Friday, December 24, 2010

[ZESTCaste] Dont be shy to say Dalit

 

i an saying all dalit to use his/her surname.

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[ZESTCaste] Wish you Happy New Year.

 

 
Dear zestcaste@yahoogroups.com,
R.Prakash (rprakash33@yahoo.co.in ) has sent you a New Year eCard.
To view your New Year Greeting "Please Click Here"
OR
Copy the following link & paste in your internet browser's address box.
http://www.taamjhaam.com
Regards,
R.Prakash
 

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[ZESTCaste] Wish you Happy New Year.

 

 
Dear zestcaste@yahoogroups.com,
R.Prakash (rprakash33@yahoo.co.in ) has sent you a New Year eCard.
To view your New Year Greeting "Please Click Here"
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Regards,
R.Prakash
 

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[ZESTCaste] Minister comes face to face with squatters

 

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/minister-comes-face-to-face-with-squatters/233822.html

Minister comes face to face with squatters

Shyam Balasubramanian
Express News Service
First Published : 24 Dec 2010 03:07:54 AM IST
Last Updated : 24 Dec 2010 08:15:44 AM IST

CHENNAI: A 40-something man who claimed to be a second-year law
student was among those hauled up for staying unauthorised at the MC
Raja Hostel for SC/ST students, by Adi Dravidar Welfare Minister A
Tamilarasi during a surprise visit on Wednesday. Others included truck
drivers, loadmen and an assortment of unemployed persons and rowdies.

When questioned by this reporter, the 'law student' said the law
college was in Teynampet.

But that was only the tip of the iceberg of ridiculous claims. There
was an MPhil holder, who claimed to have come to the hostel to collect
his TC (transfer certificate).

Another person had come to visit his brother, who by his own admission
had returned to his village.

Even as the minister started walking into over half of the 52 rooms at
the MC Raja SC/ST Hostel, hundreds of these 'guests' ran out of the
building to avoid retribution.

The 'guests' have been staying on through a reign of terror unleashed
on the rightful SC/ST students and hostel authorities.

"We have been aware of this problem. We have dealt with it, but these
miscreants keep coming back," said Tamilarasi to Express.

"But now things have come to a boil," she added.

The minister assured students and authorities at the hostel that her
department would take concrete steps to end the menace.

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[ZESTCaste] SC/ST hostels house human dumps

 

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/scst-hostels-house-human-dumps/233823.html

SC/ST hostels house human dumps

Gokul Chandrasekar
Express News Service
First Published : 24 Dec 2010 03:09:08 AM IST
Last Updated : 24 Dec 2010 01:41:55 PM IST

CHENNAI: The term unhygienic would be an understatement if one were to
describe the situation prevailing at Dalit students' hostels in
Chennai.

Water laced with sewage, dilapidated toilets, faeces strewn across the
premises and garbage that has not been cleared for months are but a
few examples of the nauseating scene you find there.

Blame it on the authorities and students, though the former have a
greater role to play.

Lack of maintenance staff, government inaction, corruption and rampant
illegal occupation are few of the pressing issues disclosed by the
inmates and authorities when Express visited the hostels.

In Kodambakkam hostel, the sewage and wastewater flow out in the open.
When it rains, they stagnate around the Government elementary school
located within the same compound.

When Express visited the premises, food waste and sewage were
stagnating around the school and hostel premises with larvae breeding
on it.

"We have been requesting the authorities to take immediate measures to
curb this problem but there has been no action," claims the hostel
warden Thomas Ponniah.

Worse, the mixing of sewage with the water used for cooking and
bathing is endemic. Yet, no action has been taken till date.

Students in the Kodambakkam hostel have been plagued by diseases like
malaria, jaundice and typhoid, a fact acknowledged by the hostel
authorities.

"The food we get here smells and tastes so bad that we end up buying
curry from outside to consume the rice from the hostel. Our families
can't afford that kind of money to buy food from hotels regularly so
we take up parttime work to meet our food expenses," says T Pradhu, an
inmate of the Kodambakkam hostel.

Prabhu has just recovered from a bout of illness reportedly after
eating hostel food.

"Most students in our hostel work part time at delivery boys in
hotels, paper marts or conduct field surveys for companies to eat
quality food," adds Prabhu.

