Tuesday, August 30, 2011

[ZESTCaste] Dalits stage black flag demo in Namakkal

 

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/dalits-stage-black-flag-demo-in-namakkal/179812-60-118.html

Tamil Nadu
Dalits stage black flag demo in Namakkal
indianexpress Express News Service , The New Indian Express
Posted on Aug 30, 2011 at 10:09am IST

NAMAKKAL: Tension gripped the Collectorate premises here on Monday as
scores of people staged a black flag demonstration seeking action
against the� caste Hindus who buried a body near a Dalit's house
recently.� At least 33 people, including six women, were arrested for
staging the protest.

Led by P Senthamizhan, district secretary of Arunthamizhar Peravai,
members of various Dalit organisations and villagers raised slogans
seeking action on the issue.

Soon a police team, led by Namakkal Deputy Superintendent of Police
Subramani and Inspector Lakshmanakumar, arrested the demonstrators and
seized the black flags from them. They were detained at a marriage
hall in Nallipalayam and released in the evening, a police officer
told Express.

"Caste Hindus recently buried a body very close to the house of
Devasagayam, a Dalit living in Vadagarayathur village near
Jedarpalayam.� It was a deliberate attempt to chase away the Dalit
from the land. In fact, Devasagayam had submitted a petition to the
revenue officials to take steps to retrieve his panchami land, which
was forcibly encroached upon by a caste Hindu family years ago," said
Senthamizhan.

He said the stir was held to draw the attention of the senior
officials.� Till date, the police and revenue officials have not taken
any action against those who buried the body near the house, he
added.�� When asked, Superintendent of Police Pravesh Kumar said the
police and revenue department officials were holding an inquiry and
that action would be taken in accordance with the inquiry findings.

He noted that the members of the Dalit family did not turn up at a
peace committee meeting held a few days ago.

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[ZESTCaste] Over 300 Dalit atrocities reported in Himachal

 

http://www.northindiatimes.com/news/140/ARTICLE/11235/2011-08-29.html

Over 300 Dalit atrocities reported in Himachal
August 29th, 2011
IANS

Shimla : More than 300 cases of atrocities against Dalits were
reported in Himachal Pradesh in the past three years, Chief Minister
Prem Kumar Dhumal Monday told the state assembly.

"As many as 308 Dalit atrocity cases were reported from 2008 to 2011,"
Dhumal said in a written reply.

He said three people have been convicted and 18 exonerated of charges.
"As many as 147 cases have been pending in various courts," he added.

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[ZESTCaste] Dalit backwardness blamed on fund diversion

http://www.siasat.com/english/news/dalit-backwardness-blamed-fund-diversion

Dalit backwardness blamed on fund diversion
Monday, 29 August 2011

Hyderabad, August 29: Funds allocated every year for the
socio-economic development of Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes is
being diverted by upper-class officials to public-private partnership
projects, D Raja, member of the parliamentary committee on SC/ST
welfare, has said.

Speaking at a conference on 'SCSP and TSP with Media' conducted by the
Centre for Dalit Studies here on Sunday, he said Dalits and Adivasis
were living in the hope that they could see their communities'
socio-economic development in their lifetime if the Schedule Castes
Sub Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP), which were to have been
implemented since 1980, were taken up in right earnest at least now.

The diversion of funds, which Raja equated with corruption, was taking
place because Dalits and Adivasis had no voice, he said, and alleged
further that Dalits and Adivasis were not being given opportunities in
the projects as the projects were partially privatised.

'More than 50 percent of the funds are diverted every year.

Government officials, who are diverting the funds, are doing corruption.
They should be punished by the government," he said and urged the
government to accord serious consideration to the SCSP and TSP
(previously known as Special Component Plan) and other special
assistance provided by the Centre for Dalits and Adivasis.

Mallepally Laxmaiah, senior journalist and founder of CDS, said the
central and state governments were to allocate funds for SCSP and TSP
in proportion to the population of Dalits and Adivasis with priority
to education, public health and employment.

