Tuesday, February 15, 2011

[ZESTCaste] An 'English goddess' for India's down-trodden

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12355740

15 February 2011 Last updated at 00:10 GMT

An 'English goddess' for India's down-trodden
By Geeta Pandey BBC News, Banka village, Uttar Pradesh

A new goddess has recently been born in India. She's the Dalit Goddess
of English.

The Dalit (formerly untouchable) community is building a temple in
Banka village in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh to worship
the Goddess of the English language, which they believe will help them
climb up the social and economic ladder.

About two feet tall, the bronze statue of the goddess is modelled
after the Statue of Liberty.

"She is the symbol of Dalit renaissance," says Chandra Bhan Prasad, a
Dalit writer who came up with the idea of the Goddess of English.

"She holds a pen in her right hand which shows she is literate. She is
dressed well and sports a huge hat - it's a symbol of defiance that
she is rejecting the old traditional dress code.

"In her left hand, she holds a book which is the constitution of India
which gave Dalits equal rights. She stands on top of a computer which
means we will use English to rise up the ladder and become free for
ever."

Considered to be at the bottom of the traditional Hindu caste system,
the Dalits have been oppressed and discriminated against for
centuries.
'Unclean'

Although the caste system was abolished when India gained independence
in 1947, prejudices still remain, keeping the Dalits marginalised.
Farmer Sanjay Kumar with daughter Naina Sanjay Kumar: "To live in a
city, you cannot survive without English."

The 200-million-strong community was traditionally engaged in menial
jobs which the other higher castes consider "unclean". And the trend
continues even today.

The discrimination extended to education too with the school system
dominated by the higher castes. Even today in many rural schools,
campaigners say Dalit children are not welcome - they are often made
to sit and eat separately.

And this is reflected in the literacy rate for the community which at
below 55% is almost 10% lower than Indian literacy rates.

Mr Prasad says that in the cities, people know the importance of
English. In smaller towns, there is some knowledge of its importance.
But in villages, there is no awareness that you need English to get
ahead.

"In 20 years," he says, "no jobs would go to anyone in India who
doesn't know English. If we don't do something now, the Dalits would
not be job worthy."

With the temple to Goddess English, he hopes to attract the villagers
to language and learning.

The plan, however, has run into trouble with the authorities.

"The administration said we needed permission to build the temple.
We've applied for it now, we hope to get it soon," Mr Prasad says.

The foundation stone was laid in April last year and when I recently
visited the Nalanda Public Shiksha Niketan School in Banka, I could
see the temple walls had already been built.

Dalits make up nearly 47% of the population of Banka which is
estimated to be between 7,000 and 8,000. And the English goddess has
generated a lot of excitement - women here can be heard singing Jai
Angrezi Devi Maiyaa Ki [Long Live the mother goddess of English].

"The stoppage of work on the temple has affected morale," says Nalanda
school principal Shiv Shankar Lal Nigam.

He says the importance of English cannot be overstated in today's India.

"It's not possible to get by in today's world without English. Even to
communicate with people in other Indian states, you need to know
either the local language or English. Since you cannot learn multiple
Indian languages, English has to be used as the link language."

English, he believes, will increase the Dalit youths' chances of
getting into institutes of higher education and improve their
employment prospects.
Roar of ambition

For Satinder Kumar, a Dalit student in the 11th grade, English is the
magic key. He believes it will open the door to a better future.
Students outside the Nalanda Public Shiksha Niketan School in Banka
The community believes English is the key to future success

"I want to study English and then I want to be an English teacher," he
tells me. "The language will help me communicate better with other
people."

For the Dalits of Banka village, English is the only means their
children have for escaping grinding poverty.

Farmer Sanjay Kumar knows no English, but he dreams that his
one-year-old daughter Naina will learn the language and have a better
life.

"It's very important to know English," he tells me. "If you want to be
a doctor or an engineer or a teacher, you must know English. If you
want to live in a city, you cannot survive without English."

"They say Hindi is our national language, but all official work is
done in English. If you don't know English, you are a failure," says
farm-worker Om Prakash.

Labourer Sarvesh Kumar says Dalits were never respected and "whatever
little we have gained is because of the efforts of Dr Bhimrao
Ambedkar" [Dalit thinker and the architect of the Indian
constitution].