The primary reason for lack of hygiene is the lack of workers to
maintain the hostels.

"As per government norms, we should have 23 workers for scavenging,
cleaning, cooking and security. But at present we have just seven,"
says Thomas Ponniah.

At Villivakkam hostel, there are just 12 toilets for 360 inmates, most
without doors! "If these issues are not addressed, we will mobilise
the entire student community and go on an indefinite strike," says
Ilayaraja, a New College student.

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[ZESTCaste] Dalit sisters make it to judicial services in male-dominated Haryana

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Dalit-sisters-make-it-to-judicial-svc-in-male-dominated-Haryana/articleshow/7154041.cms

Dalit sisters make it to judicial services in male-dominated Haryana

Shiv Sharma, TNN, Dec 24, 2010, 03.15am IST

YAMUNANAGAR: Haryana is celebrating the success of Dalit sisters,
Meenu and Yachana, who were recently appointed judicial officers.

The girls from Musimbal, a village in Yamunanagar district, are an
inspiration for thousands to dream big in a state infamous for its
skewed sex ratio.

The girls have a sister, Rajni, who has an MBA and is a bank officer.
Their father, Raghuvir Ram, is proud of his daughters and says he
never felt the lack of a son. He was always happy raising his
daughters. Raghuvir works for a nationalized bank in Chandigarh. His
wife had a government job.

''In a society where sons and daughters are seldom treated as equals,
we never let them feel they were at a disadvantage. Parents must be
proud of their daughters and help them flourish,'' Raghuvir says.

Likewise, the girls are proud of their parents, who always motivated
and helped them to move ahead and achieve their targets. ''They always
supported and motivated us, so that we could be successful and do
something better for society,'' said Meenu, a law post-graduate from
Panjab University, Chandigarh.

Her sister Yachana, who also has an LLM from the same university, is
keen to do something special to save the girl child.

''With the spread of education we can eradicate all evils from
society. The female sex ratio can be improved only by educating
women,'' said Yachana, who made it to the judicial service in her
first attempt.

Read more: Dalit sisters make it to judicial services in
male-dominated Haryana - The Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Dalit-sisters-make-it-to-judicial-services-in-male-dominated-Haryana/articleshow/7154041.cms#ixzz190zJfMF2

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[ZESTCaste] Manda Krishna appears at Jagan's camp

http://www.greatandhra.com/viewnews.php?id=25763&cat=15&scat=16

Manda Krishna appears at Jagan's camp
Published Date : 23-Dec-2010 13:10:27 GMT

Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi president Manda Krishna Madiga has
made a surprise appearance at the deeksha camp of former Kadapa MP Y S
Jaganmohan Reddy at Vijayawada on the concluding day of deeksha on
Thursday.

Manda Krishna pledged his support to Jagan's struggle for farmers and
wished him all the best. It was rather surprising as he had been angry
with Jagan for not supporting the categorization issue, while
encouraging his arch rival Jupudi Prabhakar Rao, president of Mala
Mahanadu. Interestingly, Manda Krishna was also seen at the camp of
Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu at the New MLA
Quarters last week and pledged his support for the fast for farmers.

It looks like Manda Krishna wants to pamper both the groups so as to
get his purpose of achieving SC categorization served. However,
neither Naidu nor Jagan called on Manda Krishna when he undertook fast
unto death early this month demanding categorization.


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[ZESTCaste] In search of identity

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/article972117.ece

Published: December 23, 2010 15:58 IST | Updated: December 23, 2010
15:58 IST December 23, 2010

In search of identity
Anand Haridas

'Bodhi' traces the life of Mathangi, a woman from a backward community
whose meeting with a Buddhist monk leads her in search of self and
identity.

Ajayan has always used his plays to probe the identity issues of those
forced to the margins by mainstream society. Be it his well-crafted
'Oru Dalit Yuvathiyude Kathanakatha' based on the novelette by M.
Mukundan or 'Siddhartha' based on Herman Hesse's work.

And he continues to do so in his debut film 'Bodhi,' which is loosely
based on 'Chandalabhikshuki' by Kumaran Asan and 'Chandalika' by
Rabindranath Tagore. "Both these poems delved into the caste issue.
However, I wanted to go into the history of ostracism based on caste.
That's how I came across Ambedkar's work 'Buddha and Dharma.' My film
takes the path between the Buddha and Ambedkar," says Ajayan.

