Tuesday, February 14, 2012

[ZESTCaste] Cong creating fissures between Muslims, OBCs: Mayawati

 

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/cong-creating-fissures-between-muslims-obcs-mayawati/963460.html

Cong creating fissures between Muslims, OBCs: Mayawati
PTI | 07:02 PM,Feb 14,2012

Fatehpur (UP), Feb 14 (PTI) BSP supremo Mayawati today accused
Congress of trying to "create fissures" between Muslims and OBCs by
promising nine per cent reservation to the minority community.
"Congress is trying to create fissures between Muslims and OBCs by
promising nine per cent reservation to them," Mayawati said at an
election meeting here. Asking the voters to be wary of such designs,
she said, "You all should remain alert while exercising your
franchise." She alleged that BJP, SP and Congress were involved in
several scams and they were targeting BSP for its 'Sarvjan Samaj'
policy. Targeting EC for asking BSP to cover statues of elephant - the
party symbol, Mayawati said the decision led to free advertisement.

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[ZESTCaste] Dalit trap: The undoing of Maya?

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/chunk-ht-ui-assemblyelections2012-up-strategy/Dalit-trap-The-undoing-of-Maya/Article1-811544.aspx

Dalit trap: The undoing of Maya?
Varghese K George, Hindustan Times
Lucknow, February 14, 2012

"Mayawati's government has been as good or as bad as all governments
have been," Keval Singh says. After some initial
evasion, someone finally declares: "We had voted for BSP in 2007, but
not this time."

It is not unusual for a particular group to switch loyalty between two
elections, but the discontent among Kushwahas with the BSP in Saidpur
is illustrative of a huge tactical disadvantage that incumbent chief
minister Mayawati faces in constituencies reserved for Scheduled
Castes.

"It was in these constituencies that Mayawati had won the 2007
elections; and now, it is here that her rainbow social coalition is
threatening to unravel," says Rajesh Singh, a political scientist
based in Gorakhpur.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Images/HTEditImages/Images/15-02-12-metro10.jpg

In 2007, it was in SC constituencies that the Brahmin-Dalit core of
Maya's social rainbow played out in its full strength — as no other
party could put up a Brahmin candidate, the community voted in full
strength for the Dalit put up by the BSP. Others gravitated towards
this combination easily and the victory was phenomenal — BSP won 62 of
89 SC seats, nearly one third of its total tally of 206.

As the Brahmins are showing clear signs of abandoning Mayawati, her
toughest battle is in these constituencies — where the candidate is
Dalit but there is no other caste strength to add on to it. The
increased militancy and consolidation among her core voters is
visible— but is evidently not good enough, as her own supporters
admit. "Dalits of all castes would mostly vote for BSP, but all others
will vote against it," says Manish Gautam, an articulate, 18-year-old
Dalit boy, who has been recently recruited by the Indian Air Force.

Until Mayawati's Dalit-Brahmin coalition trumped it in 2007, the
Samajwadi Party had been doing well in SC constituencies — in 2002
assembly election, the SP had 34, while the BSP had only 24. Between
2002 and 2007, the BSP's overall number of seats went up by 100%, but
its SC seats went up by 250%. In 2009 Lok Sabha elections — by when
already the rainbow coalition was weakening — of the total 23 seats
won by the SP, 10 were reserved.

While the SP is hoping such natural factors to play out, the Congress
has started 'Mission-85,' a special drive focusing on reserved seats —
four less than in 2007 — after delimitation of constituencies.

Led by IAS-officer-turned Congress MP BL Punia and young Dalit face
Ashok Tanwar MP, a special task force has been deployed in the SC
constituencies. "Dalit candidates are not well versed with techniques
of electioneering. We are supporting them in that," says Tanwar. "We
will get at least 40 of the reserved seats," claims Punia.

In Saidpur, the consolidation against the BSP seems to be favouring
the SP. The gainers can be different across constituencies; but there
appears to be only one loser.


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[ZESTCaste] Mayawati stalling central schemes: Sonia

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Mayawati-stalling-central-schemes-Sonia/articleshow/11892542.cms

Mayawati stalling central schemes: Sonia
TNN | Feb 15, 2012, 03.06AM IST

Sonia Gandhi lashed out at the successive non-Congress governments in
the state over the past 20 years for the sorry plight of UP and held
Congress as the only viable alternative to take it to development
trail.

