Latest News Update: Dec 3, 2010

Friday, December 3, 2010

[ZESTCaste] India court okays Dalit leader Mayawati's statues park

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11910895

3 December 2010 Last updated at 13:14 GMT
India court okays Dalit leader Mayawati's statues park

Construction was stopped at the park in October last year

India's Supreme Court has said work can resume at a memorial park
being built by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati in the Delhi
suburb of Noida.

The court said 50% of the 75-acre park must have trees as it was close
to a bird sanctuary and that only 25% could involve permanent
structures.

Ms Mayawati is an icon for India's 160 million low-caste Hindus.

She is famous for building statues of herself and other Dalit icons
but denies encouraging a personality cult.

'Self-glorification'

The Supreme Court has appointed a three-member expert group to ensure
the park is built according to guidelines.

It had ordered the Mayawati government to stop building work in October 2009.

Mayawati, seen here wearing a garland of 1,000-rupee notes (Photo:
Krishan Saith)
Huge numbers of statues commissioned by Ms Mayawati can be seen in the
state capital, Lucknow, and other towns and cities of Uttar Pradesh.

Critics accuse her of self-glorification. She accuses them of
conspiring against her.

Uttar Pradesh is one of India's most deprived states, with a high
crime rate and poor health indicators.

Ms Mayawati's spending on statues and memorials has been described as
"shameful" by India's Home Minister P Chidambaram.

Last year, she unveiled 15 new memorials, including two of herself.

Statues of political leaders are generally put up posthumously, but Ms
Mayawati says that belief is outdated.

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[ZESTCaste] Role of statutory institutions on Dalits shocking : Study

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article930868.ece

JAIPUR, December 4, 2010

Role of statutory institutions on Dalits shocking : Study
Special Correspondent

A study on the role of statutory institutions in the protection of
Dalit rights in Rajasthan, the findings of which were released here on
Thursday, has revealed a shocking track record of various Commissions
as well as caste biases and nexus rampant in police and administration
resulting in the denial of justice to Dalits and dilution of cases
registered against the perpetrators of crimes against Dalits.

Participants at a State-level consultation at Nehru Sahakar Bhavan
here deliberated on the study results to conclude that the State
Government's protective and development measures for Dalits were
"perfunctory and half-hearted", while Dalits continue to face
tremendous barriers to socio-economic and political progress.

The Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) and the Centre
for Dalit Rights (CDR) jointly conducted the study over a period of
two months while looking into the role of statutory bodies such as the
State Human Rights Commission, Commission for Scheduled Castes,
Women's Commission and the State Assembly's Committee on Welfare of
SCs.

Noted economist and State Planning Board deputy chairperson V. S. Vyas
was shocked to note that the Commission for SCs had not brought out
its annual report even once during the last 10 years of its existence.
The Commission is at present defunct after the dissolution of the
previous body amid litigation in the Rajasthan High Court.

Not sufficient

Prof. Vyas, who is also a member of the Prime Minister's Economic
Advisory Council, said the 11 {+t} {+h} Five Year Plan's emphasis on
"inclusive growth" would be meaningless if Dalits continued to remain
on the periphery and the statutory bodies supposed to protect them
remained ineffective: "Merely policy formulation is not sufficient.
Conditions have to change at the grassroots."

The speakers at the consultation were dismayed at the 2009-10 annual
report of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment cited
in the study with the observation that Rajasthan had reported one of
the highest occurrences of atrocities against Dalits during 2008.

Over 4,300 cases of atrocities against Dalits were registered under
the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities)
Act, 1989, in the State during the year, with an average of 44.7 cases
calculated per lakh of population, constituting one of the highest
rates of crimes in the country.

The study noted that pockets of poverty and deprivation still remained
untouched and the protective and development measures had not been
implemented in the spirit in which they were conceived. Since the
bodies such as the SC/ST Development and Finance Corporation are
non-functional, the financial resources under various schemes are
simply not utilised.

CDR patron P. L. Mimroth noted that the State Budget for 2008-09 had
allocated only Rs.27.24 lakh for the Special Component Plan,
comprising an abysmal 2.7 per cent of the total budgetary outlay.
"Coupled with the biases and feudal mindset of the members of
[various] Commissions, this approach renders absolute injustice to
Dalits," he said.

The study also threw light on high levels of dissatisfaction among
Dalits vis-à-vis the constitutional and quasi-legal bodies which were
meant to protect their interests. With an "unsatisfactory role and
disappointing track record", the Commissions had failed to provide
constitutional safeguards or redress grievances of Dalits, felt the
participants.