Taking on the system

The film tracks the life of Mathangi, a woman from a backward
community, who is not allowed to draw water from the public well. She
is shocked when Buddhist monk Anandan asks for water to quench his
thirst.

That was the beginning of her journey to find her self and identity.
She leaves behind the bondage imposed by society and takes on the
system.

She believes initially that her attraction towards Anandan is carnal,
only to realise that he is just a tool in her path to deliverance.
Ajayan's film, takes off from this storyline and brings in the
politics of the subaltern.

More than once does the film depicts Buddhist monks under attack. It
also shows Prasenajith, a Kshathriya king, challenging the Buddhist
group on where to place them socially, as the 'Manusmriti' had defined
only four social compartments.

Interestingly, the Buddhist monks who are depicted to have won over
material worries and bonding are seen fleeing, screaming, whenever
they are attacked. At one point, a group of armed tribals comes to the
rescue of a Buddhist group under attack.

"I wanted to dispel the much accepted notion that the Buddha was a
pacifist. I prefer to treat the Buddha as an activist. The film starts
off from where Ambedkar ended." The film ends with footage of Ambedkar
and his followers embracing Buddhism.

The journey of Mathangi, portrayed effectively by Pooja, a student of
the School of Drama, Thrissur, is divided into four segments – Neeru
(Water), Nadi (River),Pragnja (Intellect) and Yatra (Journey).

For a film that took more than two years in making, 'Bodhi' still has
much chiselling to be done. There are many portions where the impact
of theatre dominates over the art of film; especially in the scene
where Prasenajith, portrayed by Ramesh Varma, renowned theatre person
and head of the Department of Theatre, Sree Sankaracharya University
of Sanskrit, attacks the Buddhist hermitage.

"Moving on to film was a decision taken deliberately, as I have always
found it hard to organise repeated staging of plays. Now, I have the
freedom to take the film, and its politics to places," says Ajayan.

The film was premiered in Kochi last week. Ajayan is planning to
organise screenings at Thiruvananthapuram and New Delhi. "My attempt
was to document the struggles of the downtrodden," says Ajayan.


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[ZESTCaste] West Bengal announces 17 % quota for OBC students

http://www.hindu.com/2010/12/24/stories/2010122455431100.htm


West Bengal announces 17 % quota for OBC students

Staff Reporter

KOLKATA: The West Bengal government has decided to reserve 17 per cent
seats in all government and government-aided colleges for students
belonging to the other backward classes (OBCs), with effect from the
coming academic session.

Sudarshan Roy Chowdhury, State Higher Education Minister announced in
the State Assembly here on Thursday.

"The question of reservation of seats in higher education to expand
opportunities to OBCs has been under the consideration of the State
government for quite some time," Mr. Chowdhury said, adding that it
was based on the lines of OBC reservations in Central institutions of
higher education. He assured that the reservation would not reduce the
intake of the students belonging to other categories, as number of
seats will be increased.

However, the implementation of the reservation in Medical and
Engineering Colleges (where the number of seats is determined by a
Central Regulatory Authority like the All India Council for Technical
Education and the Medical Council of India) will depend on the
permission given by the authority concerned, he added.

It will be implemented in two phases. Of the 53 communities listed as
most backward among the OBCs and categorised as OBC-A, 49 are Muslim.
Ten percent seats will be reserved for OBC-A, starting with five per
cent in the 2011-12 and additional five per cent the next academic
year.

"This initiative would increase the enrolment of minorities in higher
education. Nearly 25 per cent of the population in the State is
Muslim. While the enrolment of Muslims in primary education is about
33 per cent, it is 21.82 per cent in secondary education and even
lesser in higher education. For example, only 13 per cent of students
in medical colleges are Muslims," Abdus Sattar, Minister for
Minorities Development, Welfare and Madrasah Education told The Hindu.


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[ZESTCaste] Gujjar stir: 24-hour bandh in Ajmer

 

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/gujjar-stir-24hour-bandh-in-ajmer/138470-3.html

Gujjar stir: 24-hour bandh in Ajmer
CNN-IBN
Posted on Dec 24, 2010 at 08:34am IST

New Delhi: Rajasthan government has invited protesting Gujjars for talks.