LUCKNOW: Rae Bareli turned out to be the hottest political destination
on Tuesday with an avalanche of top leaders including its MP and
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, BJP president Nitin Gadkari, his
predecessor Rajnath Singh, and Samajwadi Party state president
Akhilesh Yadav trying to charm the voters.

Accompanied by daughter Priyanka, Sonia Gandhi made her first
appearance in her constituency at the poll time. In her brief and
brisk address, the Congress president lashed out at the successive
non-Congress govern-ments in the state over the past 20 years for the
sorry plight of UP and held Congress as the only viable alternative to
take it to development trail.

Targeting Mayawati in particular for 'swindling Rs 1 lakh crore sent
by the Central government for funding various projects', Sonia said:
"while the Centre had never differentiated in allocation of funds to
UP, the Maya regime has done its utmost to hamper its flagship schemes
by creating hurdles at every step."

Ahost of schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme MNREGS, Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna (PMGSY),
National Rural Health Mission NRHM etc have failed to benefit the
people because the money sent for its implementation was siphoned by
the corrupt regime, she charged. Zeroing in on the long-standing
tussle over the Lalaganj rail coach factory which finally ended up in
a massive showdown between the BSP and Congress, Sonia smelled a
conspiracy to deprive residents of family constituencies of Amethi and
Rae Bareli of employment opportunity.

Apart from the BSP, BJP and SP governments also failed to provide good
governance in UP which has seen practically no development over the
last two decades, she alleged. The Congress president exhorted the
audience to rise above the caste and religion-based politics
propagated by other political parties and strengthen the hands of
Congress.
Assembly elections 2012 news

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[ZESTCaste] UP assembly elections 2012: Mayawati's divide & rule strategy turns out a dud

 

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/UP-assembly-elections-2012-Mayawatis-divide-rule-strategy-turns-out-a-dud/articleshow/11892819.cms

15 Feb, 2012, 05.01AM IST, Man Mohan Rai,ET Bureau
UP assembly elections 2012: Mayawati's divide & rule strategy turns out a dud
LUCKNOW: Chief Minister Mayawati's demand to split Uttar Pradesh into
four smaller states has figured just perfunctorily in her poll
campaign so far, highlighting her inability to turn it into an
election issue.

The proposal, rushed through the state assembly and sent to the Centre
just before campaigning began for the ongoing polls, now finds mention
only towards the end of her speeches. In Unnao on Sunday, for example,
the chief minister only reminded the audience that the Congress-led
central government had 'failed' to act on the resolution.

"The people in general seem indifferent to the issue of creation of
smaller states out of UP," says Professor AK Pandey, director of the
Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy at the
Banaras Hindu University.

"It largely stems from their realisation that the issue is being
raised not for the development of the region but for political
motives." Professor Sudhir Panwar of Lucknow University, who is also
the president of the Kisan Jagriti Manch, blames Mayawati for not
having projected the issue properly.

"She did not put faces to the movement who could have inspired and
rallied supporters," says Panwar, "She failed to project local
leadership from the Bahujan Samaj Party in these four regions."

As per the resolution passed by the state assembly on November 21,
2011, the state should be divided into Purvanchal (eastern UP),
Paschim Pradesh (western UP), Avadh Pradesh (central UP) and
Bundelkhand, the drought-stricken region which shares its borders with
Madhya Pradesh.

The resolution was passed without discussion with- in minutes amid a
walk- out by the opposition parties. The government then forwarded the
resolution to the Centre asking it to fast-track the demand. The
Samajwadi Party, Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party all termed
the proposal as an attempt by the ruling party to divert attention
from its misrule ahead of the state polls.

While the Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal had been an old proponent
of a separate state for western UP, the party piped down on the issue
ever since it joined hands with Congress in the state. Though
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has been an opponent of UP's
division, he has not been raising the issue, probably so that his
friend-turned-rival Amar Singh does not get an opportunity to score
easy points.

Singh's newlyformed Rashtriya Lok Manch party has based its campaign
largely on the creation of Purvanchal state. The Bundelkhand Congress,
led by TV actorturned-activist Raja Bundela is the only leader
seriously highlighting the issue in these polls. Mayawati's move put
Congress in the spot since it had been struggling to deal with the
demand of a separate Telangana.

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi has been fighting shy of
addressing the issue throughout his election campaign. At a recent
press conference, he said the issue should be referred to the State
Reorganisation Commission.

