Wednesday, July 21, 2010

[ZESTCaste] 07/21/10-BUDDHIST ERA 2600-Mayawati tells MPs to raise price rise issue in house-BSP Government has taken solid action against mafias and criminals-Property worth Rs. 233 crore belonging to mafias and criminal elements seized-Criminals like Vijay Mishra get patronage from SP-Several criminal incidents took place during regime of Governments of opposition parties-Annoyed by success of Nand Gopal Gupta “Nandi” criminals committed this crime-C.M. criticises attack on offices of news

07/21/10-BUDDHIST ERA 2600-Mayawati tells MPs to raise price rise issue in house-BSP Government has taken solid action against mafias and criminals-Property worth Rs. 233 crore belonging to mafias and criminal elements seized-Criminals like Vijay Mishra get patronage from SP-Several criminal incidents took place during regime of Governments of opposition parties-Annoyed by success of Nand Gopal Gupta "Nandi" criminals committed this crime-C.M. criticises attack on offices of news channels
Filed under: General
Posted by: @ 9:06 am

BUDDHIST ERA 2600

 

The accuracy of Buddhist era vindicated

Kumudu Gunathilaka

The fulfilment of the 2600th year of the dispensation of the Thathagatha falls on the full moon day of Vesak in 2012 A.D. (588+2012 = 2600). This is not only a historic occasion for celebration all over the Buddhist world. It also marks the beginning of a great renaissance, or a spiritual revival.

The birth of the Bodhisatva, the true Victor's awaken-ness, and the attainment of Supreme Bliss of the Thathagatha, are the three great events in the history of the Buddhist world. It is difficult to comprehend with our finite knowledge, the true nature of the great spiritual illumination, that took place on the full-moon-day of Vesak 2598 years ago, when the wandering prince became freed from the shackles of birth and death, and attained the realm of absolute wisdom, under the sacred 'Esathu Bo' tree. During the lifetime of the Thathagatha, the followers reckoned the Buddhist Era, from the attainment of Bodhi, with due preference to the year of inception of the dispensation from Migadhaya, in its true splendour. Subsequently, sometime after the attainment of the Supreme Bliss by the Master, the followers reckoned the Buddhist era from the year of Parinibbana of the Master.

Those who follow the Sanskrit tradition of the Northern sector-Nepal, Tibet, China and Japan etc. believe that the Master attained Supreme Bliss in 386 B.C., while the followers of the Pali tradition of the Southern sector - Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand etc. believe it to be in 544 B.C., in keeping with the data given in 'Deepavamsa' and 'Mahavamsa' the two great chronicles of Sri Lanka. Scholars like Max Muller, William Geiger, V.A. Smith and many others who computed according to sources from many lands determine that, the year in question should be somewhere in 477,483 and 486 B.C. respectively.

Anagarika Dharmapala, one of the most erudite and authoritative personalities of his day on the sublime teaching of the Thathagatha, and history of the Buddhist civilization, commemorated the 2500th year of the dispensation of the Master, on the full-moon day of Vesak in 1912 AD (588 + 1912 = 2500), by placing of a memorial pillar at Saranath; translation of Pali Tripitaka into 'Nagari' language, for easy propagation of the Sublime teaching in its land of birth; and making formal steps for the formation of a Buddhist temple in London, to spread the sublime teaching of the Master in the West.

Traditions

The followers of the Northern and Southern traditions joined hands together, and 'The World Fellowship of Buddhists, at its third world conference of 1954 held in Rangoon, agreed to accept the year 1956 AD as the 2500th year (544+1956) of the Parinibbana of the Thathagatha, irrespective of the differences in their chronicles. This great event of the Buddhist Era was celebrated on the Full-moon-day of Vesak, and throughout the whole year, all over the Buddhist world.

This great occasion was commemorated in Burma with the inauguration of a New International Buddhist University, and the fourth Buddhist Council too was conducted with the participation of other Buddhist countries. On successful completion of it, the new Pali canon was printed by them in several international languages. A Higher Educational Institution was established in Laos for the monks to learn the sublime teaching, and the Pali language. Cambodia too, set up a university for the monks. Thailand planted 2500 Esathu Bo trees, wherein a 'National Centre for the Buddhists' was erected. Sri Lanka translated the Pali canon into Sinhala language for easy reference of the practitioners. Korea, China and Japan also celebrated the occasion in a grand manner with others.

