Wednesday, March 14, 2012

[ZESTCaste] HRD Minister Kapil Sibal plans law to curb caste bias in education

 

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/kapil-sibal-plans-law-to-curb-caste-bias-in-education/1/177807.html

Ritika Chopra New Delhi, March 15, 2012 | UPDATED 09:00 IST
HRD Minister Kapil Sibal plans law to curb caste bias in education

The government is considering a proposal to make caste discrimination
in institutions of higher education a punishable offence.

The HRD Ministry has been jolted into action by an increasing number
of suicides by Dalit students over the past few years and an appeal by
the forum of SC/ ST parliamentarians.

Sources said HRD Minister Kapil Sibal has decided to take the
Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical, Medical Educational
Institutions and Universities Bill, 2010 back to the cabinet with an
amendment that recognises discrimination of any kind (caste, religion
and gender etc) as a malpractice. The Bill will also define the
penalty for it.

To ensure that the institutions keep caste bias in check, the
accreditation of a college or university, which will be made mandatory
in future, will also depend on the "approach of the institution in
matters of equity and inclusion". Sibal has decided to introduce this
provision in the National Accreditation Regulatory Authority Bill
through an amendment.

"Lately, there have been complaints of SC/ ST students being
ill-treated in their colleges. This has happened in different forms
such as unfair marking or teachers being unhelpful. So the ministry
feels that there have to be some changes and responsibility fixed at
the end of the institution," an HRD official said.

The most recent incident that allegedly carries the taint of
discrimination on campus was the suicide of AIIMS student Anil Kumar
Meena (22) on March 3. Students alleged that Meena, who came from a
tribal family of farmers, couldn't follow lectures in English and that
teachers, too, were not helpful.

Though neither the ministry nor the UGC maintain a record of suicides
stemming from caste bias in higher education institutions, there have
reportedly been about 20 such suicides in the past five years.

Most of the cases have been reported from institutes of technical
education and medicine.

While some of the deaths of Dalit students have been attributed to
caste discrimination specifically, the cause of others remains largely
unknown.

In the past year, three such suicides were reported of which the
families of two students had openly alleged discrimination in the
respective institutes.

The incidents even forced UGC to issue two embarrassing circulars in
June last year asking universities to keep their biases in check. Now,
the HRD ministry is set to stem this menace by making discrimination a
malpractice and encouraging affirmative action in the direction of
inclusion.

"By affirmative action we mean measures such as holding bridge courses
or remedial classes for disadvantaged and quota students like the one
organised by IIT-Delhi every year. In the case of private institutes,
which do not reserve seats for SC/ STs, the accrediting authority can
look at how the institute is trying to support disadvantaged students
through freeships," a ministry official said.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/kapil-sibal-plans-law-to-curb-caste-bias-in-education/1/177807.html

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[ZESTCaste] Honour killing: Accused still at large

 

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/234482/honour-killing-accused-still-large.html

Honour killing: Accused still at large
Mysore, Mar 14,2012,DHNS:

DSS urges gallows for Mahadeva, who allegedly killed Shruti

Members of Communist Part of India (Marxist) protest at Mysore on
Wednesday against honour killing. DH PhotoMahadeva, the brother of
Shruti alias Smruti who was killed over her decision for having
married a man from different caste, is still at large. City police
commissioner K L Sudhir has formed three teams to nab him which are
carrying out searches in Periyapatna, Chamarajanagar and surrounding
areas. However, so far, no solid leads have been obtained regarding
his whereabouts.

Meantime, chairperson of National Women's Commission Manjula visited
the residence of Shruti and said the Commission would obtain all
records regarding Shruti's marriage to Sudeep, and provide necessary
help to family members. Shruti was found murdered in her residence at
Alanahalli on Tuesday. Sudeep, a Dalit, worked as assistant physical
education director at Tumkur University. Shruti's brother Mahadeva
allegedly flew into a rage over her refusal to marry someone other
than Sudeep, owing to the latter's caste.

