Saturday, May 15, 2010

[ZESTCaste] 2009 Ambedkar Scholarships function: mark your calendar May 29, 2010

 

Please free to spread the word by sending to friends, egroups, and organizations you know.

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Friends for Education International (FFEI) invites to its 7th Ambedkar Scholarships distribution ceremony on May 29, 2010 in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh.

 

Date : May 29, 2010 at 2:00pm

Venue: Ambedkar Bhavan, Opp. Andhra Christian College, Guntur, AP

 

For now, here is the list if guests that grace the occasion. It may change or more may be added depending on the availability.

 

Chief Guest: Mr B Ramanjuneyulu, Collector, Guntur District

 

Honorary guests:

Dr Sudhakar, Dooradarsan

Mr G P Neelakantam, Project Director, DRDA

Prof Challapalli Swaruparani, Head of Buddhist Studies, Nagarjuna University, Guntur

Mr Maddu Ankaiah, Advocate

In this ceremony a total of 92 scholarships will be distributed to bright Dalit students and organizations working among Scavenging communities in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Tamilnadu, and Karnataka.

Please grace the occasion if you are in the area, can spare a day away from home town. It is crucial as these students lack support and encouragement though they beat all odds to excel in education. Your presence will give them moral support to continue their education with more efforts.

We are also looking for book sponsorships. We need the following books, 100 copies each:

1. Dr Ambedkar's biography in Telugu, English, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Oriya

2. Kancah Ilaiah's epic book on dignity of labor: Turning the pot, tilling the land. It is also available in several languages. You sponsor some or all of them.

3. Any English improvement or self improvement books

 

Any help will be greatly appreciated. If you can't help us, please attend the function that is free and give moral boost to these bright students.

 

With regards

Benjamin

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An educated man without character and humility was more dangerous than a beast. If his education was detrimental to the welfare of poor, he was a curse to society.
-Babasaheb Dr B R Ambedkar

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[ZESTCaste] Shy of asking caste, census enumerators just guess it!

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Hyderabad/Shy-of-asking-caste-census-enumerators-just-guess-it/articleshow/5933209.cms

Shy of asking caste, census enumerators just guess it!
TNN, May 15, 2010, 03.36am IST

HYDERABAD: Census officials in the state are giving the caste column a
miss with enumerators in the city shying away from asking the "what is
your caste" question.

While there is an exclusive column marked as 'SC/ST/Others' in the
census sheets, which has created much controversy across the country,
the officials visiting households have taken to peering at name plates
before entering the house, or simply guessing just what the caste of
the resident would be and marking the column themselves.

Denizens who have been visited by census officials say that
enumerators either filled the caste column on their own without asking
for it explicitly or just ignored the detail altogether.
Interestingly, some enumerators when probed by curious residents
confessed that asking about a family's caste was 'awkward' and they
were, therefore, not listing that information. "The enumerator, a
government teacher, who came to my house said that he guessed my caste
from my surname and asking it directly was neither necessary nor
appropriate," said a resident of Begumpet.

In some cases, the enumerators even asked neighbours for this detail
to avoid being in an "uncomfortable position". "When I asked the
enumerator about the caste column, he blatantly told me that he had
found it out from my neighbour as he was not sure if we would be
comfortable answering that question," said another resident.

Whatever the reason, residents are worried with this 'caste-conscious'
attitude of enumerators, pointing out it could lead to serious errors
in this crucial exercise.

Said a resident of Hyderguda, "At first the census official gave the
question a miss. Later, conversationally he asked whether I was SC or
ST. It was evident that he did that with much effort." Besides, with
many officials filling census sheets in Telugu, many non-Telugu
speaking families resented that they could not even read what details
were being filled about them.

Meanwhile, senior census officials said no such instructions had been
given to enumerators and that confirming whether a family falls under
the SC/ST or Others bracket was necessary. "We have directed our
officers to list the caste of the head of the family alone. When the
nation-wide census happens in February next year, then we shall be
asking each and every person in the family their caste," said a senior
officer of the census department.

He maintained that all enumerators were trained to ask all the 35
questions on the census schedule and caste was one of them. "In case
people are not being asked they can register a complaint with us and
we shall look into it," the officer said. That would mean a hell of a
lot of complaints.