KS Chalam, former member of Union Public Service Commission, said
Dalits did not have land not only for their living but also for
burying the dead.

Dalits and Adivasis were only seeking their rightful share of the
nation's wealth and not of others, he said.
Allam Narayana, chief editor of Namaste Telangana, appealed to the
media to take up the Dalit and Adivasi cause.
K.
Ramachandra Murthy, director of HMTV and chief editor of The Hans
India, said there was no unity among their representatives, who number
a few, in the government.

Indian Journalists Union secretary-general Devulapalli Amar said
Dalits and Adivasis had had no strong leaders in the 64 years of free
India to represent them in the Assemblies or Parliament and to
question governments' misddeds such as diversion of funds.
S Vinay Kumar, chief editor of Prajashakti, also spoke.

Representatives of Dalits and Adivasis, and eminent mediapersons attended.

---Agencies


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[ZESTCaste] Dalit leaders' signatures forged on mahazar statement

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mangalore/Dalit-leaders-signatures-forged-on-mahazar-statement/articleshow/9792608.cms

Dalit leaders' signatures forged on mahazar statement
TNN | Aug 30, 2011, 08.41AM IST

MANGALORE: The city police has taken due note of an incident where a
police station writer allegedly forged signatures of dalit leaders on
a mahazar statement allegedly at the behest of the police
sub-inspector pertaining to a sexual atrocity case.

Police subsequently submitted the mahazar along with the chargesheet
to the court and the court, in turn, is issuing summons to two leaders
to come and depose before it as and when the trial progresses.

Taking note of a complaint raised by Sadashiva Urwastores, DSS leader,
at the monthly SC/ST meeting organized by the Mangalore city police
here on Sunday, deputy commissioner of police (law and order) M
Muthuraya directed Sadashiva to lodge a formal complaint based on
which suitable action would be initiated against the policemen. "We
will get hand writing experts to verify the original signature with
the one of mahazar if needed," he said.

The court on the other hand could also take due note of this incident
and issue suitable directions for a probe, Muthuraya said. Sadashiva
said Sundar, station writer on instructions from Shyam Sundar, then
Bajpe police station PSI forged his and the signature of Narayan,
another dalit leader on the mahazar witness. "The result is two of us
are forced to appear before the court for no fault of ours," he
lamented and urged the DCP to look into the matter.

Sadashiva later told reporters that the PSI had intentionally named
him in an assault case reported in the same police station limits.
"Some people had beaten up Sadananda Poonja, a contractor who had
allegedly sexually assaulted a woman from his community. Since, DSS
took up the case, the PSI misusing his office to harass us, firstly by
forging our signatures, and then making us part of criminal complaint,
in which we are not involved," he said.

Earlier, P Keshava, DSS leader objected to the absence of city police
chief Seemanth Kumar Singh at the meeting. The presence of police
commissioner would vastly encourage us to express our grievances and
get his view point, he said, adding that other revenue and police
officials chair the regular SC/ST grievances meeting at their level.

Muthuraya said he would convey these very sentiments of the dalits to
the police commissioner for a response.

Muthuraya also exhorted the dalit leaders to bring to the fore
problems faced by members of SC/ST community rather than highlight
personal issues. He strictly advised them not to interfere in cases
registered under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. "We do not have
any problem if the two parties, the complainant and the accused,
arrive at a compromise before a case is filed. Once the law is set in
motion, it is left to the courts to decide," he added.

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[ZESTCaste] Team Hazare insists on quota, phone tap powers

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Team-Hazare-insists-on-quota-phone-tap-powers/articleshow/9790842.cms

Team Hazare insists on quota, phone tap powers
Himanshi Dhawan, TNN | Aug 30, 2011, 04.27AM IST

NEW DELHI: Contrary to the expectations of their supporters among the
political class, the Anna Hazare campaign has decided not to drop
their insistence that the proposed Lokpal be armed with powers to tap
phones.