"Ambedkar said English was the milk of a lioness, he said only those
who drink it will roar," Chandra Bhan Prasad says.

He says with the blessings of Goddess English, Dalit children will not
grow to serve landlords or skin dead animals or clean drains or raise
pigs and buffaloes.

They will grow into adjudicators and become employers and benefactors.

Then the roar of the Dalits, he says, will be heard by one and all.

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[ZESTCaste] UP Dalit farmer shot at by BSP leader in Bareilly

 

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/129857/latest-headlines/up-dalit-farmer-shot-at-by-bsp-mlcs-son-over-property-dispute-in-bareilly.html

UP Dalit farmer shot at by BSP leader in Bareilly
Piyush Srivastava | Lucknow, February 15, 2011 | Updated 09:33 IST

A dalit farmer in Nawabganj, Bareilly was shot at by a Bahujan Samaj
Party (BSP) leader on Sunday in another instance of rising atrocities
against members of the community in Uttar Pradesh.

Munendra Gangwar, 30, the son of BSP MLC Kesar Singh Gangwar,
allegedly opened fire on Kalicharan Jatav because the farmer had
refused to sell 15 bighas of agricultural land to the leader at a
throwaway price.

Kalicharan, who was admitted to the local district hospital with a
bullet injury on his left arm, claimed Munendra had tried to kidnap
him first.

" He ( Kesar) forced me into an SUV at midnight, saying his father
wanted to speak to me.

When I tried to escape, he fired several shots at me. Thinking I was
dead, he then pushed me out of the SUV and escaped," recounted
Kalicharan.

The BSP MLC had allegedly killed Kalicharan's brother earlier to get
his hand on the land. " Kesar Singh's henchmen killed my brother two
years ago as he had also refused to sell the plot," Kalicharan
recounted. The case is pending in the court.

" I told the police that the MLC and his goons were forcing me to sell
the land. I also said my life was in danger.

But they didn't help me," he said. The police have registered a case
against Munendra and his two accomplices, but are allegedly trying to
protect the MLC. Kesar Singh Gangwar, whose entire family professes
loyalty to the BSP, denied the charges. " My rivals are trying to
malign my image. I don't want to grab anybody's land.

The injured person is making these claims under the influence of my
rivals," he said.

UP chief minister Mayawati, herself a Dalit, is in the eye of a storm
because of the rising crimes against Dalits in the state. In December
last year, BSP MLA from Banda, Purushottam Naresh Dwivedi, allegedly
raped a 17- year- old Dalit girl.

The latest report of the National Crime Record Bureau ( NCRB) says
that UP led the country in the number of crimes against Dalits in
2009. Of a total of 3,35,94 crimes against Dalits in 2009, 7522 took
place in UP, followed by Rajasthan ( 4985), Andhra Pradesh ( 4504),
Bihar ( 3836), Madhya Pradesh ( 3040) and Maharashtra ( 1096).

The state also had the mostreported instances of violation of the
Scheduled Castes / Scheduled Tribes ( Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Of a total of 1,11,43 cases in the country, 2554 cases ( 22.9 per
cent) took place in UP. However, Mayawati recently claimed that crimes
against SCs in UP was much lower than in other states. " This is
because the UP Police have taken 94.8 per cent cases to the logical
conclusion, whereas in 36 states, only 74.1 per cent crimes against
SCs could be solved," she had said, quoting the NCRB report.

" The state government has given clear instructions to senior police
officers to visit all areas where crimes against SCs happen," she
added.

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[ZESTCaste] Dalits demand KSRTC city bus service

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mangalore/Dalits-demand-KSRTC-city-bus-service/articleshow/7489846.cms

Dalits demand KSRTC city bus service
TNN, Feb 13, 2011, 10.36pm IST

MANGALORE: The Dakshina Kannada district unit of Karnataka Dalit
Sangharsh Samiti (DSS) has demanded that the regional transport
authority accord immediate sanction to application by Mangalore
division of KSRTC to start city services in Mangalore. The KSRTC has
sought 37 permits to operate city services to Surathkal, Kunjathbail
and Bondel. However, the district administration and the RTA is not to
keen on clearing this request for permits.

P Keshava, state committee member of DSS said that KSRTC has a proven
trackrecord on passenger safety and the RTA has been denying them
permission. The DC, who is the chairman of the authority should
consider the applications made by KSRTC to operate city services
alongside the services provided by private bus operators, failing
which the Samiti would be forced to launch an agitation.