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[ZESTCaste] Mayawati seeks inclusion of caste in census

 

http://www.ptinews.com/news/654323_Mayawati-seeks-inclusion-of-caste-in-census

Mayawati seeks inclusion of caste in census

STAFF WRITER 17:12 HRS IST
Lucknow, May 15 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati today
demanded inclusion of caste in the census which would help in drawing
welfare schemes for the weaker sections.

In a letter written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, she stressed on
caste based census in order to ensure academic, social and economic
development of the deprived groups.

She slammed Congress, BJP and other political parties for depriving
the backwards of their rights by denying caste-based census since
Independence.

"With an aim to maintain their hold over power they conspired to
deprive the other backward castes (OBC) of their rights by denying
caste-based census since Independence", she said in an official
statement.

She claimed that on her directives the BSP members were the first to
raise the issue of caste-based census in the Parliament. Other parties
were now trying to take credit for it, she added.

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[ZESTCaste] Democratic India should be casteless (Kuldip Nayar)

http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists/democratic-india-should-be-casteless-1.626756

Democratic India should be casteless
The decision to include caste in next year's census is unconstitutional

By Kuldip Nayar, Special to Gulf News Published: 00:00 May 15, 2010

Little did freedom fighters suspect that the parliament of the
sovereign Indian Republic would bring back this relic of British rule
within 62 years. Ironically, the same Congress party that was
instrumental in throwing out the British announced last week that the
forms for next year's census will have a column to record caste. Image
Credit: Gulf News One of the first tasks that prime minister
Jawaharlal Nehru undertook after winning independence was to abolish
the caste system. In all government records, registers and application
forms the caste column was deleted. A colonial practice was renounced
and the pre-independence promise redeemed. It had taken the nation
some 88 years to overcome the ignoble stigma of discrimination.

Little did freedom fighters suspect that the parliament of the
sovereign Indian Republic would bring back this relic of British rule
within 62 years. Ironically, the same Congress party that was
instrumental in throwing out the British announced last week that the
forms for next year's census will have a column to record caste. The
Manmohan Singh government was reluctant to introduce such a step
because some Cabinet members argued that caste was discriminatory. But
none of its members seem to be sufficiently committed to a casteless
society, a prerequisite of a sound democratic system, to strongly
argue the point.

Political parties in the opposition had their way because the
government, after putting on a brave face, caved in. True, the ruling
Congress does not have a majority in the Lok Sabha. But it could have
mustered a majority if it had stood firm. It did not have to placate
the leaders of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) to stay in office.

The government does not seem to understand the repercussions of
encouraging parochialism. It was the British policy to divide and
rule. Post independence, society has to be integrated — however strong
the forces are that seek to stratify it.

The government should have at least held consultations with the
National Integration Council, which is meant to discuss such problems.
Caste is something that will affect the nation as a whole. Parliament,
which does not represent more than 50 per cent of the electorate,
cannot push the country back into the dark ages.

Betrayal

Electoral politics has blinded the three Yadav leaders — Sharad Yadav
of the Janata Dal's splinter group and the two former chief ministers,
Mulayam Singh Yadav from Uttar Pradesh and Lalu Prasad Yadav from
Bihar. They have betrayed their mentors, socialist Dr Ram Manohar
Lohia and Gandhite Jayaprakash Narayan, who supported a casteless
society.

Yadav leaders have argued that their flock, the OBC, would be entitled
to more reservations in employment and educational institutions after
the census, which they believe will show the OBC are greater in number
than currently estimated. They already enjoy a quota of 27 per cent,
four per cent more than the Scheduled Castes and Tribes, the only
groups recognised by the Constitution.

The Supreme Court has limited reservations to 50 per cent, judging
that at least 50 per cent of jobs and admission to educational
institutions should be awarded on merit. If OBC leaders want more,
they have to appeal to the Supreme Court. The census will not give
them greater reservations, nor can parliament.

Where is the guarantee that the census will quantify the numbers
accurately? There are risks that the numbers will be fudged. An
enumerator goes to an ordinary person and asks him about his caste.
The latter can say anything in reply. There is no way of checking
whether the answer given is correct. The enumerator's job is merely to
write what is told to him.

My knowledge of law, however limited, tells me that including caste in
next year's census violates the Constitution. The preamble says that
the people resolve to constitute India into a "sovereign socialist
democratic republic". In the Keshvanand Bharti case, the Supreme Court
ruled that the preamble outlines the basic structure of the
Constitution, which cannot be amended by parliament (Article 368).

