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Wednesday, August 17, 2011

[ZESTCaste] 9 hurt in Alanganallur group clash

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/9-hurt-in-alanganallur-group-clash/175762-60-118.html

Tamil Nadu
9 hurt in Alanganallur group clash
indianexpress Express News Service , The New Indian Express
Posted on Aug 15, 2011 at 10:22am IST

MADURAI: Tension prevailed in Melachinnanampatti near Alanganallur
here after nine people were injured during a clash between caste
Hindus and Dalits on Saturday night. The police said, the two groups
clashed over alleged demolition of flag post of a political party in
the village.

Based on complaints from the both sides, the Alanganallur police have
registered case against 27 Dalits and 23 caste Hindus.� Of� these, 12
Gounders and nine Dalits have been arrested so far.

All the injured - seven from the Gounder community and two Dalits -
have been� hospitalised.

According to the complaint by R Pitchaiamani, a Gounder, Mukundan,
Sasikumar and 25 other Dalits threw stones and bottles at his house
around 8 pm on Saturday and abused him.� During the attack, seven
persons, including two women - Rani and Ranjani - were injured. A
counter petition filed by a Dalit, K Natarajan, of the same village,
said that a group of 23 people, including Kamesh and Rajesh of the
Gounder community, demolished a flag post of a political party on
Saturday.� They also attacked Perumal and Pazhaniammal,� two Dalits.�
Two years ago, a case was registered after the two groups clashed for
erecting a cut-out in the village. The case was still pending.� The
hearing for the case was due on August 17. At this juncture, a new FIR
has been filed against both the communities over Saturday's� violence.

Asra Garg, the SP, said that around 75 police personnel, including
DSPs, inspectors and sub-inspectors, have been deployed in the village
to keep the situation under control.

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[ZESTCaste] SC/ST candidates depend upon PSU banks for education loans

http://news.in.msn.com/business/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5367487

15/08/2011
SC/ST candidates depend upon PSU banks for education loans

New Delhi, Aug 15 (PTI) Large private lenders like HDFC Bank, ICICI
Bank and Axis Bank lag behind their public sector counterparts in
terms of providing education loans to scheduled caste (SC) and
scheduled tribe (ST) candidates.
While PSU banks like Indian Bank and Canara Bank have been at the
forefront of providing education loans to SC/ST candidates, large
private sector lenders have very little exposure, says Reserve Bank
data.
The outstanding education loans to SC/ST candidates at the end of the
2010-11 fiscal stood at Rs 1.58 crore in case of HDFC Bank, Rs 57 lakh
in case of ICICI Bank and Rs 37 lakh in case of Axis Bank.
ICICI Bank is the largest private sector bank in the country, while
HDFC Bank and Axis Bank are also major lenders with operations
throughout the country.
Compared to the private sector lenders, even relatively smaller PSU
banks like Indian Bank, Andhra Bank and Syndicate Bank have provided
substantial education loans to SC/ST candidates.
The data, which was provided by the Finance Ministry in a written
reply in the Rajya Sabha, said the outstanding education loans to
SC/ST candidates amounted to Rs 484.56 crore in case of Indian Bank,
Rs 146.08 crore in case of Andhra Bank and Rs 109.47 crore in case of
Syndicate Bank.
The country''s largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI), however, was
not at the forefront of providing education loans to SC/ST candidates.
The outstanding exposure of SBI was Rs 238 crore at the end of
2010-11.
The Indian Banks'' Association (IBA), a body which represents public
sector, private and foreign banks, had already circulated a Model
Education Loan Scheme with a view to encourage financial inclusion.
Under the scheme, Indian nationals that secured admission to
professional and technical education in India or abroad through an
entrance test and merit-based selection process are eligible for an
educational loan.

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[ZESTCaste] Reopening the debate on quota

http://www.morungexpress.com/Perspective/69441.html

Reopening the debate on quota
Shashi shekhar

The ban on Aarakshan in three States offers an opportunity for the
Right to distinguish itself by asserting the constitutional morality
envisaged by BR Ambedkar. This is the moment for the Right to embrace
Ambedkarite constitutionalism as an effective antidote to both the
statist policies of Leftist ideologues and the dynastic politics of
the Left-leaning Congress.