Analysts point out, however, that had the state government been really
serious about the proposal it would not have sent it to the Centre
with no mention of the districts to be included in each of the four
states, the proposed capitals and the manner in which the state
resources would be shared.

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[ZESTCaste] Akhilesh Yadav emerges as challenger in Uttar Pradesh

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17023112

15 February 2012 Last updated at 00:44 GMT

Akhilesh Yadav emerges as challenger in Uttar Pradesh

With the regional Samajwadi Party emerging as the main challenger to
the government of Dalit icon Mayawati in the ongoing assembly
elections in India's Uttar Pradesh state, the spotlight is on Akhilesh
Yadav, the party's young president who is being credited with its
turnaround. The BBC's Geeta Pandey in Lucknow profiles the new star on
the politically crucial state's horizon.

A few hundred people have gathered on a winter evening by the roadside
in a crowded commercial area in Lucknow.

Overhead hangs red bunting with the smiling faces of party leaders and
pictures of a bicycle - their election symbol.

Almost all the men in the crowd sport cloth caps in red - the party colour.


We received a lot of benefits when his father was chief minister"

Isa Kalim Weaver

Soon, a bright red bus, escorted by a couple of dozen young men on
bikes, comes into view and the crowd gets into a frenzy.

"Long live Akhilesh bhaiyya [brother]," they chant.

The bus comes to a halt in the middle of the road and Mr Yadav is
hoisted onto the roof on a mechanical lift.

The member of parliament is the son of Mulayam Singh Yadav - a former
wrestler who served three times as the chief minister of Uttar
Pradesh.

He is the star campaigner for the Samajwadi Party and the reception he
gets here befits a rockstar.

His flag-waving supporters surround the bus and throw rose petals at
him. They call out his name and raise their hands to touch him.

Many in the crowd take his photo on their mobile phone cameras.

Mr Yadav appears at ease with the adulation, bending forward to catch
the marigold garlands flung at him from below. He knows nearly all the
party workers by name and invites a few of them to stand on the bus
with him.
'Love people'

His speech is short and lively. He uses humour while listing the
failures of the Mayawati government. He pokes fun at her for spending
billions of rupees on building parks to Dalit icons and erecting their
statues.

"Some people love stone statues, but we love people," he says to loud
claps and cheers.
Samajwadi Party supporters at a rally More than 40 million voters in
Uttar Pradesh are below the age of 30

He talks about what his party will do if elected: "We will give
laptops to students who finish class 12 and tablets to those who
complete class 10." His young supporters cheer wildly.

In a country where age is regarded as a sign of wisdom and where most
politicians are in their 70s and 80s, Mr Yadav at 38 is rather young.

But he is not new to politics. First elected to parliament in 2000, he
is serving his third term as MP.

"Two years ago, he took over as the party president and has been
leading the effort to win back power in the state," says Lucknow-based
journalist Sanjay Bhatnagar.

"He is spontaneous, he has a presence, he has his own ideas. His
father opposed English for being a language of the elite and computers
for taking away jobs of poor people.

"But he's a contemporary and educated person. He has contributed a
youth flavour to the party manifesto by talking about English and
laptops for students."

It's a clever strategy in a state where 40 million voters are below
the age of 30.

Mr Bhatnagar says Mr Yadav is being projected as the next leader by
the party: "Yadav senior is getting on in years and his health
problems are well-known. If the party wins, Akhilesh will be the
obvious choice as chief minister."
Litmus test

Comparisons are also being made with Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the
Nehru-Gandhi dynasty who is leading India's ruling Congress party's
revival bid in the crucial state elections.
Graphic

These elections are being seen as a litmus test of their leadership.

Mr Bhatnagar says: "Comparisons with Rahul Gandhi are natural. But
Rahul is a national figure, whereas Akhilesh is purely a state leader.

"Rahul is a crowd puller but he is an outsider here. He has an urban
image whereas Akhilesh has a more rural image which in Uttar Pradesh
is an advantage."

For Mr Yadav though, his main adversary is Ms Mayawati and her Bahujan
Samaj Party (BSP).

Since September, when the election campaign went into top gear, he has
covered a lot of miles.

"I have travelled 8,000km (4,970 miles) by road and visited more than
250 of the 403 constituencies," he tells the BBC.

Now in the thick of the campaign, he is always on the move. He covers
four to five constituencies a day, hopping from one meeting to another
in a helicopter.

