Thursday, October 28, 2010

[ZESTCaste] 'Goddess English' is deity in Indian temple

http://www.emirates247.com/news/world/goddess-english-is-deity-in-indian-temple-2010-10-27-1.309703

'Goddess English' is deity in Indian temple

Village in north India builds temple to inspire the poor to empower through learning English language

Staff

Published Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The deity in the 'Dalit Goddess English' temple is inspired by the Statue of Liberty in the picture. (FILE)

A nondescript village in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is set to hog the limelight by building a temple dedicated to English language.

Coming up in the educationally and economically backward Banka village in the state's Lakhimpur Kheri district, the female deity of the single-storey temple is inspired by Statue of Liberty, reported Press Trust of India.

The entire idea behind the temple of Goddess English is to encourage the poor villagers - mostly from India's socially backward classes bracketed as 'Dalits' - to learn the global language for empowerment.

The three feet tall idol of 'Dalit Goddess English' is being installed on a pedestal shaped as a computer. The idol carries a pen, a copy of the Indian Constitution and dons a gown and a hat, representing education, rights and modernity. The computer screen would have a Buddhist chakra.

Funded by the villagers and well-wishers, construction of the temple started in April this year and was scheduled to be inaugurated on October 25 to coincide with the birthday of Lord Macaulay who is credited with steps taken to empower the Dalit community.

The report quoted Chandra Prasad Bhan, the brain behind the project, as saying the temple will be opened in November.

He said the temple is expected to popularise English language among the backward Dalits, often treated as untouchables in India's oppressive caste system.

He recalled the idea of Dr BR Ambedkar, the father of the Indian Constitution and a Dalit himself, who espoused the need to make English the national language of India. But he had faced strong opposition from other leaders who insisted on Hindi.

The villagers have already composed an English song that will be played as prayer every day.

The temple walls will be engraved with symbols and formulae of physics, chemistry, mathematics besides English proverbs. A staircase shaped like a computer keyboard is also in the pipeline, Prasad said.

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[ZESTCaste] Publication od Dr Ambedkar's Writting & Speech Book : Prof Hari Narke & Its loby are the Breakers of this Mission. [3 Attachments]

[Attachment(s) from Dr. Milind Jiwane included below]

Dear Friends,
Today my friend Panther- Prakash Bansod has published the
186 pages book named " Publication of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar: Writting & Speeches - Problems & Solutions" where he provided all the documents
of Goverement of Maharashtra, Action taken by the Publication Committee,
Wrong mistakes done by Prof. Hari Narke & others one, Who are the Breakers
of its publication, and so on..................
Prof. Pramod Ramteke, the eminent International Artist, Ex Principal of Art College, Social Visioner and a member of Sub-Committee
of Govt of Maharashtra Publication has expressed his views on that
publication that " Hon. Vasant Moon was only a person, and member
secretary of the Publication Committee who dedicated his life for
the Mission. But The Govt of Maharashtra has appointed Prof. Hari Narke
for making the break of the publication of Dr Ambedkar's writting &
Speeches Book. He told that recentely published Vol.22 of Dr Ambedkar
Album, we can't say that is Album but its is book, where Mr Narke ha
made many mistakes, which has shown by Mr. Bansod in this book. When
Hon. Vasant Moon was working on that Chair, that time we were selected
near abour 450 photographs and we wrote the caption on the back of that
photos. These all the caption are missing and not published all the
photos by the publication Committee. Even there is mentioned wrong
information by Mr Hari Narke."
Prof. Gautam Kamble told his views that Since last 32 Years,
The Govt of Maharashtra has publised only 22 volumes till today.
Actually if we work honestly, it will be published near about 175
volumes. AS Mahatma Gandhi has noting given new, but there was near
about 100 volumes. And Dr Ambedkar has written many Books, Speeches
and so on, But breakers are not interested to publish it, due to
fear of the origin of new revolution.
On that ocassion Adv Ramesh Shambharkar, Ven. Mettanand, Ven Aniruddha, Shivcharan Thool has expressed their views.On that function
Dr. Milind Jiwane, Bhupesh Thulkar, Prasenjit Taksande, Dr Rajabhau
Tanksale, Baban Chahande and many friends were present. The said book
has no cost. It is for free distribution.
DR. MILIND JIWANE
* Chairperson of World Buddhists Conference 2006 at Nagpur (India)
* Organizer of World Peace Rally 2007 (India)
* Organizer of Dhamma Deeksha Ceremony 1992-93 at Nagpur (India)
* President of Ashwaghosh Buddhists Foundation (India)
* President of Jeewak Welfare Society Nagpur (India)
* President of Civil Rights Protection Cell [ CRPC]
H.Q. : Naya Nakasha, Opposite Swastik School,
Laskaribagh, Nagpur 440017 M.S. (India)
Mob : +91 9890586822, 9225226922
Phone : +91 712 2633106, 3295622, 6521931
E Mail : drjiwane@gmail.com
milindjiwane_buddha@yahoo.co.in
dr_jiwane@sify.com
Web : www.jeewaksociety.org