While the BJP has argued with Hazare's representatives against tapping
powers for the Lokpal, the pitch has failed to wash with the
activists. "We think that an independent bench of the Lokpal will be
better placed to take a decision on phone tapping. We will definitely
not consider excluding this section," said Prashant Bhushan.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Saturday, leader of opposition Arun
Jaitley had argued against equipping the Lokpal with the authority to
place tabs on phones.

Section 29(12) the Jan Lokpal Bill says, "The appropriate bench of the
Lokpal shall be deemed to be the designated authority under section 5
of the Indian Telegraph Act empowered to approve interception and
monitoring of messages or data or voice transmitted through
telephones, internet or any other medium as covered under the Indian
Telegraph Act read with Information and Technology Act 2000 and as per
rules and regulations made under the Indian Telegraph Act 1885."

The dispute over tapping powers for Lokpal apart, the activists also
seem to be heading for a confrontation with sections of the political
class over the latter's demand for quota for SC/STs, minorities, OBCs
and women in the Lokpal panel.

Team Anna is unlikely to support the demand for quota for SC/ST,
minorities and women in the Lokpal panel despite a strong demand from
dalit leaders and representatives of regional parties. The quota call
found a strong expression on Monday when P L Punia, chairman of the
National Commission for Scheduled Castes, demanded quota for dalits,
tribals, minorities, OBCs as well as women in the search and selection
committees for Lokpal as well as the final panel they constitute.

Sources in the Hazare group ruled out any re-think on the issue of
introducing quotas in the panel, although they said there would be
reservations in recruitment for the investigating agency that will be
created under the Lokpal. "There can be no possibility of quota within
the Lokpal panel but recruitment for officials in the investigation
wing could be done on the lines of government recruitment," the source
said.

Leaders of BSP, LJP and RJD were vocal in their demand for
"representation" of SC/STs, OBCs and minorities in the proposed Lokpal
during the all-party meeting convened by PM Manmohan Singh earlier
this month. These parties are also represented on Parliament's
standing committee that has to prepare the final draft of the Lokpal
Bill.

All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations has also demanded the
inclusion of dalits and minorities in the watchdog. The confederation,
which will be meeting the PM later this week to press for its demand,
has drafted a Bahujan Lokpal Bill that advocates representation of the
backward communities in the Lokpal Bill.

In his speech in the Lok Sabha, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav forcefully
advocated the need for representation of various communities. "This
House is the mirror of society. Parliament and the state assemblies
are sole places which reflect the true character of the country. This
is not the case anywhere else," he said.

He named and gestured towards the MPs of backward and tribal
communities in the Lok Sabha during his speech to highlight the
virtues and importance of proper representation of various
communities.

Yadav was learnt to have supported the demands for representation of
various sections of people in the proposed Lokpal during the all-party
meeting too.

SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav echoed similar sentiments in Lok Sabha
and also during the all-party meet. "I had said it earlier, and
repeating again... Lokpal Bill should provide for representation of
dalits, backward classes, minorities along with other sections. That
Lokpal will be considered an appropriate one," he said in the Lok
Sabha while participating in the discussion on the issue of
corruption.

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Re: [ZESTCaste] Will Anna no more on Gandhi's way.....................................! [1 Attachment]

 
[Attachment(s) from Jagatheesan Chandrasekharan included below]

I request you to send your suggestions to 

Respected
Shri KP Singh,

Director,
Rajya Sabha Secretariat,

201,Second
Floor, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi-110001

(Tel:
23034201, Fax: 23016784, E-mail:kpsingh@sansad.nic.inand rs-cpers@sansad.nic.in). The last date is 03-09-2011 and also forward the attachment to the Director.