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[ZESTCaste] Maya to inaugurate two more parks on Ambedkar Jayanti

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Maya-to-inaugurate-two-more-parks-on-Ambedkar-Jayanti/719808/

Maya to inaugurate two more parks on Ambedkar Jayanti

Press Trust of India Posted online: Fri Dec 03 2010, 05:25 hrs
Lucknow : Caring little about allegations of misuse of funds to erect
parks and statues, Chief Minister Mayawati will inaugurate two more as
a tribute to Dr B R Ambedkar on his birth anniversary on December 6.
The state government has sanctioned around Rs 150 crore to develop the
parks.
To be named after the architect of the Constitution, both parks are
coming up in the city's Gomti Nagar locality, where a grand memorial
in the name of Amebdkar already exists. While one is being developed
over a sprawling 22 acres — featuring Lucknow's biggest and most
spectacular musical fountain — the other is coming up over 23 acres on
the banks of Gomti bandha and will have the first four-faced statue of
Amebdkar, said an official.

"Cast in marble, the 18-feet high statue has been sculpted in Jaipur.
Another 12-feet high statue of Dr Ambedkar has been put up inside a
huge pavilion at one of the parks," he added. With well laid out
pathways, flower beds and lights, the entire 45-acre stretch of Gomti
barrage is being beautified to provide a visual treat to visitors.
"There will be a mix of light, music and colours. The hi-tech musical
fountain has cost Rs 2.5 crore," the official said.

Earlier, the Lucknow Development Authority had wanted to sell this
reclaimed land along the Gomti for the construction of a hotel.
However, the idea was shelved after the High Court shot down the
proposal following a public interest litigation challenging the move.

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[ZESTCaste] Fwd: caste discrimination in pakistan flood relief

Caste away
Scheduled caste Hindus in Sindh are facing floods as well as discrimination
By Zulfiqar Shah

http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/sep2010-weekly/nos-19-09-2010/dia.htm#2

Prithvi Raj Bhel, 40, a farmer from Sujawal Tehsil in Thatta District, looks devastated. He and hisfamily are living in a tent made of a piece of cloth just in front of college hostel in Makli in Thatta. Makli hosts about 200,000 flood-displaced people, the largest number of displacement at one place.

Makli is full of tents, makeshift thatched huts, water tanks and canopies to shelter displaced people. Inadequate arrangements by the state machinery and non-governmental organisations have put the lives of these people in great danger.

Situation in Makli is pathetic and that of Prithvi Raj is worst. While other displaced people can get cooked food from the government and NGOs, Raj and his family cannot. Government officials are in the process of registering internally displaced persons (IDPs), but Raj and family have been denied registration.

The only difference between other hundreds of thousands of IDPs and Raj is that he is a scheduled caste Hindu, generally considered lower caste or 'Dalits'. Even though there is apparent discrimination against minorities, the situation of scheduled caste people is miserable.

"We are literally singled out here. First we were denied a place in the common relief camp and now people come with food for distribution, but they do not give us any," complains Prithvi Raj while talking to TNS.

Prithvi Raj is not the only person who is complaining about discrimination on the basis of caste and descent. A visit to half a dozen camps of IDPs in Sindh — from Karachi to Hyderabad via Thatta — shows that scheduled caste people are facing the worst kind of discrimination at all these places.

Scheduled caste Hindus such as Bagri, Bhell, Kolhi, Menghwar and Oadd make a tiny population of Sindh. According to official figures, they are only 300,000, but Dalit activists challenge these figures and claim that the actual number of Dalits is 2 million in Sindh alone.

The ongoing floods in Sindh has affected millions of people as 17 out of 23 districts of Sindh have been badly affected. As per latest official figures, 7 million people have been rendered homeless, while 2.2 million acres of agriculture crop has been damaged. In monetary terms, the province has suffered losses of Rs446 billions.

According to Pakistan Dalit Solidarity Network (PDSN), the number of scheduled castes affected by flood is between 300,000 to 500,000. "This is a big disaster for Sindh and people have suffered a lot, but scheduled castes are facing different kinds of problems," says Convenor of PDSN Malji Rathore, an alliance of several civil society organisations working for protection of the rights of scheduled castes. "It's unfortunate that the discrimination we face goes on even in times of disaster."