He offers me a seat in his helicopter during his tour of Ambedkar
Nagar - a stronghold of the BSP which won all five seats in the
district in the 2007 assembly elections.

We visit four constituencies and at each one he is welcomed by
thousands of flag-waving, slogan-shouting supporters.

And his speeches are tailored to address local issues.
'Fed up'

In Jalalpur constituency, he talks about inflation, the problems of
farmers and the lack of development: "The government took away all the
funds meant for building hospitals and schools for you and spent it on
statues."

In Tanda, a town dominated by Muslim weavers, he tells a huge rally:
"We will give free electricity to weavers if we are elected."
Samajwadi Party supporters at a rally Mr Yadav's rallies have been well attended

Isa Kalim is sold on the promise: "We received a lot of benefits when
his father was chief minister. He gave us power at 65 rupees ($1.32;
84 pence) per loom. If they make it free, that will benefit us
further."

Later, as we head back to Lucknow, Mr Yadav says: "The people are fed
up of bad governance, they want a change."

He is confident his party will return to power. "The government is
facing a strong anti-incumbency and that will help us. We will win,"
he says.

But, analysts say, it's easier said than done. The biggest challenge
the party is facing is a negative public perception.

Their earlier stints in power were associated with a surge in gang
violence when thugs threatened shopkeepers and harassed women.

"During Mulayam Singh's rule, chain snatchings, thefts were common,
people had to pay protection money to goons," says journalist Ashwini
Bhatnagar.

"Serious atrocities were committed against Dalits and other low-caste
people and memories of those years are very strong in [the] public
mind and people fear that petty crimes will go up if the party wins."

It is a perception Mr Yadav is fighting to change.

"We will not shelter or harbour ruffians," he has said. And last
month, he stalled controversial politician DP Yadav's attempt to join
the Samajwadi party.

But critics point out that many of his party candidates have criminal
records and some of them are contesting from inside the jail.

They say that if the Samajwadi Party is elected, it will be back to
the old days of muscle-power ruling the state.


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[ZESTCaste] Mayawati daughter of daulat not Dalit: Digvijay Singh

 

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_mayawati-daughter-of-daulat-not-dalit-digvijay-singh_1650185

Mayawati daughter of daulat not Dalit: Digvijay Singh
Published: Tuesday, Feb 14, 2012, 20:12 IST
Place: Mainpuri | Agency: PTI

Terming the BJP as a "communal" party, Congress leader Digvijay Singh
on Tuesday alleged that its only agenda is to "spread hatred" and
deceive people in the name of Ram temple for political gains.

"BJP is a communal party, which is deceiving people in the name of Ram
temple. It's only agenda is to spread hatred in the community for
political gains," Singh said while addressing election meetings in
Mainpuri.

Referring to the expelled BSP minister Babu Singh Kushwaha's
association with the BJP, Singh said that this shows the real
character of BJP.

Attacking SP and BSP, he said that while SP was a party of a family,
BSP chief has become "Daulat ki beti" (Daughter of money) in place of
"Dalit ki beti" (Dalit's daughter).

He also alleged that Mayawati was involved in NRHM scam in which
Kushwaha is an accused.

Appealing people to vote for Congress, he said that only his party
could ensure all round development of the state.

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[ZESTCaste] Sena-BJP should apologise to Dalits: Cong MP

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/Sena-BJP-should-apologise-to-Dalits-Cong-MP/Article1-811591.aspx

Sena-BJP should apologise to Dalits: Cong MP
HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, February 15, 2012

The Congress wants the saffron alliance to tender an apology for the
death of 10 dalits in police firing at Ghatkopar's Ramabai Nagar in
1997, when the Sena-BJP was ruling the state government. Eknath
Gaikwad, Member of Parliament (Congress), on Tuesday, demanded that
Shiv Sena chief Bal
Thackeray, his son Uddhav and BJP leader Gopinath Munde, the then
state home minister, tender an unconditional apology to the dalits for
killing their brethren in Ghatkopar. "The Sena-BJP has no moral right
to seek Dalit votes after killing them. Thackeray and Munde must
apologise for the merciless killing," said Gaikwad.