With regards and a favourable reply

Yours faith fully

J Chandrasekharan

 MAY YOU BE EVER HAPPY, WELL AND SECURE
MAY YOU LIVE LONG
MAY ALL SENTIENT AND NON-SENTIENT BEINGS BE EVER HAPPY
MAY YOU BE ALWAYS HAVE CALM, QUIET, ALERT,ATTENTIVE AND
EQUANIMITY MIND WITH A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT
NOTHING IS PERMANENT

________________________________
From: Dr. Milind Jiwane <milindjiwane_buddha@yahoo.co.in>
To:
Sent: Monday, 29 August 2011 1:48 PM
Subject: [ZESTCaste] Will Anna no more on Gandhi's way.....................................!

 
Dear Friends,
                    Mh. Gandhi's mad policies and decisions found to be severe headache
for Pt. Nehru's Congress Government and Indian leaders in that era. Due to mass
public force and unity, they followed the mad policies and decisions of Gandhi after
getting Independence to India on 15th August 1947. But the leaders came to the 
conclusion that, now there is need of Gandhi, so they finished Gandhi.
                  Today, new second Gandhi named Mr. Anna Hajare alias Anna Bapat,
Brahmin hero emerged. Still he will not get any national authentic title as like Mahatma,
Rashtra Neta, Shanti Doot etc. Now he is known to be Anna or New Gandhi only. Now
a days Nagpurian people demanding to Government to felicitate Anna Hajare by  the 
national honor of " Bharat Ratna." And there will be no controversy occur before any
political parties like Congress, BJP or any one to oppose it. Because most of the
Political leaders found to be corrupt one. They definitely support for this demand. 
                We (Public) are facing lot of problems, due to wrong policies and decisions  
of "Indian Black Englishman" Government. When we discussed with our old aged persons,
they say that, we were very happy in  "White Englishman" Government as compared to"Indian Black Englishman" Government. Because that time, we always follow the discipline.
No more space for corruption. But  "Indian Black Englishman" Government could not
satisfied to us.
                  Actually the issue raised by Mr. Anna Hajare was very good. There is no doubt.
But Anna's Gandhian dictatorship pattern of agitation and demands not seem to be
Constitutional. It is a blackmailing procedure. No doubt, Anna is known to be a National
Hero after making 12 days hunger strike agitation and most of the Indian mass blindly with him
as like the Mh. Gandhi's movement. Mass Indian people are not aware about Constitutional
policies or Act. Because we are failure to teach it.
                  If Government will pass the  "Lokpal Bill" in Parliament, then there will be no use
of Anna Hajare alias Bapat for these selfish mentality so called Indian
Leaders. Because Anna
always seem to be breakage before their way. Because most of them have getting the big
national publicity. This is a very big danger before Anna. The question  arise i.e. " Will Anna
no more as like the incidence of Gandhi".
* Dr. Milind Jiwane
    Nagpur 

__._,_.___

Attachment(s) from Jagatheesan Chandrasekharan

1 of 1 File(s)

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Re: [ZESTCaste] Dalits, backwards and minorities must be in Lokpal panel: Udit Raj [1 Attachment]

 
[Attachment(s) from Jagatheesan Chandrasekharan included below]

I request you to send your suggestions to 

Respected
Shri KP Singh,

Director,
Rajya Sabha Secretariat,

201,Second
Floor, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi-110001

(Tel:
23034201, Fax: 23016784, E-mail:kpsingh@sansad.nic.inand rs-cpers@sansad.nic.in). The last date is 03-09-2011 and also forward the attachment to the Director.

