Thursday, March 25, 2010

[ZESTCaste] Melinda Gates meets Mayawati

 

http://sify.com/finance/melinda-gates-meets-mayawati-news-news-kdzcuscgega.html

BUSINESS_STANDARD

Melinda Gates meets Mayawati

BS Reporter | 2010-03-25 02:20:00

Microsoft founder Bill Gates' wife Melinda Gates, who also heads Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation, today called on Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister Mayawati in Lucknow.

The Foundation supports several social sector programmes, mainly
family welfare, health and poverty alleviation, in several Indian
states.

Ms Mayawati's millions

During the course of the meeting, Melinda assured the state government
for investing Rs 250 crore in programmes of child and women welfare in
UP. Besides, the Foundation would also explore for opportunities of
partnership in social sector with the state government.

According an official state government communique, Melinda informed
the Foundation was supporting programmes to the tune of Rs 500 crore
in the country and UP was its largest beneficiary.

Mayawati flouts RBI norms

Melinda was accompanied by senior officials of the Foundation, while
UP advisory council chairman Satish Chandra Mishra and chief secretary
Atul Kumar Gupta were also present.

She also visited a small village in Rae Bareli district.

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[ZESTCaste] New group defends Malaysia racial economic perks

 

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9EL3PH80.htm

The Associated Press March 24, 2010, 12:24PM ET

New group defends Malaysia racial economic perks
By SEAN YOONG

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia

A Malaysian nationalist group accused by minorities of fanning racial
intolerance will soon step up efforts to ensure the government retains
affirmative action policies for the ethnic Malay Muslim majority, an
official said Wednesday.

Perkasa, which means "mighty" in the Malay language, will hold its
first national congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's largest city, on
Saturday with an expected attendance of 10,000 people, according to
organizers.

The meeting will be its biggest platform so far to "fight for the
rights of the Malays according to the Constitution," Zubir Harun, head
of Perkasa's economic bureau, said.

It will be opened by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, a strong
supporter of the group since its formation last year. Perkasa leaders
say more than 60,000 Malays have submitted applications to join the
organization in recent months.

Perkasa is led by Ibrahim Ali, an independent member of Parliament who
has drawn criticism, particularly from the ethnic Chinese and Indian
minorities, for insisting that Malays must step up efforts to defend
policies that give them wide privileges in jobs, education, housing
and business opportunities.

The policies were instituted in the early 1970s to help Malays -- who
comprise nearly 60 percent of Malaysia's 28 million people -- catch up
with the more affluent ethnic Chinese, who make up about a quarter of
the population.

Prime Minister Najib Razak has rolled back parts of the policies in
the past year to boost the economy, including scrapping a requirement
for 30 percent Malay ownership in sectors such as health and
transport. Najib is expected to announce economic liberalization
reforms next week -- which could include more cutbacks to Malay perks
-- to make the country more competitive and attractive to investors.

Perkasa said changing the program could spark "a time bomb in society,
because dissatisfaction will rise among Malays and could cause
political and social unrest," said Zubir, the Perkasa official.

"If you open up everything, what is left for the Malays? Nothing.
Don't push us against the wall. Already the Chinese control every
sector of the economy," Zubir told The Associated Press.

Critics of the affirmative action policies, including some Malays, say
they mainly benefit a well-connected Malay elite and breed cronyism,
corruption and inefficiency.

Malaysia has nurtured decades of multiethnic peace, but some fear
divisive debates about ethnic issues, such as alleged discrimination
against minorities, could destabilize the country.

Zubir rejected accusations by many ethnic Chinese and Indian social
activists that Perkasa's leaders are racist and promote ethnic
suspicions.

"We are moderate Malays, we are not radical or aggressive," he said.
"We do research, we hold round table dialogues, we engage the
government and other races. We believe in peaceful engagement. We will
do more after (the) assembly."