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Attachment(s) from Dr. Milind Jiwane

3 of 3 Photo(s)

Publication of Dr Ambedkar's Writting & Speeches Book & the Breakers of this mission.jpg

Publication of Dr Ambedkar's Writting & Speeches Book & the Breakers of this mission (1).jpg

Publication of Dr Ambedkar's Writting & Speeches Book & the Breakers of this mission (2).jpg

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[ZESTCaste] Reminder - Public meeting for protection of Sathyambabu from Judiciary and police and demanding re investigation in Ayeshameera murder case by CBI

Public meeting for protection of Sathyambabu from Judiciary and police and demanding re investigation in Ayeshameera murder case by CBI

Posted on October 17, 2010 by karthiknavayan

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Public meeting for protection of Sathyambabu from Judiciary and police and demanding re investigation in Ayeshameera murder case by CBI

Date: 30^thOctober 2010

Place: Parvana Hall, 4^th Floor, Prabhath Towers, Opp: SBH Gun foundry, Hyderabad

Time: Evening 4:30 PM

Presiding: B.Karthik Navayan

Coordinator, Sathyambabu Ayeshameera Nyaya Porata Committee

Speakers

Dr. Anand Teltumbde, (Grandson in Law of Dr B.R.Ambedkar), CPDR-Mumbai

Bojja Tharakam, Senior Advocate, High Court Andhra Pradesh

George M Goldy, Dalit Mukthi Morcha, Chhattisgarh

Anantha Acharya, Democratic action forum for Dalits, women and minorities

S.Jeevan Kumar, Human Rights Forum

D.Suresh Kumar, Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee

Pidathala Mariyamma, Mother of Sathyambabu

Shamshad Begum, Mother of Ayeshameera

Messages

Geddam.Jhansy, Pichuka Srinivas, G.Shankar, Ganumala Gnaneshwar, Bathula Ram Prasad, Boge Rajaram, Ramesh Hazari, Habeebur Rahman, B.Siddeshwar, Lateef Mohammed Khan, M.A.Shakeel, K.Chandranna, K.Chandra shekhar, K.Jayaraj, D.Anjaneyulu, V. Narayana Reddy

Organized by

Sathyambabu Ayeshameera Nyaya Porata Committee – Andhra Pradesh

(Formed by Dalit, Human Rights, Muslim and women organization to achieve justice to both victims)

Note: Protect the human rights of an innocent Dalit boy Pidathala Sathyambabu from corrupted judiciary and police, who falsely implicated and punished him for life sentence in Ayesha Meera murder case, to protect the real culprits Click here to sign :http://www.petitiononline.com/sathyam/petition.html

Member Organizations

Navayana ,KNPS, APCLC, PUCL, OPDR, HRF, Mala Sankshema Sangam, SSD, Dalit Bahujana Vedika, Thelangana Mala Yuva Sena, HRLN, Peoples Watch, AP-Scheduled Castes Welfare Association, Sate bank SC, ST Association, Madiga Mahajana Sramika Vimukthi, , Sakshi- Dalit human rights watch, AP-Ambedkar Yuvajana Sangam, Dalit Bahujana Vyavasaya Karmika Sangam , Lambadi Hakkula Vedika, other organizations and many individuals

Contact details: 09346677007, navayan@gmail.com

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

--
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://karthiknavayan.wordpress.com/
http://www.petitiononline.com/93466770/petition.html
http://www.orkut.co.in/Main#Profile.aspx?uid=10379805095932756525

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[ZESTCaste] Being untouchable no longer

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2010/10/india-caste-ambedkar-dalits

Being untouchable no longer

Posted by David Griffiths - 28 October 2010 12:36

Increasingly powerful voices in India are calling for a true end to
untouchability and discrimination based on caste.