DSS urges gallows

Dalit Sangharsha Samithi on Wednesday, urged the authorities to
recommend the harshest of the punishment to Mahadeva, which is nothing
short of gallows, for having murdered his sister over caste issue. In
a press release, Bettaiah Kote, district convenor of DSS said: "Though
the grandmother, a direct witness to the incident, is saying
inter-caste marriage was the reason behind Mahadeva killing his own
sister in this gruesome manner, the police have recorded it as
unnatural death under suspicious circumstances. This may give the
accused a leeway to escape harsher punishment."

Protest

CPI(M) activists staged a protest against Shruti's murder, urging for
the arrest of accused. Stating that such cases of honour killing were
on the rise in the country, the culprits had to be brought to book and
punished severly, so as to serve as a lesson to others. Citizens
should, in all possible ways, try to build a society without caste
barrier.

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[ZESTCaste] Honour killing: Victims neighbours clam up

 

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/honour-killing-victims-neighbours-clam-up/239284-60-115.html

Karnataka | Posted on Mar 15, 2012 at 08:52am IST
Honour killing: Victims neighbours clam up
indianexpressExpress News Service

MYSORE:� Chairperson of the State Women's Commission Manjula visited
the house on Wednesday where the alleged honour killing of the
assistant professor took place. However, she found the neighbours were
trying to escape as they did not want to share any information. When
Manjula visited the house with commission member and advocate
Mythili,� the house next to Smruthi, the late assistant professor was
found locked.� Another family residing on the ground floor of the
building refused to provide details. The police opened the house to
show Manjula.

"It is very unfortunate that the incident happened when the entire
world was celebrating International Women's Day. This incident is a an
example of men's atrocity on women though they are empowering economic
stability and education," she said.� She added the commission will
protect anybody who approaches it with problems regarding inter-caste
marriage.� "I will ask the city police commissioner K L Sudheer to
arrest those� behind the incident," she added. Sudheer informed three
teams were formed to nab the accused.

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[ZESTCaste] Assistant Professor turns honour killing victim

http://expressbuzz.com/states/karnataka/assistant-profession-turn-honour-killing-victim/372366.html

Assistant Professor turns honour killing victim
Replay Video

Express New Service
Last Updated : 14 Mar 2012 09:14:01 AM IST

MYSORE: With memories of the honour killing in Ambalavadi village in
Mandya district still fresh, an assistant professor at a First Grade
College was killed for falling in love with a Dalit, who is the Deputy
Director of Physical Education, Tumkur University. The victim Smruthi
(27), was assaulted and strangulated by her brother Mahadeva alias
Madhu at her house in Alanahalli as she was firm on marrying Sudeep,
with whom she was in love for the past seven years.

Smruthi, a post graduate in Kannada from Manasagangothri, was serving
as an assistant professor at the First Grade College in Kuderu,
Chamrajnagar district.

Since her village Dindagadu in Periyapatna taluk was too far, Smruthi
stayed in a rented house in Alanahalli III Stage with her grandmother
Nanjamma. She had told her family about her love for Sudeep and
refused any alliance the family suggested.

Smruthi and Sudeep, who got married at the sub-registrar's office in
the city on November 23, tried to convince their family to perform a
marriage according to Hindu traditions.

Smruthi's parents, who were Veerashaivas, feared that a marriage with
a Dalit boy would tarnish the family's image.

Angered at Smruthi's firmness, Mahadev came home in an inebriated
state and picked up a quarrel with her late at night. After raising
the television volume, he strangulated her and escaped with his
friend.

Her friend Savitha shifted Smruthi to a nearby hospital where she was
declared brought dead.

A tearful Sudeep said they were victims of a caste system that has no
respect for humanity and love.

Police Commissioner K L Sudhir said there is prime facie evidence of
murder and assured that the culprit would be caught.

DCP Basavaraj Malagatti also visited the spot. N R Police have
registered a case and recorded statements of Nanjamma and Sudeep.


