countless statues of other Dalit leaders, including
of course, of her own good self, staring defiantly into the distance
and clutching a trademark square handbag.

So it is easy to mock Ms Mayawati and her addiction to statues. Many
middle class Indians frequently do.

Her political opponents accuse her of corruption and say she is
wasting vast quantities of public money on vanity projects in one of
the poorest parts of the country.

There has been a legal challenge, and the Supreme Court has ordered a
stay on statue building while it considers the case.

In response Ms Mayawati is creating a special police force to protect
her monuments and her army of statues from harm.

What for, asked one incredulous opponent? Will they lose height or
weight? Is someone planning to disfigure them?

But there is some method in this apparent madness.

The Dalits of Uttar Pradesh still vote en masse for Ms Mayawati.

And the more she spends to excess, the more some of them seem to revel in it.

At one huge rally, she was greeted with an enormous garland made
entirely of 1,000 rupee notes.

The tax department is investigating, and some say the garland may have
been worth between $400,000 and $2m (up to £750,000). But the crowds
loved it.

" Dalits have been denied public space for so long, consciously shut
out of it, that her supporters see the statues as the ultimate riposte
"

And then she was given a second garland made entirely of money, this
time worth 1.8m rupees ($39,000).

And what of the statues?

Well, Dalits have been denied public space for so long, consciously
shut out of it, that her supporters see the statues as the ultimate
riposte.

She is reasserting our identity, they say, and reviving our lost
history. Making Dalits realise that we too have a stake in this
country.

And that means she is creating aspirations and she retains huge loyalty.

But what about distributing power among the grass roots? That is where
her opponents say she has failed.

Caste enigma

So where do Dalit politics go from here? Can Ms Mayawati move from
strength to strength?

I have my doubts, but for me caste remains one of India's enduring mysteries.

I remember many years ago meeting a professor in Chennai and asking
him to explain the caste system to me.

He turned to his collection of books, and honed in on 24 thick, bound
volumes of The Castes and Tribes of South India, stretching right
along the top shelf like the Encyclopaedia Britannia.

Without a word he pulled out volume 24, opened it at the last page and
handed it to me.

To be continued, it said.


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[ZESTCaste] Right to Food act to be brought out soon, says HM

 

http://www.ptinews.com/news/614928_Right-to-Food-act-to-be-brought-out-soon--says-HM

Right to Food act to be brought out soon, says HM

STAFF WRITER 15:23 HRS IST
Chennai, Apr 18 (PTI) Union Home Minister P Chidambaram today said the
Centre would soon come out with a comprehensive Right to Food Act.

"After the Right to Information Act, Right to Work Act and Right to
Education Act, the Government is working on a Right to food Act, which
will be enforced soon," he said at a function here.

He claimed that the Congress-led UPA government's rights based
approach has ensured faster economic growth, benefiting all sections
of society in the country.

On the education front, he said disbursement of loans and scholarships
to students, especially Dalits, has reached "unprecedented levels"
under the UPA government.

In 2008-2009, education loans worth Rs 25,000 crore were disbursed to
poor students and this figure was expected to go up to Rs 45,000 crore
during 2009-2010, benefiting about 25 lakh students, he said.

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[ZESTCaste] Nitish Kumar using dalits for political gains: RJD

 

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_nitish-kumar-using-dalits-for-political-gains-rjd_1372837

Nitish Kumar using dalits for political gains: RJD
PTISunday, April 18, 2010 18:50 ISTLast updated: Sunday, April 18,
2010 19:02 IST

Patna: RJD national general secretary and spokesperson Ram Kirpal
Yadav today charged Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar with dividing
the society on caste lines by creating a Mahadalit Commission and
diverting the funds released for the SCs and STs by the Centre.

Addressing a function organised by ''Bhhuiyan and Musahar'' community
at the party headquarters, Yadav and deputy leader of the opposition
in the state assembly Shakeel Ahmed Khan said that the trick of Nitish
Kumar constituting a Mahadalit Commission and not providing the status
of mahadalits to the Paswans would boomerang as the Paswans would
teach the NDA a lesson in the upcoming assembly eletions.

The two RJD leaders said the Paswans form 30.9% (40.2 lakh)of the 1.30
crore SC population and they would vote in toto in favour of the
RJD-LJP combine as the NDA government had shown them a cold shoulder.

The RJD leaders wanted a clear cut reply from Kumar as to why people
were dying of hunger in rural Bihar. ''Depsite the state claims that
not a single person had died of starvation we have definite
information that about 500 people have died of starvation in the
state'', they said.

While Kumar was talking about development, not a single industry has
been set up in the state in the past four and half years rule of the
NDA in Bihar, the RJD leaders alleged.