In the 'Devatha Samyuktha' of the 'Samyuktha Nikaya', the two 'Suththas' namely 'Chando' and 'Suriyo describe two eclipses of the moon and the sun, occurred while the Thathagatha dwelt at Jethavanaramaya in Saranath; a monumental astronomical guide published in Vienna by Oppelzer in 1887, 'Cander Finis Fernisse' guide the astronomer to identify and trace these past heavenly phenomena todate, most accurately. A lunar eclipse occurred on 29/12/560 B.C., and a solar eclipse occurred on 14/01/559 B.C. Both were partially visible over 'Savaththi'. This confirms the description given in the 'Samyuktha Nihaya'. The results obtained from the astronomical guide confirm that, the two eclipses in question, had taken place 15 years prior to the widely accepted year of Parinibbana i.e. 543 B.C., when the Master was 66. If we take one of the dates given by the scholars i.e. 483 B.C. as the year of Parinibbana, with the astrological guide, these eclipses had taken place 76 years prior to that year. Prince Siddhartha was 9 years old at the time of the manifestation of the eclipses over 'Savaththi'. This testifies that the year 543 B.C. was the accurate year of the Parinibbana of the Thathagatha. Dr. Abaya Ariyasinghe enlightened the public over the media about this finding few decades ago.

Buddhist traditions

The late Ven. Ananda Maithreeya Maha Thera well versed in both Northern and Southern Buddhist traditions, enlightened the public on this aspect through the media few decades ago. According to the Maha Thera the birth of prince Siddhartha falls on a full moon day i.e. Sunday of Vesak, in 623 B.C. (the 2478th year of Kaliyuga, kataka Lagna, Sinha Navamsaka, Veesa Nekatha at 11.04 a.m. in Kapilavasthupura, with the formation of planets Jupiter -1, Rahu -3, Moon -4, Mars -7, Saturn -8, Venus and Kethu -9, Mercury -10, Sun -11, with Nawamsaka - Jupiter -1, Kethu and Mercury -2, Saturn -3, Venus -6, Sun -7, Rahu -8, Mars -9 and Moon -10) According to the Maha Thera he confirmed these data, on consultation with eminent persons well versed in the subject, in India. These are in accord with the 'Ka-Kayur' and 'Kumara Nadi' consulted by him, thereafter Dr. Saddamangala Karunarathne, after inspecting the inscription of King Upathissa the first, confirmed that the said inscription carried the most ancient record of the Buddhist Era, and it attested that the Parinibbana of the Thathagatha occurred in 543 B.C.

Dr. Annie Besant and C.W. Leadbeater, both eminent occultists as well as psychics of repute, confirmed that prince Siddhartha was born in 623 B.C. attained spiritual illumination in 588 B.C; at the age of 36; and attained Supreme Bliss in 543 B.C. at the age of 81, on fulfilment of 45 years of strenuous service to all beings, who were ready for the sublime truth revealed. While searching through "Akasic' records by psychic means, many previous existences of some of their colleagues, who were associates of the Thathagatha, during the period, they found these data.

Historic occasion

The fulfilment of the 2600th year of the dispensation of the Thathagatha falls on the full moon day of Vesak in 2012 A.D. (588+2012 = 2600). This is not only a historic occasion for celebration all over the Buddhist world. It also marks the beginning of a great renaissance, or a spiritual revival. The teaching of the Thathagatha is not the privilege of a limited sector of followers. The intrinsic message of the Master, belongs to all beings in the entire cosmos. It is the one and only way for the cessation of all suffering. It transcends Northern, Southern and all other traditions formed later. The true spirit of the sublime teaching of the Master, and its contribution since then, to the civilizations of past and present, can be ascertained, by a proper study of its growth from all points of view. The profound teaching of the Master, has been obscured and distorted by the later formations of over-zealous followers. Although, the principles differ in various schools, the dominating splendour of the personal example of the Thathagatha, stands above them all.