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Re: [ZESTCaste] Mayawati's wealth doubles in five years

 

First of all the British Broadcasting  should stop calling Ms Mayawati as low caste. The so called untouchables  are called as Scheduled Castes/ Tribes in the Constitution. They are not called as low castes. They should understand that when Barister Gandhi's belongings were thrown out of the 1st class compartment of the train because of racial discrimination we got our Independence. Now let them not do it again.They believe in souls for human beings and not other beings and the do whatever they wanted to do to them. Let them not treat SC/STs with out soul and call them whatever they wanted to call. Buddha never believed in any soul. He said all are equal. Hence SC/STs, Buddhists and all those who believe all human beings are equal must the British Broad casters to treat all human beings are equal.
14 03 2012 LESSON 550 FREE ONLINE eNālāndā Research And  Practice UNIVERSITY And  BUDDHIST GOOD NEWS LETTER Through http://sarvajan.ambedkar.org The Dhammapada Verses and Stories Dhammapada Verses 100 Tambadathika Coraghataka Vatthu One Pacifying Word Is Noble
THE BUDDHIST ON LINE GOOD NEWS LETTER
COURSE PROGRAM
 LESSONS 550
Practice a Sutta a Day Keeps Dukkha Away

Verse 100. One Pacifying Word Is Noble
Through a thousand speeches be
composed of meaningless lines,
better the single meaningful line
one hears, then comes to calm.
Explanation: Expressions replete with thousands of words are of no value. One single meaningful word is more valuable, if hearing it one is pacified.
 Dhammapada Verse 100
Tambadathika Coraghataka Vatthu
Sahassamapi ce vaca
anatthapadasamhita
ekam atthapadam seyyo
yam sutva upasammati.
Verse 100: Better than a thousand words that are senseless and unconnected with the realization of Nibbana, is a single word of sense, if on hearing it one is calmed.

The Story of Tambadathika
Ananda Bodhi, Jetavana Monastery, Sravasti, India

 
While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (100) of this book, with reference to Tambadathika, the executioner of thieves.
Tambadathika served the king as an executioner of thieves for fifty-five years; he had just retired from that post. One day, after preparing rice gruel at his house, he went to the river for a bath; he had intended to take the specially prepared rice gruel on his return. As he was about to take the rice gruel, Thera Sariputta, who had just arisen from sustained absorption in Concentration (jhana samapatti), stood at his door for alms-food. Seeing the thera, Tambadathika thought to himself, "Throughout my life, I have been executing thieves; now I should offer this food to the thera." So, he invited Thera Sariputta to come in and respectfully offered the rice gruel.
After the meal, the thera taught him the Dhamma, but Tambadathika could not pay attention, because he was so agitated as he recollected his past life as an executioner. When the thera knew this, he decided to ask Tambadathika tactfully whether he killed the thieves because he wished to kill them or because he was ordered to do so. Tambadathika answered that he was ordered to kill them by the king and that he had no wish to kill. Then the thera asked, "If that is so, would you be guilty or not ?" Tambadathika then concluded that, as he was not responsible for the evil deeds, he was not guilty. He, therefore, calmed down, and requested the thera to continue his exposition. As he listened to the Dhamma with proper attention, he came very close to attaining Sotapatti Magga, and reached as far as anuloma nana.* After the discourse, Tambadathika accompanied Thera Sariputta for some distance and then returned home. On his way home a cow (actually a demon in the guise of a cow) gored him to death.
When the Buddha came to the congregation of the bhikkhus in the evening, they informed him about the death of Tambadathika. When asked where Tambadathika was reborn, the Buddha told them that although Tambadathika had committed evil deeds throughout his life, because he comprehended the Dhamma after hearing it from Thera Sariputta and had already attained anuloma nana before he died, he was reborn in the Tusita deva world. The bhikkhus wondered how such an evil-doer could have such great benefit after listening to the Dhamma just once. To them the Buddha said that the length of a discourse is of no consequence, for one single word of sense can produce much benefit.
Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
Verse 100: Better than a thousand words that are senseless and unconnected with the realization of Nibbana, is a single word of sense, if on hearing it one is calmed.
*anuloma nana: Vipassana Insight which causes the namarupa process of the yogi to become fully adapted for Magga Insight.


