Latest News Update: Dec 1, 2010

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

[ZESTCaste] Tension over statue desecration

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Tension-over-statue-desecration/articleshow/7018975.cms

Tension over statue desecration
TNN, Dec 1, 2010, 02.06am IST

NAGPUR: Tension gripped part of Bidipeth after some unidentified
miscreant damaged a part of Dr Ambedkar's statue. Sakkardara cops
swung into action and installed a new statue within a few hours to
mollify the enraged crowd.

Still, the action led to protests by various dalit organizations and
social workers. The protestors did not allow the cops to install the
new statue and demanded that the culprit be traced first. According to
the cops, residents from Adivasi Nagar located behind Sakkardara Lake
noticed the act of desecration early Tuesday morning. A large number
of people including Bhimrao Madke, who had established the statue 17
years ago, gathered and staged a protest. The protestors then covered
the statue with a white cloth.

Learning of the incident, senior police officers visited the spot and
assured the agitators of action against the culprit. As demanded by
the protestors, assistant commissioner of police S M Wankhede brought
another statue. The agitators said the mischievous act might be to
foment trouble. They claimed similar acts had taken place in the last
year at Bidipeth and Bhande Plot. "We will not tolerate such acts any
more," said Prashant Barsade, a Congress worker.

To prevent such incidents, the protestors also demanded that a
protective glass cover be installed on all idols in the city. "It
should also have a lock system so that the idol can be cleaned and
worshipped on the festive days," Barsade said.

The people wondered how the miscreant managed to flee despite security
guard deployed near Sakkardara lake. The cops said the security guard
and nearby residents were being questioned. Sakkardara police have
registered a case.

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[ZESTCaste] BJP slams CM for playing Dalit card

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/BJP-slams-CM-for-playing-Dalit-card/articleshow/7015436.cms

30 Nov, 2010, 03.45PM IST,PTI
BJP slams CM for playing Dalit card

CHENNAI: The BJP's Tamil Nadu unit today slammed DMK president and
Chief Minister M Karunanidhi for playing the Dalit card in the 2G
spectrum scam, allegedly involving his party colleague A Raja, saying
the issue should be seen only from a corruption angle and not caste
point.

'Caste has no place in this issue (of 2G spectrum scam).It is only a
case of corruption and Karunanidhi's argument (that Raja was being
targeted since he was a Dalit) holds no ground,' BJP's former state
unit president and senior leader L Ganesan told a press conference
here.

Karunanidhi was only attempting to divert attention on the allegations
of spectrum scam, which eventually led to Raja quitting as union
telecom Minister, he said adding people will not accept this.

Karunanidhi had said recently at Vellore that Raja was being targeted
since he was a Dalit.

'Is it fair to adopt one stand against a Brahmin (late T T
Krishnamachary) and another against a Dalit (Raja),' the DMK president
had said on Saturday.

He had pointed out that when an allegation of corruption was levelled
in the Nehru era against then Finance Minister Krishnamachary,he had
resigned from the Union ministry and the opposition, which demanded a
JPC probe before his resignation, had allowed Parliament to function
after his exit.

Ganesan termed the DMK the 'most casteist party' for playing the Dalit
card in this matter, though the 'party claims to be striving for a
caste-free society.'

He said whoever was involved in the scam should be brought to justice
and said that Raja was 'just a a pawn' in the entire episode, believed
to have caused the exchequer a loss of around Rs 1.76 lakh crore.

He said BJP would continue pressing for a Joint Parliamentary
Committee probe into allegations of spectrum scam.

Ganesan said party president Nitin Gadkari would spearhead a massive
demonstration on January 29 in Chennai on various issues.

On the Bihar poll results, he said people had voted for development
and put an ''end to dynasty politics and jungle raj.'

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[ZESTCaste] Dalit helpline to be revived soon

http://www.hindu.com/2010/11/25/stories/2010112551510300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Vellore

Dalit helpline to be revived soon

Staff Reporter

It will be a centralised and toll-free facility

VELLORE: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes will soon revive
the "Dalit Helpline." It will be a centralised and toll-free facility,
according to Member of the commission Latha Priyakumar.

"Such a helpline is necessary to help Adi Dravidars . They should feel
confident to call and can report any atrocity. The helpline is
currently not functional and will be restored soon. Similarly, the
commission's website will also be revived after holding discussions,"
she told reporters following a consultation meeting on Wednesday.

Prior to Vellore, Ms. Priyakumar had visited Tiruvallur and
Kancheepuram districts. "We held discussions with the Collector and
met officials of various departments. We looked into the injustices
and atrocities faced by Adi Dravidars and what action the district
administration has taken. Secondly, we saw the development and
maintenance of Adi Dravidar welfare schools and hostels and facilities
for children of the community. We have provided suggestions to the
district administration," she said.