Observing that dalits are not getting their due in terms of actual
benefits of government scheme meant for the community reaching the
intended beneficiaries, Keshava said the state government should
earmark funds for dalits in proportion to their population in the
state. The government should increase the scholarship amount to SC/ST
students to Rs 1,200 per month on par with facilities given to their
counterparts in neighbouring states, he noted.

Special law if needed must be promulgated to fill up backlog
vacancies, he said adding all MLAs should be asked to spend 10 per
cent of government grants allocated to them for welfare of SCs and
STs. Various grants meant for development of SCs/STs and OBCs should
be cleared under a single window concept, he said, adding that even
the elected representatives of the districts should meet SCs/STs each
month and address their grievances.

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[ZESTCaste] Dalits urge govt to earmark 24 pc funds in state budget

http://coastaldigest.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20509:protest&catid=57:news-stories&Itemid=68

Dalits urge govt to earmark 24 pc funds in state budget

by CD Network,Photos by Ramesh Pandith Monday, 14 February 2011 14:54

Attention: open in a new window. PDFPrintE-mail

Mangalore, February 14: Members of Dalit community staged a protest
under the banner of Communist Party of India (M) demanding fulfillment
of their demands on Monday.


They urged the government to earmark 24 per cent of funds in the state
budget for the development of Dalit habitations in proportion to their
population in the state.


Addressing the protesters Sunil Kumar Bajal, Mangalore city Secretary
of the CPI (M) said that the atrocities on Dalits have increased
extensively after BS Yeddyurappa led BJP government came into power in
the state.


Flaying the state government for failing to protect the interest of
Dalits, Bajal said, the Chief Minister is sanctioning crores of grants
to temples and mutts who 'preserve and promote' casteism and
untouchability systems in the society.


"The plight of the Dalits remains pathetic due to meager fund
allocation and the diversion of the allotted funds," he charged.


Various grants meant for development of SCs/STs should be cleared
under a single window concept, he said.


Other demands include to setting up of Special Component Plan (SCP) in
proportion to the population of Dalits and to raise the grants to
these SCPs, provision of 7 per cent reservation for STs, 1 lakh rupees
for inter caste and Devadasi marriages, establishment of sufficient
hostels for Dalit students at district, taluk and hobli levels and to
provide Rs 2000 as stipend for those students etc.


Lingappa Nanthur, Krishnppa Salian, Vasudeva, Yamuna Pacchanady, LT
Suvarna and others were present.


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[ZESTCaste] Dalits and English (Kancha Ilaiah)

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/137777/dalits-english.html

Empowerment
Dalits and English
Kancha Ilaiah

The democratic nation proved that the fears of lower castes were
wrong. They enrolled into regional language education in a big way.

One bright morning in 1960, when I was about eight, a newly appointed
single teacher came to my house. My mother had already cleaned our
courtyard called 'vaakili' and was sprinkling the dung water all
around the courtyard. I was about to assist my elder brother in
untying the cattle and go along with them for grazing. The teacher
asked my mother to send me and my elder brother, who was about 10, to
school. What she told him shocks every one of us in retrospect: "Ayyaa
— if we send our children to school to read and write devil Saraswathi
will kill them. That devil wants only brahmins and baniyas to be in
that business."

For centuries the so called goddess of education was against the dalit
learning, reading and writing in any language. She was the goddess of
education of only the high castes — mainly of the brahmins and
baniayas. But the lower castes, who were denied of education treated
her as a devil that would kill their children if they go to school.

The notion that she kills us was so deep that my grandmother fought
with my mother for she was terrified of our imminent death, after I
and my brother — not my sisters in any case — were sent to school. She
used to pray Pochamma — our village goddess — that she should protect
us from Saraswathi. Within a few months after we were sent to school
my grandmother died of a future shock that we would not survive at
all.

The democratic nation proved that those fears of lower castes were
wrong. They got into regional language education in a big way. The
goddess of Sanskrit education was adopted by lower castes as their
goddess of regional language education too. Several school teachers
across the country — many of them were OBC teachers — installed
Saraswathi photo even in government schools, ignoring the fact there
could be a muslim or a christian or any other minority students in the
schools.