The police had, on July 11, 1997, ordered firing on a dalit mob
staging a violent agitation following desecration of Dr Babsaheb
Ambedkar's statue at Ramabai Nagar. Ten people were killed in the
firing. Munde had justified the firing saying that the mob was about
to torch a tanker parked on the road. Rubbishing the theory, a
committee headed by justice SD Gundewar had indicted a state reserve
police officer, Manohar Kadam, for indiscriminate and needless firing.
Kadam was later sentenced to life imprisonment, which has been stayed
by the high court. Last year, the sessions court acquitted eight
people from the mob charged for rioting.

For Dalit community –18-20% of city's population -- the issue is close
to their hearts. The Congress has now raked up the issue at a time
when the Sena-BJP alliance is trying to woo Dalit voters to retain
their hold over the BMC.

In a bid to shed their anti-Dalit image, the Sena has even forged an
alliance with Ramdas Athawale-led Republican Party of India.


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[ZESTCaste] Caste Hindus, Dalits stride towards peace

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article2893744.ece

MADURAI, February 15, 2012
Caste Hindus, Dalits stride towards peace
Staff Reporter

Representatives of both sides have approached police for withdrawal of cases

In a significant move, the caste Hindus and Dalits of Uthapuram
village, who fought over the 'wall of untouchability', have taken the
next step forward to sinking their long-drawn enmity and embrace
peace.

Representatives of both sides on Tuesday jointly met Deputy Inspector
General of Police (Madurai), B. Bala Naga Devi, and Superintendent of
Police, Asra Garg, for the withdrawal of cases registered against the
people of both sides.

Some 30 cases are pending against both sides since 2005, the DIG told
reporters. They include cases for attempt to murder, those under the
Explosives Act and Prevention of Atrocities (Scheduled Caste and
Scheduled Tribes) Act.

"We will follow due procedures of law to withdraw all the cases."

This is the second major step both sides have taken to bring about
peace after the caste Hindus allowed Dalits to enter the Muthalamman
temple in the presence of Mr. Garg on November 10 last year.

"This is part of the peace agreement reached by both parties on
October 20, 2011," Mr. Garg said. Vishwa Hindu Parishad functionary
Chinmaya Somasundaram, who, along with former Aavin General Manager K.
Athimoolam brokered the peace, said that people of both sides had
suffered a lot socially and economically ever since the fresh bout of
tension in the village near Usilampatti in recent years.

The 'wall of untouchability' on a common pathway dividing the Dalits
from caste Hindus was demolished by the district administration in
2008. "We (caste Hindus) are ready to allow people of all communities
into our temple. This peace process has given the village a new lease
of life," said an auditor and leader of the caste Hindus, B.
Murugesan.

"We (people of both the sides) have realised that we cannot fight each
other forever," Dalit leader K. Ponnaiah said. "Though not all the
people of the caste Hindus were happy about our entry into the temple,
we were, indeed, given a warm welcome by some of them."

Both want the State government to expedite development works such as
the construction of a bus shelter and diversion of sewerage lines that
drain sewage into the Dalit areas.

Asked about the main bone of contention of the Dalits – right to
worship in the temple – Mr. Garg said that the temple was under
construction and soon kumbabhishekam would be performed. "After that
both the parties can enter it." . On allowing the Dalits to use
vehicles on the common pathway, Additional Superintendent of Police A.
Myil Vaganan said that the pathway was being put to maximum use and
was open for Dalits too. "There are some encroachments on it. Once it
is widened, bigger vehicles can be allowed."

Mr. Garg said that the police pickets would stay as a precautionary measure.


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[ZESTCaste] Mulayam plays Muslim, Dalit card to woo voters

 

http://zeenews.india.com/state-elections-2012/up/mulayam-plays-muslim-dalit-card-to-woo-voters_758412.html

Mulayam plays Muslim, Dalit card to woo voters
Last Updated: Tuesday, February 14, 2012, 17:46

Kannauj/Farukhabad: Trying to woo Muslims and Dalits, SP supremo
Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday promised to pressurise the Centre for
quota to backward Muslims and inclusion of 17 castes in Scheduled
Caste list.

"We will pressurise the Centre for ensuring reservation to Muslims and
if needed an amendment in the law will be made... The party will also
ensure that 17 castes are included in the SC category," Yadav told
election meetings in these districts.

Charging Congress with misleading Muslims in the name of reservation,
Yadav said only his government could help the community in getting
their rights.

In Kannauj, he appealed to the voters to get all party candidates
elected as it was parliamentary constituency of SP state president
Akhilesh Yadav.

He said development work took a backseat during the Mayawati
government, which he dubbed as very corrupt.