It began as a game of political one-upmanship by a maverick
conscience-keeper but with the Uttar Pradesh Government taking the
lead in banning Prakash Jha's film Aarakshan, the proverbial
floodgates it seems have been opened. The ban on Aarakshan by Uttar
Pradesh has been followed by two other States at the time of writing
this column with several others likely to follow suit. It is anybody's
guess at this time if the movie will hit the theatres as per its
intended release schedule. But one thing is certain; the version that
will eventually release in India will see much politically correct
editing.
Six decades of caste-based quotas later both the quantum of quotas and
sensitivity over caste prejudices both remain a hot button political
issue. For a while during 2006, much thanks to Arjun Singh's
championship, the nation was once again witness to street protests
over caste-based reservations. The near total political consensus on
quotas, the long drawn court interventions and the political line
pursued by the UPA regime of universalising entitlements, those street
protests soon fizzled out. With the exception of Rajasthan which saw
fiery caste conflict over quotas, for the most part the last few years
have been bereft of any mass political movements on caste.
Political empowerment of specific caste groups in different States has
also perhaps contributed to this relative calm. In fact, the dominant
political paradigm of the past few election cycles at the State level
has been political consolidation based on a stable caste
configuration. Ms Mayawati's Sarvajan strategy, Mr Nitish Kumar's
micro-mandalisation and the latest attempt in Maharashtra to script a
grand coalition between the Shiv Sena, BJP and Mr Ramdas Athavale's
RPI are examples of this shift at the State level. But for the
occasional noise on quotas in the private sector there hasn't been
much clamour for new quotas.
The demand for communal sub-quotas within existing quotas continues to
have some traction, especially from Dalit-Christian groups. The rise
of the Dalit entrepreneur and the broader shift to a private sector
economy in most areas has also contributed to this relative calm.
The politics of universal entitlements and the politics of empowerment
have overtaken the politics over quotas. It is no accident that
corruption bred by the twin evils of crony capitalism and crony
socialism has become the dominant issue past many months for that
corruption is a by-product of these dominant political twins. It would
not be an exaggeration to conclude that the politics of quotas is on a
graph of diminishing returns. Hence the political brouhaha over
Aarakshan defies logic.
It is understandable that in the run-up to the high stakes battle in
Uttar Pradesh there is one-upmanship over who is perceived to be the
guardian of Dalit interests. This perhaps explains SC/ST Commission
chairman PL Punia's activism against the movie and the Uttar Pradesh
Government's pre-emptive strike to neutralise any potential political
dividends to the Congress. But the speed with which this has spread to
Punjab and far south Andhra Pradesh makes it all the more curious. Are
we back to the days of caste-based mobilisation and street protests or
is this political chain reaction an aberration?
Sensitivity to caste prejudice is a political holy cow much like
Gandhi's legacy. The political chain reaction over any perceived
slight on Gandhi or, for that matter, Ambedkar has now acquired a
predictable trajectory. The chain reaction over Aarakshan is a
manifestation of the same political correctness. Some may argue
against this from the pulpit of absolute freedom of expression and the
tyranny of all identity politics. But a more effective
counter-argument to this political correctness would be to hold the
protagonists to the Gandhi test or the Ambedkar test.
So what would BR Ambedkar have done if he were alive today in response
to the movie 'Aarakshan'?
Ambedkar's many interventions during the Constituent Assembly debates
offer the best guide to his thought process on contemporary issues.
Ambedkar also makes his views on freedoms quite clear in his States
and Minorities, calling for no restrictions on freedoms except in the
rarest of rare cases involving public order and morality. One can
perversely interpret "public order" and "morality" to justify the
politically opportunistic pre-emptive actions of the kind we are
witnessing today.
However, Ambedkar leaves no room for ambiguity in his 'Grammar of
Anarchy' speech in which he calls caste prejudices of all kinds
"anti-national" because they generate "jealousy and antipathy between
caste and caste". In the same speech he also makes clear his
preference for politics of empowerment with his clarion call to "make
room for realisation of aspirations".
It must be said that the Right has been timid and unimaginative in its
embrace of Ambedkar. It may pay lip service to him as an icon but has
offered little respect to his constitutionalism and unshakeable faith
in due process and rule of law. There is much in Ambedkar's
constitutionalism to support a coherent centre-right agenda, if close
attention is paid to his interventions in the Constituent Assembly
debates and to his writings.
The debate over the ban on Aarakshan is an opportunity for the Right
to distinguish itself by asserting the constitutional morality
envisaged by Ambedkar. It is time the Right look beyond political
Hindutva of the 1990s to embrace an Ambedkarite constitutionalism as
an effective antidote to both the statist policies of the Leftist
ideologues and to the dynastic politics of the Left-leaning Congress.
Source: The Pioneer

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[ZESTCaste] Historic Day for Mahadalits in Bihar

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=112036

Sunday, August 14, 2011 2:03:16 PM (IST)

Historic Day for Mahadalits in Bihar

Patna, Aug 14 (IANS): The Mahadalits of Bihar, who constitute an
overwhelming number among the state's downtrodden, are in a festive
mood like never before ahead of India's 65th Independence Day.

Possibly for the first time in independent India, more importantly
since the promulgation of a constitution that guarantees equality, the
Mahadalits will be hoisting the national flag in their 'tolas' or
community-based settlements. One from their ranks will do so.

According to Census 2011, Dalits constitute nearly 15 percent of
Bihar's 104 million population. The census has identified 21 of the 22
Dalit sub-castes as Mahadalits. They include Musahars, Bhuiyans, Doms,
Chamars and Nats.

