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Tuesday, June 1, 2010

[ZESTCaste] My caste don’t ask: I am an Indian (Opinion)

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My caste don't ask: I am an Indian

By Sudesh Verma

There are many people like me who would think of all these questions
when the enumerators come to them. They had no role in chosing their
caste. They became a Brahmin or a Kayastha by default. Likewise, their
children too did not have the choice of being born casteless unless
one identity was completely merged into the other. What should these
people do then now?

I am thinking of putting out a board in front of our two-room
apartment in Delhi saying that we are four members-My wife my two
children aged 8 and 4 respectively and I. We will enumerate ourselves
as Indians and not the castes to which we belong. Lest it sound
arrogant to our policy makers that I am refusing to follow their
diktat. On caste enumeration I have a question to ask them: Which
caste we would belong?

My details are: I am a Kayastha married to a Kashmiri Pandit. I do not
know which caste my children belong to since the court has also
recognised the rights of mothers. I did not feel feudal enough to ask
my wife to drop her maiden name despite objections to it by my father.
As a result my two sons identify themselves as either a Bihari or a
Kashmiri depending on their company and at times Indians. I have never
seen them reacting as caste members. I have never taken them to a
Chitragupta puja to help them identify with the caste I was born into.

I have always made it a point to help them identify with the national
flag and the national anthem. The first festival they know is
Independence Day. I do not know what to tell the enumerators when they
come knocking at the door. My children may not understand what we tell
the enumerators but I am scared they would ask this question when they
grow old enough to understand the importance of caste. They may like
to know what caste we identified ourselves with and them. What is the
caste I should tell the enumerators, my dear policy makers?

I thought of another contradiction in our family. Since we, husband
and wife, belong to different castes, we have not been able to
identify with one caste or the other. Our families have been
particular that the caste identities are not spoken about even in
private talks. They may have an opinion about us, but that has failed
to bring caste into our relations. Is it the time to celebrate now
that the government wants to know our castes.

After 10 years my eldest child will be 18 and will have the right to
vote. There will be another census then. He will need to mention his
caste then. What will happen to him? That will also be the time when
he would come to know that his closet friend was a Dalit or a Yadav
and they are not from his caste stock. Will he then behave with them
in the same way?

They have one clear option the way I have decided: Call yourselves
Indians and send a strong message that we disagree. This is democracy.
Let those who want to benefit from caste enumeration list their
castes. We do not want to benefit even if you are thinking of
reservation to so-called forward castes in identity dominated
politics.

I am yet to figure out how enumeration of castes will benefit social
justice. Will it now be reservation based on proportion in population
something that was talked about by Kanshi Ram. Will it then mean
legislation to delimit the upper limit fixed till now? If this is not
the reason then what is the purpose of caste enumeration. Let economic
criteria dominate government doles and not castes or this would change
the definition of development.

Those who talk of caste enumeration cite caste realities and identity
politics to justify their arguments. What is the harm in having the
real figures then, they say. But hold! There are many other issues
that are as much a reality as caste. One such thing is corruption. The
other is the age-old and well-known institution of prostitution.
People have been trying to fight these issues and to lift the country
and society out of complete degradation. Why do we not think of
legalising these? At least it would help the children of destitute
prostitutes in most by-lanes of India 's metros and historic towns.

Politics is supposed to be the instrument of social change more so as
we are embracing modernisation in terms of economy and development.
But when politics becomes a means to achieve power, it loses its moral
values. In the rat race of manipulating caste data to political
advantage, politicians today are silent accomplices to the retrograde
steps. We will not move an inch closer to modernism but move backwards
to from where we started: The Manusmriti. The next step would be more
such khap panchayats to prevent inter-caste marriage since this would
affect the numbers and destabilise political equations.

My question needs an answer, my dear policy makers. Remember I am not alone.