Every day, Uma walks through the village with her basket to the
communal latrine. Nobody touches her along the way. She has an enamel
toilet in her own home, but she cleans the excrement of others because
this is the job assigned by her caste. This practi

When President Obama visits India next month, it is quite certain that
he will pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, perceived around the world as
one of history's most celebrated symbols of liberation, and a source
of inspiration for the American president himself.

But there are calls within India for Mr Obama to look further than
Gandhi in his homage to Indian heroes. For India's community of 167
million Dalits, once known as 'untouchables', their true icon is Dr
B.R. Ambedkar. Himself an untouchable, Dr Ambedkar gained doctorates
from Columbia University, where Mr Obama himself was educated, and at
the London School of Economics, before becoming the architect of
independent India's new constitution.

Relatively little-known internationally, Ambedkar has accrued almost
divine status as the focal point for Dalit aspirations. Within India,
Ambedkar appears everywhere. His statues easily outnumber those of
Gandhi. Deep in communities of Dalits, you will hear the greeting,
"jai Bhim", meaning "hail Bhimrao [Ambedkar]". You will see Ambedkar's
portrait in any self-assertive Dalit's home, and his name is spoken
with pride. When the nation marked his fiftieth death anniversary in
2006, over 800,000 Dalits crowded to pay him their respects in Mumbai.

Dalits stress that unlike the Mahatma, Ambedkar challenged the very
existence of the caste system as the basis for discrimination against
Dalits. It is because of Ambedkar, they say, that the oppressed Dalits
play any part in India's political and administrative structures -
albeit a limited part. That is why anti-caste activists are urging Mr
Obama to pay homage to Dr Ambedkar, as a true giant of the cause of
liberation from oppression.

These calls are just one sign of the increasingly powerful
vocalisation of Dalit aspirations for the recognition of their cause,
and for social, economic and cultural equality. Dalit aspirations for
liberation from caste oppression - and it is important to add that
Dalits suffer discrimination in every religious community - are
resonating increasingly loudly around the world. The issue has gained
profile at the UN, with the Committee for the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination having charged the Indian government to bring about
clear improvements in a number of areas. NGOs continue to press
companies investing in India to tailor their corporate social
responsibility (CSR) policies to address the specific challenges of
caste discrimination.

Two campaigners against caste discrimination, S. Anand and Meena
Kandasamy, visited London last week to highlight the cause, by
speaking at events around a photography exhibition, Being Untouchable.

The exhibition, by Marcus Perkins for CSW, offered a sympathetic
series of portraits of the many different faces of untouchability in
modern India, in a powerful reminder of the tens of millions of
victims among the Dalits whose plight needs to be addressed: the woman
who cleans excrement from a dry latrine because it is her caste job,
the young girl pushed into burning ashes because she walked on a path
reserved for 'high' castes and who may never get justice, the
destitute who may always be excluded from education and opportunities.
Theirs are the stories that truly need to be heard amid the cacophony
of coverage of India's economic boom.

Reading from her deeply moving 2006 poetry collection at the launch
last week, Meena Kandasamy offered a poignant reminder of the depth of
Dalit aspirations for drastic change:

We will rebuild worlds from shattered glass and
remnants of holocausts.
[...] It will begin the way thunder rises in our throats and we
will brandish our slogans with a stormy stress and
succeed to chronicle to convey the last stories
of our lost and scattered lives.

David Griffiths is South Asia team leader at Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

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[ZESTCaste] Vellakoil Dalits petition Collector

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/article854725.ece

Vellakoil Dalits petition Collector

R. Vimal Kumar
Dalits from Vellakoil block petitioned the Collector and
Superintendent of Police on Wednesday seeking the officials'
intervention to ensure that the people from the community were given
unrestricted access into the 'New Uthamapalayam Mariamman temple'
situated in the block without any caste discrimination.

They also demanded that the 350 sovereign jewellery and huge cash
assets of the original Uthamapalayam Mariamman temple, which is now
under the custody of a private trust, be returned to the temple.

Incident
Uthamapalayam Temple entry agitation committee convener S. Karuppaiah
told The Hindu that the representation was made based on the incident
which took place on October 21 when the Dalits from Uthampalayam,
Dasavanaickenpatti and nearby hamlets were denied entry into the 'New
Uthamapalayam Mariamman temple' by caste Hindus.