Caste is the antithesis of democracy and socialist ideology. Any
effort to divide people into castes is unconstitutional. If the
government wants to go ahead with this, it should refer the matter to
the Supreme Court. Why not do this now?

Motive

It is surprising that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has agreed to
including caste in the census. The party is always proclaiming the
need for emotional unity, yet it is supporting something divisive due
to electoral considerations. It wants to be seen arm-in-arm with the
Yadav leaders, who are trying to project the inclusion of caste as a
progressive step. The BJP, like other political parties, knows that
elections are increasingly contested by appealing to sub-castes, not
castes alone.

Poverty is not confined to the OBC. In a country where 40 per cent of
the population earns less than a dollar a day, political parties
should make a concerted effort to lift people out of the deplorable
economic conditions in which they are living. It is time to make
poverty, rather than caste, the basis of reservations.

Although there are good intentions behind reservations, they have
primarily benefited the leaders of the OBC and the Scheduled Castes
and Tribes. The Supreme Court has said more than once that the next
generation should benefit. But the leaders of these communities,
particularly the Yadavs, are determined to profit. Their monopoly on
reservations must come to an end if India is to remain a truly
casteless society.

Kuldip Nayar is a former Indian High Commissioner to the United
Kingdom and a former Rajya Sabha member.


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[ZESTCaste] Nepal: Maoists thrash dalit

 

http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=18618

Maoists thrash dalit
REPUBLICA

DANG, May 14: Maoists cadres have mercilessly beaten up an elderly
dalit following a minor altercation over land in Hapur VDC of Dang.

Lachhe Chunara Kami, 72, who was erecting a hut in a public land after
being discarded by his offspring, was beaten up by two Maoist cadres.
He bore deep cuts in his head and hands.

The Maoist cadres had warned him to remove his hut from the land as
they had set up their shops on it.

Meanwhile, Kami has filed a case against Man Bahadur Budha and Chitra
Bahadur Thapa at District Police Office (DPO), Dang.

Published on 2010-05-14 20:41:55

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[ZESTCaste] Name airport after Dalit leader: PT

http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/13/stories/2010051364410300.htm

Tamil Nadu

Name airport after Dalit leader: PT

Staff Reporter

MADURAI: The Tamil Nadu Government should recommend to the Centre
naming the Madurai airport after Dalit leader Immanuel Sekaran, said
K. Krishnasamy, founder president, Puthiya Tamilagam.

The PT leader, who observed a fast here on Wednesday, said this was
the third fast to press the demand. Stating that Immanuel was the
first martyr in post-independence India, he lost his life fighting
social injustice in 1957.

Social reformer Periyar, former Chief Ministers Annadurai and K.
Kamaraj had appreciated him and remembered his efforts to fight for
the rights of depressed classes.

Dr. Krishnasamy said it would be apt to name the airport after him.
This act, through its symbolic nature, could become a shining example
of an effort to instil participative democracy.

He complained that the Tamil Nadu Government had not recommended his
name and this had resulted in the creation of feeling among the
Devendra Kula Vellalars of southern districts that they were being
ignored and sidelined. "We expect the Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to
announce a positive decision on this during the ongoing Assembly
session."

Besides, the lands that were acquired by the Government during
establishment and expansion of the airport belonged to Dalits of
Chinna Udaipu. So it was a justifiable demand, he said.

A large number of cadres participated in the fast.


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[ZESTCaste] ‘Official apathy blocking SC/ST welfare measures’

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/69574/official-apathy-blocking-scst-welfare.html

'Official apathy blocking SC/ST welfare measures'

Bangalore, May 14, DHNS:

The welfare schemes of the State and the Union Governments are not
reaching the beneficiaries due to officials' apathy, Nehru C Olekar,
Chairman of the Karnataka State Commission for SCs and STs said.


Addressing reporters here on Friday, he said the Governments have
come out with a number of welfare schemes for the development of SCs
and STs. But the officials concerned are not implementing them
effectively.

When asked about the criticism by the National Commission for
Scheduled Castes Chairperson, Buta Singh that the State Government has
failed to implement schemes meant for SCs, Olekar said that Buta Singh
did not specifically blame the state BJP Government. There were lapses
in implementation of schemes even when the JD(S) and the Congress were
in power, he added.

