Wednesday, November 3, 2010

[ZESTCaste] Ambedkar: I am awake because my people are still sleeping

 

Dear friends,

 

You must have read the story of a reporter's visit to Jinnah, Gandhi and Ambedkar. I will narrate it again for anyone who has not already heard it:

 

Around the time of Independence, a press reporter went to visit Jinnah at night. He was sleeping. He went to Gandhi who was also fast asleep. Finally he went to Dr Ambedkar's house late at night. Babasaheb was awake. The reporter asked him why he was awake when Gandhi and Jinnah were sleeping. He replied: 'They are asleep because their people are awakened. But I am awake because my people are still sleeping.'

 

I posted an "Open Letter to Obama …petition" a while ago. So far it has received 148 endorsements. Dalits appear to be a small minority among the endorsers. Are you guys still sleeping, more than 60 years after independence?

 

Come on guys and gals, all that you need to do is click on the following link, read the letter if you have not read it yet, (I am sure you would like it,) and then sign the same!

 

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ToObama/

Thanks,

Regards,

Satinath

 

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[ZESTCaste] Re: [nri-sahi] Fwd: [progressive interactions3550] An open letter to President Obama about dalits and tribal people in India

 

Dear Imran Bhai,

 

You have so correctly observed: "Both, the Dalits and the minorities are untouchable one way or the other."  I am very encouraged by the abundant support this petition has received so far from the Muslim community. It is only when all of the underprivileged segments make the emancipation of all deprived groups that we will be able to emancipate all of them. Each of them fighting just for themselves is too small to make substantial gain.

 

Just look at the following facts:

 

With a population of around 15%, Muslims by themselves can't win many seats in elections. As a result Muslims have not even bothered to form a national Muslim party.

 

With about the same population share, Dalits (Scheduled Castes) have formed BSP, and have had some success in UP. But the success in UP has been on account of a number of factors: (1) In UP population share of Dalits is around 22%, (2) In UP they have a peculiar four way competition among BSP, SP, BJP and Congress. This makes the UP electoral result very erratic and unpredictable. After winning over 51.12% of state assembly seats with 30.43% votes in 2006, in the very next election (this time for Lok Sabha in 2009), BSP won just 25% seats with about 27.4% of votes. These are vagaries of FPTP.

 

Any way, to make the long story short, Dalits, with just around 15% population are not going to much for themselves acting just by themselves.

 

Same is the case with the lower half of OBC segment.

 

Christians, with just a population slice of just about 2% stand to be total non-factors in any election, all by themselves.

 

But if they embraced each other and each others' causes, they will account for well over 50% population slice, and politically very potent force. Hence the deprived must embrace each other and each other's causes. We cannot embrace each other without supporting each others' causes.

 

Thank you very much for your support.

Best regards,

Satinath

 

===========


--- On Sun, 10/31/10, mohammad imran <imran@verizon.net> wrote:

From: mohammad imran <imran@verizon.net>
Subject: [nri-sahi] Fwd: [progressive interactions3550] An open letter to President Obama about dalits and tribal people in India
To: "nri-SAHI" <NRI-SAHI@YAHOOGROUPS.COM>
Date: Sunday, October 31, 2010, 10:21 PM

 

Please circulate the petition and ask people on your email list to send this petition to President Obama as he visits India. We ask President Obama to support the bill of July 24, 2007, passed by the Congress and the Senate of the United States, to address the ongoing problem of untouchability in India. Problems of untouchability and problems of minorities in India are concurrent and similar. Both, the Dalits and the minorities are untouchable one way or the other. Removal of untouchability of one will have effect on removing the untouchability of the other. We want every Indian to have the equal rights in India. Removing untouchability is the first step.