PTI

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[ZESTCaste] Amausi massacre: 10 get death sentence

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Amausi-massacre-10-get-death-sentence/articleshow/11894516.cms

Amausi massacre: 10 get death sentence
Kashi Prasad & Rajiv Kumar, TNN | Feb 15, 2012, 07.37AM IST
Article

MUNGER/KHAGARIA: The additional district and session judge, Khagaria,
Chandra Bhushan Diwedi, awarded capital punishment to 10 accused in
the infamous Amausi massacre that took place on the intervening night
of October 1-2, 2009, in Khagaria district.

Four other accused were awarded life term in a crowded court room on
Tuesday. In all, 16 persons, including five children -- all residents
of Itcharia village -- were shot dead by a group of dalits of Amausi
Bahiar village under the Morkahi police station.

The accused were convicted by the court on February 8 after they were
found guilty under various Sections of the IPC and Arms Act while 14
other accused were acquitted in absence of evidence on record.

Those who were awarded capital punishment are prime accused Borhan
Sada, Sikander Sada, Sajjan Sada, Tarini Sada, Sunil Sada, Sanatan
Sada, Harilal Sada, Gillo Sada, Puneet Sada and Ram Sada.

All the accused who have been awarded capital punishment and life term
were present in the court room. They were handed over to the police
and sent to jail. In all, 36 persons were framed by police in
connection with the massacre but only 28 were facing trial before the
session court.

According to additional public prosecutor (APP) Rajeev Prasad, 16
persons of Itcharia village which falls under Allauli Panchayat were
tied together, badly assaulted and subsequently shot dead by a mob of
40-50 persons.
An FIR was lodged by police on the statement of paro Singh, a farmer,
wherein he said he was fast asleep with his son, Chandan Singh, when a
mob arrived at the village and caught hold of his son and took him to
Chhotelal Singh's makeshift hut where the assailants collected the 16
other villagers and tied them with rope. They were assaulted black and
blue before they were all shot.

The APP said the massacre was carried out over the possession of some
plots of agriculture land which were cultivated by the slain villagers
over which the accused persons claimed their right.

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[ZESTCaste] Dalits torture: SC panel briefed

 

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/dalits-torture-sc-panel-briefed/230342-60-117.html

Orissa | Posted on Feb 15, 2012 at 09:18am IST
Dalits torture: SC panel briefed
indianexpress Express News Service , The New Indian Express

BHUBANESWAR: The Orissa State Scheduled Caste-Scheduled Tribe Youth
and Students' Council has drawn the attention of the National
Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) about the increasing torture of
the dalits in the State.

Council president Haladhar Sethi discussed the matter with NCSC
chairman PL Punia and invited him to visit Kamadhenukot village in
Dhenkanal district where 22 houses of the dalits were burnt after the
first phase of the panchayat polls.

Sethi alleged that dalits were attacked as they did not vote for a
particular candidate in the panchayat polls as a result of which he
lost. He said supporters of the candidate vandalised the houses of
dalits in the village and burnt them down. Over 100 dalits are now
homeless and exposed to more attacks, he said.

�A three-member team of the council, headed by Sethi, visited the
village on Monday and discussed with the tahasildar, the district
welfare officer, the police circle inspector and the district
collector.

The council demanded compensation to the dalit families who have lost
everything because of the attack on them.

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[ZESTCaste] PRCI Conclave: "There is laziness today in PR and journalism"

 

http://www.campaignindia.in/Article/290326,prci-conclave-there-is-laziness-today-in-pr-and-journalism.aspx

PRCI Conclave: "There is laziness today in PR and journalism"
By Arati Rao on Feb 14, 2012 (1 day ago)

A report from the panel discussion "PR - Interface or Interference" at
the Global PR Conclave 2012, hosted by PRCI

The Public Relations Council Of India (PRCI) hosted a PR Conclave on
13 February, 2012, in Mumbai, where the theme was "PR - Interface or
Interference".

In the panel discussion were TC Ajit, managing partner of Reliance
Staffing Services and former chief executive officer of OgilvyPR in
India, Kumar Ketkar, chief editor, Divya Marathi, and veteran
journalist Ayaz Memon who played moderator.

Starting off the discussion, Ketkar said that both professions,
journalism and public relations, are over-rated and under-rated by the
other. He said, "There is more interface and overlap today. Stories
may unintentionally become 'PR' for a company or brand, even though
they don't outrightly support it. So let media not pretend to be
'holier-than-thou' and let PR not feel guilty."