(The author is a senior journalist Political Analyst and CEO ORSAA)

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[ZESTCaste] sign

Dear Friends

All of You may be observing that our petition to end discrimination on dalit
students in universities and educational institutions at -
http://www.petitiononline.com/93466770/petition.html , is getting a very
good response from all corners of people some IPS and Professors, Human
rights activist have signed the petition and given a good comments

Please have a look on the petition and signatures and comments that have
received, till now 400 people have signed

I request all of you to please circulate it among friends and e groups so
that it will help to build a public openion on the suicides of dalit
students in all over india

I hope we will get some positive results through our efforts

Thanks and regards

Karthik Navayan

--
B.Karthik Navayan,
Advocate,
H.No. 21-7-761,
Opp.High Court Post Office,
Gansi Bazar, Hyderabad,
PIN-500002, AP.
Cell:09346677007,Email:navayan@gmail.com
http://sites.google.com/site/karthiknavayan/home
http://www.orkut.co.in/Main#Profile.aspx?uid=10379805095932756525

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[ZESTCaste] Mayawati dares Opposition leaders to declare assets

http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/30/stories/2010053059300500.htm

Other States - Rajasthan

Mayawati dares Opposition leaders to declare assets

Special Correspondent

Demands CBI probe into Mulayam's "benami properties"

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party
president Mayawati has dared the leaders of Opposition parties to
declare their movable and immovable properties. She also asked them to
declare the source of the properties after they entered politics.

Taking exception to Opposition criticism of her Rs. 88-crore movable
and immovable assets declared by her at the time of filing her
nomination papers for the UP Legislative Council polls this past week,
Ms. Mayawati saw in it a political conspiracy to defame her. She said
before pointing fingers at the property owned by her the Opposition
leaders should introspect.

Targeting Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh, she said Mr. Singh
owned a few bighas of land and a bicycle when he entered politics but
today he and his family members own several properties, including
"benami". Demanding a CBI probe, she said Mr. Singh was sending
feelers to the UPA leaders in a bid to escape the noose.

The Chief Minister lashed out at the UPA and NDA leaders for not
framing a law in Parliament for bringing back black money stashed away
in foreign banks. She demanded that the names of 50 Indians given by
the German Government be made public and strict action be taken
against them.

The Chief Minister's views were conveyed to journalists by BSP general
secretary Satish Chandra Mishra. He told reporters here over the
weekend that Ms. Mayawati is only the leader who has declared her
property, both movable and immovable, at each stage. She has regularly
filed her income tax returns and, unlike the tax evaders, is the only
leader who is a regular taxpayer, the BSP MP said.

Records clean

Mr. Mishra added that Ms. Mayawati's property records are clean and
unlike the other political leaders she has not concealed her wealth by
investing in shares, bonds and debentures. The BSP president has not
taken a single paisa as gift, Mr. Mishra claimed. He claimed that the
valuation of the property increases in accordance with the prevailing
market rate and there was nothing unlawful in it.

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[ZESTCaste] Hissar dalits take refuge in Delhi, SC calls DC

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Delhi/Hissar-dalits-take-refuge-in-Delhi-SC-calls-DC/articleshow/5996233.cms

Hissar dalits take refuge in Delhi, SC calls DC

TNN, Jun 1, 2010, 12.50am IST

NEW DELHI: Nearly a month after Rahul Gandhi visited Mirchpur's dalit
victims, the Supreme Court on Monday sought answers from Haryana's
Hissar district administration about steps taken to rehabilitate 150
Balmiki community families forced out of their land by upper castes.

During the violence unleashed against the dalits at Mirchpur, which
has been witness to long-standing differences between the Balmikis and
the upper castes, two persons — a 70-year-old man and his 18-year-old
physically challenged daughter Suman — were killed. The fear of
violence forced around 152 families to leave the village and take
shelter in New Delhi.

After a brief presentation of the case by senior advocate Colin
Gonsalves, a vacation bench comprising justices G S Singhvi and C K
Prasad summoned the deputy commissioner of Hissar on Wednesday, along
with his plans for the rehabilitation of the victims who were forced
to leave the village.