It is a known fact that there were several hindu teachers who made
humiliating remarks about muslims and christians that they do not have
goddess of education like Saraswathi and hence inferior in educational
values. Saraswathi Shishumandirs have cropped up all over the country.
In the '70s and '80s the aggressive ownership of 'matru bhasha'
(mother tongue) theory and adoption of Saraswathi as goddess of Indian
education had acquired a nationalist overtone. So militant was that
nationalism that any opposition to installing Saraswathi's portrait in
the schools and colleges would only invite fist blows.

The right wing student organisations started installing her portrait
in the university departments. The regional language departments made
Saraswathi an educational-cultural symbol. Unmindful of the secular
constitution of the nation even the university teachers — mainly of
regional language departments sporting a visible saffron tilak on the
forehead, began to treat others who operate outside that cultural norm
as inferior.

A walking goddess

With the increase of women teachers in schools, colleges and
universities Saraswathi was made almost a walking goddess in the
nation. Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed, Guru Nanak whose life though revolved
around education to all humans never appeared on the nationalist map
of education.

While the majority OBCs, some dalits and tribals began to worship
Saraswathi in regional educational centres — of course on the real
pooja day the priest talked to her only in Sankrit, in spite of the
fact, that under her sharp and well decorated nose that language died
to a point no return, except that soliloquous priest nobody
understands the slokas, she has become goddess of all Indian
languages.

While the historical backwards were enjoying their new status of
proximity to mythical Saraswathi, the living Saraswathi in the company
of her cousin Laxmi shifted her real operative base to the other
world, called colonial English world. The backward class people of
India, as of now, have no entry so far.

The recent decision of the Central government to introduce English
teaching from class one in all government schools will enable all the
lower castes of India are going to enter into a new phase of English
education. Though this method of English teaching does not take the
dalit-bahujan and minority community children to the level of convent
educated upper castes, it makes a new beginning of dreaming for
egalitarian education in future.

English education is the key for adopting the modernist approach
suitable to the globalised India. The upper castes have handled the
contradiction between English and their native culture quite
carefully. But when it comes to teaching English to the lower castes
they have been proposing a theory that English will destroy the
'culture of the soil'. Having realised the importance of English the
Central government has taken a right decision.

However, the next stage should be moving towards total abolition of
the gap between the private English medium schools and the government
schools in terms of both infrastructure and teaching methods. Even
about the language both the public and private schools must be brought
under two language formula of teaching 50 per cent syllabus in English
and the other half of the syllabus in the regional language across the
country.

(The writer is associated with the Maulana Azad National University, Hyderabad)


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[ZESTCaste] Dalit engg's suicide: Two booked for abetment

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/Dalit-enggs-suicide-Two-booked-for-abetment/articleshow/7497451.cms

Dalit engg's suicide: Two booked for abetment
Yagnesh Mehta, TNN, Feb 14, 2011, 11.11pm IST

SURAT: A complaint of abetment to suicide and atrocity against Dalits
was filed against the seniors of Vipul Baraiya, the dalit software
engineer, who hung himself on Saturday.

On Monday, Jignesh Shah, immediate boss of Baraiya, was arrested based
on the allegation in the suicide note. The police also lodged a case
of atrocity against Dalits against both Jignesh and Baraiya's senior
Mickey Shah, who is currently in the US, for harassing Baraiya.

The case has been handed over to assistant commissioner of police,
special branch, since it involves an atrocity complaint. "We are
questioning Jignesh about the allegations of Baraiya. We will also
summon Mickey," ACP, special branch, M G Damor said.

Statement of family members of Baraiya and office colleagues will also
be taken. Baraiya's elder brother Bharat alleged that Jignesh used to
make comments about caste of the deceased when asked about salary
hike. In his suicide note Baraiya alleged that a woman colleague was
also harassed by his senior Jignesh.

Baraiya ended his life by hanging self on Saturday evening, soon after
he returned from Umra police station, where he was summomed to respond
to a data theft complaint by Jignesh against him. Jignesh had
confiscated Baraiya's laptop for investigation.

Baraiya said in his suicide note that his senior could frame him by
inserting some material in his personal computer. Baraiya confessed
that he sent a harmless mail to a competitor firm, but his senior was
not ready to believe him.