The Executioner's Song Lyrics 
I love my job almost as much as I do you
It's a good job
I may not get paid as much but I more than make up
With an enormous sense of self-worth
My job .. my job
My job .. my job
 
Some people just work to pay the bills
And put bread on the table
I couldn't do that, I need feeling and purpose
My job .. my job
My job .. my job .com
 
Although I admit sometimes
It's not very fun
In fact it can be pretty stressful
At the end of the day
I know I begun and completed the work
Only by my own willpower
 
There is work that is play
There is play that is work
And play that is play
And work that is work
And in only one of these
Lies happiness
I'm a pretty lucky guy
I love you and I love my job
My job, my job

Vaishali
Location:
Bihar
Highlights:
Lord Buddha announced the imminence of his Mahaparinirvana at Vaishali
Attractions:
Buddhist stupas, pillars, etc
 

Vaishali district is situated in the state of Bihar. It lies at a distance of approximately 60 km from the capital city of Patna. The place gains significance from the fact that it is here that Lord Buddha announced the imminence of his Mahaparinirvana. Vaishali also witnessed one of the eight great events in the life of Lord Buddha. It was here that a monkey offered Him a bowl of honey. Lord Buddha also visited Vaishali five years after the attainment of His enlightenment. The Lichhvis offered a grand welcome to the Lord on his arrival in Vaishali.

He displayed some extraordinary and divine presentations of his spiritual superiority here. This led to mass induction of people into Buddhism. Infact, it is believed that at that time around eighty four thousand people adopted Buddhism. One of the most important events that took place at Vaishali was the induction of females into the Sangha. It is believed that even Mahaprajapati Gautami, the foster mother of Buddha, joined the order here, along with the other Sakya-women.

Tourist Attractions of Vaishali

Ashokan Pillar
There is a Lion Pillar at Kolhua, which was built by Emperor Ashoka. The pillar has been chiseled out of a highly polished single piece of red sandstone. An 18.3 m high structure, it stands surmounted by a bell shaped capital. A life-size figure of a lion is adorns the top of the pillar. This pillar beside a brick stupa at Kolhua commemorates Buddha's last sermon.

Budha Stupa-I
This stupa enshrines one-eighth of the sacred ashes of the Lord Buddha, in a stone casket.

Budha Stupa-II
Another casket containing the ashes of the Lord Budha was found here, during the excavation carried out in 1958.

Abhiskek Pushkarn (Coronation tank)
This tank served as the venue of all the coronation ceremonies of Vaishali's elected representative. The Lichchavi stupa was located near here. It was here that the stone casket of the sacred ashes of Lord Buddha was enshrined in Vaishali.

Shanti Stupa
The Shanti Stupa, built by Buddha Vihar Society, lies on the south bank of the coronation tank.

How to reach Vaishali

By Air
The nearest airport is that of Patna, approximately 70 km away.

By Rail
The railway station of Hajipur is the nearest to Vaishali.

By Road
Vaishali is well connected by road to Patna, Muzaffarpur, Hajipur, etc.
MAY YOU BE EVER HAPPY, WELL AND SECURE
Vaishali today is a small village surrounded by banana and mango groves as well as rice fields. But excavations in the area have brought to light an impressive historical past. Historians maintain that one of the world's first democratic republics with an elected assembly of representatives flourished here in the 6th century B.C. in the time of the Vajjis and the Lichchavis. And while Pataliputra, capital of the Mauryas and the Guptas, held political sway over the Gangetic plain, Vaishali was the center for trade and industry.

Lord Buddha visited Vaishali frequently and at Kolhua, close by, preached his last sermon. To commemorate the event, Emperor Ashoka, in the third century B.C. erected one of his famous lion pillars here. A hundred years after the Mahaparinirvana of the Buddha - Vaishali hosted the second great Buddhist council. Two stupas were erected to commemorate this event. Jainism, too, has its origins in Vaishali, for in 527 B.C., Lord Mahavir was born on the outskirts of the city, and lived in Vaishali till he was 22. Vaishali is then twice blessed and remains an important pilgrim center for both Buddhists and Jains, attracting also historians foraging for the past.
On the outskirts of Vaishali stood the grand double storied Buddhist monastery. Buddha often discoursed here. He extended spiritual enfranchisement to women by admitting them to the Holy Order which was founded here. Legend has it that on one of his visits, several monkeys dug up a tank for his comfortable stay and offered him a bowl of honey. This is regarded as one of the great incidents in the legends of Buddha, who announced his approaching Nirvana and preached his last sermon here.