He said as many as 32 out of 68 special cases pertaining to SCs and
STs before the Commission have been solved.

Olekar said Minister for Animal Husbandry Revu Naik Belamagi has
promised to release Rs 20 crore to provide basic amenities to the
Lambani tandas (settlements) across 20 districts in the State. Each
district will get Rs one crore from the Karnataka Tanda Development
Corporation. The State has about 2,144 tandas.

The Corporation has been directed to undertake a survey of tandas to
ascertain their exact number. Steps are also being initiated to
upgrade tandas into revenue villages, he added.


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[ZESTCaste] Census controversy shows caste politics still counts in India

 

http://www.smh.com.au/world/census-controversy-shows-caste-politics-still-counts-in-india-20100514-v4e0.html

Census controversy shows caste politics still counts in India

MATT WADE IN NOIDA, INDIA
May 15, 2010

Glory... Kumari Mayawati at a ceremony in New Delhi in 2007 in front
of statues of herself and the Dalit heroes B.R. Ambedkar and Kanshi
Ram. Photo: AFP

They were once pushed to the margins, condemned to the filthiest jobs.
But for many Dalits - previously the Untouchables of the Hindu caste
system - times have changed.

Perhaps no one symbolises this better than the ''Dalit Queen'', Kumari
Mayawati, who has been Chief Minister of India's most populous state,
Uttar Pradesh, for three years.

A hallmark of Mayawati's reign has been her passion for building
statues to honour Dalit political leaders, herself included. The
latest - a row of towering lower-caste heroes covered from head to toe
in blue material and built at a cost of more than $80 million - stands
on the banks of the River Yamuna at Noida, a booming high-tech
business hub 20 kilometres south-east of New Delhi.

It is estimated Mayawati has spent at least $300 million on monuments
to Dalit leaders in Uttar Pradesh, an impoverished state of 180
million. There are about 20,000 statues of the great Dalit leader B.
R. Ambedkar dotted across the state, most of them commissioned by
Mayawati.

She rejects criticism of her statue-building frenzy, saying the
statues are an inspiration for low-caste people who have been
repressed and excluded from power for a millennium.

Badri Narayan Tiwari, a specialist in caste politics at the G. B. Pant
Institute of Social Sciences, in Allahabad, says the statues are a
strategy to build ''respect'' for Dalit caste identity through visuals
and stories.

The influence of caste in India was underscored again last week when
the Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, announced the government would
require Hindus to record their caste in the colossal 10-yearly
national census now under way. The last time caste numbers were
counted was in 1931, when the British ruled the subcontinent.

The governing Congress Party - which has resisted counting caste in
the census for decades - has changed its position in an apparent
effort to please the caste-based parties that now wield great
influence in national and regional politics.

The success of Mayawati, who has risen to power in the Hindi heartland
with the passionate support of Dalits, illustrates the importance
caste has in modern Indian politics. Her main rival for power in Uttar
Pradesh is a party that draws its support from a large and powerful
caste called the Yadavs.

''Caste has been there in Indian politics for a very long time but
it's becoming more explicit now,'' says a Delhi University political
analyst, Mahesh Rangarajan.

Tiwari says government attempts to breakdown caste barriers have
helped eradicate social disadvantage but, at the same time, reinforced
the role of caste in politics.

''The Indian state, which is working to dilute the caste system, is
also strengthening caste identity,'' he says.

Caste assigns Hindus a place in the social hierarchy based on
hereditary groups originally formed around occupations. . The system
has four broad groups or varnas: Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas
(warriors), Vaishyas (merchants and farmers) and Sudras (manual
workers). Each caste stratum has a complex web of ''subcastes'' -
about 6000 in all - that vary across regions.

The title Dalit describes a cluster of subcastes at the very bottom of
the hierarchy. Mahatma Gandhi challenged the poor treatment of this
group and called them ''Harijans'', children of God.

Discrimination on the basis of caste is banned by the Indian
constitution and low castes benefit from social programs and
affirmative action. This includes quotas for government jobs,
university courses and even parliamentary seats.

Even so, caste prejudice remains pervasive despite rapid social and
economic change. A recent study found that having a low-caste surname
significantly reduced the chances of being called for a job interview.

The widespread aversion to inter-caste marriage is highlighted each
Sunday, when newspapers carry pages of advertisements by parents
seeking an appropriate spouse for their son or daughter. Most of these
''matrimonials'' are grouped by caste and subcaste and many make it
clear that those lower in the hierarchy need not respond.