A two-year old research study on the status of scheduled castes in Pakistan titled "Long Behind Schedule" has revealed the scheduled caste communities face severe discrimination in Pakistan, both in public and private spheres. They live in segregated housing and their children are discriminated against in schools. They are poorest of the poor and are victims of double discrimination — first as Hindus in a majority Muslim country and second as the lowest caste among Hindus.

According to a report, scheduled caste Hindus were even denied shelter and food at a Dharmshala in Larkana where local management had made arrangements for 500 upper caste Hindus displaced due to floods from upper Sindh and Balochistan.

Nisar Khokhar, a BBC correspondent from Larkana, says that arrangements at Dharmshala were very impressive, but unfortunately there was no place for scheduled castes. "Milk and other food items were available in huge quantity, but the entry of scheduled caste Hindus inside Dharmshala was banned," he tells TNS.

He says that he was impressed by the efforts of local Hindu Panchayat, which did not take money from the government and was managing flood relief facility inside the Dharmshala on self-help basis. But, unfortunately, those who were in the most need were denied access to the facility just because they belonged to lower caste.

The attitude of government officials is no different. In Makli, Prithvi Raj and other scheduled castes are denied registration as displaced persons. This registration will entitle them for government aid in cash and kind. The government had already started distribution of cash (Rs20,000) through "Watan" card scheme.

"DCO office in Thatta has refused our registration and told us to go to Hyderabad because our NIC is from Hyderabad," complains Pirthvi Raj. "Yes, we have NIC from Hyderabad, but when flood came we were settled in Thatta District," he argues.

The official plea that they should go and register themselves in Hyderabad will deny these poor people compensation because Hyderabad is not included in the list of affected districts.

"We have received nothing, be it ration or cooked food," says Sono Bagri at Sabzi Mandi Camp in Hyderabad city. "When we try to reach them, we are told to go away because we are 'Bagri' schedule caste".

An NGO activist tells TNS she has been asked by her boss not to focus on Bagris because they are not affectees, but beggars. Even provincial ministers are on record saying that Bagris and other schedule castes are beggars and have gathered in and around camps to receive aid.

"Discrimination against Dalits is a general phenomena in disasters and aid particularly in South Asia," says Rikke Nohrlind, head of International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN), a Copenhagen-based organisation. "It happened during Tsunami, and now we are receiving reports during current floods in Pakistan." She regrets that discrimination on the basis of religion, caste and creed continues even in this modern era and in times of disaster.

United Nations has recently adopted guidelines for elimination of discrimination based on caste and creed. These guidelines urge governments to take special measures to ensure equality.

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[ZESTCaste] Appeal for Volunteers on 5th & 6th Dec 2010 at Chaitya Bhoomi

Dear All,
Jai Bhim!
@
Every year from last six years eThe Bahujans Clubf organizes a eCleanliness Awareness
Programf. More than 400 Volunteers took part
last year in this project which included men, women,
children, students, Officers, Doctors, Engineers etc.
and was very successful. This is one of the way to pay
respect to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar to keep Chaitya
Bhoomi area Clean and maintain good hygienic
conditions.
This year also many volunteers are going to take part
in it for two days ie on 5th and 6th Dec. Volunteers
from many organizations, vihars, Colleges, Sansthas etc.
are taking part this time also.
Any interested persons who want to pay
their respect to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar can register
themselves for the same at eThe Bahujans Clubf. You
can register by providing two copies of your
photograph at the office or mail us and/or directly
register at the eThe Bahujans Clubfs Stall which is
expected to be next to the BAMCEF Stall at Shivaji
Park. As you enter from Meenatai Thakre statue at
Shivaji park then you turn to left, our stall will be
situated there.

Please forward this so that many
interested persons who can take part in it.
Also all our friends from the forums gather every year
at eThe Bahujans Club Stall on 6th Evening and
discuss.

This year also the project is being organised in association with the 'Vishwa Leader Publication'. Both the Stall will be side by side. Many people from all over Maharashtra are expected, senior citizens, Graduates, Govt. Officials, Business people and also people from all over India and abroad are going to visit both the stalls and take part. You all are also wellcome ........

Hope to see you all at the stall.
For more details contact:

Mrs Surekha Ramteke 9969688928
Shirish Ramteke 9969688918
Santosh Pawar 9224395412

or contact at :
Vishwa Leader Publication
Unit No.1, Malwa, Patanwala Ind. Estate,
L. B. S. Marg, Ghatkopar West, Mumbai 400086.
Tel.: 91 22 25006697
Tel./Fax : 91 22 25006696
email : vishwa.leader@gmail.com or
thebahujansclub@rediffmail.com
Regards,
Shirish Ramteke
For eThe Bahujans Clubf.