Imran

Begin forwarded message:

From: Satinath Choudhary <satichou@gmail.com>
Date: October 31, 2010 10:05:08 PM EDT
Cc: Atul Krishna Biswas <atul.biswas@gmail.com>
Subject: [progressive interactions3550] An open letter to President Obama about dalits and tribal people in India

Dear friends,

 

I do not know if Indian media gave much publicity to, and whether it caught your attention, but on July 24 of 2007 the US Senate as well as House of Representatives passed a concurrent resolution expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States should address the ongoing problem of untouchability in India. Well, Dr. A.K. Biswas did remember that resolution and would very much like to remind President Obama of the same. We have placed "An open letter to President Obama about dalits and tribal people in India" at:

 

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ToObama/

As you would note from the online Open Letter, realizing that these things take time, we propose to keep on reminding President Obama and the US Congress on July 24 of the next couple of years, anniversary dates of the well considered resolution passed by the Congress on July 24 of 2007, to review any follow up actions taken. In the mean time we will continue to invite more and more endorsements from across the globe sympathetic to the cause of dalit and tribal communities to complement the voice of voiceless.

 

Keeping the above in view, please sign the said online "Open Letter" and let us all try to collect thousands of endorsements to present to Obama not only when he is in India, but the next year as well as the year after with thousands more signature on the open letter. In this endeavor you can send letters to your friends and to other forums stating something to the effect:

 

----

Dear Friends,

I have just read and signed the online petition:

"An open letter to President Obama about dalits and tribal people in India" hosted on the web by PetitionOnline.com, the free online petition service, at:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ToObama/

I personally agree with what this petition says, and I think you might agree, too.  If you can spare a moment, please take a look, and consider signing yourself.

Best wishes,

 

----

 

Thanking you very much,

With best regards,

Satinath Choudhary

 

===========


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[ZESTCaste] Buddha Dhamma Conference will be held at Lucknow (UP) on November 20-21, 2010.

 

Buddha Dhamma Conference will be held at Lucknow (UP) on November 20-21, 2010.
The Buddhists Society of India Branch Lucknow (UP) will going to
organize " Buddha Dhamma Conference" at Ravindralaya Auditorium, Charbagh,
Lucknow, UP on November 20-21, 2010. The following dignitaries will be
participated.
* Inauguration : Hon. Mayawati (Chief Minister, UP)
* Blessing : Ven. Banagala Upatissa(Global President, Mahabodhi Society)
Ven. G. Pragnyanand ( Lucknow, UP)
Ven. Rashmi Mahathero ( Sarnath, UP)
Ven. Sadanand ( National President, Bikkhu Sangha)
* Chairperson : Hon. Chandrabodhi Patil ( National President, TBSI)
* Chief Guests : Hon. Dr. P. G. Jyotikar ( Founder Member, TBSI)
* Dr. Milind Jiwane(President, Ashwaghosh Buddhist Foundation)
* Prof. Dr. Pradeep Agalave ( Dr Ambedkar Thoughts, Nagpur)
* Dr. Kamal Singh (Lucknow, UP)
* Farewell Function Guest : Hon. Hon. P.L. Puniya (MP)
Chairman of Sc/ST Commission, Govt. of India
You are co-ordially invited to participate in the said function.
With Best Compliments From :
* Jagjeewan Prasad
President,
The Buddhist Society of India (UP)

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[ZESTCaste] Re: Former manual scavengers demand apology from government

 