''We do not know what action has been taken against those who
perpetrated the violence. We also do not know what steps have been
taken by the district administration to rehabilitate the victims," the
bench said, requesting the deputy commissioner to come to court
prepared with the facts of the case and a rehabilitation plan.

After giving details of the incident — a stone was thrown at a dog —
which spiralled into a major attack on the Balmiki community on April
21, and the torching of their houses in which the two persons were
burnt alive, the petitioners — some of the villagers forced to take
shelter in Delhi — said members of the community went to Hissar
demanding that the trial be fast-tracked and victims be rehabilated.

Except for an appointment letter to Suman's brother and compensation
of Rs 16 lakh to the victim's mother, others were given nothing, they
said.

They also alleged that on May 9, the khap panchayat, which included
several persons who allegedly led the arsonists, summoned
representatives of the Balmikis and asked them to take back their
cases.

Charging the police with not arresting the accused and the
administration of being lax in rehabilitating the victims, the
petitioners sought a direction to the Haryana government to
rehabilitate the victims in Delhi.

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[ZESTCaste] Cong caste sneeze gives BJP a cold

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100601/jsp/nation/story_12509565.jsp

Cong caste sneeze gives BJP a cold

RADHIKA RAMASESHAN
New Delhi, May 31: Junior home minister Ajay Maken's letter to young
MPs asking them to oppose a caste-based census has not found many
takers in his party but in Opposition BJP.

BJP national secretary Vani Tripathi said urban youths would not be
able to relate to caste enumeration. "If, for instance, a young person
in Delhi is asked about his caste, he will be clueless," she said.
"But the question might sow seeds of doubt and discomfort in his mind.
What's the point in reconditioning a young person's mind on caste?"

Another young BJP leader, who did not want to be named, said: "Maken
is right because the exercise might trigger another civil war. If the
number of Dalits counted increases, are we going to increase their
reservation quotas?"

Veteran leader M.M. Joshi said he was against a caste-based census
because the idea was "regressive and divisive", but clarified that
this was his personal view. He also wondered why the Opposition
leaders in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, Sushma Swaraj and Arun
Jaitley, favoured a caste census when the matter had not been debated
within the BJP.

The RSS has criticised the call for a caste census in an editorial in
its mouthpiece Organiser, while on Sunday, Sangh ideologue and former
spokesperson M.G. Vaidya questioned the BJP's support in his weekly
column in the Marathi daily Tarun Bharat.

Vaidya's piece, read in tandem with the RSS editorial, is expected to
pressure the BJP to dilute, if not revise, its position.

However, OBC leader and party vice-president Vinay Katiyar said: "When
people are questioned about their incomes and their material
possessions, … why not caste?"

"Conclusive data on the number of OBCs, Dalits and tribals can better
help any government target its affirmative action schemes for their
real beneficiaries. Right now, everyone's shooting in the dark," the
Rajya Sabha MP added.

In his May 27 letter, Maken had argued that any move to include caste
in the ongoing census would be "disastrous", particularly for young
politicians who have a long future. He said "young, conscience-driven
individuals" like him had thrived politically on the all-inclusive
development agenda.

However, several young Congress MPs said the minister should focus on
anti-Naxalite operations instead of "tilting at the caste windmill".

The party's media department chairperson Janaradan Dwivedi said: "It
must be his personal view. But those holding responsible positions in
the party and the government should not air their views in public."

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[ZESTCaste] Nepal: School established for Dalits in dire straits

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=School+established+for++Dalits+in+dire+straits+&NewsID=245775

School established for Dalits in dire straits
Last Updated : 2010-05-31 11:39 PM
The Himalayan Times

Himalayan News Service

DHADING: A school established in this district with the objective of
imparting education to Dalit children is in dire straits, thanks to a
perennial shortage of funds and teachers.

Founded five years ago with initiatives of local people, the Sunaula
Bazaar-based Chakradevi Primary School has 90 students at present, but
lacks a proper building to conduct regular classes.