The Lichchhavis came a long way to bid him farewell on his way to Kushinagara and finally, they were stopped by a river created by Buddha. He once again paused to have a last of his much loved city. As a piety for Vaishali, he had already given his alms bowl which remained here for long time.
A life size-pillar beside a brick stupa at Kolhua commemorates Buddha's last sermon and announcement of his approaching nirvana. The lion faces north, the direction Buddha took on his last voyage. Adjacent to this is the tank associated with the monkeys offering honey. Nearby are the skeletal remains of a monastery where Buddha resided and a votive stupas dot the region. 

Vaishali museum houses some of the archaeological remains discovered here. Facing the museum is the Abhishek Pushkarni which was holy to Lichchhavis. On one side of the lake is newly built Vishwa Shanti Stupa, a sixth in the series to be erected in India. Close to the museum is the shaded stupa which is supposed to have housed the casket relic with the ashes of Buddha. 

Archaeologists have uncovered a good deal of Vaishali. It begins with a huge mound which is associated with the ancient Parliament referred to Raja Vaihala Ka Garh. Bawan Pokhar temple houses a rich collection of black basalt images dating back to the Gupta and Pala period. Another black basalt, four headed Shivling (Choumukhi Mahadeva) was discovered when a reservoir was being dug. Behind the bawan pokhar temple is a Jain temple famous for its image of the Trithankar. A little distance from these temples lies the Lotus Tank which used to be a picnic spot of the Lichchhavis. 

Further north at Lauria Areraj, 31 Kms from Motihari, lies one of the Ashokan Columns with six of his edicts. The column is devoid of its capital. Another Ashokan column along with the lion capital can be visited at Nandangarh, 23 kms from Bettiah. These pillars possibly mark the course of the ancient Royal highway from Patliputra to Nepal valley. Few kilometers from the monolith at Nandangarh is the mighty brick stupa which is believed to have stored the casket relic containing the ashes of Buddha. At Nandangarh one can also see a dozen vedic mounds that contain the remains of ruling clans of pre-Buddhists times.
VOICE OF SARVAJAN
In the recent state assembly polls, half of the legislators elected from his Samajwadi Party have criminal cases pending against them, a quarter of them for serious crimes like rape and murder, according to data pooled by the Association for Democratic Reforms, a nonpartisan group that works for electoral reforms in India.
Bharatiya Janata Party has 53.2 percent, and Indian National Congress 46.4 percent.
Topping the list then is Mitra Sen, of the Samajwadi Party, with 36 criminal cases including 14 cases related to murder, the organization notes.

MAY YOU LIVE LONG
MAY ALL SENTIENT AND NON-SENTIENT BEINGS BE EVER HAPPY

MAY YOU  ALWAYS HAVE CALM, QUIET, ALERT,ATTENTIVE AND

EQUANIMITY MIND WITH A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT

EVERYTHING IS CHANGING
 
 
MAY YOU BE EVER HAPPY, WELL AND SECURE
MAY YOU LIVE LONG
MAY ALL SENTIENT AND NON-SENTIENT BEINGS BE EVER HAPPY
MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE CALM, QUIET, ALERT,ATTENTIVE AND
EQUANIMITY MIND WITH A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT
EVERYTHING IS CHANGING


From: Siddhartha Kumar <mailsiddhartha.k@gmail.com>
To: zestcaste <zestcaste@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, 14 March 2012 3:48 PM
Subject: [ZESTCaste] Mayawati's wealth doubles in five years

 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17362842

14 March 2012 Last updated at 07:03 GMT

India politics: Mayawati's wealth doubles in five years

Ms Mayawati Ms Mayawati is now preparing for a run at the Rajya Sabha,
the upper house of parliament

India's controversial low-caste Dalit leader Mayawati has more than
doubled her wealth in the last five years.

In an affidavit she filed for a run at parliament's upper house, her
assets were valued at $22.35m (£14.2), making her one of India's
richest politicians.

