Saturday, May 28, 2011

[ZESTCaste] questions posted

time to ban temple priests or search for Kabir within or monitor implementation of reservation of dalits as temple priests? frankly i prefer option 2 or 1. but people have to decide

Ranjani.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Dalit-boy-thrashed-for-entering-Tamil-Nadu-temple/articleshow/8631401.cm

Dalit boy thrashed for entering Tamil Nadu temple

Binoy Valsan, TNN | May 29, 2011, 01.55am IST

Article

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COIMBATORE: A teenage Dalit boy, who entered the sanctum sanctorum of a temple, was allegedly thrashed and abused by a Brahmin priest and his son in Mettupalayam, Coimbatore district, on Friday.

K Vinith had gone to the temple with his younger sister K Sruthi for special prayers, an hour before her Class X results were declared on Friday. He entered the main temple, took `vibhuti' (holy ash) kept on a plate and smeared it on his sister's forehead. The priest and his son, who were not present in the sanctum sanctorum, returned then and allegedly slapped him repeatedly.

The two have been arrested on charges of abuse and causing voluntary hurt under sections of the Indian Penal Code. However, the police are yet to invoke the sections under the anti-untouchability law (The Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act) against them.

Despite the presence of a stringent law and numerous public campaigns, complaints of Dalits being denied entry into temples abound.

According to Vinith, he had gone to the Siddhi Vinayaka temple near the co-operative housing unit in Mettupalayam around 9.30am to pray for Sruthi, who scored 71% in the exam. Temple priest S Jambunatha Gurukkal, 49, had left a plate of `vibhuti' at the entrance.

``Vinith took a pinch of `vibhuti' for his sister when the priest returned and confronted them,'' said P Krishnamoorthy, advocate and social activist.

The priest asked Vinith where he lived. When the boy said he was from the Adidravidar colony at Nadur, Jambunathan slapped him repeatedly for entering the temple, Vinith's father Krishnan, a railway contract employer, said.

Sruthi was shocked and screamed for help. Then, Jambunathan's son Sugavanam ran in and joined in beating up Vinith. The priest and his son asked them to leave after warning them to stay away from the temple.

Krishnan lodged a complaint with Mettupalayam police against the priest and his son. ``We took them into custody based on the complaint filed by the victims,'' said sub-inspector P N Thangavelu.

The priest's family claimed there was no caste angle to the issue, and Jambunathan just lost his temper when he saw the boy entering and ``defiling'' the sanctum sanctorum. ``He did not have any other intention. He could not control himself,'' said his wife J Revathi.

Nagarajan Iyer, another priest associated with the temple, claimed Jambunathan merely punished the boy for entering the sacred area and taking the `vibhuti'.

Dalit outfits have demanded stringent action against the priest. ``The priest and his son have been arrested on minor charges. They should be proceeded under the anti-untouchability Act,'' said S Karuppiah of the Dalit Liberation Movement.

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Thursday, May 26, 2011

[ZESTCaste] Poverty debates and NAC revisited

Poverty debates and NAC revisited

As news of National Advisory committee members critique that Rs 20 per day (urban areas) and Rs 15 per day (rural areas) per capita is not enough rightly hits the headlines and Supreme court backing them, it is time to visit poverty line debates and underpinning strategies (www.hindustantimes.com/NAC-members...poverty.../Article1-701079.asp), and deepen this useful critique.

UN statistics shows that 42% of India lives below $1 PPP, poorest quintile share in national consumption is a mere 8% , 48% of children under 5 are severely or moderately underweight in 2005 (latest year for which stats are available-http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mdg/Data.aspx). Yes re-looking at poverty line is necessary, keeping in mind that the poor should get basic services- food, nutrition, child care, education- of same quality as rich. Any differential access has to stop.

In addition, it has to be kept in mind that specific barriers exist for POOR dalit, (whatever religion), adivasi, women, Muslims, women headed households, slum dwellers, migrant laborers, domestic and other unorganised workers, differently abled, people of diverse sexual and gender identities etc to access basic needs and be free of discrimination. For them not only poverty line needs to be higher, but issues of discrimination need to be addressed.

Further, 51.4% of employed people are living below $1 per day (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mdg/Data.aspx). MNREGS and SGSY (self employment) and SGSRY (SGSY equivalent in urban areas) even if well implemented and without discrimination are not going to solve the problems, unless adequate agriculture land, forest and, coast is left for sustainable livelihood and food/nutritional security, destructive development projects are stopped, MREGS is linked to provision for land for above groups (and land reform is implemented) and there is an income/asset ceiling till poverty and malnutrition is eliminated. PDS should distribute not only rice, wheat and pulses, but also ragi, barely, bajra, maize and millets, which are more nutritious and will support dry land agriculture. Majority of India is under dry land agriculture

With due respect to existing NAC members,
HALF OF THE NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS SHOULD BE PEOPLE FROM MARGINALISED GROUPS LISTED ABOVE, BUT BELOW THE POVERTY LINE. They may be less "educated" and air a few "non politically correct views" (example, how will I marry my daughter) but they are also wise. For over the last one year listening to them and people who work closely with them I have corrected my views.