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[ZESTCaste] Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes panels soon

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Scheduled-Castes-and-Scheduled-Tribes-panels-soon/articleshow/5827095.cms

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes panels soon
Faizan Ahmad, TNN, Apr 18, 2010, 06.23am IST

PATNA: The state government will set up two separate commissions for
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes soon, said chief minister Nitish
Kumar here on Saturday.

Accepting the fourth report of the state Mahadalit commission, Nitish
said: "The decision has been taken and the process to form the
commissions is on." The NDA government's rivals had been demanding a
state SC and ST commission for sometime now.

Nitish, however, made it clear that the Mahadalit commission will
continue to function as it has its own utility. It is speculated that
the chairman of the SC commission will be from the Paswan caste.

The Mahadalit panel, in its fourth report, has made some
recommendations for the welfare of the Paswans or Dusadhs, the only
caste not accepted as Mahadalit. But it has stopped short of
recommending the inclusion of Paswans in that category.

"It has been suggested that the Paswans should also be extended the
facilities so far given to Mahadalits only," said state SC/ST welfare
secretary K P Ramaiah. He added that it has been recommended that
Paswans should also get three decimals of land for construction of
houses and school uniforms for children studying in classes I to IV.

Denying the allegation of diversion of fund meant for the welfare of
Mahadalits, Nitish accused Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan,
without naming him, of being against the uplift of the Dalits, who had
been socially neglected for long."He is not only against the
nomenclature, Mahadalit, but also against Mahadalits," the CM said.

Nitish further stated that a committee, headed by the chief secretary,
will be formed to study the panel's recommendations. It will give its
opinions which will be discussed by the cabinet before accepting the
recommendations. He said this procedure was adopted while accepting
the earlier recommendations, too.

The panel reported that though Paswans are politically strong, it
hardly made a difference to their socio-economic and educational
conditions. Apart from land and school uniform, the commission
recommneded that Paswans be given special training for the job of
security guards. Then, this caste could help to fill up the large
number of vacancies in the police force.

A memorial of former chief minister Bhola Paswan Shastri has been
suggested to be raised and his birthday be celebrated as a state
function. Altogether, 21 Dalit castes have been empanelled as
Mahadalits. They are Bantar, Bauri, Bhogta, Bhuia, Chaupal, Dabgar,
Dom/Dhangar, Ghasi, Halalkhor, Mehtar/Hari/Bhangi, Kanjar, Kuriar,
Lalbegi, Mushar, Nut, Pan-Swasi, Rajwar, Turi, Dhobi, Pasi and Chamar.

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[ZESTCaste] CM's sop to Jijhotia Brahmins

 

http://www.centralchronicle.com/viewnews.asp?articleID=32981

CM's sop to Jijhotia Brahmins

Bhopal Posted On Sunday, April 18, 2010
By Our Staff Reporter
Bhopal, Apr 18:

Seeking blessing of the members of Jijhotia Brahmin community and also
blessing the boys and girls in match-making ceremony, Chief Minister
Shivraj Singh Chouahn today announced the allotment of a 5 thousand
square feet land plot. He was participating as the chief guest in
Akhil Bhartiya Yuvak - Yuvati Parichay Sammelan organised by Jijhotia
Brahmin Kalyan Parishad at Gufa Mandir, Lal Ghati. The function was
presided over by Mahant Chandramadas Tyagi. Legislator and former MP
Nita Pateria, former MLA PC Sharma, president of local body cell Alok
Sharma and Dr TN Dubey were the guests of honour.
Name of 400 marriageable boys and girls were registered for the match
- making ceremony. 40 alliances were settled for tying the nuptial
knot.
On this occasion, CM Chouhan also released the Jijhotia Brahmin's
match - making souvenir containing details of 600 marriageable boys,
girls and their families.
Elucidating various activities of the community, president Kailash
Vajpayi articulated his resolve to arrange marriage of 11 couples by
the Parishad every year.
A large number of boys and girls came up at the dais to introduce
themselves and mentioned the criteria of their preference for
marriage.
The Parishad also felicitated 12 members of the community Mahant
Chandramadas Tyagi, Gaurishankar Gaurish, Aditya Narayan Litoria,
Mahendranath Dubey, Mannulal Chaturvedi from Beena, Kanti Swaroop
Dubey from Satna, Ramcharan Choubey, RC Pathak, Hargovind Sharma,
Gurucharan Riccharia, Shivnarayan Sharma, OP Litoria.

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[ZESTCaste] BSP turns gaze to criminals in its stable

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/BSP-turns-gaze-to-criminals-in-its-stable/607872

BSP turns gaze to criminals in its stable

Express News Service Posted online: Sunday , Apr 18, 2010 at 0149 hrs
Lucknow : The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has asked its functionaries at
all levels to prepare a list of party workers and leaders found to be
involved in criminal activities and ensure action against them by the
end of this month. Sources said the party coordinators at the zonal
and district levels would identify such members and expel them
immediately.
The party has directed its functionaries to send a list of such
expelled members to the BSP's state headquarters before April 30.
Sources said CM Mayawati would review the list. "If anyone is left,
she would ensure action against him," the source said.