"We are running classes up to grade III with permission from the
District Education Office. The school lacks teachers and basic
infrastructure," says Nara Bahadur Bhandari, chairman, School
Management Committee.

At present, classes are being conducted in the Chakradevi Community
Organisation building, says Bhandari. It's not that the local people
have not approached different sections of the society for help. "Our
repeated requests to non-government organisations for assistance has
fallen on deaf ears," laments management committee chairman

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[ZESTCaste] CM has anti-dalit attitude

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Ahmedabad/CM-has-anti-dalit-attitude/articleshow/5996153.cms

CM has anti-dalit attitude
TNN, Jun 1, 2010, 03.49am IST

AHMEDABAD: Leader of the opposition in the state assembly Shaktisinh
Gohil has alleged that the actions and attitude of chief minister
Narendra Modi are anti-dalit.

Gohil said Modi getting police complaints filed against 12 Congress
Dalit leaders was an example of his attitude towards the community.
Editor of Samajik Samarasta and ex-editor of Sadhana magazine, Kishor
Makwana lodged criminal complaints in metropolitan courts across the
state on Saturday against 12 dalit leaders of the Congress and accused
them of making defamatory statements against Modi as well as the dalit
community. The complainant has claimed that Modi never used derogatory
words for dalit during the book release function on April 26

Gohil, reacting to the complaints, said on Monday that the leaders
against whom the CM has initiated legal action were known for their
commitment to the dalit cause.

"There is growing backlog of posts reserved for dalits in the state
government. Instead of filling these posts, efforts are being made to
cancel them," claimed Gohil.

According to Gohil, records of the last five years showed that
budgetary provisions for dalit-centric projects remained unused.
"Commercialisation of education also has created a situation where
dalits cannot afford education which is dominated by self-financed
institutions."

He said that the new system in the Gujarat Public Service Commission
where a dalit has to opt for reserved or general category seat, had
resulted in a steep fall in the number of persons from the community
for the exam.

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[ZESTCaste] Navayana Avarna Fellowship

http://www.himalmag.com/Navayana-Avarna-Fellowship_dnw290.html

Navayana Avarna Fellowship
Navayana-Avarna fellowship for NBT Publishing Course, July 2010

In 2009, Navayana had sponsored five dalit and adivasi candidates for
the Edit-Pub diploma course at Jadavpur University
http://editpub.blogspot.com, Kolkata, as Avarna fellows. This year,
Navayana shall sponsor the enrolment of five Dalit/ Adivasi candidates
at the National Book Trust's four-week Training Course in Book
Publishing (in English) in New Delhi.

The details of the comprehensive course, where the best professionals
from the publishing industry teach, are available at this link
http://www.nbtindia.org.in/innerPage.aspx?aspxerrorpath=/training_course_in_bookpublishing.aspx.

Also find attached two PDFs: one providing the course details; another
being the application form.

Last date for sending applications: 10 June 2010.

Course dates and timing: 5 July to 31 July 2010.

9.30 a.m to 5 p.m, Monday to Saturday.

Venue:
Conference Room, NBT
5, Institutional Area, Vasant Kunj, Phase II
New Delhi – 110070
http://www.nbtindia.org.in

Candidates who happen to be Dalit/ Adivasi and are selected by NBT may
then apply to Navayana for financial support avarna@navayana.org,
mailto:avarna@navayana.org and anand@navayana.org
<mailto:anand@navayana.org>). Navayana shall pay the course fee (Rs
5,000) for up to five Dalit/ Adivasi candidates. NBT this year is also
arranging accommodation for outstation candidates at Rs 3,000 for four
weeks. Navayana shall also subsidize this amount. In all, the net value
of the Avarna Fellowship shall be Rs 8,000.

NBT also has an internship program for promising students from which the
selected Avarna fellows could benefit.