Deepak Kumar, principal secretary in the state's general
administration department, said that it was decided by the government
that Independence Day functions would be organized in all such 'tolas'
and an elderly among them would unfurl the flag.

Surender Ravidas, in his mid 40s, a resident of Mahadalit tola of
Jituchak village near Patna, is pleased that his family can take part
in the flag-hosting ceremony. "For the first time, we will get a
chance to participate," the daily wage earner said.

He is not alone. Hundreds of thousands of Mahadalits, living in tolas
across the state, are equally happy with the state government
decision. It is part of the Nitish Kumar government initiative to
empower the downtrodden.

Hari Dom, in his early 50s, a resident of Mahadalit tola near
Lohanipur in Patna, believes that this year's Independence Day will be
historic.

"We and our children used to visit other neighborhoods to witness the
flag-hosting ceremony, either standing outside a school or a
government office," the sweeper-cum-cleaner told IANS. "But now we
will be part of the national day in our own settlement."

According to government records, there are over 25,000 such 'tolas' in
the state. In the six districts of the Patna commissionarate alone,
the day will be celebrated in 4,799 tolas. Patna commissioner K.P.
Ramiyah said that preparations were in full swing.

Letters have been sent out to all the district magistrates (DMs). "As
the Right to Public Service Act is to be implemented from August 15,
this programme will be an effective way to inform weaker sections of
government programmes," Deepak Kumar said.

The government has earmarked Rs. 500 for each Mahadalit 'tola' to
purchase flags, sweets and toffees for such functions. "It will cost
the state exchequer Rs. 1.30 crore," an official said.

District administrations are to depute a government school teacher for
the function, who could explain the national anthem and events related
to Independence Day and freedom struggles to Mahadalits.

Bihar was the first state in the country to constitute a Mahadalit
commission. It was decided that the commission would study the status
of the neglected sub-castes among Dalits and suggest ways to uplift
them.

In power-starved Bihar, most Mahadalits are living without any
electricity, except in the state capital Patna and some towns.
Millions are still living in the lantern age, as electricity is a
luxury or not available.

Akhilesh Kumar, who hopes to become a schoolteacher, summed it up
well: "It may be a small thing for the powerful in society, but for us
it is a big thing."

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[ZESTCaste] Wall of Untouchability Demolished Near Salem

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/wall-of-untouchability-demolished-near-salem/175556-60-118.html

Tamil Nadu
Wall of Untouchability Demolished Near Salem
indianexpress Express News Service , The New Indian Express
Posted on Aug 14, 2011 at 03:11am IST

SALEM:� The Salem Corporation and the Revenue Department officials on
Saturday demolished a� wall at Gandhi Mahan street claimed� to be a
caste wall separating the Arunthadhiar community and caste Hindus.The
demolishing squad faced no resistance from the residents living on
either sides of the wall but another high raised wall constructed by a
private matriculation school in the same area turned into a bone of
contention.

DYFI activists organised a protest on July 19 to demand among other
things demolition of the wall claiming to be a wall of untouchability
to keep off dalit community folks from entering the people of affluent
class. However the residents living on both sides of the wall were
more keen on the appalling sanitary conditions prevailing in the 42nd
division of the Salem Corporation.

The cluster of houses where the dalits live had no basic amenities.
Water logging during rainy days stagnates for weeks turning it into
breeding ground for mosquitoes. Although DYFI's protest kicked no
major controversy, the officials conducted a spot study and convened a
tripartite meeting on July 22. Chaired by the Salem RDO Prasanna
Ramasamy the meeting was attended by the revenue, police, corporation
officials, DYFI office bearers and office bearers of the Theendamai
Ozhippu Munani. None of the residents of the either side of the wall
attended the meeting. It was decided to conduct another survey and
decide on the future course of action.

Meanwhile, the Corporation was asked to take measures to improve amenities.

It was established that the wall has been constructed partly on
private lands (formerly owned by one Vaiyali Pillai who converted his
farm into a housing plot) and partly on government land classified as
lake poromobke.� As the wall is constructed adjacent to a drainage
channel the Salem Corporation officials were also involved in the
demolition panel.

RDO Prasanna Ramasamy said the demolition is being carried out because
it is on government land and also to avoid problems in future.

While the so called untouchabilty wall was done away another wall in
the area turned into a bone of contention. Activists and dalits
vociferously demanded pattas for their land. They told the officials
that a private matriculation school has constructed a high rise wall
after usurping a few acres of� government lands. They wanted the lands
to be seized and given to the dalits. Officials have begun another
exercise to ascertain facts about the school wall and the land grab
complaint.

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Wednesday, August 17, 2011

[ZESTCaste] 9 hurt in Alanganallur group clash

[ZESTCaste] SC/ST candidates depend upon PSU banks for education loans

[ZESTCaste] Reopening the debate on quota

[ZESTCaste] Historic Day for Mahadalits in Bihar

[ZESTCaste] Wall of Untouchability Demolished Near Salem

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