The decision to count caste in the census has triggered vigorous
debate about the role of caste in politics and society.

Supporters argue a proper count will give reliable data on groups
getting state benefits and help the government target affirmative
action measures better. Modern estimates of caste numbers in India
rely on the last official tally, now 80 years out of date.

However, critics warn the count could inflame social tensions and
further entrench caste politics. It may also open a Pandora's box of
political demands from powerful caste groups emboldened by official
figures. The inclusion of the caste question in the census has been
pushed by political leaders from the so-called ''other backward
castes'', in the hope they can win more government benefits for their
constituents.

''There are genuine apprehensions that this could lead to more
agitation and conflict,'' says Rangarajan.

Pratap Bhanu Mehta, the president of the Centre for Policy Research,
in Delhi, believes counting caste in the census trashes fundamental
principles of Indian democracy and will make it more difficult to rid
the country of ancient prejudices and hierarchies.

''At one stroke, it trivialises all that modern India has stood for,''
he wrote in the Indian Express, ''and condemns it to the tyranny of an
insidious kind of identity politics.''

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[ZESTCaste] India's castes to stand up and be counted

 

http://www.theage.com.au/world/indias-castes-to-stand-up-and-be-counted-20100514-v4js.html

India's castes to stand up and be counted

MATT WADE, NOIDA
May 15, 2010

THEY were once pushed to the margins and condemned to the filthiest
jobs. But for many Indian Dalits - previously the ''untouchables'' of
the Hindu caste system - times have changed.

Perhaps no one symbolises this better than the "Dalit queen", Kumari
Mayawati, who has been Chief Minister of India's most populous state,
Uttar Pradesh in northern India, for three years.

A hallmark of Ms Mayawati's reign has been her passion for building
statues to honour Dalit political leaders, herself included.

The latest batch - a row of towering lower-caste heroes covered from
head to toe in blue material - stand on the banks of the holy Yamuna
River at Noida, one of India's booming high-tech business hubs.

They wait for Ms Mayawati to open the vast memorial, built at a cost
more than $A80 million.

She has spent at least $A300 million on monuments to Dalit leaders in
Uttar Pradesh, an impoverished state with a population of 180 million.
It's estimated there are now 20,000 statues of the great Dalit leader,
B R Ambedkar, dotted across the state, most of them commissioned by Ms
Mayawati.

She rejects criticism of her statue-building frenzy, claiming they are
an inspiration for low-caste communities that have been repressed and
excluded from power for a millennium.

Badri Narayan Tiwari, a specialist in caste politics at the Govind
Ballabh Pant Social Science Institute, says the statues are part of a
strategy to build "respect" for Dalit.

The influence of caste in India was underscored again last week when
Pranab Mukherjee, India's Finance Minister, announced the government
will require Hindus to record their caste in the colossal, 10-yearly
national census now under way.

The last time caste numbers were counted was in 1931, when the British
ruled the subcontinent. The governing Congress Party - which has
resisted counting caste in the census for decades - has changed its
position in an apparent bid to please caste-based parties that now
wield great influence in national and regional politics.

The success of Ms Mayawati, who has risen to power in India's Hindi
heartland with the passionate support of Dalits, illustrates the
importance of caste in modern Indian politics.

Her main rival for power in Uttar Pradesh is a party that draws its
support from a large and powerful caste group, the Yadavs.

"Caste has been there in Indian politics for a very long time, but
it's becoming more explicit now," says Delhi University political
analyst Mahesh Rangarajan.

Dr Tiwari says government attempts to break down caste barriers have
helped eradicate social disadvantage but reinforced the role of caste
in politics.

He calls this a contradiction in Indian democracy: "The Indian state,
which is working to dilute the caste system, is also strengthening
caste identity."

Caste assigns Hindus a place in the social hierarchy based on occupation.

The system has four broad groupings or "Varnas" - Brahmins (priests)
at the top, Kshatriyas (warriors, the group to which the Yadavs
belong), Vaishyas (merchants and farmers) and Sudras (manual workers)
at the bottom.

Each caste stratum has a complex web of "sub-castes" - about 6000 in
all - that vary across regions.

The title Dalits describes a cluster of sub-castes at the very bottom
of the hierarchy. Mahatma Gandhi challenged the poor treatment of this
group and called then "Harijans": children of God.