On Saturday, PWD Minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui and Mines Minister Babu
Singh Kushwaha held a meeting of party functionaries from different
zones and districts and communicated the CM's message to them. Sources
said MLAs and MPs with controversial background are also under the
watch.

"The idea is to stop the entry of criminal elements who prefer to
enjoy connections in the ruling party," a source, who is also a party
coordinator, said.

The party's decision to crack the whip on criminal elements comes a
day after it expelled the Ansari brothers — Mau MLA Mukhtar Ansari and
his brother and former MP Afzal Ansari — saying they were still
involved in criminal activities. The party also snapped its ties with
Sibgatullah Ansari, another Ansari brother who is an SP MLA from
Muhammadabad.

A day earlier, the BSP had disowned one Hanuman Sharan Shukla, who was
killed while on the stage during a party demonstration in Gonda
district on April 14. The current BSP regime has been dogged by
incidents in which party MLAs have been found to be involved in
criminal cases, including those of murder.

Recently, Bhim Rao Ambedkar, BSP MLA from Lakhna seat in Etawah, was
in news after an engineer Shivdas accused him of issuing threats to
him.

Another MLA, Shekhar Tewari, is the key accused in a murder case in
which a PWD engineer in Auraiya, M K Gupta, was killed in December
2008. Besides, Anand Sen and Jamuna Nishad lost their ministerial
berths after their names figured in two separate murder cases. While
Sen is an accused in the Shashi murder case in Faizabad district,
Nishad's name had figured in an FIR following the murder of a police
constable in Maharajganj district.


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[ZESTCaste] BSP plans anti-Congress stir on UPA’s first anniversary

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/bsp-plans-anti-congress-stir-on-upas-first-anniversary_100349948.html

BSP plans anti-Congress stir on UPA's first anniversary
April 18th, 2010 - 8:44 pm ICT by IANS -

Lucknow, April 18 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh's ruling Bahujan Samaj Party
(BSP) has planned a series of anti-Congress demonstrations across the
state May 22 when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government
completes the first year of its second term in office, a party leader
said Sunday.
"Our main aim is to highlight the failures of the Congress-led UPA
government that completes one year in office May 22 and to expose how
the party (Congress) had been only making false promises to the
downtrodden classes across the country," a top state BSP leader told
IANS here, on the condition of anonymity.

BSP supremo and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's close
confidantes and cabinet ministers holding many portfolios Naseemuddin
Siddiqui and Babu Singh Kushwaha have been told to ensure that party
functionaries, right down to the grassroots level, were activated to
tell the people how the Congress party had "failed to control" the
rising prices.

The party leaders have also been told to highlight the "anti-Dalit"
tilt of the women's reservation bill initiated by the Congress.

The BSP is also looking to counter the impact of Congress general
secretary Rahul Gandhi's "chetna yatras", flagged off April 14 at an
impressive rally organised to mark the 119th birth anniversary of
Bhimrao Ambedkar from Ambedkar Nagar town named after the architect of
the Indian Constitution, about 180 km from here.

The "yatras" were sent off in ten directions to cover the entire state.

Mayawati is understood to asked all BSP district level units to remain
on the alert and not to get influenced by "gimmicks" played by the
Congress party.

"Remember to drive home the point that Rahul Gandhi was simply trying
to mislead the Dalit community by staging melodrama of sharing a meal
or spending a night in Dalit homes," she is stated to have conveyed to
all key party functionaries.


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[ZESTCaste] Mayawati ‘army’ near reality

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/mayawatiarmynearreality/600797/

Mayawati 'army' near reality
Agencies
Posted online: Apr 06, 2010 at 1402 hrs

LucknowUnfazed by the opposition attack for the decision to raise a
special police force to guard Dalit monuments in Uttar Pradesh, the
state government has begun the process for recruitment of 1200
ex-servicemen as its personnel.

An official spokesman today said the government order for recruitment
of ex-servicemen to guard the parks, memorials and museums in Lucknow
and NOIDA was issued yesterday.

After failing to get the Governor's nod for a bill and an ordinance in
this regard, the state government took a controversial decision on
April 2 to start recruitment for a police force to guard parks and
memorials for Dalit icons.

The sudden decision drew flak from opposition parties which accused
the Chief Minister of challenging the sanctity of the Governor's
office and the legislature.

Samajwadi Party, BJP and Congress said it was not the law of the land
but "Mayawati law" which was prevailing in the state.

The spokesman said a committee, comprising the Director General of
Police and state Home Secretary would conduct the recruitment in
coordination with the ex-servicemen welfare board.

The new force will be headed by a colonel level officer.