Publishing as a Career

Publishing in India is rarely seen as a career option by young people.
The publishing industry in India, with an annual output of 85,000
titles in more than 30 languages, has an estimated value of USD 1.2
billion. After the UK and the US, India is the publisher of the
largest number of titles in English language. There's an array of
multinationals and independent, niche publishers who offer exciting
and intellectually stimulating careers in the world of books.
Unfortunately in India there are few professional publishing courses
that offer an insight into the world of publishing. The NBT short-term
course is one of the fewprofessionally conducted courses being offered
in the country. Alumni from the NBT course have achieved great success
in the publishing industry. For instance, the current editorial head
of HarperCollins India is a product of this course.

Like other private sectors in India, publishing too has been the
preserve of the social elite. Dalits and Adivasis hence go almost
unrepresented in this field. For many Dalits/ Adivasis, publishing
does not even seem to be a career option. Navayana, with the Avarna
fellowship, seeks to address this anomaly.

Navayana therefore encourages Dalits and Adivasis graduates to
proactively apply for he NBT course, and on selection, subsequently
for the Navayana-Avarna fellowship. For any further queries, write to
<avarna@navayana.org> <mailto:avarna@navayana.org>.

Here are a few articles and useful links available on the internet
with respect to the publishing scene in India:

http://www.thehindu.com/lr/2009/01/04/stories/2009010450040100.htm

http://www.frankfurt-book-fair.com/en/company/press_pr/newsletter/2009/01141/index.html

http://aptstudio.com/timesemit/2009/03/18/overview-of-the-indian-publishing-industry/

http://www.publishers.org.uk/download.cfm?docid=DDBA0A81-8996-41E2-870AF146B713C373

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[ZESTCaste] Nepal: Dalit girl denied exams for failing to pay fees

http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=19337

Dalit girl denied exams for failing to pay fees

BIKRAM GIRI

MAHENDRANAGAR, May 31: A dalit girl has been prevented from appearing
in exams for failing to pay tuition fees by Janaki Kanya Higher
Secondary School in Mahendranagar.

Bishna Tiruwa was denied admit card by the school for failing to pay
tuition fees of Grade XI. She returned crying from the examination
center at Ghatal Higher Secondary School Sunday morning after she was
denied from appearing in the exam.

The poor girl had studied at Janaki School since the first grade and
her secondary level fees were waived by the school. The school had
promised to waive Grade XI fees as well.

The school had requested Kanchanpur District Education Office for
scholarship to Tiruwa and her classmates Laxmi Dagaura, Kusum Pahari
and Laxmi Bista. The education office had also sent recommendations to
the Higher Secondary Education Board (HSEB) to provide scholarships to
them.

"I was sure that the fees will be waived and was busy with exam
preparations. But when I went to get the admit card, they said they
would provide one only after I pay the annual tuition fee. They asked
Rs 3,750 from me," she rued.

She had stayed at the school till late Saturday evening in hope that
the school will relent but principal Shakti Bista refused to budge.
The girl had not talked about the admit card at home and the family
knew only after she returned crying Sunday.

The family went to the school for the admit card Monday but principal
Bista sought written commitment to pay the dues within 15 days,
according to her elder sister Rekha.

Meanwhile, the dalit student has lodged a written complaint in
Kanchanpur District Administration Office seeking action against the
principal.

Published on 2010-05-31 22:50:50

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[ZESTCaste] SC notice to Haryana over Dalit families flight from Mirchpur

http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article442917.ece

Published: May 31, 2010 20:29 IST | Updated: May 31, 2010 20:29 IST
New Delhi, May 31, 2010

SC notice to Haryana over Dalit families flight from Mirchpur
J. Venkatesan

Taking a serious view of 150 Dalit families in Mirchpur village in
Hissar district being forced to leave the village due to alleged
massacre by the dominant Jat community, the Supreme Court on Monday
issued notice to the Haryana government for its response to a petition
highlighting their plight.