This is indeed a rare opportunity and privilege, bestowed upon those leading personalities to participate in the celebration of the 2600th anniversary of the dispensation of this great teacher of the first order, who shed enlightenment on the three realms of being. The Thathagatha left for us a universally esteemed teaching, which has so well contributed to the establishment of world peace, for the advancement of humanity.

Mayawati tells MPs to raise price rise issue in house

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Tuesday urged party MPs to raise issues related to price rise and ill-treatment of Bhopal gas tragedy victims in the coming monsoon session of parliament.

Addressing a specially convened meeting of party MPs here, she said: "Faulty policies of the Congress-led UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government are responsible for the unprecedented rise in inflation, which has led to acute economic oppression of the common man."

According to a party release, she told the MPs to highlight how the Congress-led union government stood exposed after the recent decontrol of petrol prices followed by a steep rise in the price of petrol, diesel, cooking gas and kerosene.

She told the MPs to observe strict discipline. "While ensuring fulfilment of the aspirations of common people, you must not do anything which could malign the image of the party."

She also pointed towards the need to highlight the "discriminatory" and "step-motherly" treatment being allegedly meted out to Uttar Pradesh by the central government .

Mayawati also urged the MPs to focus themselves on the Congress regime's "apathy and injustice" towards the Bhopal gas tragedy victims.

Referring to Maoism, Mayawati said: "Unfortunately, the union government seemed to regard naxalism (Maoism) as a law and order problem, while there were major socio-economic factors at the root of the problem."

Press Information Bureau

(C.M. Information Campus)

Information & Public Relations Department, U.P.

BSP Government has taken solid action against mafias and criminals

Property worth Rs. 233 crore belonging to mafias and criminal elements seized

Criminals like Vijay Mishra get patronage from SP

Several criminal incidents took place during regime of Governments of opposition parties

Annoyed by success of Nand Gopal Gupta "Nandi" criminals committed this crime

Lucknow: 17 July 2010

Terming the statements being issued by the opposition parties

regarding the Allahabad incident as unfortunate, the Uttar Pradesh

Chief Minister Ms. Mayawati said that those who were indulging in

cheap politics over the Allahabad incident, which was, in fact, an act

of crime committed by criminal elements, should peep into their

own past. She said that her Government had taken solid action

against criminals and mafias. Illegal property worth Rs. 233 crore

amassed by the criminals and mafias had been seized, so far. This

had caused panic among the mafias and criminals and in this

frustration they had committed Allahabad incident, she pointed out.

The Chief Minister was addressing media persons at her official

residence here today. She said that mafias of Allahabad Mr. Ateeq

Ahmad, Mr. Vijay Mishra and other criminal elements had amassed

huge wealth through their criminal activities and the State

Government had seized it through legal proceedings. The Allahabad

administration had attached properties of Mr. Dileep Mishra (worth

Rs. 4.16 crore) and Mr. Vijay Mishra (worth Rs. 6.20 crore).

Ms. Mayawati said that the police had arrested Kripa Shankar

Pandey alias Kripa Nand Pandey and Rajesh Yadav for this criminal

act within two days. She appreciated the efforts made by all the

police officers in this regard. She said that both of them had

accepted that they were the accomplices of Dileep Mishra and on his

behest they had committed this crime. They have also informed

that the brother-in-law of Dileep Mishra, Shri Manoj Kumar Pandey

and Jitendendra Pandey, Mahesh Kumar Mishra, Purushottam

Dubey and Rajesh Pilot had assisted them in this crime. Both of

them further revealed that Dileep Mishra had told them that he had

discussed this matter with legislator Mr. Vijay Mishra.

Giving information regarding the incident, the C.M. said that

as soon as she was informed about the incident on July 12 she took

serious view of the incident and called meeting of the senior officers

of the State immediately to inquire about it and directed Principal

Secretary Home and DGP and to go to Allahabad and investigate the

matter. She directed both the officers to investigate the incident

thoroughly and ensure severe punishment for the guilty.