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[ZESTCaste] Controversy over seer’s selection

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/bengaluru/controversy-over-seer%E2%80%99s-selection-630

Controversy over seer's selection

December 3rd, 2010

Dec. 2: A controversy is brewing, over the selection of Pejawar seer
Sri Vishveshatirtha Swamiji, for a honorary doctorate by Tumkur
University. A few Dalit orgnisations have threatened to stage a
protest, against the University's move, of awarding a honorary
doctorate to Pejawar Seer. They would be holding the protest, in front
of the administrative office of Tumkur University, on December 4.

In fact on the same day, the university is scheduled to present awards
to six persons including the Seer. Dalit organizations led by M. D.
Dodde Gowda, BSP leader Rajasimha, and others, are planning to stage
the protest, against the selection of the Seer, for the honorary
doctorate award of the university for 2010. But a few other
organisations and Dalit poet, K. B. Siddaiah of Tumkur, have strongly
defended the University's move to select the Seer for the prestigious
award recognising his services to society.

Dalit poet Siddaiah, told Deccan Chronicle, that it was foolish to
oppose the selection of the seer for the award, merely because he is
the head of Madhwa Brahmin Math.

He asked the Dalit organisations why they did not question the
selection of Lakshman Das, who belongs to the Dalit community.

Siddaiah said that they (Dalit organisations) opposed the selection of
the seer to garner mileage for themselves.

A few organisations such as Vipra Jagruti Vedike, and Hindu Jagaran
Vedike, have also welcomed the move to confer the doctorate on the
seer. The Hindu Jagaran Vedike convenor, G.S. Basavaraj told this
newspaper, that the seer is involved in several social service
activities, including bringing social harmony. When contacted, Pejawar
seer said that a honorary doctorate degree makes no difference to him
as he is a Sanyasi. "Why a doctorate for a religious head like me," he
asked.

When, asked about the move by a few Dalit organisations to protest
against his selection for the doctorate, he told this newspaper that
he was unaware of the
development.

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[ZESTCaste] Supreme Court relief for Mayawati's Noida park

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/supreme-court-relief-for-mayawati-s-noida-park-70303

Supreme Court relief for Mayawati's Noida park
Press Trust of India, Updated: December 03, 2010 16:11 IST

New Delhi: In a reprieve for Mayawati, the Supreme Court today
cleared Uttar Pradesh government's ambitious project to construct and
install statues of Dalit icons at a park in Noida, saying it does not
come under forest land.

"We have found that it is not on forest land," a bench of Chief
Justice S H Kapadia and justices Aftab Alam and K S Radhakrishnan
said.

However, the bench said there was concern that the project is in
proximity of the Okhla Bird Sanctuary. It said all conditions and
guidelines laid down for the project have to be followed.

The Special Forest bench also put a rider that the 'pucca'
construction and hard landscaping should not exceed 25 per cent of the
site area.

Further, of the 75 per cent of the land, 50 per cent should have trees
towards the direction of Okhla Bird Sanctuary and 25 per cent area
should be covered with grass.

The bench said a three-member committee will ensure that the
construction activity will be carried out in accordance with the
conditions and guidelines laid down by it.

The members of the committee will comprise one from the Ministry of
Environment and Forest, one from apex court appointed central
empowered committee and the chairman of Noida Authority.

The project was mired in controversy following filing of some public
interest litigations (PILs) against its execution, on the ground that
it violated various environmental norms and building bye-laws.

Uttar Pradesh government has been defending the project, maintaining
that it did not require any environmental clearance, a stand which was
also supported by the Union government.

The area involved in the project was only 33.43 hectares, much below
the bench mark of 1,50,000 sq metre requiring environment clearance
from MoEF, the state government had contended.

All work for the Rs 650-crore project had been stopped since October
9, 2009, by an apex court order.

Senior advocate Harish Salve, while assisting the court as amicus
curiae earlier in the matter, had argued that clearance of the project
had to be given keeping in mind the environmental concern.

He had pointed out that it would have to be carefully examined if
demolition of concrete works already done in the park would be the
correct option as a major part of it has already been completed.

Salve had also said it needed to be examined if planting trees would
serve the purpose of restoration of the forest area.

The Union government too earlier had said that the project did not
require environmental clearance, but the bench had observed that the
project cannot be automatically approved just because the Centre has
given a green signal to it.