Mirchpur, located about 145 km from New Delhi in Haryana is a large
village comprising about 1700 Jat (dominant caste) households, 250
Balmiki families, 350 Chamar families, 25 Dom families and a handful
of Brahmin households.

A vacation Bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice C.K. Prasad,
while issuing notice asked the State counsel to come out with a plan
for the rehabilitation of these 150 families, now staying in a temple
in Delhi. The Bench asked the local deputy commissioner to be present
in the court on June 2 with relevant facts after taking instructions
about the rehabilitation plan.

After hearing senior counsel Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the
petitioners, Jaswant and two others, Justice Singhvi told the State
counsel that atrocities had been committed against the people and they
were being forced to leave the village was a very serious matter. "We
want to know what action has been taken by the Government for their
rehabilitation", Justice Singhvi said.

This Writ Petition arose out of a massacre of Dalits by dominant
castes in Mirchpur village, where 150 Dalit families were brutally
attacked, two persons were killed, 35 homes destroyed, looted and
burnt and 50 houses ransacked and 25 persons injured. Thereafter,
repeated meetings of the Khap Panchayat were held in order to continue
the reign of terror and to force the Dalit community to withdraw their
cases against the accused persons.

Thereafter the entire community of Balmikis of about 150 families were
forced to leave the area and "they are now staying in a temple in
Delhi. Their children are without education. Their families are
without food, clothing and other essentials. Their lives have been
disrupted. The Khap Panchayats continue to threaten them."

The petitioners sought appropriate directions to the Respondents to
constitute a Special Investigation Team to investigate the atrocity
against the scheduled caste community on April 21 in Mirchpur village;
payment of adequate compensation, relief, rehabilitation, immediate
arrest of the accused. They wanted the court to frame and implement a
scheme for continuous and adequate protection to be provided to all
the Scheduled caste families so that they are not under any threat in
future.

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[ZESTCaste] Caste clubs are vote banks

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=/data/opinion/2010/June/opinion_June5.xml&section=opinion

Caste clubs are vote banks

Badri Narayan & Mousumi Majumder (India)

1 June 2010

All governments, in order to govern their subjects efficiently,
convert the population into homogeneous categories and also try to
transform people into statistics.

These 'statistics' and 'categories' are tools of governance and the
state also imagines them as the basis for planning for development.
Since caste is a vital structure of Indian society, policy makers,
both during the colonial and the post-colonial periods, have tried to
use it as a tool for governance. The colonial government, which never
attempted to reform the society and which understood the obsession of
Indians with caste, tried to accommodate this obsession into
policy-making by documenting caste in all its complexities in the
Gazetteers and census since 1881. In 1931, census commissioner Sir
Herbert Risley went one step forward by attempting to locate each
caste in the social hierarchy.

Based on the census, in 1935 the British passed The Government of
India Act 1935, which brought the term 'Scheduled Castes' into use,
and defined the group as including "such castes, races or tribes or
parts of groups within castes, races or tribes, which appear to His
Majesty in Council to correspond to the classes of persons formerly
known as the 'Depressed Classes', as His Majesty in Council may
prefer." This discretionary definition was clarified in The Government
of India (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1936, which contained a list or
Schedule of castes throughout the British administered provinces.
Reservation of seats for the Depressed Classes was incorporated into
the Act, which came into force in 1937. However, nationalist leaders
like Gandhi and Nehru were not in favour of bringing caste into
political life although they conceded that the lower castes needed to
be provided positive discrimination to compensate for social
injustice. Since the first post-colonial census in 1951, enumeration
of castes was discarded although all the five censuses since then
provided data on SC as a whole.