Ranjani

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[ZESTCaste] NCP congress compete for dalit votes

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/NCP-congress-compete-for-dalit-votes/articleshow/8576350.cms

NCP congress compete for dalit votes
Prakash Joshi, TNN | May 26, 2011, 06.00am IST

MUMBAI: With the Shiv Sena-BJP succeeding in roping the Ramdas
Athawale-led RPI (A), the Congress and the NCP have started serious
efforts to strengthen their support base among Dalit voters in
Maharashtra.

The NCP has already announced its plans to hold a massive rally of
Dalits in Mumbai on June 10, its foundation day; deputy chief minister
Ajit Pawar has announced that the party will prepare a charter of
demands for them and other backward castes in the state.

According to NCP sources, the party will use the rally to launch a
"mass campaign" for the 2012 Mumbai civic election elections.

According to NCP sources, the party will mobilize massive crowd for
the rally which will be used to launch NCP's mass campaign for coming
BMC elections scheduled in year 2012.

The Congress is also not lagging behind the NCP as the state will
witness several elections for the local self governments in the state
along with the prestigious BMC elections.

MPCC president Manikrao Thakare has set up a committee to woo Dalit
votes in the state. The committee is being headed by former finance
commission member and Rajya Sabha MP Dr Bhalchandra Mungekar.

The committee will prepare a document on the present conditions of the
downtrodden and the schemes that should be devised for their
improvement.

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan released a book written by Dr
Mungekar on development programmes and human face of new economic
policies. Chavan is hopeful that with Dr Mungekar on their side, the
Congress will get the support of Dalits in the state.

NCP city president Narendra Varma said, "Dalit votes are essential in
the forthcoming BMC elections.

The party has taken steps to ensure empowerment of Dalit voters in the state."

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[ZESTCaste] Nepal: UN, Dalit organizations welcome new law prohibiting caste-based discrimination

http://asiantribune.com/news/2011/05/26/un-dalit-organizations-welcome-new-law-prohibiting-caste-based-discrimination

UN, Dalit organizations welcome new law prohibiting caste-based discrimination
Thu, 2011-05-26 12:24 — editor

Kosit R. Koirala Reporting From Nepal
Kathmandu, 26 May, (Asiantribune.com):

UN human rights officials and Nepali human rights activists have
jointly welcomed a new law prohibiting discrimination against people
who are considered members of low castes and are known as
"untouchables" or "Dalits."

The Bill on Caste-based Discrimination and Untouchability that was
passed on Tuesday had been before Parliament for the past two years.

The new law states that caste-based discrimination and untouchability
practices are prohibited in both public and private spheres, and
increases punishments for public officials found responsible of
discrimination. It also requires perpetrators to provide compensation
to victims and criminalizes incitement for caste-based discrimination.

According to UN News Center, Jyoti Sanghera, who heads OHCHR-Nepal,
stressed on ensuring effective implementation of the newly-introduced
law and taking appropriate measures such as raising awareness of the
law amongst the general public and specific training for the police.

"This is the first time ever Nepal has adopted specific legislation
for addressing the serious crime of caste-based discrimination and
untouchability," she noted.

According to OHCHR and the National Dalit Commission, discrimination
remains widespread in Nepal and has been blamed for the political,
social and economic exclusion of millions of Nepalis on the basis of
gender, caste, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and religion.

The two bodies have continued to record cases of physical assault,
arson, forced displacement, sexual violence and labor exploitation
resulting from caste-based discrimination.

Bijul Bishwakarma, the Chairperson of National Dalit Commission, said
he hopes the passing of the new law will prove to be a milestone in
access to justice for the Dalits, who have undergone extreme suffering
due to caste-based discrimination and untouchability for centuries,
according to a joint statement issued by OHCHR-Nepal and the National
Dalit Commission.

- Asian Tribune -

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[ZESTCaste] Dalit youth shot dead for opposing eve-teasing

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Dalit-youth-shot-dead-for-opposing-eve-teasing/articleshow/8586490.cms

Dalit youth shot dead for opposing eve-teasing
PTI | May 26, 2011, 04.21pm IST
Article
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MUZAFFARNAGAR: A Dalit youth was allegedly shot dead when he opposed
the eve-teasing of his sister by some persons at Gadla village in the
district, police said on Thursday.

The victim, Mohit, was allegedly shot dead when an altercation broke
out between him and the youths after they passed lewd comments at the
former's sister, said officials.

Police has arrested one of the accused, Kallu Singh, and a case has
been registered against two others who are absconding, officials said.