Rajasthan Government has constituted a committee of three ministers to
talk to Gujjars including Jitendra Singh, power minister, home
minister Shanti Dhariwal, transport minister Braj Kishore Sharma.

Meanwhile it's another day of rail disruptions in north India - as the
Gujjar agitation in Rajasthan continues into it's fifth day - a
24-hour bandh in Ajmer.

Gujjar stir: 24-hour bandh in Ajmer

To put pressure on the state government, the community wants a 5 per
cent quota within the existing 21 per cent OBC quota in government
jobs and educational institutions.

Highways and key rail routes remain blocked or the past four days.

Sangharsh Committee convener Om Prakash Bhadana told reporters that
they would intensify their agitation if the state government failed to
provide quota to them.

In an attempt to do so, they call for a day-long bandh in Ajmer on Friday.

Earlier too, over 200 Gujjars blocked the National Highway in Ajmer
for three hours in protest.

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[ZESTCaste] Education quota pledge

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1101224/jsp/nation/story_13342968.jsp

Education quota pledge
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Calcutta, Dec. 23: The Bengal government today expectedly tabled the
bill that would in effect hand a 10 per cent job quota to Bengal's
backward Muslims, while announcing a similar seat reservation in
higher education institutions in phases starting next year.

Higher education minister Sudarshan Raychoudhury said the 17 per cent
OBC seat quota — of which 10 per cent would go to Category A (most
backward) which is dominated by Muslims — would be introduced in
phases because of a seat shortage.

Five per cent quotas would be introduced for each of the two OBC
categories, A and B, in the 2011-12 academic session that begins next
June-July. The following year will see the implementation of five and
two per cent quotas for Category A and Category B, respectively. A
government notification will be issued soon, he said.

Raychoudhury said the state government had asked central regulatory
bodies to allow an increase in higher education seats in Bengal so
that the general category's share did not fall.

The OBC job quota bill, which sets aside 10 per cent jobs for Category
A and seven per cent for Category B, was today sent to the Assembly
standing committee by Speaker Hashim Abdul Halim after its
introduction.

Backward classes development minister Jogesh Burman later said this
was routine procedure and should not be seen as a "political setback"
for the government. CPM leaders expressed confidence that the bill,
seen as a vote-catcher, would be passed in the pre-poll budget
session.

Raychoudhury said the state had asked central regulatory bodies such
as the Medical Council of India and the All India Council for
Technical Education to allow an increase of seats in medical,
engineering and other technical colleges in Bengal. If this is
approved, "the total seats would increase for students of all social
backgrounds", he said.

However, existing central guidelines stipulate that seats should not
be raised to facilitate admission quotas.

"I have spoken to the Union human resource minister to allow us to
increase the number of seats in medical and engineering colleges and
other institutions for three years before the final decision is taken
by the respective central apex (regulatory) bodies. The law permits it
and some central institutions have already done it," Raychoudhury
said.

He acknowledged that the reservation — whenever the law is passed —
would not be binding on private educational institutions but added:
"We will appeal to private institutions to emulate our affirmative
action."

Raychoudhury said the state government had been planning to introduce
the OBC quota in higher education ever since the Centre enacted a law
in 2006 facilitating such reservation in central educational
institutions.

Neither the job quota bill nor Raychoudhury's announcement about the
education quota mentioned backward Muslims by name, but only cited the
categories A and B.

The job quota will apply to government departments, corporations and
PSUs as well as all educational institutions owned or funded by the
state government. The state already has job reservations for the
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Thirty-one per cent of seats are now reserved in Bengal's educational
institutions. The Scheduled Castes are entitled to 22 per cent, the
Scheduled Tribes to six per cent and physically challenged students to
three per cent.


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[ZESTCaste] Rajasthan HC stays 5% reservation for Gujjars

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/rajasthan-hc-stays-5-reservation-for-gujjars/articleshow/7148556.cms

23 Dec, 2010, 06.24AM IST,ET Bureau

Rajasthan HC stays 5% reservation for Gujjars

JAIPUR | NEW DELHI: The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday stayed
operation of a 2008 Act granting five percent reservation for Gujjars
in the state, causing angry community leaders to threaten an
intensified agitation.