Appearing on behalf of some Noida residents opposed to the project,
senior counsel Jayant Bhushan had contended that it lied in close
proximity of Okhla Bird sanctuary and it needed to be subjected to an
elaborate Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) study, before its
clearance.

But the Union government was of the view that it did not require any EIA.

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[ZESTCaste] Govt to follow 50% quota in rural polls

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Govt-to-follow-50-quota-in-rural-polls/articleshow/7014728.cms

Govt to follow 50% quota in rural polls
TNN, Dec 3, 2010, 02.44pm IST

BANGALORE: The government wants elections to be held in zilla and
taluk panchayats as per the existing OBC list. The cabinet on Monday
decided to urge the State Election Commission (SEC) to conduct polls
as per the October 4, 2010, notification. This has taken into account
the Supreme Court's directive and limited total reservation (for SC,
ST and OBCs) to 50%. Elections to panchayat bodies are due by the
year-end.

Higher education minister V S Acharya said the cabinet has decided to
refer to the state backward classes commission the issue of giving
better representation to politically backward classes. While hearing a
petition, the high court had sought for better representation to
politically backward classes.

The cabinet has decided to appeal against the earlier apex court order
on reservation. This pertains to the SC's five-judge bench verdict on
May 11, 2010, which held that the upper ceiling of 50% vertical
reservation in favour of SC/ ST/ OBCs shouldn't be breached in local
self-government. Prior to the directive, reservation for SCs/STs and
OBCs was above 50%.

The government had tried to change the matrix recently by sending a
proposal to governor H R Bhardwaj to repeal the existing ordiance and
issue a fresh one. However, the governor rejected it twice saying the
government hadn't given any legal explanation for wanting to do so.

For the forthcoming ZP/TP elections, the government has adhererd to
the SC order and limited the reservation to 50%.

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[ZESTCaste] Dropouts dip to 1% but ST students lag behind: SSA study

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Dropouts-dip-to-1-but-ST-students-lag-behind-SSA-study/articleshow/7032055.cms

Dropouts dip to 1% but ST students lag behind: SSA study
Karthika Gopalakrishnan, TNN, Dec 3, 2010, 01.42am IST

CHENNAI: School education in the state continues to make significant
gains, according to statistics from the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA),
with the dropout rate falling to 1% in primary schools. The latest SSA
cohort study, which tracks the performance of children enrolled in
class I in 2005-06 over five years, shows that 97.36% of these
students complete their schooling. However, the statistics also
demonstrate that greater attention needs to be paid to the learning
levels of children from the Scheduled Tribe communities.

While the repetition rate (students who are held back in their class
at least once) is 6.15% among boys and 7.04 % among girls from the ST
group, this dips for SC students from 2.73% for boys and 1.76% for
girls. The overall repetition rate for children from all communities
in primary school is 1.88% and 1.41% for boys and girls respectively.

The situation is similar in upper primary sections for students who
enrolled in class VI in 2007-08 with ST boys displaying a repetition
rate of 8.09%, marginally lower than that of girls at 8.46%. The total
completion rate for students in the upper primary sections is also
lower at 93.35%.

Students from the ST community in Theni district registered the
highest repetition rate in primary classes with 18.07% in contrast to
their peers from Chennai at 0.32%. In the upper primary sections,
however, three districts put up a similar showing with Theni
registering a repetition rate of 15.24%, Kanchipuram at 15.38% and
Erode at 15.5%. Tiruchi district showed the least repetition among
upper primary sections at 0.12%.

Officials attribute this to the "geographical regions" in which
students from ST communities live and study. "It is possible that
because they stay in remote areas like hilly regions that they are not
able to finish their schooling within the allotted time frame of five
years and three years for primary and upper primary respectively. This
is probably because there are a few issues in the learning process at
the schools run by the department of Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare,"
a senior official from the department said.

Activists working for the development of ST communities affirmed that
inadequate infrastructure was a hurdle in the pursuit of education.
"Of the 72 villages in Kodaikanal, seven Adivasi villages have
elementary schools. Though they are supposed to be residential
schools, they do not have buildings. These schools function out of the
facilities built for members of self-help groups. Teachers come from
as far as 45km away in Dindigul so they reach school only at 11am and
leave by 2.30pm. So, the actual amount of time that children spend in
schools is very little," said N P Nagapandian and M Leelavathy from
the Palani Hills Tribal Welfare Association.