--- In ZESTCaste@yahoogroups.com, "chandrakanth_patthi"
<chandrakanth.patthi@...> wrote:
>
> Former manual scavengers demand apology from governmentVidya
> Subrahmaniam
>
> http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article863436.ece
>
>
> The capital's Constitution Club resounded on Monday to cries of
> “Jai Bhim” as a huge gathering of former manual
scavengers
> rose as one to demand an apology from the government for the wrongs
done
> to the community. “Apologise now for the violation of our
> dignity,” they said.
>
> The choice of venue, with portraits of Babasaheb Ambedkar forming the
> backdrop, was perhaps intendedly ironic. It was to remind the country
of
> its failure to redeem its pledge towards the most wretched of its
> citizens â€" the Scheduled Castes, and among them, those condemned
> to the obnoxious practice of manual scavenging. Sixty years after the
> Constitution abolished untouchability and decreed all citizens to be
> equal and free, one section continued to be subjected to the most
> abhorrent of all human rights violations.
>
> Expectedly the audience roared in approval, each time a liberated
> “safai karamchari” narrated her personal story of
> sufferings and vowed never again to go back to “that life of
> shame and indignity.” The speeches were punctuated by shouts of
> sukhi roti khayenge, maila nahi uthayenge (it does not matter if we
have
> nothing to eat, we will not do manual scavenging) and
“apologise,
> apologise.” Each speaker spoke in her native tongue but the
> accounts of pain and humiliation were similar.
>
> Anita, a former manual scavenger from Uttar Pradesh, said she and her
> mother worked long hours, often without water, because they were
> outcasts who could not touch any utensils. Anita wanted to know if
India
> had really gained Independence. “I will celebrate Independence
> Day when we are treated as equals.” Saroj from Haryana spoke of
> people covering their noses and waving her away in disgust. Anita from
> Punjab said she once slipped and fell while in an advanced stage of
> pregnancy. As no one gave her a hand, she lay covered in excreta.
>
> The star of the day was the spit-fire Umayal from Tamil Nadu.
Recalling
> her school days, she said she used to be made to stand in a corner and
> was ordered to bring her own plate because her mother cleaned human
> excreta. “This is happening even today. I want to ask the
> government: You spend so much money on advertising on TV. Why can't
you
> use some of it to spread awareness about us? Why can't my children
> study? Why can't they become Collectors? Why not? Why not?” The
> tearful Umayal was led away to screams of “apologise,
> apologise” from the audience.
>
> Social activist Aruna Roy asked for reservation for the community, not
> in sweeper categories, but in higher education and in the higher
> bureaucracy.
>
> Communist Party of India general secretary D. Raja said the clean-up
> should begin from the Railways which was the largest employer of
manual
> scavengers. “If this is not a national shame, what is,”
he
> asked, wondering at the paradox of a government willing to spend
> Rs.70,000 crore on the Commonwealth Games but not mustering the will
to
> uplift the manual scavenging community.
>
> The Safai Karmachari Andolan has demanded a comprehensive
rehabilitation
> package, including stringent punishment to those found to be employing
> manual scavengers in violation of the Manual Scavengers and Dry
Latrine
> Construction (Prohibition) Act, 1993.
>I congratulate the step taken by scavenging workers at delhi. It is
shameful that the governments in independent India bother least to see
how untouchability is still in practice. Governments are under the grip
of those forces who do not want untouchability or caste discrimnation
should go. The governing class is still the upper caste who bother not
for bringing social equality. the governments are not for annihilation
of caste & untouchability. The scavenging community is the worst suffere
of untouchability in India. No where in the world such an inhuman
treatment is meted to thed working class. This is Indian racism -
casteism. Prime need is to fight it by all the sufferers. There is need
to change the governing culture and by changing govrning class & not
only ruling class. Govrning class as defined by Dr Ambedkar in his
treatise "What Congress and Gandhi have Done to the untouchables". and
also waging the struggle to annihilate the caste system.

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[ZESTCaste] Lucknow: Molesters chop off girl's fingers

 

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/118764/India/lucknow-molesters-chop-off-girls-fingers.html

Lucknow: Molesters chop off girl's fingers

Headlines Today Bureau
Lucknow, November 3, 2010
Updated 12:27 IST

A teenaged Dalit girl was publicly molested and her fingers chopped
off in Lucknow on Tuesday. The class XII student was attacked as she
spurned the advances made by some local goons.

The boys first harassed the girl while she was returning from her
coaching class. The alleged molesters gagged and assaulted the girl on
her way. They then forced their way into the three-wheeler in which
she was travelling and chopped off her fingers.

"The goons threatened that since I had filed a complaint with the
police, they would chop off my fingers to ensure that I could never
write again. One of the boys held my hands and another hit on my
fingers with a knife. Some of my fingers are severely injured," the
victim said.

Her ordeal did not end there. The accused then threw her off the
moving vehicle.