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[ZESTCaste] Upper caste Hindus lock temple after Dalit entry

http://expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Upper+caste+Hindus+lock+temple+after+Dalit+entry&artid=Hgb%7CFSmIrJY=&SectionID=7GUA38txp3s=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=zkvyRoWGpmWSxZV2TGM5XQ==&SEO=

Upper caste Hindus lock temple after Dalit entry


Express News Service
First Published : 18 Mar 2010 04:56:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 18 Mar
2010 06:50:12 AM IST

MANDYA: Tension gripped Kanahalli village in Mandya taluk, a day after
Dalits entered Chanakeshva Temple to participate in the Ugadi festival
on Tuesday.


Upper caste Hindus have reportedly locked the temple.

Dalits have been denied entry into Chanakeshva Temple — which falls
under the Endowment Department of the state government — for
generations.

On Tuesday, a few people from Dalit communities entered the temple and
offered prayers to the local deity.

A Few hours later, upper caste Hindus locked the temple.

Their representatives stated that Dalits had 'defied the sanctity of
the temple'.

Recently, in a peace meeting chaired by Mandya MLA M Srinivas,
upper-caste Hindus had agreed to allow Dalits into the temple. In
turn, the Dalits had agreed to withdraw a police complaint against
members of the upper castes who had assaulted Chandru, a Dalit, for
touching an idol during a procession on March 13.

Incensed by the attack, Dalits had 'threatened' to enter the temple.
They had also launched a protest against caste discrimination in
hotels and lodges in Mandya district. With the temple locked and amid
preparations for an elaborate 'cleansing' of the temple, threat of a
caste clash looms large over Kanahalli village.


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[ZESTCaste] Competition for Mayawati; Ramdev claims crores of Dalit followers

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_competition-for-mayawati-ramdev-claims-crores-of-dalit-followers_1363069

Competition for Mayawati; Ramdev claims crores of Dalit followers

Deepak Gidwani / DNA
Thursday, March 25, 2010 0:29 IST

Lucknow: Yoga guru Baba Ramdev seems to be taking the final plunge
into politics. On Wednesday, he chose UP chief minister Mayawati for a
severe tongue-lashing, saying she was least bothered about the welfare
of Dalits.

"Dalits can take a walk in the lavish parks, looking at the statues of
their leaders, they might also feel some pride. But, stone statues
cannot fill the stomachs of the poor. Neither will the parks offer
shelter to the deprived," he said.

Ramdev also seems to have taken tips from Rahul Gandhi's visits to
Dalit settlements. "I have told my followers to go to the houses of
Dalits, stay with them, share their problems and try to do whatever
they can to help them," he said.

Ramdev had, a few days ago, declared his intention to play an active
role in politics. He had announced that he would float his own party
to highlight issues relating to the welfare of the common man.

Ramdev said political, spiritual and social groups have realised the
need for changing things and "very soon, there would be a major
shake-up in the entire system".

The yoga guru also said he was confident that Dalits would support his
political party in large numbers.

"A large number of my followers, who are in crores, are Dalits… they
are with me in this process of change," he asserted.


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[ZESTCaste] A temple where upper castes bow to Dalits

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/A-temple-where-upper-castes-bow-to-Dalits/articleshow/5721695.cms

A temple where upper castes bow to Dalits

IANS, Mar 25, 2010, 10.40am IST

LUCKNOW: Stories of socially marginalised people not being allowed
into places of worship are common in India. In such a scenario, a
Dalit family presiding over an Uttar Pradesh temple for ages is
nothing short of exemplary.

It's only Dalits who have been priests of the Kali Mata temple,
dedicated to goddess Durga, in Lakhna town in Etawah, some 300 km from
Lucknow, ever since the shrine came up around 200 years ago.

"Caste divisions and discrimination may not have given Dalits a place
of respectability in society, but here as priests they are revered,"
Ram Dular Rajbhar, who owns a grocery store in the town, said on
phone.

"Be it Brahmins, Thakurs or people from any of the other higher
castes, after coming inside the temple, all have to bow before the
Dalit priests and touch their feet. For others it may be surprising,
but it has become a custom for us," he added.

Situated along the banks of the Yamuna river, the temple is sought
after by the residents of Lakhna town for holding marriages, 'mundan'
(tonsure ceremony of Hindu children) or other rituals particularly
performed by Brahmins or members of the upper caste.

