Latest News Update: Aug 4, 2010

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

[ZESTCaste] 12 injured in caste conflict

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/12-injured-in-caste-conflict-/articleshow/6253661.cms

12 injured in caste conflict
Bhaskar Mukherjee, TNN, Aug 4, 2010, 01.27am IST

FATEHABAD: Barely three months after arson and murder in a Dalit
locality at Haryana's Mirchpur, another caste clash broke out on
Tuesday between Balmikis and Bishnois at Bhuna, around 20km from
Fatehabad.

More than a dozen people were injured as young men from both castes
went on a rampage, looting shops and homes. They also set shops on
fire. Police fired rubber bullets and lathicharged to disperse the
mob. Hisar district authorities are camping at the site to control the
situation.

According to Fatehabad deputy commissioner O P Sheoran, "The situation
was brought under control soon and the injured were sent to hospital."

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[ZESTCaste] Cast them aside (Opinion)

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/FE-Editorial---Cast-them-aside/655557/

FE Editorial : Cast them aside
The Financial Express
Posted online: 2010-08-04 21:55:56+05:30

The latest chapter of the Indian reservation saga involves the
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), under the Union
commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma, telling the corporate
sector that companies benefiting from various government incentives
may be asked to reserve about 5% of employment needs for the SCs and
STs. This development has to be seen in continuity with the common
minimum programme announced by UPA-1, wherein "a national dialogue
with all political parties, industry and other organisations" was
promised to figure out how affirmative action should be handled. Even
at that time, the industry chambers—the Confederation of Indian
Industry, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
and the Associated Chambers of Commerce—expressed scepticism about
quota legislation. And the pattern is being repeated in the present
moment, where the chambers are once again arguing that reservations in
the private sector will adversely affect merit and efficiency.
Overall, this argument goes, India's comparative advantage will take a
hit if reservations become de rigueur. We must note that the objecting
parties are not against affirmative action per se. The question is
whether transmission losses between theory and practice are worth the
gains. There is evidence suggesting that such gains will not really
outweigh the pains.

Given India's demographic prospects and growth ambitions, we know that
that urbanisation, development and skills enhancement are going to
have explosive significance. We also know that these prospects and
ambitions are being addressed via public policy. But public policy
must consider the efficiency principle as seriously as it likes to
address the equity principle. Evidence from a range of sources points
to the inefficiency of reservations from education to the labour
markets. It isn't just about standards being lowered. There is the
issue of creamy layer cornering all available benefits, and then there
is the question of whether the resulting ghettoisation is actually a
desirable goal for a modernising nation. Does it merely reinforce
caste categories instead of mitigating them? Should the government not
focus on addressing the inequalities in opportunity that arise out of
a moribund education system, at primary, secondary and tertiary
levels? The problem of differential access to education and skills
cuts across caste barriers. Reforming that system is a lot harder than
attempting populist gimmicks like job reservations. Overall, the
proposal for caste-based reservation in the private sector appears
extremely suspect.

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[ZESTCaste] Paswan slams govt on alleged SC/ST fund diversion

http://www.zeenews.com/news645507.html

Paswan slams govt on alleged SC/ST fund diversion

Updated on Tuesday, August 03, 2010, 16:28

New Delhi: Supporting the demand for discussion in Parliament on
alleged diversion of money meant for SC/ST schemes in Delhi, LJP
leader Ramvilas Paswan Tuesday said Prime Minister should come out
with guidelines to ensure that such funds are not diverted or allowed
to lapse.

"If it is true that the funds meant for SC/ST have been diverted
towards Commonwealth Games then it is wrong. There should be a
discussion on it," Paswan told reporters outside Parliament.

He, however, added that "we are not with the BSP but we are for the issue".

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice during the Question Hour after
opposition parties led by BSP disrupted proceedings over alleged
diversion of SC/ST funds to Commonwealth Games by Delhi Government.
Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit has, however, denied the charge.

Paswan said the Prime Minister should issue guidelines so that these
funds are not diverted nor allowed to lapse.

BSP leader Satish Mishra accused the Congress of practising "double standards".

"It is double standard politics as the Congress-ruled state has
diverted massive funds meant for SC/ST to Commonwealth Games," Mishra
said.

However, when it was pointed out that that the BSP had supported the
Congress during the cut-motion in Parliament on price rise issue,
Mishra said "here the issue is different".

PTI

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[ZESTCaste] Were funds for SC/ST schemes used for Commonwealth Games?

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/were-funds-for-sc-st-schemes-used-for-commonwealth-games-41688

Were funds for SC/ST schemes used for Commonwealth Games?

Press Trust of India, Updated: August 03, 2010 18:08 IST

New Delhi: BSP, BJP and the Left parties on Tuesday created uproar in
Parliament over allegations of diversion of funds for SC/ST schemes to
Commonwealth Games projects and demanded a Parliamentary probe into
it.