Discrimination on the basis of caste is banned by the Indian
constitution and low-caste groups benefit from social programs and
affirmative action. This includes quotas for government jobs,
university courses and even seats in parliament.

Even so, caste prejudice remains pervasive, despite rapid social and
economic change. A recent study found that having a low-caste surname
significantly reduced the chances of being called for a job interview.

The widespread aversion to inter-caste marriage is highlighted each
Sunday, when newspapers carry pages of advertisements by parents
seeking an appropriate spouse for their son or daughter. Most of these
"matrimonials" are grouped by caste and sub-caste, and many make it
clear those lower in the hierarchy need not respond.

The decision to count caste in the census has triggered vigorous debate.

Supporters argue a proper count will give reliable data on groups
getting state benefits and help the government's targeting of
affirmative action. Modern estimates of caste numbers in India rely on
the last tally, now 80 years out of date.

Critics warn the count could inflame social tensions and further
entrench caste politics.

It may also open a Pandora's box of political demands from powerful
caste groups emboldened by official figures.

The inclusion of the caste question in the census has been pushed by
political leaders from the so-called "other backward castes", or OBCs,
who hope they can win government benefits for their constituents.

"There are genuine apprehensions that this could lead to more
agitation and conflict," Dr Rangarajan says.

Pratap Bhanu Mehta, president of Delhi's Centre for Policy Research,
believes counting caste in the census trashes fundamental principles
of Indian democracy and will make it more difficult to rid the country
of ancient prejudices and hierarchies.

"At one stroke, it trivialises all that modern India has stood for,
and condemns it to the tyranny of an insidious kind of identity
politics," Dr Mehta wrote in the Indian Express newspaper.

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[ZESTCaste] Narendra Modi's Dalit remark is regrettable: Buta Singh

 

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_narendra-modi-s-dalit-remark-is-regrettable-buta-singh_1383331

Narendra Modi's Dalit remark is regrettable: Buta Singh

DNA
Saturday, May 15, 2010 11:52 IST

Gandhinagar: National Commission for Scheduled Caste (SC) chairman
Buta Singh and other members of the panel who were on a two-day visit
to Gujarat to review the status of the SC community in the state,
criticised chief minister Narendra Modi for his allegedly calling
Dalit community as 'Mandbudhi (mentally retarded). Singh in his media
briefing said, "I respect Modiji but his statement calling Dalits as
Mandbudhi is highly regrettable. Those who call Dalits as Mandbudhis
are Mandbudhis themselves. Lord Rama ate the fruits offered by Shabri
and our culture respects Shabri even though she belonged to the
backward class.''

Singh said that after meeting MP/MLAs, representatives of various SC
organisations, chief secretary, all the principal secretaries and DGP,
he has got a very sad picture of the status of SCs in the state. He
said that, "The status of the SC community is highly pitiful in the
state. UP, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan are ahead of Gujarat,
which stands fifth in atrocities against scheduled castes.''

"I have asked the state government to provide details regarding the
various issues pertaining to the scheduled castes. The main issue is
the ineffective implementation of atrocity law which has resulted in
very low rate of conviction in the atrocity cases. The conviction rate
in atrocity cases is very low in Gujarat with only 6% of the cases
ending in conviction in 2009," he said.

He added that 1,106 atrocity cases were registered in 2003 while in
2009 the number was only marginally down at 1,082.
"In Gujarat, SCs account for 7.5 % of the total population and given
this proportion, the number of atrocity cases is considered very
high,'' he said.

Singh said that when it comes to recruitment, promotions, allocation
of funds and implementation of various centrally sponsored schemes as
well as special component plan, grave injustice is meted out to the
scheduled caste by the government.

"Against the required 7% mandatory provision, Gujarat has allocated
between 2 and 5.5% maximum during 2002-03 to 2009 which is against the
law,'' he added.

Despite Gujarat high courts' clear order to use technology for
underground gutters instead of manhole workers,26 workers have died in
Gujarat, he said, adding "Despite the national ban, manual scavenging
in Gujarat is widely spared at places, including Mahatma Gandhi's
birth place Porabandar and Ahmedabad.''

Gujarat's Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, Fakir Vaghela, gave
a detailed presentation on special steps undertaken by the Gujarat
government for the welfare of the scheduled castes.

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