Ms. Mayawati said that during the 2007 Vidhan Sabha

elections Mr. Nand Gopal Gupta alias Nandi was fielded from

Allahabad South on BSP ticket. She said that just a few days before

the elections, the block pramukh Chaka, Allahabad Mr Dileep Mishra

had beaten up Mr. Nandi to demoralise him, so that he did not

contest elections. She said that it is a matter of great regret that

the previous SP Government did not take any action in this regard

nor Mr. Nandi was allowed to lodge an FIR. This stand was taken by

those concerned as Mr. Dileep Mishra was a relative of SP's Bhadohi

legislator Mr. Vijay Mishra, she pointed out.

The C.M., while giving information about the criminal cases

registered against Dileep Mishra and Vijay Mishra, said that about

30 cases had been registered against Dileep Mishra while 58 cases

were registered against Vijay Mishra. As many as 13 criminal cases

were registered against Dileep Mishra during 1991 and 2003 and

during 2004-07 no case was registered. Again from May 2007 and

2010, as many as 17 cases were registered. Likewise, 45 cases had

been registered against Mr. Vijay Mishra during 1977-2003 and only

one case was registered against him during 2004-07 and from May

2007 to 2010, as many as 14 criminal cases had been registered

against him. She said that the only case registered against Mr. Vijay

Mishra, filed between 2004 and 2007, was registered on the order

of the Hon'ble Court. The SP Government withdrew six cases

registered against Mr. Vijay Mishra, she added.

Ms. Mayawati said that Mr. Vijay Mishra had about Rs. 50

crore worth illegal property in the Jasola area of Delhi. It had also

been suspected that a senior SP leader also had property in the

same complex. She said that it was evident the SP had been

extending protection to a criminal like Vijay Mishra.

The C.M. said that during the previous SP regime, this party

had unleashed

goonda raj and jungle raj all over the State and the

criminals were ruling the roost. The senior SP leaders instead of

taking action against the criminals were protecting them, she said.

The law and order of the State had been given a severe beating

during the SP regime and the poor people were being harassed all

over the State and their FIRs were not being lodged, she stated.

Ms. Mayawati said that after coming to power in 2007, her top

priority was to streamline the law and order of the State. Her

Government had launched a drive against criminals, mafias and anti

social elements, she pointed out adding that she had directed the

senior officers to lodge the cases of those people whose cases were

refused during the SP regime. Owing to her efforts as many as

10,000 cases had been lodged by launching a special drive all over

the State, she pointed out.

The Chief Minister said that after the formation of BSP

Government in this State, she had directed the police administration

that improvement in law and order situation would be estimated on

the basis of action being taken on total lodged FIRs, instead of FIR

numbers. While, during the regimes of earlier all other parties'

Governments it was not taken into consideration. Therefore, these

opposition parties were putting allegations regarding increasing

crimes on the basis of FIR numbers lodged during the regime of her

Government. This attitude of opposition parties was not only

shameful but it also had made it clear that these parties could go up

to what extent, which were making shameful efforts for maligning

the image of BSP Government on the basis of false facts.

Ms. Mayawati said that a large number of criminal incidents

occurred during the regimes of all opposition parties. If these

incidents during the regimes of these opposition parties were not

the symbol of jungle raj, then how the incident which took place in

Allahabad could be termed as a jungle raj in this State.

The Chief Minister said before giving such type of irresponsible

statement these opposition parties should have remembered the

terrorists' attack on Parliament and the terrorist incidents occurred

in Mumbai, besides the human and property loss in these incidents.

Was the jungle raj prevailed in the country in the period, when the

death of the then Railway Minister, Lalit Narayan Mishra took place

in a bomb explosion in Bihar or when Mrs. Indira Gandhi was

assassinated at her residence during the rule of Congress, the

country was plunged in complete chaos, she asked. Similarly, the

innocent Sikhs were openly murdered in the riots of 1984 and the

capital of the country had faced complete chaos despite the

Congress Government. At that time, no Congress leader looked at

these incidents. Besides, these opposition parties' leaders had kept

the complete silence over the killing of hundreds of security

personnel in naxal violence occurred in several States during last

one year.

Ms. Mayawati said that the leaders of Congress party should

also remember the murder of the then Chief Minister Mr.