But it was only when the Backward Classes Commission identified a
large number of non-SC and non-ST communities as backward and the
Mandal Commission report too recommended reservations for Other
Backward Classes (OBCs) in education and jobs did the issue of
caste-based census enumeration, which has not been done since 1931. It
has now been decided that the ongoing census will classify people
according to their castes especially to enumerate the OBCs who were
given a quota of 27 per cent in jobs and education based on a Supreme
Court verdict, in order to ascertain whether the figure is appropriate
to their number. The decision of classifying all the people of the
country by their individual castes will have a deep impact on the
numerically small lower castes living in villages, especially in Uttar
Pradesh where the caste-based hierarchy is still operational. The
lower castes of this state are part of the homogeneous state
categories of SC and also have the political identity of 'dalit' which
is the byproduct of democratic politics that grants new identities to
those communities which they mobilise and try to form homogeneous
categories in their own way.

In Uttar Pradesh, the dalits comprise around 21 per cent of the total
population and of them the Chamars form the largest population. Pasi
is the next largest community while Dhobi, Kori, Khatik, Balmiki,
Shilpkar and Dhanuk are the other numerically important dalit castes.
There are also many other formerly "untouchable" lower castes like
Beladar, Kanjar, Badhi, Rangrez, Bangali, Barwar, Bauriya, Sahariya,
Paradiya in the state but they are numerically very insignificant. At
the grassroots the words 'Scheduled Caste' and 'dalit' as forms of
address are not commonly used by the lower castes.

The coming of the BSP politics in UP has also empowered numerically
powerful lower castes like Chamar and Pasi who now proudly assert
their dalit identity. Today they are powerful enough to claim a larger
share in the development pie if the government decides to dole out
quotas based on population size.

On the other hand, a fear for these small dalit communities is that
due to their small number the political parties working as agencies in
distribution of development schemes and political power might not pay
much attention to them but would try to appease the big dalit groups
such as Chamar and Pasi, as has been the case in this state. The OBCs
like Kewat, Tewar, Garariya, Kahar, Nai, Mali, Bhar, Rajbhar and Bind
and the Backward Castes like Ahirs (Yadav), Gujar, Kurmi, Lodhi,
Kumhar, Darji, Lohar and Sonar too, which are numerically significant,
will be able to claim a larger share in the pie if the government
decides to dole out quotas to different castes in proportion to their
population size.

Dalit castes like Chamar and Pasi too would receive hefty reservations
due to their large population size. In such a situation a numerical
hierarchy of castes might emerge in which the castes that outnumber
the other castes will become more powerful and dominate over the
numerically small castes if population size-based reservations are
provided to all the castes.

Thus while these small marginalised castes, which are still on the
fringes despite the empowerment of dalits will get distinct identities
due to the caste-based census they might also be relegated to the
margins by the state as being numerically too insignificant.

So will these numerically small lower castes remain happy in their
individual caste identity or will they need some more identities to
obtain their dues from the state? We still need to find the answer to
this question.

© Governance Now

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[ZESTCaste] Sexually harassed' Dalit seeks justice

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Jaipur/Sexually-harassed-Dalit-seeks-justice/articleshow/5996372.cms

Sexually harassed' Dalit seeks justice
TNN, Jun 1, 2010, 04.34am IST

JAIPUR: A Dalit women is forced to run from pillar to post seeking
justice against a government doctor for allegedly sexually harassing
her at a hospital in Alwar. Ramila Devi (name changed), a resident of
Alwar and a cleaner at Rajiv Gandhi Hospital, was reportedly called by
the principal medical officer, Dr Pardeep Gutpa to his cabin. He then
reportedly tried to sexually abuse and harass her in the presence of a
supervisor, Mahaveer Singh, on April 10, 2010.

"I ran away from the room, when he held my hand intending to harass
me. He abused and threatened me with dire consequences, if I discussed
this incident with anyone," said Devi. She went to the police but in
vain. "The police closed the case," said Devi. She alleged that a
senior police officer and two senior politicians are helping the
accused.

To protest, she went on a hunger-strike but nobody came to her rescue.
The hunger-strike lasted for nine days when the she was called to
Jaipur by social activist Kavita Srivastava, head of Public Union for
Civil Liberties (PUCL). PUCL took her to chief minister Ashok Gehlot
who assured them of a CID inquiry.

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