The 'New Uthamapalayam temple', according to Mr Karuppiah, has been
built by the caste Hindus who had stated that allowing the entry of
Dalits in the original Uthamapalayam temple from 2005 made the shrine
lose its sanctity.

On the transfer of jewellery and cash of the original Mariamman
temple, Mr. Karuppiah said it was disturbing to understand that the
jewellery and cash belonging to the temple had mysteriously gone into
the hands of a trust formed only in 1983 whereas the temple was taken
over by the HR&CE department way back in 1962 itself.

The Dalits in the locality, according to him, wanted the officials
concerned to take steps for stopping caste discrimination and to
distribute a share of the 240 acre of temple land in the area, which
had gone into the hands of 'benami' persons over a period, to the
Dalits.

Request
The committee members also requested the police to arrest all persons
belonging to the caste Hindus who had unleashed attack on the Dalit
population on October 21 when they tried to enter the sanctum
sanctorum of the 'New Uthamapalayam Mariamman temple'.

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[ZESTCaste] India's 'untouchables' to build temple to 'Goddess of the English language'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/8090491/Indias-untouchables-to-build-temple-to-Goddess-of-the-English-language.html

India's 'untouchables' to build temple to 'Goddess of the English language'

India's downtrodden "untouchables" are to open a temple to a "Goddess
of the English language" in honour of Lord Macaulay, an architect of
the British Empire.

By Dean Nelson in New Delhi
Published: 9:00PM BST 27 Oct 2010

They believe learning English will open up new opportunities for
India's 160 million Dalits in higher education and high-status
government careers.

Dalits are India's most persecuted caste and its members suffer
violence and discrimination throughout the country. There are regular
reports of Dalit boys being murdered for illicit relationships with
higher caste girls.

Leaders of the influential Dalit movement in Uttar Pradesh state,
where the pro-dalit Bahujan Samaj Party is in power, believe more
could escape the worst aspects of "untouchability" if they master the
English language.

A foundation stone was laid in April and a 30 inch brass statue of the
'goddess' was dispatched from New Delhi to Lakimpuri Kheri village in
Uttar Pradesh where campaigners are hoping to open the temple formally
in honour of Lord Macauley, the 19th Century colonial official who
sought to create an English-speaking Indian middle-class elite.

"The idea is to make English a matter of faith among Dalits because we
believe it is an empowering language. If a Dalit woman starts
worshipping English as a goddess, there is no way her kids would
escape the 'ABC' from their childhood," said Chandra Bhan Prasad, the
Dalit author behind the plan.

He believes speaking English will help Dalits make better marriages.
He said the temple, which will cost around £14,000, will include
carvings of famous quotes by English authors and an icon of Lord
Macaulay.

He is now planning to build more 'Macaulay temples' throughout India.

Lord Macaulay wanted to "form a class who may be interpreters between
us and the millions whom we govern; a class of persons, Indian in
blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in
intellect". Today his name is reviled by nationalists and the word
'Macaulayite' is still used as a term of abuse for the Anglicised
Indian elite.

The plan to celebrate his role in spreading English in India was
denounced yesterday by a spokesman for the nationalist opposition
Bharatiya Janata Party.

"A language can be a source of increasing knowledge but cannot be a
source of worship. If people say that it is a godlike symbol, that's
unacceptable," said Siddarth Nath Singh.

Pavane K Varma, author of "Being Indian", said while he supports the
teaching of English in Indian schools, it must not be at the expense
of children mastering their own language and culture.

"If you start teaching English in first grade and Baa Baa Black Sheep
before your own language, you're making a big mistake," he said.

"Losing your linguistic roots and saying that's the best way [for
Dalit] upward mobility is a false argument."

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[ZESTCaste] AP: Upper castes deny water to dalits in village

http://expressbuzz.com/states/andhrapradesh/ap-upper-castes-deny-water-to-dalits-in-village/218707.html

AP: Upper castes deny water to dalits in village

Express News ServiceFirst Published : 28 Oct 2010 04:03:01 AM ISTLast
Updated : 28 Oct 2010 09:05:18 AM IST

NELLORE: Tension prevailed in Vaddipalem hamlet of Kothavangallu
village panachayat in Kodavaluru mandal when the upper caste people of
the village prevented dalits from the Dalitwada from using water of
the village well.