Vishwanath Pratap Singh's elder brother, who was justice in the

High Court before speaking anything. More than that, the cases of

Mr. Singh and Mr. Lalit Narayan Mishra had not been solved, so far

and the Congress Party Government had completely failed in giving

the punishments to the persons involved in these crimes. The other

opposition parties also had adopted the same approach in these

cases. She said that BSP MLA Mr. Raju Pal was killed openly during

day time in Government protection in Allahabad during the regime

of Samajwadi Party and the entire government ruling at that time

remained engaged in saving the criminals responsible for this

murder. Similarly, during SP regime, BJP MLA Mr. Krishna Nand Rai,

MLC Mr. Ajeet Singh, BJP former MP Mr. Laxmi Narayan Mani

Tripathi and former MLA Chaudhri Malkhan Singh were brutally

murdered. Besides, SP MLA Mr. Manzoor Ahmad was killed in front

of Raj Bhawan on March 06, 2002 during demonstration in

President's rule.

The Chief Minister said that between the period of 1991 and

2005 one MP, 18 MLAs and 38 office bearers of political parties were

killed and 42 attempts to murder took place. During the tenure of

SP between 2003 and 2007 one former MP, three MLAs, one former

MLA and 13 office bearers of political parties were killed. While,

during the regime of BSP Government any person, however

powerful he might be had faced the consequences of his doings, if

he had taken the law into his hands, which is amply clear in the

case of former MLA Mr. Kapil Dev Yadav's murder.

Ms. Mayawati said that Mr. Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi, Minister

in BSP Government is an effective and dynamic leader of Vaishya

Samaj, who won the hearts of the people in a short period after

defeating the Congress State President Rita Bahuguna Joshi and

former Assembly Speaker Mr. Keshrinath Tripathi in election. SP

candidate was defeated in this election by a huge margin. It seems

that these criminal elements disturbed by this success of Mr. Nandi

had done this heinous crime, for which they would have to suffer

the consequences definitely.

The Chief Minister said that she had full faith and confidence

over her police administration and the other persons involved in this

incident would be arrested soon.

******

C.M. criticises attack on offices of news channels

Lucknow: 17 July 2010

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ms. Mayawati while

criticising the incidents of attack on the Delhi office of

"Headlines Today" an allied channel of News Channel "Aaj Tak"

by RSS workers and the office of Marathi News Channel "G-24

Tass" of Kolhapur, Maharashtra by Shiv Sainiks has termed it

as an attack on democracy. She has demanded stringent

action against the attackers.

The Chief Minister was replying to a question in a press

conference organised at her official residence here today. She

said that attack on media, the fourth pillar of democracy was

unfortunate. She said that after such shameful incidents the

concerning State Governments should not sit with idle hands.

Stern action should be taken against such elements, she

added.

*******


[ZESTCaste] MLC slams state in Dalit girl case

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/MLC-slams-state-in-Dalit-girl-case/articleshow/6193437.cms

MLC slams state in Dalit girl case

Yogesh Naik, TNN, Jul 21, 2010, 02.51am IST

MUMBAI: The state government was criticised by its own MLC Ram
Pandagale in the council over a Reay Road case where a Dalit woman was
stripped and paraded last month.

Speaking in the legislative council on Tuesday, Pandagale demanded
that the police slap a case under MCOCA Sena MLC Kiran Pawaskar said,
"It is shocking that such an incident has occurred in a city like
Mumbai.''

In a reply, minister of state for home, Ramesh Bagwe said the
government has booked 11 accused. However, he added that the
provisions of MCOCA could not be applied.

The government has set up a one-man committee comprising a retired HC
justice, which would recommend amendments in the law for such cases.

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[ZESTCaste] 'Use MCOCA against Dalit attackers'

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_use-mcoca-against-dalit-attackers_1412574

'Use MCOCA against Dalit attackers'

Kiran Tare / DNA
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 0:45 IST
Mumbai: The government should be dissolved because of the atrocities
on Dalits, the NCP said in the legislative council on Tuesday.

Ram Padangale of the NCP moved a calling attention motion saying the
people accused of stripping and beating up a Dalit woman in Reay Road
should be tried under MCOCA.

DNA was the first to report the incident on June 24. The police had
arrested 12 people, including 10 women.

"The government portrays that it supports the Dalits," Padangale said.
"I doubt if they really do that. The government is insensitive towards
the Dalits. It is a shame that such an incident happened in a city
like Mumbai. The accused should be tried under MCOCA."