As Gujjar leaders resolved to throw rail and road traffic out of gear
in the state and also disrupt milk supply to Delhi, the centre rushed
1,500 para-military personnel to assist the state police in
maintaining law and order. Union Home Secretary GK Pillai also spoke
to Rajasthan chief secretary on Wednesday to take stock of the
situation and discuss preventive measures.

Earlier on Wednesday, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun
Mishra and Justice Mahesh Bhagwati held that Gujjars could not be
given special reservation as an Act of 2008 has no substratum of
quantifiable data that could justify the quota.

The judges, while hearing a petition by G Sharma, ruled that the
government could continue to provide one per cent reservation for
Gujjars in its ongoing recruitment drive. However, they asked the
government to carry out within a year an exercise to collect details
on the economic status of Gujjars and other communities, including
Raikas, Raibari and Gadiya Lohars, to justify their quota under the
special backward classes category.

Reacting to the court decision, Colonel (Retd) KS Bainsla, convener of
Gujjar Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti (GASS), said that the community would
intensify its stir launched on Monday.

"The government has failed to present our case in a proper manner in
the court. We want 5 per cent reservation. We are not concerned what
court has to say. Our demand was never from the court but it was from
the government. We will end our agitation only after the government
provides us reservation," said Bainsla. Bainsla said he has asked the
members of his community to stop supply of milk to Delhi.

"We have been forced to intensify our stir... we will not supply milk
to Delhi and start blocking major national highways," he said. As the
Gujjar agitation entered the third day, train services between Delhi
and Mumbai were hit Wednesday with protestors blocking a railway track
near Bayana in Bharatpur district. Agitating Gujjars also blocked
Ajmer-Jaipur highway near Ghugra in Ajmer district.

Over 15,000 Gujjars began their agitation on Monday. They have held
demonstrations in Bhilwara, Ajmer and other parts of the state. The
agitators also blocked the Bayana-Hindon and Hindon-Bharatpur roads,
forcing the government to cancel some of its bus services on these
routes.

The government has warned that strong action would be taken against
people who damage government property. A 2008 Act had provided for
five per cent reservation for Gujjars and 14 per cent for economically
backward classes, taking the total quota in Rajasthan to 68%.

The high court thereafter stayed the quota in jobs and educational
institutions in the state for Gujjars and economically backward
classes as the reservation ceiling had exceeded the cap of 50% laid
down by the Supreme Court. Gujjars in Rajasthan, demanding reservation
for better educational and job prospects, staged many violent protests
between 2006 and 2008, leading to loss of lives.


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[ZESTCaste] Rail traffic suffers as Gujjar anger boils over

 

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/122708/rail-traffic-suffers-gujjar-anger.html

Rail traffic suffers as Gujjar anger boils over
New Delhi, December 22, dhns:

The decision of the Gujjar leaders to intensify the ongoing
pro-reservation agitation across Rajasthan after an adverse decision
in the High Court may hit rail traffic on Mumbai-Delhi track in a big
way.

With Railways having already diverted 28 trains from Tuesday and
cancelled a few short distance trains on Bharatpur section, the
ministry is trying hard to maintain traffic on this track which
connects western India to central and north India.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Gujjar Arakshan Sangharsha Samiti chief Kirori
Singh Bainsla reacted sharply on the High Court verdict against the
five per cent reservation given by the state government, and announced
a further rail and road blockade. He has given a call to stop milk
supply to the national capital.

The diverted trains which have adopted alternative routes include
important trains like Mumbai Central-New Delhi Rajdhani Express,
Mumbai Central-Hazrat Nizamuddin August kranti Rajdhani Express,
Pune-Hazrat Nizamuddin Duranto Express, Bandra Terminus-Amritsar
Pashchim Express and Mumbai Central-Amritsar Golden Temple Mail.

The number of Gujjars blocking rail track since Monday in Pilupura
village near Bayana in Bharatpur district, 173km from Jaipur is
swelling and other rail routes are also facing the threat of blockade.

The Bandra Terminus-Gorakhpur Avadh Express & the Bandra
Terminus-Dehradun Express trains have been diverted to run via Sawai
Madhopur-Jaipur-Rewari stations.

No special quota, rules HC

A Division Bench of the Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday held that
Gujjars could not be given special reservation in government jobs,
reports PTI from Jaipur. Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Mahesh
Bhagwati held that Gujjars cannot be given special reservation.

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