A suggestion to supply sanitary napkins to girl students in schools
and hostels had been put forward. "At present, one mat is being
provided for children in Adi Dravidar hostels for two years. We have
suggested to the Collector to provide one mat for six months. This
could be carried out through private sponsors too," the member noted.

Establishing games facilities at welfare hostels was also suggested.
"It was pointed out that students of welfare schools were scoring low
in academics and so we have suggested conducting extra coaching for
their academic improvement," Ms. Priyakumar said.

About the implementation of SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act,
she said that in her experience, conviction was "quite good."
"However, the delay between filing case and redressal is too long. A
person belonging to the SC community needs courage to complain,
usually against the majority community which might later suppress the
case. This may not be the problem if the timeframe is shortened.
Awareness of the act is quite good in Tamil Nadu when compared to
other States," she said.

In Vellore, 25 cases had been registered under the Act so far this
year – eight had been referred to the Collector, nine were under trial
in court and eight under investigation.

The member said the commission would recommend for enhanced funding
for certain schemes for Adi Dravidar such as scholarships. This would
be decided after thorough study.

Collector C. Rajendran was present.

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[ZESTCaste] Dalits will oppose UPA move on reservation, says BJP

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Dalits-will-oppose-UPA-move-on-reservation-says-BJP/articleshow/7019574.cms

Dalits will oppose UPA move on reservation, says BJP
Dec 1, 2010, 05.11am IST

GANDHINAGAR: The BJP has warned that if UPA government seeks to go
ahead with reservation for minorities, especially Muslims and
Christians, as recommended by Justice Ranganath Mishra commission, the
party`s Dalit wing will "come on streets to oppose it". The warning,
made by BJP's all-India SC Morcha president Dushyant Gautam recently,
came within days of CM Narendra Modi`s concerted efforts to woo
Gujarat Muslims towards the party.

Gautam was addressing a meeting of the BJP's 540 SC representatives,
who won in the recent district and taluka panchayat and municipality
elections, which were held in October. Modi, present at the meeting,
asked BJP's SC representatives to get down to help doing grassroots
work taken up by the Gujarat government, particularly the cleanliness
drive in Dalit areas in villages by building toilets, "something which
has not been done for six decades".

BJP sources said that Modi is planning a separate meeting with 117
Muslims who made history by winning on BJP tickets in October. During
his address to Dalit representatives, Modi avoided any controversial
statements, which in the past had pushed his hard-line image.

Unlike Gautam, Modi made no mention of reservation to minorities, nor
did he reiterate his well-known criticism of prime minister Manmohan
Singh for allegedly declaring Muslims being the first recipients of
India`s resources.

Gautam not only recalled the PM's "statement" on Muslims, but also
said, "In case the reservation to minorities is legalized in
Parliament, Dalits would be deprived of becoming elected
representatives." He added, "If reservation is legalized, you will see
Abdul and Fernandez occupying the reserved seats occupied by SCs. You
must remember that any reservation to minorities would be done at the
cost of reservation for the Dalits."

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[ZESTCaste] Karuna has insulted Dalits by 'sheilding' Raja: CPI

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Karuna-has-insulted-Dalits-by---sheilding---Raja--CPI/718233

Karuna has insulted Dalits by 'sheilding' Raja: CPI
Agencies Posted online: Tue Nov 30 2010, 23:52 hrs
Tiruchirappalli : CPI Tamil Nadu unit Secretary D Pandian today
slammed Chief Minister M Karunanidhi for raising the caste angle while
trying to "shield" former union telecom minister A Raja in the
spectrum scam, saying he had "humiliated" and "insulted" Dalits.
"The question of caste does not come in the mega scandal of Rs 1.76
lakh crore. Not even a single paise from the scandal benefitted
Dalits," he told reporters here.

Briefing on the two-day state executive meeting of the party that
concluded today, Pandian charged Karunanidhi with humiliating and
insulting the Dalits of the state by trying to shield Raja.
Karunanidhi had recently said Raja was being targeted only because he
was a Dalit.

On alliance for assembly elections due early next year, Pandian said
it would be decided before the polls. However, CPI would not have any
truck with DMK and Congress, he said.

He said the meeting resolved to launch an anti-corruption campaign
throughout the state from December 6. He alleged that the law and
order situation in the state was bad. "Police are not impartial and
are dancing to the tunes of the ruling party, and that is the main
reason for all the ills (on law and order front)."

The meeting urged the government to immediately assess the flood
damage and pay relief of Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 for crop loss.

The government should also take steps to drain flood waters from the
farm fields in Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and other districts on a war
footing and save the crops.

The UPA Government was "ridiculing" democracy by not conceding the
opposition demand for a JPC probe into the Spectrum scam, he alleged.