The members of these parties forced three adjournments in the Rajya
Sabha before lunch, alleging that the CWG projects were witnessing
"loot" of public money. The least that the government can do is to
ensure that funds meant for SC/STs were not diverted.

In the Lok Sabha too, BSP members disrupted the proceedings briefly.

As soon as Rajya Sabha met for the day, BSP members were on their feet
referring to an RTI reply which reportedly showed that the Delhi
government diverted Rs 744 crore from Special Component Plan for SC/ST
to Games projects.

The members, wanting an immediate discussion on the issue, created
pandemonium which led to three adjournments.

The Chair, finally allowed a brief debate on the issue in post-lunch sitting.

Raising the matter, BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra demanded that a
Parliamentary committee should be set up to probe the allegations of
fund diversion.

Describing the Congress governments at the Centre and Delhi as
"anti-dalit", he said, "There is 2.4 million SC population in Delhi.
Instead of providing civic infrastructure and other facilities for
them, it was spent on a 14-day event. This is shameful."

Mishra said the funds were diverted flouting guidelines of the
Planning Commission and the National Development Council.

Venkaiah Naidu (BJP) termed the diversion of funds given under
constitutional provisions as "atrocious" which was "unacceptable". His
colleague S S Ahluwalia said there was a "ghapla (bungling)" in the
CWG projects.

Brinda Karat (CPM) said even labourers, mostly SC/STs, were being
exploited by the contractors.

Janardan Dwivedi (Congress) requested the government to come out with
a response but took a dig at the BSP saying there should be a separate
debate on who has done what for the dalits.

D Raja (CPI), Rajneeti Prasad (RJD) and Mahendra Mohan (SP) too termed
it as serious and wanted action.

Responding to members' concern, Minister of State for Parliamentary
Affairs, Prithviraj Chavan agreed that the matter was serious and he
would ascertain the facts from the Delhi Government and report back to
the House next week.

In the Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal refuted
the charges saying no diversion of funds has taken place.

Story first published: August 03, 2010 12:16 IST

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[ZESTCaste] ‘SC/ST funds were diverted’

http://www.hindustantimes.com/SC-ST-funds-were-diverted/Article1-581958.aspx

'SC/ST funds were diverted'
HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times

New Delhi, August 03, 2010

First Published: 23:58 IST(3/8/2010)
Last Updated: 00:05 IST(4/8/2010)

As the city's October date with the Commonwealth Games (CWG) draws
nearer, financial irregularities seem to be tumbling out of the closet
all at the same time. Alleging the Delhi government of "robbing the
reserved classes of their rights", officials of NGOs, Housing and Land
Rights Network (HLRN) and National Campaign on Dalit and Human Rights
(NCDHR) said the government diverted funds to the tune of Rs 744 crore
from the Special Component Plan (Scheduled Caste Sub Plan) to meet
CWG-related expenses.

The amount includes the proposed expenditure for the current year as
well. The allegation is based on the data provided by the Delhi
government's department for the welfare of SC/ST/OBC/Minorities in
response to an RTI application.

In the reply, details of the expenditure from the fund have been
provided from the year 2006 to 2010 in a tabulated form.

One section in the table clearly lists expenditure under 'Amount spent
in CWG'. A copy of the response is with the Hindustan Times.

"The diversion of funds is illegal. In the Planning Commission's
master guideline for the special component plan, the funds are non
divertible and non lapsable," said Miloon Kothari, executive director,
HLRN.

Admitting that the government spent crores of rupees meant for the
welfare of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to fund
preparations for the October Commonwealth Games, Delhi government
officials said there was "nothing wrong in it". They said members of
the reserved categories will eventually utilise the upcoming
infrastructure projects and would benefit from them.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit maintained that her government
"didn't misutilise funds".

"We have not diverted any funds from the Scheduled Castes welfare
schemes for the Commonwealth Games," she said.

According to the report released by the NGOs, more than 50 per cent
funds have been diverted towards transport under the Municipal
Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Council and Public Works
Department (Rs 583 crore).

"Such notations in the budget books indicate that there is scope for
immense embezzlement of funds," said Kothari.

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[ZESTCaste] Sheila govt diverted SC/ST fund for Commonwealth Games

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/Sheila-govt-diverted-SC/ST-fund-for-Commonwealth-Games/articleshow/6254496.cms

Sheila govt diverted SC/ST fund for Commonwealth Games
4 Aug 2010, 0402 hrs IST,ET Bureau

NEW DELHI: Allegations of corruption in the Commonwealth Games
projects held up Parliament on Tuesday, barely 24 hours after it
settled down toCommonwealth Games 2010 venue damaged
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium inaugurated for Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games Village 2010
How badly is the Commonwealth Games 2010 pinching your pocket
conduct legislative business. The most recent in the string of charges
is the alleged diversion of funds earmarked for schemes for Scheduled
Castes and Tribes to the CWG Games. BSP, BJP and the Left parties have
demanded a parliamentary probe into it.