As the news spread like wildfire, several dalit organisations rushed
to the village resulting in exchange of arguments between the upper
caste people and dalit leaders. District collector K Ramgopal directed
the Kodavaluru MRO to get the pipeline fixed and restore water supply
from the well to the Dalitwada and submit a report on the incident
immediately.

Vaddipalem, 30 km from here, has two wells, one used by the upper
castes and the other by dalits. The water in the well meant for dalits
got contaminated a few months ago. Following a request by the dalits,
the collector sanctioned Rs1 lakh for laying a pipeline from the other
well in the village to supply drinking water to the Dalitwada.

According to Kodavalur tahsildar N Syamalamma, the two groups had
agreed to the arrangement and things went smoothly.

However, four days ago, an upper caste person had allegedly de-linked
the pipeline cutting of water to Dalits.When the dalits went to the
well to fetch water, they were chased away by the upper caste people.
The dalits were forced to use the contaminated water for the last four
days.

As the news spread, several dalit leaders from other places rushed to
the village in support of the local dalits.

MRPS district president J Ramanaiah condemned the ill-treatment of
dalits and said even after six decades of independence, caste
discrimination was still prevalent and Vaddipallem incident stood
testimony to it. Bahujan Samaj Party Kovur incharge B Mastanaiah said
it was unfortunate that discrimination against dalits was still
continuing.

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[ZESTCaste] Caste blood thicker than sweat of development

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/caste-blood-thicker-than-sweatdevelopment/412953/

Caste blood thicker than sweat of development

Saubhadra Chatterji / Phulwaria/ Salar Kala October 28, 2010, 0:54 IST

This is the first in a three-part report on the mood in the state,
which is in the midst of six-phase Assembly elections

Lalu Prasad: Yes; Rabri Devi: No. The two opposition leaders are
trying to win back the confidence of the masses in Bihar. But in their
backyard, the result of their exertions is mixed. Phulwaria, Lalu
Prasad's birthplace, sees overwhelming support for the Yadav leader.
Three kms away at former chief minister Rabri Devi's village Salar
Kala, people, however, want Nitish Kumar to return to head the state.

A stone's throw from Rabri Devi's ancestral home, there is a health
centre in Salar Kala. "The centre was built long ago. Only recently,
during Nitish Kumar's regime, have we seen doctors coming regularly.
Medicines have been made available," says Jain Kumar Singh, a vendor
of mobile phone connections.

It is a Kushwaha-dominated village. Although Kushwahas and Yadavs both
fall in the Other Backward Classes category, the groups have separate
political aspirations.

Lalu Prasad, however, will still win a popularity poll in Phulwaria.
This is a village dominated by Yadavs and caste camaraderie pays
higher dividends than developmental efforts by Nitish Kumar's
government.

"Even if you talk about development, Laluji had already done
everything for the village. There is a power sub-station, 30-bed
hospital, telephone exchange, registry office and police station,"
says Subhas Prasad Yadav.

Lalu's brother, Gulab Yadav, still lives in the village where the
Yadav brothers have three houses, apart from farmland. "I feel the
atmosphere is in favour of my brother. People are fed up with
corruption in Nitish Kumar's rule," he says.

In many parts of Bihar, the credit for improved roads it notched up to
Nitish Kumar's government even if they are National Highways or roads
built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna, which means they are
funded by the central government. But Lalu's political message has
gone down well in his Phulwaria.

"Arre, all these roads are done with Central funds. Anybody can do
this if you get money from Delhi. Why give Nitish Kumar the credit?"
questions Kamlesh Yadav, adding: "Yes, the law & order situation has
improved. But officials have become arrogant and inaccessible."

Rabri Devi's parents are in a dilemma as their daughter is a Rashtriya
Janata Dal (RJD) candidate, while son Sadhu Yadav is contesting on a
Congress ticket from neighbouring Gopalganj. Both Phulwaria and Salar
Kala fall in the Hathua constituency, but Maharajo Devi, the mother,
says, "I don't know which way to go."

Bhola Singh and friend Nandlal Singh are, however, clear: "What is so
important about Rabri Devi's house being in this village? We want
development." Villagers like Rajji Singh—another Kushwaha—fear that
"once the RJD comes back to power, its leaders will try to capture our
land".

But there is one similarity between the two VIP villages: both are
angry with their incumbent JD(U) MLA Ramsevak Singh. While Salar Kala
will still vote for him for the sake of Nitish Kumar, Lalu's Phulwaria
will oppose him to see its favourite leader back in power.

------------------------------------

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