The victim had filed a complaint against the accused earlier for
teasing and threatening her. As the police failed to act, the girl's
complaint enraged the goons. After the brutal assault, police finally
got into action and arrested two accused.

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[ZESTCaste] More about Dalit hopes and despair

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/Readers-Editor/article861734.ece

More about Dalit hopes and despair

The Hindu S. Viswanathan, Readers' Editor, The Hindu

Last week's column, "The plight of Dalits and the news media" (October
25, 2010), has generated a lively and interesting response from
several readers. The column was about the prioritisation of the tasks
before the National Commission for the Scheduled Castes (NCSC) by its
new Chairman, P.L. Punia (not P.J. Punia as erroneously mentioned in
the column.) The concern of most who wrote was over the failure of
successive governments to achieve the empowerment of Scheduled Castes
and Scheduled Tribes, the most vulnerable of the country's poor, 63
years after Independence. This reveals not only their awareness of the
pain of these victims of anti-human oppression, but also of official
and bureaucratic indifference to their predicament. Readers are also
aware of the lack of political will among those in power to help find
a way out of this shameful situation. This is a far cry from the
situation prevailing, say, 15-20 years ago, when reports that
untouchability was still being practised in many parts of the country
as harshly as ever carried little credibility among readers.

As recently as in 1990, political leaders tended to deny that
discrimination was practised against Dalits in teashops, where the
beverage was served to Dalits and non-Dalits in two different sets of
tumblers. These leaders asserted that it might have happened in one or
two remote villages. It was as though they believed, and wanted others
to believe, that the constitutional ban on untouchability had
abolished it on the ground. The atrocities against Dalits were
depicted by most political parties and much of the media as
'inter-caste clashes' and the outcome of some needless provocation,
usually from the Dalit side. Further, there was a marked tendency to
equate the perpetrators of oppression and violence with the victims.
Policemen, the overwhelming majority of whom were 'caste-Hindus,'
almost always threw their weight behind their kin. Dalits thus became
the victims of both caste oppression and hatred and the custodians of
law.

It was only during the first decade of the present century that large
numbers of newspaper readers apparently began to see the Dalit
question in fact-based perspective. In turn, there was a perceptible
improvement in the media's approach to, and coverage of, what may
broadly be termed the Dalit Question, a critical challenge facing
rising India. Unlike the previous decade, when reader ratings of
Dalit-related reports were generally poor, the past decade has seen a
spurt of lively responses to reports and editorial articles on
poverty, caste-based oppression, and social injustice. Young men and
women entering the field of journalism after being sensitised to the
issue by good teachers in serious journalism schools or departments
began writing on Dalit issues boldly and with elan. At least a few of
the mainstream newspapers turned their focus on the plight of the poor
and the oppressed. This is a heartening trend in agenda building,
which in turn has sensitised and influenced readers.

The responses to last week's column on Mr. Punia's appeal to the
central government to provide job reservation came from readers with
different backgrounds. Almost all of them showed great concern for the
victims. The NCSC has prioritised the tasks ensuring reservation for
Dalits in the private sector and maximising the benefits of such plans
to Dalits.

Speedy and effective action called for

A former Governor of Mizoram, Dr. A. Padmanaban, who now lives in
Chennai, pointed out in his comment on the column that reservation for
Scheduled Castes in the private sector had been discussed and debated
over a long period: "The Bill introduced in Parliament some years ago
was deferred and not dropped on the assurances and promises given by
leading industrialists led by Mr. Ratan Tata in the form of a
statement for affirmative action. This statement and proposal were
given to them, on the initiative of Mr. Ratan Tata, to the Prime
Minister, the Minister of Social Justice and others on 25/5/2005. This
proposal includes training, scholarships, reservation in private
sector companies etc." He added that it was on the basis of these
assurances and in good faith that the Government of India deferred the
Reservation Bill. Dr. Padmanaban's assessment is that "the measures
taken by private sector to implement their affirmative action plan
have been tardy and unsatisfactory." He has been in correspondence
with the Prime Minister, the Minister for Social Justice, Mr. Ratan
Tata, and organisations such as CII-Assocham and FICCI on this matter.
"Speedy and effective action is called for. The Indian industrialists
have to be more liberal and discharge their social responsibility
effectively," Dr. Padmanaban concluded.