With regards and a favourable reply

Yours faith fully

J Chandrasekharan

 MAY YOU BE EVER HAPPY, WELL AND SECURE
MAY YOU LIVE LONG
MAY ALL SENTIENT AND NON-SENTIENT BEINGS BE EVER HAPPY
MAY YOU BE ALWAYS HAVE CALM, QUIET, ALERT,ATTENTIVE AND
EQUANIMITY MIND WITH A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT
NOTHING IS PERMANENT

________________________________
From: Siddhartha Kumar <mailsiddhartha.k@gmail.com>
To: zestcaste <zestcaste@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, 29 August 2011 4:41 PM
Subject: [ZESTCaste] Dalits, backwards and minorities must be in Lokpal panel: Udit Raj

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dalits-backwards-and-minorities-must-be-in-lokpal-panel-udit-raj/837862/

Dalits, backwards and minorities must be in Lokpal panel: Udit Raj
Express News Service Posted online: Sat Aug 27 2011, 02:24 hrs
New Delhi :

__._,_.___

Attachment(s) from Jagatheesan Chandrasekharan

1 of 1 File(s)

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Monday, August 29, 2011

[ZESTCaste] India divided as caste census begins

http://www.smh.com.au/world/india-divided-as-caste-census-begins-20110826-1jedu.html

India divided as caste census begins
Ben Doherty, Chandigarh
August 27, 2011
India.

Rajinder Singh Negi, left, and Vikas Hooda, right, interview washerman
M. P. Kanaujia as part of a controversial caste census. Photo: Kate
Geraghty

For M. P. Kanaujia, there is no escaping caste. It defines him, and
has laid out his life's path.

Kanaujia - the name itself is his subcaste - is of the dhobi or
washerperson caste, and that is what he does, day in and day out, from
his ramshackle humpy at the end of a row of modest government
apartments in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh. ''My caste is
who I am,'' he says. ''We don't speak often about it, because
everybody knows.''

But it's relevant for the men who've come to visit today. For the
first time in 80 years, India is undertaking the herculean task of a
caste census.
Advertisement: Story continues below
The washerman Mp Kanaujia of the Dhobi caste irons clothes after
taking part in the caste census. Click for more photos
Indian caste census

The washerman Mp Kanaujia of the Dhobi caste irons clothes after
taking part in the caste census. Photo: Kate Geraghty

The washerman Mp Kanaujia of the Dhobi caste irons clothes after
taking part in the caste census.
The Grisb Chandra Bamrara family of the Brahmin caste in front of
their home in the north Indian city of Chandgrah.
Reshmi from the Chamav caste holds her census receipt after being
interviewed by one of the census teams in Chandgarh.
Vimla Devi is interviewed at her home in Chandgrah by data entry
operator Aman Preet Singh, centre, and enumerator Arun Kumar.
Asha Thakar of the Rajpur caste, left, is interviewed outside her
home in Chandgrah by enumerator Arun Kumar, centre, and data entry
operator Aman Preet Singh.
Ramdashi Kaur from the Scheduled Sikh caste is interviewed at her
front door in Chandgrah.
Census data entry operator Vikas Hooda, left, in Chandgarh with
washerwoman Premshila.
Rajinder Singh Negil left, and Vikas Hooda gather census data in Chandgarh.
Aman Preet Singh, left, and Arun Kumar gather census data in Chandgarh.
The census acknowledgement slip.

To most Indian Hindus, caste - a complex hereditary social hierarchy
that involves four main orders (varnas) and thousands of subcastes
(jatis) - is the foundation of religious and social identity.

But independent India has never asked its citizens with which caste
they identify. The last time such a survey was undertaken was in 1931,
under the British Raj. British administrators created a list, or
schedule, of the lowest castes.

Formally, the caste system has been abandoned under the Indian
constitution, but governments recognise that it persists. Since
independence, efforts have been made to level the playing field for
India's downtrodden castes, particularly the lowest strata, known then
as untouchables, now more commonly called Dalits.

Affirmative action programs reserve university places, government jobs
and even seats in Parliament for so-called scheduled or backwards
castes. This means that Mr Kanaujia is happy to nominate his. ''I
think it's a good idea, my daughter has just finished her schooling
and if this census helps with the quotas for backwards castes, there
might be more places for her to complete more education.''