Ramesh Bagwe, minister of state for home, said, "I too come from a
Dalit family. But I don't agree with Padangale. The 13 arrested have
been charged under various sections, including the atrocities act.
Only one of them succeeded in getting bail. We have provided the woman
with 24-hour security so that she is not harassed."


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[ZESTCaste] Dalit girl gangraped in Uttar Pradesh

 

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_dalit-girl-gangraped-in-uttar-pradesh_1412650

Dalit girl gangraped in Uttar Pradesh
PTI

Wednesday, July 21, 2010 15:13 IST

Muzaffarnagar: A dalit girl was allegedly gangraped by three youths at
Dadheru village in the Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, the
police said today.

The victim's father has lodged an FIR with the police alleging that
three youths, identified as Vikas, Kamal and Kuli, abducted the girl
yesterday and raped her.

The girl has been sent for a medical examination and a case registered
under IPC section 376 (rape) against the three accused who are
absconding, the police said.

In a separate incident, another girl was raped by a youth in Baghra
village in the same district yesterday when she had gone to collect
grass.

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[ZESTCaste] 9 Indian think tanks to get $9 Million dollars

 

http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/9_Indian_think_tanks_to_get_9_Million_dollars-nid-69871.html

9 Indian think tanks to get $9 Million dollars
By IANS
Wednesday, 21 July 2010, 07:20 IST

New Delhi: Nine Indian think tanks will receive $9 million from
Canada-based International Development Research Centre(IDRC) and other
organisations for engaging in policy research focussing on national,
social and economic issues.

The Indian institutions chosen include Centre for Budget and
Governance Accountability, Centre for Policy Research, Centre for the
Study of Developing Societies, Indian Institute of Dalit Studies,
Institute of Economic Growth, National Council of Applied Economic
Research, all located in New Delhi.

Others in the list are Institute of Rural Management, Anand, Gujarat,
Public Affairs Centre, Bangalore and Centre for Study of Science,
Technology and Policy, Bangalore.

The Think Tank Initiative was launched in 2008 by IDRC, William and
Flora Hewlett Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to
support local think tanks "to produce high-quality research that will
improve policies and, ultimately, contribute to more equitable and
prosperous societies".

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[ZESTCaste] Centre tests Mayawati’s patience on Noida park

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Centre-tests-Mayawati-s-patience-on-Noida-park/Article1-575296.aspx

Centre tests Mayawati's patience on Noida park
Satya Prakash, Hindustan Times

New Delhi, July 21, 2010

First Published: 00:22 IST(21/7/2010)
Last Updated: 00:25 IST(21/7/2010)

Even as the Mayawati Government gets impatient to complete
construction work and installation of Dalit leaders' statues at Dr
Bhimrao Ambedkar Park, Noida, the Centre seems to be in no hurry on
the issue. In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, the
Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) said it would need
more time to arrive at a "final and conclusive decision" regarding the
possible impact of such construction and felling of thousands of trees
on the environment.

The MOEF said the detailed study reports from Sálim Ali Centre for
Ornithology and Natural History and N.G. Ranga Agriculture University,
Hyderabad, Wildlife Preservation Institute, Dehradun and Environment
Consultants submitted by Noida Authority was reviewed by a panel of
experts on June 28 and 29.

"Given the gravity of the matter and nature of the project along with
its impact on surrounding bio-diversity and its proximity to the Okhla
Bird Sanctuary, the MOEF needs to get the measures recommended by the
three institutions, vetted by an appropriate body possessing the
requisite expertise, particularly in the field of wildlife
preservation and bio-diversity," the affidavit said.

"Given the nature of the findings and various viewpoints, the MoEF
will now move to examine the matter further in an integrated and
holistic manner before arriving at final and conclusive decision," the
Ministry said in the affidavit.

The MOEF affidavit is a setback to the Mayawati Government, which
claimed to be losing Rs 3 lakh a day due to the stay on the Rs
685-crore project. Maintaining that 75 per cent of the work had
already been completed, it wanted the court to lift the stay on
construction at the park, where statues of UP Chief Minister Mayawati
and her mentor late Kanshiram were to be installed.