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[ZESTCaste] No reservation in pvt unaided, self-finance institutes, says HC

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/allahabad/No-reservation-in-pvt-unaided-self-finance-institutes-says-HC/articleshow/7497375.cms

No reservation in pvt unaided, self-finance institutes, says HC
TNN, Feb 14, 2011, 11.01pm IST

ALLAHABAD: In a significant judgment, the Allahabad High Court on
Monday ruled that reservation to SC/ST and OBC students in admission
to private unaided and self-finance educational institutions in Uttar
Pradesh will not apply.

A division bench comprising Justice Sunil Ambwani and Justice Y C
Gupta has held that section 4 of the UP admission to educational
institutions (Reservation for SC/ST/OBC) Act 2006 is invalid and ultra
vires to the basic structure of the Constitution of India to the
extent it relates to provide reservations in admission of students to
private unaided and self-finance educational institutions in the state
of UP.

The judgment was passed on the writ petition of Sudha Tiwari,
challenging section 4 of the said act, against the decision of Deen
Dayal Upadhaya Gorakhpur University providing reservation to SC/ST and
OBC candidates in BP Ed entrance examination 2008.

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[ZESTCaste] Deoria: Youth held for Dalit girl’s murder

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/deoria-youth-held-for-dalit-girls-murder/750100/

Deoria: Youth held for Dalit girl's murder
Express News Service Posted online: Tue Feb 15 2011, 05:11 hrs
Lucknow : The UP Special Task Force (STF) has arrested the youth who
had killed the 10-year-old Dalit girl, Priyanka. The girl was murdered
after a rape attempt in Salempur area of Deoria district on November
24.

Chief Minister Mayawati had suspended the local Circle Officer (CO)
and the Station Officer (SO) for laxity in investigation after the
victim's sister met her during her visit to the Salempur police
station on February 4. The woman had slapped one of the police
officers when they tried to prevent her visiting the CM. Later,
Mayawati ordered the senior officers to work out the case soon.

STF Deputy Superintendent of Police, S Anand, said Abhishek Kushwaha
(20), who was held from outside Salempur railway station, confessed to
attempting to rape the girl in a field. He had assaulted her, causing
head injuries and strangled her when she screamed for help.

Anand said the accused, who was inebriated, had left the place,
leaving the girl unconscious. In absence of any medical aid, she died.
Her body was recovered the next evening.

He also said Kushwaha had been called to the local police station and
was interrogated. He was let go then, as the police had no clues to
grill him extensively. Anand said they zeroed in on Kushwaha after
going through the sequence of the events. The day Priyanka was killed,
she had gone to attend a wedding in her village, Virajmaar.

She was accompanied by her father, Ashish, brother Neeraj (8) and
cousins, Annu, Mannu and Sapna (all in the age group of 5-8 years).
Kushwaha had also gone to attend the function. The children told Anand
that they all were leaving for home that night when a youth
accompanied them. While they were walking towards their house, they
saw Priyanka and the youth missing.

The STF official showed 10 photographs of youths who had attended the
wedding and the children put their finger unanimously on Kushwaha's
photo. The accused had gone to West Bengal after the police
interrogated him. But he returned on Sunday and was arrested a day
later.


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[ZESTCaste] Dalit houses ransacked, burnt in Dindigul

 

http://expressbuzz.com/states/tamilnadu/dalit-houses-ransacked-burnt/248164.html

Dalit houses ransacked, burnt in Dindigul

R Gokul & R Prince Jebakumar
Express News Service
First Published : 15 Feb 2011 03:44:02 AM IST
Last Updated : 15 Feb 2011 10:35:39 AM IST

PARALI PUDHUR (DINDIGUL): At least 30 houses and 20 motorcycles were
gutted in a communal clash at Parali Pudur in Dindigul district here
on Monday. Another 80 houses were ransacked and livestock charred to
death as tempers ran high over erection of a Viduthalai Chiruthaikal
Katchi (VCK) flag at Indra Colony in Parali Pudur.

It all began when members of Mutharaiyar community questioned Dalits
for installing the VCK flag near a water tank at Indra Colony.

Soon, on Sunday evening, non-Dalits from the village and nearby areas
ganged up and launched an attack on Dalit families in the colony.

Though the men and boys in the colony deserted their homes and took
shelter on the hills, the community people allegedly vented their ire
on the women and children who stayed back and even ascertained the sex
of children by removing their pants.