Until last week, Ms Mayawati was chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, one
of India's least-developed states.

She quit after her party's poor performance in the recent state
assembly elections.

In 2007, when she was elected chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, her
wealth was put at $10.42m.

She is now preparing to run for the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of
Indian parliament.

The information about her financial assets was revealed on Tuesday
when she filed her nomination papers in Lucknow, capital of Uttar
Pradesh.

Rajya Sabha MPs are elected by state legislative assembly members and
their term is for six years.

Voting is due to be held on 30 March.
Statues

Ms Mayawati's latest acquisition is a sprawling bungalow in Lucknow
which is valued at $3.14m.

She also owns jewellery and diamonds worth $193,583 and a revolver worth $108.

Ms Mayawati is a controversial politician who is famous for building
statues of herself and other figures from the Dalit community.

A large numbers of statues commissioned by Ms Mayawati can be seen in
Lucknow and elsewhere in Uttar Pradesh.

In September, leaked US diplomatic cables said Ms Mayawati had sent an
empty private jet to fetch a pair of sandals from Mumbai - a charge
she strongly denied.

She is an icon to millions of Dalits (formerly known as Untouchables),
most of whom are poor.


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[ZESTCaste] ST/SC legislators demand Rajya Sabha seat for General candidate

 

timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/ST/SC-legislators-demand-Rajya-Sabha-seat-for-General-candidate/articleshow/12257000.cms

ST/SC legislators demand Rajya Sabha seat for General candidate
TNN | Mar 14, 2012, 06.55AM IST

JAIPUR: In a shift from the normal, Congress parliamentarians and
legislators from the reserved Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe
(ST) communities from the state are lobbying hard to get a Rajya Sabha
seat for a non-reserved communities' candidate from Rajasthan's
Vagad-Mewar region.

State minister Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya led a team of the ruling
party's half-a-dozen legislators form the Vagad-Mewar region to plead
their case before chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday. The same
group along with Dungarpur-Banswara MP Tarachand Bhagora earlier met
Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi and the party affairs' in-charge for
Rajasthan Mukul Wasnik with the demand.

The reserved communities came up with the demand since the
non-reserved communities in the Vagad-Mewar region were barred from
contesting direct elections on majority of the seats after the latest
delimitation of constituencies got implemented in the 2008 assembly
elections.

"Ours being a notified tribal sub-plan area (TSP), the general
community members cannot contest any direct election right from a
village sarpanch to a Lok Sabha seat from here. We, therefore, want a
respectable post for the general communities also and the indirect
election of Rajya Sabha is the only option," Malviya told TOI on
Tuesday.

The twin districts of Dungarpur and Banswara constitute the Vagad
area, while the Mewar comprises Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand and
Pratapgarh districts. The Vagad-Mewar combined region has 28 assembly
seats and four Lok Sabha seats. Of these 17 assembly seats and two Lok
Sabha seats are reserved for the ST/SC communities. The Congress holds
all the four Lok Sabha seats and 20 assembly seats in the region,
while one assembly seat elected a Congress rebel Nana Lal Ninama, who
is currently part of the Gehlot government as parliamentary secretary.

At a time when most of the direct elections in the region were slotted
for the reserved communities, the general communities in the Vagad
districts launched a movement - The Samta Andolan - to demand same
concessional benefits for themselves as were given to the ST/SC
communities here. The movement supporters justify their demand with
the argument that when the entire region has been notified as tribal,
all communities residing here should be treated as backward.

Considering the general communities' resentment against being
politically and economically "marginalised", the ST/ST legislators and
parliamentarians believe that a Rajya Sabha seat for a non-reserved
communities' candidate from here would keep the Congress's political
base strong in the Vagad-Mewar region. The opposition BJP is also
facing the same demand from its workers here.

While the Congressmen are lobbying for a local businessman Dinesh
Khodania, the BJP men are said to be forwarding the case of one of its
former Nagar Palika president Shankar Singh Solanki. Elections for
Rajasthan's three Rajya Sabha seats - two of which are held by the
Congress and one by the BJP - will be held on March 30, as these seats
will fall vacant on April 4.