''Old India'' has, for millennia, been stratified along caste lines.
Caste determined the clothes people wore, the food they ate (and with
whom), the jobs they could do and who they could marry. But ''New
India'' rails against such fatalist labels. Critics argue a caste
census will only entrench the social divisions the country needs to
dissolve.

''I am troubled at making caste the central point of all public
policies because this will damage the real fight in the society
between the haves and have-nots … irrespective of their religion and
caste identities,'' Rajindar Sachar, a retired chief justice of the
Delhi High Court, wrote recently. Many of India's urban elite reject
the idea of being tied to caste. But to pretend that it no longer
exists or matters is to ignore the realities of deeply ingrained
mores.

Newspaper matrimonial ads are still listed by caste, and to marry out
of one's caste is still a scandalous offence to many.

The government, reluctantly forced into the survey by backward caste
MPs, now argues if benefits are to be handed out on a caste basis,
they need to know how many of each there are.

But the 2011 caste census will also be a measure of India's burgeoning
but uneven economic development.

Every household will be asked for a range of economic data, from work
and income details to how many rooms their house has, if it has
electricity and running water and if they own an airconditioner, a
mobile phone, a car or a washing machine.

In the villages, caste still dominates. But city streets demonstrate
how urbanisation has worn down ancient convention. In Chandigarh,
Reshmi is a Chamar, a Dalit caste. Her neighbours are Brahmins, the
highest caste. Despite her family's status, Reshmi's husband has a
government job. Their house is, fundamentally, no different to that
next door. But she adds: ''Everybody knows our caste by what we eat
and what we wear. I am proud to say my caste, I have nothing to
hide.''

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/india-divided-as-caste-census-begins-20110826-1jedu.html#ixzz1WPvSfYZt


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[ZESTCaste] The Lokpal debate from a Dalit-Bahujan perspective

http://kafila.org/2011/08/27/the-lokpal-debate-from-a-dalit-bahujan-perspective/

The Lokpal debate from a Dalit-Bahujan perspective
August 27, 2011
tags: Anna Hazare, caste, Dalit-Bahujan, Dalits
by Shivam Vij

The video above shows a protest in Delhi demanding a Bahujan Lokpal
Bill, and protesting against Anna Hazare. This was hardly given any
coverage in the media. The video was made and uploaded by Khalid Anis
Ansari, who writes at the Round Table India:

A supra-parliamentary Jan Lokpal and a very interventionist and
unaccountable judiciary are a horror for the dalit-bahujan masses. All
said and done the legislature is most respectful of social diversity
as far as the three organs of government are concerned. The executive
is bad and the judiciary is the worst in this regard. So I am
presently in favor of taking the 'political' route than the civil
society one which is in any way a club of the chattering classes.
[Read the full post]

Given below is a note expressing a Dalit-Bahujan perspective on the
Lokpal debate. The note has been put out by DINESH MAURYA:

We want to submit some suggestions regarding the Government of
India's proposed Lokpal Bill. Like Anna's Lokpal Bill, our Lokpal
Bill, named as 'Bahujan Lokpal Bill', should also tabled in the
parliament and should be discussed in the same way as the other Bill.

We are demanding that following provisions should be taken into
consideration when making the Government's Bill:

1. Like the Public Sector (PSUs), private sector companies, NGOs,
Media groups should also be brought under the purview of Article 12 of
the Constitution as 'other authority', and also be brought under the
purview/jurisdiction of Lokpal.

2. Religious & Charitable Trusts, Maths, Mandirs, Waqf Boards,
Churches, Gurudwaras and other religious entities should also be
brought under the purview of the Lokpal Bill or a Religious Property
Acoountibility Bill, like the Judicial Accountibility Bill, should be
mooted.

3. Representation for all communities -Dalits, Backward Classes,
Adivasis, Religious Minorities etc- should be ensured in the Lokpal
Selection Committee.