"It's not just a temple. It's a place that is an example of social
equality," said Umesh Dixit, who owns several garment shops in Lakhna
town.

"People in Lakhna also approach the priests to name their babies as it
is believed that names given by Dalit priests would bring good luck
and prosperity to the children and their families," he added.

According to locals, there's a story behind the custom of Dalit
priests. They say King Jaipal Singh, who got the temple constructed,
made it mandatory that the priest of the temple would only be a Dalit.

"While the construction of the temple was under way, Jaipal Singh
noticed a Dalit labourer, Chhotelal, was being assaulted by a group of
upper caste people for touching the idol that was to be placed inside
the temple," said another resident Ram Raksha Pandey, who owns an
eating joint in Lakhna.

"Jaipalji soon intervened in the matter and said only Chhotelal and
his family would be taking care of the temple after its construction.
Since then, the practice has been alive," he added.

At present two brothers, Ashok Kumar, 43, and Akhilesh Kumar, 45, who
are fourth generation descendants of Chhotelal are the priests at the
temple.

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[ZESTCaste] Brahmin politics stock takes a hit

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Brahmin-politics-stock-takes-a-hit/articleshow/5720698.cms

Brahmin politics stock takes a hit
TNN, Mar 25, 2010, 05.03am IST

LUCKNOW: Brahmin politics, which dominated UP between 2007 and 2009,
has taken a backseat now with major political parties in the state
desperate to catch hold of Dalits, Muslims and Backwards, keeping the
2012 assembly elections in mind.

If BSP supremo and chief minister Mayawati harped on her Dalit agenda
in the March 15 rally, the SP, sans Amar Singh, is using the Women's
Reservation Bill to win back Muslims and strengthen its grip on Other
Backward Classes (OBC), whereas the Congress has gone all out to woo
both Dalits and Muslims. After nightouts in Dalit households, the
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi is all set to roll out a Rath
Yatra from April 14 on the birth anniversary of Dalit icon, B R
Ambedkar, even as his lieutenants are busy appeasing Muslims by
reviving the memories of Batla House encounter.

But things were different between 2007 assembly elections and 2009 Lok
Sabha polls. Mayawati came to power by wooing a section of Brahmins in
2007 by fielding a large number of Brahmin candidates. Stunned by
Mayawati's success, BJP appointed Ramapati Ram Tripathi as its state
president and Kalraj Mishra as UP in charge to win back Brahmins. The
Congress made Rita Bahugana Joshi its state chief. Even SP supremo
Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose politics has always centred around OBC and
Muslims, roped in Kripa Shankar Mishra of Brahmin Mahasabha to balance
the equations.

Traditionally, Brahmins have voted for the Congress but after Ram
Temple Movement in 90s they shifted to BJP. A section voted for BSP in
2007. In 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Brahmin votes were scattered among the
Congress, BJP and BSP. The Congress revived by winning 21 seats with
Dalits and Muslims also voting for it. But Mulayam paid heavily for
his friendship with Kalyan Singh. SP's tally came down to 24. While
BJP remained static at 10 seats and BSP got only 20, much less than
expectations. The 2009 results forced parties to go back to basics.

While Dalits and OBCs constitute 64% of UP's population, Muslims are
20% and other castes 16%. Brahmins are 8%-15% of voters in various
constituencies and play a key role in 60 assembly seats. So, can
parties afford to overlook Brahmins? "No", said Ashok Bajpai, SP
national general secretary. "Brahmins always vote in the nation's
interest and not as a vote bank but the community has been cheated —
first by the Congress, then BJP and now BSP. Brahmins will play a
crucial role in 2012 assembly elections and this time they would vote
for SP," he claimed.

Kalraj Mishra, senior BJP leader, said, "BSP today is worried about
losing its Dalit vote base. It has dumped Brahmins and is creating a
communal situation to polarise votes like it happened recently in
Bareilly." The Congress, he said, has taken Brahmin support for
granted, hence is busy appeasing Muslims and Dalits. SP, he added, is
also trying to win over Muslims. "But, BJP is raising issues like
price rise, which are directly related to masses. Now people are more
aware and parties cannot take them for a ride through hollow slogans,"
he said.