It would appear that nearly Rs 745 crore have been diverted from the
Special Component Plan for SC/STs of the Delhi government to funding
the CWG projects. The information had been procured as part of a reply
to an RTI application. The issue was raised in both Houses of
Parliament by BSP members.

In the Rajya Sabha, BSP member Satish Chandra Mishra's demand for
suspension of Question Hour was supported by the Left and BJP. Their
demand was not entertained by Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari. Mr
Mishra demanded that a parliamentary committee should be set up to
probe the allegations of fund diversion. Describing the Congress
governments at the Centre and Delhi as "anti-Dalit", the BSP leader
said, "There is 2.4 million SC population in Delhi. Instead of
providing civic infrastructure and other facilities for them, funds
were spent on a 14-day event. This is shameful." Mr Mishra said that
the funds were diverted flouting guidelines of the Planning Commission
and the National Development Council. Joining issue, BJP leader
Venkaiah Naidu termed the diversion of funds given under
constitutional provisions as "atrocious" and "unacceptable".

Senior Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi stepped in to request the
government to respond to the allegations. However, he did not miss the
opportunity to take a dig at BSP, suggesting that there should be a
separate debate on who has done what for the Dalits.

Responding to members' concern, minister of state for parliamentary
affairs Prithviraj Chavan agreed that the matter was serious and he
would ascertain the facts from the Delhi Government and report back to
the House next week.

Demanding an immediate discussion and a government response, Leader of
Opposition Arun jaitley said, "the issue that has been raised is
important. The government should respond. If the information provided
through the RTI is correct, then this is a serious matter and it
deserves our immediate attention."

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[ZESTCaste] ‘Cong against violence, not Dalits’

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/85446/cong-against-violence-not-dalits.html

'Cong against violence, not Dalits'
Chennai, August 1, DHNS:

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Sunday refuted allegations that
the Congress was denying Dalits and tribals their due rights or
economic opportunities while combating Naxals.

"If Dalits are denied opportunities, there is nothing wrong if they
agitate to get their due, clearly knowing what they are fighting for;
but we are only against the mindless violence of Naxals," he clarified
here.

He was speaking at a function at the Sathyamurthy Bhavan, the Tamil
Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) headquarters, to formally admit Dalit
leader and former state BSP chief Selva Perunthagai and his supporters
into the party fold.

Asserting that the Congress was for "inclusive growth", Chidambaram
said his party had a responsibility to ensure the legitimate rights
and economic welfare of Dalits, minorities and backward classes.

Chidambaram said under the UPA regime, pre and post-matric
scholarships, besides research fellowships and hostel facilities for
Dalit students, have opened immense possibilities for the educational
empowerment of the backward classes.

Chidambaram, earlier on arrival from Madurai here, met Chief Minister
M Karunanidhi at the latter's Gopalauram residence and explained the
steps taken by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the rehabilitation of
the internally displaced Tamils in northern Sri Lanka.

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[ZESTCaste] The Wrong Approach (Opinion)

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/The-Wrong-Approach/articleshow/6252790.cms

COMMENT
The Wrong Approach
Aug 4, 2010, 12.00am IST

There have been rumblings about job reservations in the private sector
for disadvantaged sections of society such as scheduled castes and
scheduled tribes before, but mercifully they have never been realised.
Now, the government seems inclined to try again with the Department of
Industrial Policy and Promotion mooting mandatory 5 per cent SC/ST
reservation in private sector companies. But in doing so, it has
caught the wrong end of the stick. Caste reservations are a remarkably
blunt instrument for securing social justice, and it's a failure of
imagination to think of them as the only possible means of affirmative
action. Reservations have not been self-limiting as they ought to have
been if they were truly successful; instead, there has been consistent
political pressure to push them into new domains.

Certainly, socio-economically disadvantaged sections of society must
be made stakeholders in what has, to a significant extent, been the
engine of India's economic growth. But that can't be done through
purely mechanical means, setting aside the principle of merit which
makes private sector companies competitive. Affirmative action in a
broader sense implies creating an enabling environment by imparting
vocational training, leveraging Corporate Social Responsibility
initiatives to fund educational programmes and encouraging hiring
policies that don't discriminate against certain groups, all other
things being equal. In any case a survey carried out by the CII in
southern states showed SC/STs to be well-represented in the private
sector, making up 16.2 per cent of the workforce. Caste reservations
have gone far enough in the Indian polity, it's now time to think of
other forms of affirmative action as well as of implementing policies
that lift all boats, such as better infrastructure and universal
education.

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