The Bill on Reservation, pending before Parliament, seeks to provide
job reservation for the weaker sections of society in view of
privatisation of several public sector units in the country. The
assurance was part of the electoral commitments made by UPA-1
(2004-2009) in its National Common Minimum Programme. According to
some newspaper reports, the representatives of the industry chambers
recently conveyed their "inability to implement" the suggestion made
to these organisations by the Union Commerce and Industry Ministry to
reserve five per cent of jobs for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes. In turn, Mr. Punia has recently at a meeting with the press at
Hyderabad served notice on the private sector that it "will … have to
do something for the disadvantaged sections," failing which he would
press for legislation to bring this about.

Another reader, Mr. Punitha Pandiyan, who edits a popular Tamil
magazine, Dalit Murasu, referred in his letter to the diversion of
funds meant for Dalit welfare projects under the Scheduled Castes
Sub-Plan to the Commonwealth Games. He regarded this as a notable
omission in this column. A report in The Indian Express of August 26,
2010 cited by Mr. Pandiyan said that the government admitted in the
Rajya Sabha that over Rs. 670 crore meant for Scheduled Castes welfare
projects was diverted to CWG work by the Delhi Government. Explaining
the diversion of funds, Home Minister P. Chidambaram told the House
that from 2006-2007 to the current fiscal, out of Rs. 7,062 crores
(under indivisible funds) Rs. 678.91 crores were given for CWG
projects. He further said while the divisible funds had to be
necessarily used exclusively for SCs, money from the indivisible pool
could be used for projects such as building stadiums, bridges and
flyovers. In Mr. Pandiyan's view, this diversion of funds amounted to
a breach of trust.

This reader also cited a report dated October 15, which said that Mr.
Punia took serious note of the Delhi Government's alleged diversion of
funds meant for the welfare of the Dalits to the Commonwealth Games
and "demanded refund in case it had happened." He was quoted as
saying: "As a Chairman of the Commission, I would not allow any
government whether of the Congress-ruled States or the
Opposition-ruled States, to divert the funds meant for the Dalits to
other purposes." Mr. Pandiyan wanted Mr. Punia to take action to get
the money refunded, in the light of the August 26 statement of the
Union Home Minister.

Another reader, M.N. Sanil from New Delhi, contended in his e-mail
that "reservation in the private sector is linked to the cultural
capital (in the Bourdieuan sense) of Dalits, which they acquire from
education and families. The oppression they face in the education
system and outside the system discriminates and excludes them in a
conscious-brutal fashion." He expressed optimism in his belief that
"contemporary Dalit struggles that are non-ngoised in nature can
challenge the diverse and existing ideological forms of caste."

Feudal foundation

S.V. Venugopalan of Chennai was clear about the root of the problem:
"The feudal foundation of this vast nation is too deeply entrenched
and the roots of social discrimination lie embedded in our genes…When
people of various social strata play an equally important role in
building a nation and nourishing it, [the] casteist perspective has no
place in any modern society." Another reader, S. Raghavan of Chennai,
commented: "If only our governments had organised a massive education
programme for Dalit children from the primary stage, the problem might
have been largely solved by now." This progressive observation has
some truth in it but the challenge is clearly not as single-track or
as simple as this assertion suggests.

This discussion on one of India's vital national questions must continue.

readerseditor@thehindu.co.in


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[ZESTCaste] Schemes come and go, Musahars remain lowest of the low

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Schemes-come-and-go-Musahars-remain-lowest-of-the-low/articleshow/6848004.cms

Schemes come and go, Musahars remain lowest of the low
Sachin Parashar, TNN, Nov 1, 2010, 05.02am IST

PATNA/GAYA: As the Centre and the Nitish Kumar-led state government
continue to fight to take credit for poor-oriented schemes, the
Musahars of Bihar, the legendary rat-eaters who are at the bottom of
the social ladder, are wondering what the debate is all about. Whether
it is MNREGA or benefits promised under Kumar's Mahadalit initiative,
development seems to have passed them by.