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[ZESTCaste] UP polls campaign: Mayawati used 26 flights, Akhilesh 5

 

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_up-polls-campaign-mayawati-used-26-flights-akhilesh-5_1661886

UP polls campaign: Mayawati used 26 flights, Akhilesh 5
Published: Tuesday, Mar 13, 2012, 16:19 IST
Place: Lucknow | Agency: PTI

The high-voltage polls in Uttar Pradesh saw political leaders and
candidates taking a total of 334 sorties on private jets and
helicopters for campaigning, with outgoing Chief Minister Mayawati
flying a maximum of 26 times.

According to a report compiled by the Air Traffic Control (ATC) in the
state capital, the choppers and chartered flights were used by
"candidates and star campaigners" from all the major political parties
taking part in the just-concluded Assembly polls in the state.

While outgoing Chief Minister Mayawati undertook 26 air sorties for
campaigning to various locations from Lucknow, the chief minister
designate Akhilesh Yadav took a total of five flights.

Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is tabulated to have
undertaken 21 flights while Congress President Sonia Gandhi travelled
four times by air for campaigning.

The flight records, between January to February, have now being sent
to the Election Commission (EC) in Delhi and also to the Income Tax
(Investigations) department for scrutiny of poll expenditure, both on
the part of the political parties and the candidates.

Other campaigners, who used the choppers/private jets for campaigning
in various parts of the state, include Congress General Secretary
Rahul Gandhi (10 sorties) and party in-charge for UP Digvijay Singh
(10 sorties).

BJP leaders, who feature on the list, include L K Advani, Arun
Jaitely, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Sushama Swaraj, Rajnath Singh and Kalraj
Mishra.

The Samajwadi Party is set to form the government in the state as it
has emerged as the single largest party in the 403-seat Assembly with
224 seats.

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[ZESTCaste] Mayawati to decide on power sharing in Uttarakhand

 

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/mayawati-to-decide-on-power-sharing-in-uttarakhand/973683.html

Mayawati to decide on power sharing in Uttarakhand
PTI | 06:03 PM,Mar 12,2012

Dehradun, Mar 12 (PTI) BSP today presented to the Uttarakhand Governor
a letter of support to a Congress-led government in the state and said
party chief Mayawati would decide on who will become minister in the
new dispensation. A day after announcing "unconditional support" to
the Congress, top leaders of the BSP including all the three party
MLAs went to Raj Bhavan to present the letter of support to Governor
Margaret Alva this evening. "We have presented letter of support to
the Governor for a stable government in Uttarakhand. Our support is
unconditional," BSP leader Meghraj Singh, incharge of party's affairs
in the hill state, told reporters at Raj Bhavan. Singh said the BSP
would like to share power with the Congress, and modalities regarding
the power-sharing would be decided by Mayawati. "She will decide
whether all the three MLAs should become ministers or none of them,"
he said. When asked whether the BSP had conveyed to the Congress its
choice of chief minister, Singh said it was an internal matter of the
Congress. "Whosoever become the chief minister, we will give our
unconditional support. We have given our support for a stable
government," he said. With BSP giving support, Congress will now have
support of 39 MLAs in the 70 member house with its own strength of 32.
Three independents and one legislator of Uttarakhand Kranti Dal have
already submitted their letters of support to the Governor.

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[ZESTCaste] Maya, Akhilesh begin war of words

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_maya-akhilesh-begin-war-of-words_1662131

Maya, Akhilesh begin war of words
Published: Wednesday, Mar 14, 2012, 8:00 IST
By Deepak Gidwani | Place: Lucknow | Agency: DNA

A verbal war of sorts has ensued between outgoing chief minister
Mayawati and CM designate Akhilesh Yadav over the law and order
situation in the state.

Mayawati filed her nomination papers for election to the Rajya Sabha
on Tuesday. Soon after filing the nomination, Mayawati spoke to
reporters and alleged that the law and order situation in UP had
deteriorated after the assembly election results were declared in
favour of the Samajwadi Party (SP).

She said she was going to the Rajya Sabha to raise the
issue of worsening law and order in the state in Parliament.