The attack was launched at the same time when Mutharaiyar community
was staging a picketing citing that Dalits had desecrated the flag of
Mutharaiyar community.

Police took stock of the situation and arrested 15 people from
Mutharaiyar community from the area. On Monday, 50 more were arrested
from nearby villages.

However, the main accused, including Mutharaiyar community leaders
Muthaiyan, Vellaiyan, Raman, Karupanan and Ramalingam, are yet to be
arrested. Theni Superintendent of Police (SP) V Balakrishnan told
Express that they had fixed the accused and are on the lookout for
them. He assured that the prime accused would soon be arrested.

Dindigul SP Saravanan will oversee the security in that area to
prevent any fresh outbreak of violence, police sources said.

Meanwhile, Mutharaiyars tried to install the statue of their leader at
Natham, which was prevented by police. Dalits have already demanded
that the Collector should visit the place and listen to their
grievances.

Madurai Superintendent of Police M Manohar, South Zone Inspector
General of Police Balasubramanian and other top officials took stock
of the situation.

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[ZESTCaste] In UP, dalit politics takes ugly turn

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/136644/in-up-dalit-politics-takes.html

In UP, dalit politics takes ugly turn
By Sanjay Pandey

The battle for dalit votes in Uttar Pradesh, where Assembly elections
are due in 15 months' time, between the ruling BSP and the Congress,
has taken an ugly turn after the appointment of BSP supremo Mayawati's
former principal secretary and her bete noire P L Punia as the
chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC).

Mayawati knows that Congress made Punia the chairman of the NCSC only
with an eye on the dalit vote bank in the state and Punia has been
doing everything at his command to wean away dalits from the BSP fold.

Punia, a Lok Sabha member from the dalit dominated Barabanki
constituency, has made UP his base and has been taking up the cases of
atrocities on the members of the scheduled and other backward castes
from the day he assumed charge.

Punia's visits to dalit families, who have been victims of attack of
persecution at the hands of the administration, has been giving
sleepless nights to Mayawati. The recent spurt in cases of atrocities
on dalits has come as a boon for Punia.

State's failure

Whether it is the Sheelu rape case in Banda, where a BSP legislator
allegedly raped a minor and got her arrested on trumped up charges, or
rape and murder of a dalit girl in Lucknow, Punia was the first to
reach their families. He not only promised inquiries but also publicly
chided the state government for failing to ensure protection to
dalits.

Punia has launched a nationwide dalit awareness campaign under which a
series of divisional level meetings of members of dalit community are
being held where they are being made aware of their rights and welfare
programmes for them. A book containing the vacant positions in
government jobs under reserved category and statistics on cases of
atrocities on dalits would also be distributed at the meetings.

The last of the divisional level meeting is slated at Sitapur to be
followed by a massive meet in Lucknow. "The dalits have begun to
understand that they are not getting any benefit in the present
dispensation. They cannot be fooled any longer," Punia says.
Mayawati's dislike for Punia was evident, when the state government
changed the rules of protocol making it optional for the government to
accord facilities to visiting central ministers. Since Punia enjoyed
the status of a central minister, the state government would have been
bound to extend him the facilities accorded to any visiting central
minister.

In an apparent bid to tame Punia, the Mayawati government has also
ordered re-opening of some old cases pertaining to sanctioning of
loans to some industrialists from the Pradeshik Investments and
Industrial Corporation (PICUP) while Punia was its managing director
in 1992.

According to government officials some of the firms, which have been
given loans by PICUP, had defaulted in repayments. Incidentally at
least two such inquiries in the past into the matter did not find any
evidence against Punia. "It's a desperate bid to implicate me in the
cases," Punia said referring to the probe.

The state government has instructed its officials not to cooperate
with Punia and that is why he failed to elicit any response from them
when he expressed his desire to meet them to discuss the dalit
atrocities cases.

Punia was Mayawati's principal secretary and a co-accused in the Rs
176 crore Taj Heritage Corridor Scam case. He later joined Congress
and contested the 2007 assembly polls but lost narrowly.

He, however, had the last laugh when he trounced the BSP nominee in
2009 Lok Sabha polls from Barabanki despite all efforts by Mayawati to
ensure his defeat.

The battle for dalit votes is expected to intensify in the days to
come as it is they who would decide whether Mayawati would have a
second innings in UP or not.


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