Officials from the SSA said efforts were on to rectify this situation
with the department planning to conduct community mobilisation
awareness' programmes from December to February to sensitise
stakeholders like parents, teachers and school heads to the provisions
of the Right to Education Act and the need to provide children with an
optimal school atmosphere. "We hope that by undertaking a drive at
this time of the year, we will be able to increase enrolment and
provide better education by June next year," an official added.

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[ZESTCaste] MP wants Medaras under ST list

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hubli/MP-wants-Medaras-under-ST-list/articleshow/7031000.cms

MP wants Medaras under ST list
TNN, Dec 2, 2010, 09.55pm IST

DHARWAD: MP Prahlad Joshi has urged the Centre to include the Medara
community of Karnataka in Scheduled Tribes (ST) list. In a
call-attention motion tabled in Lok Sangha under Section 377, Joshi
pointed out that Meda and Medara communities elsewhere in the country
are similar in their occupation and economic status to their
counterparts in Karnataka. They all are engaged in cane works and
bamboo handicrafts.

Joshi said while the Meda and Medar had already been listed under ST
category by the central government, the Medara community of Karnataka
had been left out due to oversight by the officials. Several pleas by
the community members and Karnataka government had been of no use, he
said.

Joshi said the registrar general of India and SC/ST Commission had
accepted that Medara community prevalent in north Karnataka is
equivalent to the Meda and Medar community members and recommended
their inclusion in the ST list. But due to apathy of the officials at
the ministry concerned, the demand has not been fulfilled, he claimed.

Joshi said the Medara community members in north Karnataka are
economically and educationally backward and hence needed to be
supported.

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[ZESTCaste] Statutory bodies in state fail to secure rights of SCs: Study

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Statutory-bodies-in-state-fail-to-secure-rights-of-SCs-Study-/articleshow/7032736.cms

Statutory bodies in state fail to secure rights of SCs: Study
TNN, Dec 3, 2010, 05.52am IST

JAIPUR: A study by social organsiations has highlighted an
unsatisfactory role of statutory bodies in securing the rights and
entitlements of scheduled castes in Rajasthan. The findings of the
study were released at a state-level consultation organized at Nehru
Sahakar Bhavan here on Thursday.

Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) in collaboration with Centre for
Dalit Rights (CDR) Jaipur conducted the study.

According to the annual report 2009-10, by the Union ministry of
Social justice and empowerment, Rajasthan reported one of the highest
incidence of atrocities against Dalits, with 4,302 cases registered in
2008 under SC/ST (PoA) act. It reports an incidence of 44.7 cases per
lakh of population, which is the highest percentage in India.

Thirty-one case studies from the state were discussed to analyse with
a point of view of implementation, constitutional safeguards and the
process of grievance redressal. The study highlighted those high
levels of dissatisfaction with these constitutional and quasi-legal
bodies, which are meant to protect interests of SCs.
The report observed, "It is clear that the protective measures and
developmental measures have not been implemented in the spirit in
which they were conceived. Its reach, therefore, remains limited and
impact is not very clearly visible at the micro level."

While macro development indicators portray better pictures, grassroots
realities are not so rosy. Even government data implies not so
efficient utilization of resources under various schemes. Pockets of
poverty and deprivation still remain untouched. Incidents are often
cited in the field when various commissions and committees made for
benefits of SCs could not always deliver help to SC individuals and
communities.

Rajasthan State Planning Board's deputy chairman Prof Vijay Shankar
Vyas, addressing the inaugural session, said the facts and figures
revealed in the study were shocking and it was very unfortunate that
atrocities against Dalits were continuing unabated despite the
presence of laws and statutory institutions.

He emphasised the need to create public opinion in favour of bringing
marginalised people to the mainstream. Prof Vyas expressed concern
over the fact that while the law provides for equality of all
citizens, this was not translated into reality in the country's social
life.

Centre for Dalit Rights patron, P L Mimroth, held the state government
directly responsible for injustice against Dalits. He said the State
Human Rights Commission, Women's Commission and SC/ST Commission were
virtually defunct and were dominated by people with feudal mindset in
their approach and functioning.

Calling for fixing accountability of government, Mimroth said the
clear legal provisions such as in camera court proceedings in the rape
cases were not complied with.

"The poor conviction rate of 4 to 5 per cent in the rape cases of
Dalit women reveals the weakness of our entire justice delivery
system," he said.

PRIA director, New Delhi, Manoj Rai, regretted that the major
commissions in Rajasthan, such as Women's Commission and SC/ST
Commission had not been commissioned during the present regime.
Strangely, the SC/ST Commission in the state has not brought out its
annual report even once so far.

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