Memon then posed a question on whether it's as tough to sell a story
these days, and whether journalists are displaying enough curiosity.
Ajit commented that because of the overload of information today, it
is the PR professional's responsibility to sift right from wrong. "We
used to encourage journalists to get the correct picture from other
sources as well," he recalled.

Ketkar said, "Lazy journalism is one problem. Cynical journalism,
where the given copy is entirely destroyed because it is believed that
no company can do anything good, is quite another. Even a journalist
who takes a byline is a brand - he is selling himself and is trying to
expand his market by being cynical. Sometimes, laziness is preferable
of the two."

Ajit said, "We used to give the press release the way the particular
newspaper accepts it, and are responsible to some extent for the
laziness as well."

Ketkar added, "Laziness of PR is also there. They don't know about the
industry, only the company they represent. They also fudge the figures
(for example, adopting percentage figures to show growth, when the
actual numbers aren't impressive). The more the information today, the
more the ignorance that has crept into media."

He stated that according to him, PR is still more of an interface
today, rather than interference.

Memon concluded from the discussion, "With the amount of information
going around, the interface is imperative. But it must be taken with
expertise on both sides."

Earlier in the day, PRCI also handed out Chanakya Awards for Achievers.

Arnab Goswami, editor-in-chief, Times Now, was among those honoured at
the function. On the theme, "Interface or Interference", he said, "The
worst thing a PR professional can do is put pressure on a journalist
not to run a story. The suspicions of a good journalist or editor will
instantly be aroused and they will just follow the story more. Respect
the reporter who challenges you. Similarly, a journalist must never
take what is given at face value."

Strongly disapproving of the "paid news" phenomenon, HK Dua, member of
Parliament and former editor-in-chief of The Times Of India, The
Indian Express, Hindustan Times and The Tribune, who was the chief
guest, said in his keynote, "The best of PR and journalism is when the
practitioners enjoy credibility."

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[ZESTCaste] UP polls: Punia sure of Cong win in 45 SC seats

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/UP-polls-Punia-sure-of-Cong-win-in-45-SC-seats/articleshow/11880625.cms

UP polls: Punia sure of Cong win in 45 SC seats
TNN | Feb 14, 2012, 05.04AM IST

NEW DELHI: Congress MP P L Punia dismissed talks of being an
"outsider" in Uttar Pradesh, saying he had spent 45 years in the state
and was known in its all corners for his pro-people work as an IAS
officer.

Punia's assertion about his domicile came in the wake of Union
minister and in-house detractor Beni Prasad Verma calling him an
"outsider". Punia is from Haryana but moved base to the state four
decades ago. "People in UP know me. I even got married here, my only
daughter was married there. I have houses in Lucknow and Barabanki. I
contested 2007 assembly polls from Barabanki, lost narrowly, and then
won Lok Sabha polls by over 1.5 lakh votes," he said, presenting his
credentials as a son-of-the-soil.

Verma created a flutter by saying that "Punia was an outsider and had
come from Punjab". The statement just before the first phase of
election exposed the infighting in Congress.

The chairman of National Commission for SCs seems to have attracted
Verma's wrath because of his attempt to stand his own during ticket
distribution. The steel minister managed to sway the nominations in
many constituencies, while Punia apparently failed.

But Punia has his standing as a key anti-Mayawati face in Congress,
having served her as principal secretary thrice besides being a dalit
himself, a fact that has riled many within.

Asserting his USP, Punia said Congress would win 40-45 of 85 reserved
seats, claiming that disenchanted SCs would desert BSP in this
election. "Dalits have decided to shed the tag of being BSP's bonded
labour. They kept waiting for development and welfare for five years
under Mayawati, but only got increased atrocities with government
protection and corruption," he told reporters.

Punia, along with party MP Ashok Tanwar, are in-charge of Mission 85,
a campaign plan for the reserved seats. The
bureaucrat-turned-politician asserted that the EC decision to drape
statues and elephants would not impact the dalit mood against BSP.
"Ambedkar did not have elephant as symbol, nor was he enamoured of
riding one. Elephant is not related to dalit pride," he said.

He said Mayawati had heaped the biggest insult on dalit pride by
replacing Ambedkar statue to install her own in Lucknow. "That day BSP
brought down its tally below 100 seats," he said.

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