Rita Bahugana Joshi, UP Congress chief, denied playing caste and
communal cards. "We are reaching out to people with development issues
like employment and food guarantee schemes, right to education, law
and order among other things," she said. Parties, she claimed, playing
caste and communal politics would suffer in elections as it happened
in 2009 Lok Sabha elections. While nobody from BSP was ready to go on
record, a Brahmin MP said, "Behenji wants development of all sections
of the society. Brahmins are very much on her agenda."


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[ZESTCaste] TDP raises demand for an OBC quota in LS

 

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/88294/LATEST%20HEADLINES/TDP+raises+demand+for+an+OBC+quota+in+LS.html

TDP raises demand for an OBC quota in LS
A. Srinivasa Rao
Hyderabad, March 15, 2010

Eyeing a huge votebank, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N.
Chandrababu Naidu has demanded reservation for other backward classes
(OBCs) and minorities in Parliament and state legislature bodies.

During a meeting with senior functionaries of the party a few days
ago, Naidu told them to kick up a debate on such reservations, while
welcoming the women's quota Bill.

He also raised the demand during a discussion in the state assembly.
The former Andhra chief minister pointed out that it was the TDP
government which had introduced the OBC quota in local bodies and
municipalities. "Hereafter, we will fight for an OBC quota in the Lok
Sabha and state assemblies," he said.

Though, unlike the Yadav trio, Naidu has not opposed reservation for
women in the legislature bodies, he has raised the OBC bogey for the
first time.

The backward classes once formed a strong votebank of the TDP. "The
party has supported the demand for an OBC quota in the legislature
bodies for quite some time, but we didn't pursue it aggressively to
avoid creating an impression that the TDP was against women's
reservation. Now that the women's Bill has crossed the first hurdle,
we are raising the issue," TDP legislator and prominent OBC leader L.
Ramana said.

The TDP leaders are hopeful that there would be overwhelming support
from parties across the political spectrum in the country for an OBC
quota in the legislature bodies. By raising the issue Naidu has also
kept the options open for a future alliance with the RJD and the SP,
as well as a possible revival of the Third Front before the next
elections.

As part of the strategy, the TDP is now demanding that the Centre take
up enumeration of OBCs in the 2011 Census.

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[ZESTCaste] Reservation for women (B G Verghese)

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Reservation+for+women&artid=ML5k0wKKlRQ=&SectionID=d16Fdk4iJhE=&MainSectionID=HuSUEmcGnyc=&SectionName=aVlZZy44Xq0bJKAA84nwcg==&SEO=

Reservation for women

B G Verghese
First Published : 25 Mar 2010 11:48:00 PM ISTLast Updated : 25 Mar
2010 12:31:01 AM IST

The Women's Reservation Bill got rough passage through the Rajya Sabha
before it was finally adopted by 187 votes to one, after sundry
obstructionists had been suspended and physically removed from the
House for hooliganism and other recalcitrant elements had withdrawn.
The BJP and the Left voted with the UPA. Floor management on the first
day was remarkably clumsy with nothing anticipated despite clear
intimations of possible disruption. Three Yadavs, Mulayam, Lalu and
Sharad, demanded reservations within reservation for Backward and
Muslim women. Their supporters violated every rule and parliamentary
decorum by not merely defying the Chair but by attempting to humiliate
and physically assault the chairperson, Hamid Ansari, the
Vice-President of India, and refusing to allow the House to function.


Why the Leader of the House did not seek their suspension and
expulsion on the first day itself is surprising. It is also strange
that the Opposition, including supporters of the Bill, should deplore
the use of marshals to evict the rowdies and seek to annul their
suspension with pathetic and insincere apologies.

The damage has been done, a dreadful precedent established and the bar
of good conduct knowingly lowered. Thus do some parliamentarians
destroy Parliament to cultivate vote banks. This is precisely how the
Shiv Sena and other fascist elements like Haryana's khap (gotra)
panchayats have won immunity and impunity despite flagrant violation
of the law.