The Forest Bench headed by Chief Justice of India S.H. Kapadia will
consider the affidavit on Friday.

The Supreme Court had on April 22 asked the MOEF to examine the likely
adverse impact of the felling of 6,000 trees and large-scale
construction at the park and submit a report.


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[ZESTCaste] Dalits and labour in Nepal: discrimination and forced labour

 

http://www.ilo.int/kathmandu/whatwedo/publications/lang--en/docName--WCMS_112922/index.htm

Dalits and labour in Nepal: discrimination and forced labour
This study deals with the extent of discrimination prevalent against
Dalits in Nepal in the world of work, forced labour and child labour,
as well as the gender relations within the Dalit communities, in
relation to the existing constitutional and legal provisions as well
as the relevant United Nations (UN) and International Labour
Organization (ILO) conventions ratified by the government of Nepal.
Type Report
Date issued 2005
Reference 9221153517 (ISBN)
Format available PDF (xxviii, 150 p.)
Subjects forced labour, discrimination, social exclusion, vulnerable groups
Download English - pdf 702 KB
http://www.ilo.int/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---ilo-kathmandu/documents/publication/wcms_112922.pdf

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[ZESTCaste] The game of naming (Opinion)

http://expressbuzz.com/opinion/columnists/the-game-of-naming/191465.html

The game of naming

Shiv Visvanathan

Express News Service

First Published : 21 Jul 2010 12:54:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 21 Jul
2010 01:08:15 AM IST

Indian politics as a drama is fortunate to have three women who keep
everyone guessing. The three stalwarts are Sonia Gandhi, Mayawati and
Jayalalithaa, three names which resound like a roll call of empresses.
Of them Mayawati is the most interesting. Mayawati appears like a
character from Alice in Wonderland. She reminds of the queen shouting
"off with her head." She has shades of Alice in insisting that she
means what she says and she says what she means. Mayawati is most
adept at altering the rules of the political game.


Let us look at that renaming of Amethi not to judge her or criticise
her but to understand the logic of the game.

For Mayawati, the biggest irritant in UP politics is Sonia not
Mulayam. Mulayam has turned out to be just another political 'father'
patronising his son, and his gadfly Amar Singh hardly qualifies for
Page 3. Sonia is formidable and is getting more formidable. Amethi
represents the constituency the Gandhis have sustained. In fact,
between Sonia and Rahul, Mayawati is always reminded that her control
of UP is incomplete. Amethi is even more irritating than Delhi in her
political fiefdom. It is a name that needs to be exorcised and up she
goes and names it Shahuji Maharaj Nagar.

Our Western literati, including the press, might treat it as a joke.
The more seriously inclined might research into Shahuji Maharaj and
realise he was an ideal model of justice and governance. But what few
of them do is to examine the politics of renaming.

Renaming is a way of rewriting history. It is a way of redefining a
space and creating new rules for the space. It creates a new mnemonics
and attempts to discard old memories. In ritual time, one acquires a
new name when one has performed a rite of passage and acquired new
identity. It is the political equivalent of vastu shastra where
renaming creates new affinities, new alignments in time.

Every name evokes its own genealogy. By invoking the names of
Ambedkar, his wife Ramabai and Shahuji Maharaj, Mayawati is offering
an alternative framework to the imagination. She is telling people,
enough of the Nehrus and Gandhis. They are bits of history but they
stand in the way of the future of our politics. They evoke a past of
old strategies against the British. For us, the Congress is the new
British, the British who create hegemony and injustice, the outsiders
we have to overthrow for the new golden age.

Mayawati understands the arbitrariness of history and its secret
logic. History belongs to him who rules and he who writes the text.
So, Indian history at least officially is a double denial of the Dalit
and his enforced illiteracy. So when Mayawati begins to rule, she is
altering the regime of history.

The historian Ernest Renan pointed out, the nation state itself is a
consensual fiction that pretends to be a fact through history.
Mayawati is clear she is addressing the Dalit nation. Unfortunately
issuing commemorative stamps is not a state subject, otherwise we
would have had some delightfully quarrelsome commemorative issues.
Think of it. I could think of my own list of actors left out of
history. Look at the deftness of the logic, the idea of Ambedkar's
wife as matriarch of the nation. A woman, Ramabai, who was not even a
footnote of history acquires a second life.