According to Musahars themselves, there is no other scheme which has
failed them more than the high profile and ground breaking MNREGA.
Right from Danapur near Patna to Jehanabad and Gaya in central Bihar,
there is no dearth of Musahars who mouth expletives at the mere
mention of MNREGA.

"We were promised 100 days of paid work under the scheme but can you
see a single entry in my job card? Despite having made several
complaints to local authorities including the BDO, nothing has
changed," Ramnath Manjhi said squatting outside his mud hut at the
Musahar Toli in Purushottampur near Naubatpur Bazaar in Patna
district. He and his brother Laloon display their job cards with no
entry at all.

The story is similar in the Musahar Toli at Raja Bigha village in Gaya
district. "Despite repeatedly asking for it, there is no work. We were
told that there would be some unemployment allowance too but nothing
has happened," said Jitendra Lal of the village.

According to Munna Manjhi, a resident of the Musahar Tola on the road
leading to Shivala Crossing from Danapur station, though, Rahul Gandhi
cannot be blamed for continuously praising MNREGA during his election
campaign. "We believe the state government has not implemented it
well. We have complained so many times to the BDO and other local
officials but it seems nobody wants to listen to us at the panchayat
and district level at least," said Munna, surrounded by many others
who too said they were yet to get any work.

Musahars were included in the Mahadalit category but even this doesn't
seem to be of much help. According to these Musahars, the inclusion of
other educationally better off communities like Pasi in Mahadalit
section in 2009 has further hurt Musahars. "The Tola Sewak of this
area happens to be a Pasi when the fact is that we are more than
double their number in this area," said Laloon. A Tola Sewak is
appointed at the village level with a salary of Rs 1,000 per month to
help members of dalit communities.

Musahars account for close to 16% of the total SC population of Bihar
and are generally regarded as the most backward and illiterate among
all communities of the state. Manjhi and his brother Laloon said
Musahars of their village, which falls under Bikram constituency, will
vote for the LJP candidate even though the party is dominated by
Paswans.

For most Musahars, paldari or carrying load on their shoulders in
local markets remains their main occupation. "For us, a good day is
earning Rs 60 through paldari," said Laloon.

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[ZESTCaste] Temple to teach English to untouchables

 

http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article734800.ece/Temple-to-teach-English-to-untouchables

Temple to teach English to untouchables

Oct 31, 2010 12:00 AM | By Sapa-DPA

----------------------------------------------------------
A temple to "Goddess English" is being built in a village in India's
Uttar Pradesh state to encourage the local Dalit community to learn
English.
----------------------------------------------------------
Current Font Size: The Dalits, or former untouchables, are below the
lowest rung of the Hindu caste system. Despite decades of affirmative
action, much of the community is still poor and employed to do menial
tasks.

The temple in Banka village of Lakhimpur Kheri district would teach
English to Dalits and help them to progress, PTI news agency quoted as
saying Chandra Bhan Prasad, who came up with the idea.

The temple is planned as a single-storey structure with a facade of
black granite. Inside, there would be an idol in the shape of a
computer wearing a gown and hat, holding a pen and a copy of the
Indian Constitution.

Engravings of symbols and formulae of physics, chemistry, mathematics
and English sayings are planned for the walls.

Construction of the temple began in April and is due to be completed
by November, Prasad said. A sizeable number of Dalits live in Banka
and surrounding areas.

"This temple would help encourage them to learn the language which has
become essential for one's growth, as in 20 years' time no decent job
would be available without a knowledge of English," he said.

The temple is located on the site of a Dalit education centre and will
be run by a trust, said Prasad.

An estimated 350 million of India's population of more than one
billion speak English, which is the preferred language of the elite
and is widely seen as a passport to jobs and a better life. -

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