The Bill, which is yet to negotiate the Lok Sabha, provides for 33 per
cent women's representation in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies by
reserving as many seats for them on a rotational basis. These
reservations are to come to a natural end after 15 years by when, in
theory, women will be sufficiently empowered to contest and win seats
on their own. Hopefully, this will not continue indefinitely like
general SC and ST reservations as any government/party seeking to
implement the law will be (falsely) accused of discriminating against
women, patent humbug of a kind that is plausibly and piously marketed
all the time.

It is true that Muslims have not got their due and that their
representation in most walks of life is abysmally low. This is
deplorable and is very properly being sought to be corrected through
affirmative action. Yet it does not do for conservative Muslims, and
others, to sit back and assume that there is little onus on them to
exert themselves and that the state owes them a living. Wakf Boards
for example have not done enough to utilise their lands and wealth to
set up educational, health and training facilities that would
enormously benefit the community and others.

The Women's Bill will now not be taken up in the Lok Sabha until
financial business is concluded and the vote on account if not the
entire Budget adopted for fear of embarrassment and truant voting if
cut-motions are moved.

Many MPs across the board appear unhappy with the rotational principle
and fear that they might be the ones to lose their seats through
reservation. The hypocrisy lies in the fact that, despite lip sympathy
for the cause, women are simply not nominated in adequate numbers by
any political party. The Yadav trio's record has been far from
spectacular and that of the Congress, BJP and Left no better.

Two alternatives have been mooted. Both are premised on a one-third
expansion of all legislatures, with the additional 33 per cent seats
being mandatorily filled by women. One option would be to permit two
members, one female, to be returned from 33 per cent of all seats over
a two-term cycle, rotating the double-seat constituencies every third
election over six elections. By then women would be sufficiently
empowered to stand and be returned on their own. The other would be to
mandate that the additional 33 per cent seats be indirectly filled by
women by proportional representation through the list system. In
either case, women could be directly elected but their 33 per cent
women's quota would have to be made good through the List. In any
event, the present Bill need not be further delayed by such
refinements.

The matter is urgent because women will assuredly bring greater
commitment and integrity to the unfinished and increasingly urgent
task of implementing rights based legislation – to food, education,
health, sanitation and water supply, clean energy, demographic change,
and employment. Those nominated are not all going to be wives,
daughters and sisters of powerful political families.

This could happen up to a point but not for long and women will
increasingly come into their own. Parties that wish to see more OBC
and Muslim representation are free to nominate more candidates from
these categories. It is also likely that corruption and misbehaviour
in the House may also come down with a proportionate increase in women
members.

Conservative and fundamentalist forces are not favourable to women.
Witness female infanticide and declining sex ratios in the relatively
prosperous NW states. Worse, witness the ferocious objections to a
uniform civil code, so necessary to promote fraternity and equal
citizenship, by persons determined to misinterpret the law and suggest
that a UCC can only be enacted by abrogating personal law, which is
simply not the case. Similar influences were at work over the ban and
threats to M.F. Husain and again when there was rioting recently in
Shimoga and Hassan in Karnataka over publication of a supposedly
erroneous translation of an old article of Taslima Nasreen, the exiled
Bangladeshi writer, that was allegedly offensive to Muslim religious
sentiment. The law was not allowed to take its course. Some perversely
asserted a freedom or "right to offend" as in the case of the Danish
cartoonists or Taslima. A person has a right to be offended and to
seek recourse to law. But there is no right to offend, which would
entail a right to murder, rape, forgery and similar acts.

The caste-based parties opposing the Bill have threatened to withdraw
support for the UPA coalition. The Congress has refused to be
blackmailed thus far and must stand firm. There has been no OBC census
for decades and accurate figures are not available. Nor does an OBC in
one state get recorded as an OBC in another. In such circumstances,
any across the board OBC reservation could create confusion. The
Government does not propose to include caste among the questions to be
asked in the 2011 census. It is time to rise above such absurd
throwbacks and root to become and be just Indian.

About the author:

B G Verghese is a columnist


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