Mayawati realises that naming as a ritual has power. The very
enactment of the name is a performativity, a magic which suggests
hypnotically that it becomes what you name. Mayawati is shrewd enough
to know that between names and monuments, history can be seduced to
work for any politician. She realises the power of statues. They
subliminally enter your mind and she knows enough of history to
realise that every emperor who left a monument is remembered by every
tourist who enters history. As a master of mnemonics, she realises
that as long as we keep saying Chacha Nehru and keep seeing Rahul as a
prince in waiting, her wonderland will not come to power. In that
sense her renaming of Amethi and Kanpur Dehat is a promissory note for
the future.

Now imagine you are just a hard-headed watcher, what can you sense?
Renaming Kanpur Dehat might be a good idea. Even its colonial tag
Cawnpore only evokes what the British called disparagingly the Sepoy
Mutiny. In fact, she might insist that she is creating the new annals
of independence with a new name, evoking care and nurturance. The
people of Kanpur Dehat might object. But think of it another way.
Would I object if cities in Jharkhand were named after the great
freedom fighter Birsa Munda. Is it not redundant to name streets and
hospitals after Rajiv and Sanjay Gandhi? Why not a few streets after
Jaipal Singh in Delhi?

This surplus, this redundancy of naming carries the one-sidedness of
history. It is like the old Delhi joke that you can move from one end
to another by following streets all virtually named after the Gandhi
family. If roads mark territoriality, renaming becomes a legitimate
act of politics. I am not entering into the aesthetics but there is a
sense of the serious in addition to that a sense of the comic, a
reminder to the powerful that the joke could be on you, that today's
dismissive cartoon may be tomorrow's monument.

In fact, it is at the level of the comic that responses might be more
interesting. They also convey a different understanding of the fait
accompli of politics. I remember someone telling me, "I love Mumbai
but it is Bombay I like living in." The danger is when names become a
harbinger of exclusions, of programmes, of erasures. Renaming cannot
be a harbinger to ostracism and ethnic cleansing. I am not suggesting
this is the case but politics is the battle of the long run. Mayawati
realises that Keynes did not understand politicians. In the long run
ordinary people might be dead, politicians live on as street signs,
monuments and statues.

Recently, Gorbachev reacted strongly to the attempts to vandalise or
destroy Stalin's statues. He said it perpetuated Stalin who was master
of rewriting histories. What we need is a more affable understanding
of history and memory. We have to stop treating history as a prize and
realise it is not objective. Memory can be many layered and eventually
indifferent to all. In Delhi, there is a location close to the
university, where British statues lie dumped together. Imagine a
future time where the statues of Nehrus, Gandhis and Mayawatis lie
together the same way. Only stray dogs and the homeless scavenge
hopefully among the ruins of history.

About the author:

Shiv Visvanathan is a social scientist


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[ZESTCaste] CM expresses griefover scribe's death

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/CM-expresses-griefover-scribes-death/articleshow/6193465.cms

CM expresses griefover scribe's death
TNN, Jul 21, 2010, 03.06am IST

LUCKNOW: Chief minister Mayawati has expressed grief over the demise
of Vijay Pratap Singh, the Allahabad correspondent of English daily
Indian Express. Describing Singh as a promising journalist, Mayawati
said that the field of journalism has suffered an irreparable loss
with his sudden death. She has extended her sympathies to the bereaved
family.

UP Congress Committee (UPCC) president Rita Bahuguna Joshi has also
expressed grief over the death of Vijay Pratap Singh. She has urged
the government to pay compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the kin of
Singh and Rajesh Malviya, who was killed at the blast site.

Singh, 35 sustained injuries in a blast in Allahabad on July 12 along
with minister for institutional finance, Nand Kumar Gupta `Nandi' and
his gunner Sanjay Singh while another person Rajesh Malviya was killed
on the spot. Vijay was admitted to a private nursing home in
Allahabad. Later, he was shifted to a Delhi hospital, but
unfortunately he succumbed to his injuries in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Singh was working in Indian Express for the last three years. He also
worked for The Times of India for nine years.

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