Last week the state cabinet had decided to set up a special force
pending Governor B L Joshi's assent to the UP Special Zone Protection
Force Bill and an ordinance sent to him by the state government
earlier.

The government had said a trained force was needed to protect nine
parks, memorials and museums in Lucknow and NOIDA.


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[ZESTCaste] Mayawati launches Mission Cleanse-BSP

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Mayawati-launches-Mission-Cleanse-BSP/articleshow/5827077.cms

Mayawati launches Mission Cleanse-BSP
TNN, Apr 18, 2010, 06.03am IST

LUCKNOW: A day after ousting mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtar
Ansari and his brother Afzal from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on charges
of involvement in criminal activities, UP chief minister Mayawati on
Saturday directed party coordinators to submit a list of leaders with
criminal records, who had promised to mend their ways but are
indulging in criminal activities, by April 20.

These leaders, party sources said, would be shown the door in next one month.

The party coordinators have also been asked to suggest names of
candidates eligible for Rajya Sabha (RS) tickets. Eleven Rajya Sabha
seats are falling vacant next month.

The decision on the two issues will be taken at the next meeting
scheduled on April 30.

The BSP leaders said that Behenji's cleansing drive was to show that
her party was different from others.

But sources said the twin motive behind the exercise is to refurbish
party's image and send a strong message among leaders — perform or
perish — before the 2012 Assembly elections.


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[ZESTCaste] Dalit youth claims he was paraded with garland of shoes

 

http://www.ptinews.com/news/615092_Dalit-youth-claims-he-was-paraded-with-garland-of-shoes

Dalit youth claims he was paraded with garland of shoes

STAFF WRITER 17:11 HRS IST

Dehradun, Apr 18 (PTI) A Dalit youth in the district has alleged that
he was beaten up and paraded in his village with a garland of shoes by
influential people who accused him of wanting to make their belongings
disappear using magic.

According to a report lodged before District Magistrate D Sainthil
Pandiyan, victim Munna Das claimed he was returning home to his
village Dhabra on April 15 when he met some influential village
residents who asked him to carry their luggage.

However, on the way they started beating him up, alleging he wanted to
make their luggage disappear using magic, he said.

The youth claimed they dragged him to the village and paraded him with
a garland of shoes around his neck.

Hearing the incident, District Magistrate said he would hand over the
inquiry of the case to the police and take action against those found
guilty.

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[ZESTCaste] Buddha was Great Social Liberator of Mankind: Jaipal Reddy

 

http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?679660

Buddha was Great Social Liberator of Mankind: Jaipal Reddy
Nagpur | Apr 17, 2010

Union Minister for Urban Development, S Jaipal Reddy today said the
Lord Buddha was the greatest social and intellectual liberator of the
mankind.

Inaugurating the two day Second Buddhist International Conference here
on 'Prospectives of Engaged Buddhism,' Reddy said since his childhood,
he was excited about Buddha and his teachings and values.

Initiated by newly nominated Rajya Sabha member Bhalchandra Mungekar
and organised by Dr Ambedkar Institute of Social and Economic Change,
the conference was attended by more than 1200 delegates.

Thai Buddhist monk, Phra Ajhan Withoon Ajarsupoh inaugurated the
conference while Maharashtra Dairy Development Minister Nitin Raut,
former Union Minister and local MP Vilas Muttemwar and former MP
Ramdas Athwale were chief guests.

Describing Buddha as most revered philosopher, Reddy equated him with
Socrates, Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammad.,

Reddy said Buddha was symbol of rationalism and humanism. In today's
relevance, Buddhism might have gone from India but Buddha remains in
the hearts.

The first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was greatly impressed by
Buddha who influenced Asian Continent to a great extent, he said.

Buddha was the first intellectual democrat and great believer in
moderation, Reddy said.

Reddy also said Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar who embraced Buddhism way back
on October 14, 1956 was rightly picked up by Mahatma Gandhi to write
the Constitution.

"Gandhiji knew that Ambedkar was the right choice for the coveted
post," he said.

Mungekar in his presidential speech outlined the importance of the conference.

Raut in his speech said Buddhism is flourishing in most countries
especially in South East and East Asia. In fact it is facing newer
challenges in our own country.

"Some say Buddhism no more exists in India. The whole of Asia is
Buddhist except India. Buddha has become a foreigner in our own
country. The great religion was destroyed in India," he said.

"The destruction of Buddhism was far more cleverer act than the
destruction of Jesus and Christianity by Jews because Jews killed
Jesus but could not kill Christianity. In India, they did not kill
Buddha, they are far more cleverer people. They just did not kill
Buddha but also killed Buddhism," he said.

Former Union Minister and local MP Vilas Muttemwar in his speech said
Buddha was very much relevant in the country.

Filed At: Apr 17, 2010 21:04 IST ,

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