"Even before the SP government has taken over, the goons of the party
have started taking the law into their hands," Mayawati said. She said
there had been a sudden increase in the incidents of atrocities
against the poor and common people over the past few days.

"SP workers have been involved in many violent incidents ever since it
became clear that the party was going to form its government in UP,"
Mayawati asserted.

Akhilesh Yadav was quick to react to the Dalit leader's barbs. "Why is
Mayawati running away to Delhi?" he asked as reporters asked him for a
reaction to the former CM's statements.

"She should have stayed back in UP and faced the new government,"
Yadav said. "If she wants to raise the issue of law and order, she
should have remained an MLC and done it in the House (Legislative
Council) here," he added.

Asked about the charges of worsening law and order situation in UP,
Yadav said, "This situation is what we have inherited from the BSP
regime. As soon as we take over the government, we will take strong
steps to curb the incidents."

Mayawati's charges may be politically motivated but are not entirely
without substance. There has indeed been a spurt in the incidents of
violence in UP ever since the assembly election results were declared
on Tuesday last.

The incidents have raised serious doubts over repeated statements by
the party's youth icon Akhilesh Yadav that 'goondaism' would not be
tolerated. In fact, it was precisely because of the severe law and
order problem during the last SP regime that the party was booted out
of power in 2007.

The first incident was reported soon after the results came in from
Sambhal in Bhimnagar district of western UP where rejoicing SP workers
indulged in indiscriminate celebratory firing in which a
seven-year-old boy was killed.

In Jhansi, rampaging SP workers damaged government property at a
counting centre in Babina area.


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[ZESTCaste] Netas duping dalits and tribals?

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Netas-duping-dalits-and-tribals/articleshow/12255961.cms

Netas duping dalits and tribals?
Subodh Varma, TNN | Mar 14, 2012, 04.31AM IST

Governments of all hues at the Center and state levels have always
claimed to be working for uplift of dalits and tribals, two of the
most deprived sections in India. Together, they comprise nearly a
quarter of India's population. Yet progress has been slow and patchy
despite decades of affirmative action. Why?

Part of the answer lies in gross neglect and insincerity of political
rulers - this is the conclusion of a study by the Center for Budget
and Governance Accountability (CBGA), a Delhi-based think-tank.

Based on CBGA's findings, it turns out that in 2011-12, for instance,
dalits were deprived of about Rs.23,890 crore and tribals of Rs.12,187
crore by deficient allocation by central government ministries.

Putting two key central government policies related to dalits and
tribals under the scanner, CBGA researchers found that these have
largely remained on paper. These policies are the Special Component
Plan (SCP) for scheduled castes and the Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) for
scheduled tribes. Started three decades ago, they made it mandatory
for central government ministries and departments to earmark a fixed
share of their spending for dalits and tribals, in proportion to their
population. This means that each agency needed to exclusively spend
about 16% of their funds on dalits and about 9% on tribals.

Analysing data from 2004-05 till 2010-11, CBGA found that allocation
for dalits has ranged between 4% to 8%, and allocation for tribals
between 3% to 5% only. That is, the government is officially
allocating only about half the funds of what it is mandated to do. In
fact most ministries did not even differentiate between dalits and
tribals while giving spending details and just gave a notional,
lumpsum figure, says CBGA.

These funds were meant for various schemes ranging from education to
employment creation. Several crucial schemes like Sarva Shiksha
Abhiyan (SSA), schemes in higher education, Integrated Child
Development Services (ICDS), National Rural Health Mission ( NRHM) and
Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) do not even
have clear guidelines about provisions for dalits and tribals. Some
schemes like the Indira Awas Yojana and the Swarnajayanti Gram
Swarozgar Yojana do have such specific provisions and hence, work
better.

Bowing to continued criticism on this count, the Planning Commission
set up a Task Force in 2010 headed by Narendra Jadhav. Among other
things, this recommended that every year, each ministry should give
details of how much money they spent on schemes related to dalits and
tribals. Details of spending are thus fully available since 2010-11
and they confirm the dismal picture of earlier years: spending
continues to languish in the 8-9% range for dalits and 3-5% for
tribals.

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