4. The selection of Lokpal should be debated in a Joint Session of
the parliament and there should be discussion regarding his/her
qualifications, conduct, character and reputation in public.

5. Representation for all communities- Dalits, Backward Classes,
Adivasis, Religious Minorities etc- should be ensured in the
constitution of members, in the Central/States' Lokpal Acts.

6. The minimum number of members of Lokpal should be not less than
14 and this office should come under the purview of reservations so
that all communities would be represented.

7. The Head of Lokayukt should be appointed on a rotational basis
so that every social group is represented.

8. The term of office of the Chairperson/Head should not be more
than 2 years.

9. If it is proved that any member of the Lokpal is politically
biased, he/she should be suspended immediately. But the process for
removal should be similar to that adopted in the case of Justice/s of
HC/SC.

10. The power/office of the Lokayukt should be equal to the power
of a High Court.

11. The violation of or the non-implementation of the provision/s
for reservation and social justice should be treated as corruption and
for this the punishment should be same as that for corruption in an
economic sense.

12. The misuse of SC/ST/OBC funds should be treated as corruption
and for this the punishment should be same.

13. The definition of 'Corruption' should be expended and money
ammassed through cheating or fraud committed on illiterate citizens,
and in the name of faith should also be treated as Corruption.

14. The activity and conduct of Members of Parliament and Members
of Legislative Assemblies should not come under the jurisdiction of
the Lokpal.

15. The office and officers of Lokpal should come under the
jurisdiction of Right to Information Act.

16. The Lokpal and Lokayukt should be united through a Bill but
there should be equal respect for federal structure.

17. If there is conflict/contradiction between the provision of
Constitution of India and Lokpal, the provision of Constitution of
India should prevail.

18. The Lokpal Chairperson should be bound to disclose information
on his and his family's wealth and property and there should be an
audit of his wealth and property till after 10 years of end of his
term of office.

The concerns expressed in the note about sound reasonabe and important
to me and should be taken into account by both Team Manmohan and Team
Anna.

A 'Save the Constitution' rally was held recently in Delhi to voice
the concerns of Dalit-Bahujans on the proposed Lokpal Bill

There was also a press conference at the Press Club of India
yesterday, addressed by various leaders of Dalit-Bhaujan and minority
communities, which was again barely give any space by the "national"
media. Given below is the text of the press release issued by them:

Now Civil Society of Dalits, Backwards and Minorities rise for their rights!

New Delhi, August 26, 2011

The Chairman of All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations-
Dr. Udit Raj, Sr. IAS -P.S. Krishnan, Peace Party leader- Yusuf
Ansari, Urdu Sahara Editor -Aziz Burney, Social activists – Shabnam
Hashmi, Mast Ram Kapur, Dilip Mandal, All India Christian Council
leaders- John Dayal, Bishop MS Screakriaf and Madhu Chandra, President
of Shoshit Samaj Dal Akhilesh Katiyar, Sr. Advocate Subba Rao, Gen
Secy of IJP- C. P. Singh, Fmr Minister- Ibrahim Qureshi, Prof Vivek
Kumar, Grand son of Maulana Azad –Firoj Bakht Ahmed, Prof. Akhter
Mehandi and many other such personalities have decided to urge the
government to include the demands of Bahujan Lokpal Bill while passing
the Lokpal law. It was also discussed that in the Constitution, there
is a fine and delicate balance between legislature, executive and
judiciary and if anyone of these transgresses its power, that will
disturb the balance and resultantly the Constitution will be affected.

The Govt. Bill which is pending for consideration before the
Standing Committee of the Parliament is not strong enough to book the
corrupt. The way the govt. is considering the features of all three
bills – Govt. Bill, Jan Lokpal Bil and NCPRI Bill, the suggestions of
Bahujan Lokpal Bill also be considered. We are of the strong opinion
that unless Corporate Houses, NGOs and Media are included in the ambit
of the Bill, there will not be much impact to check graft. In the
Lokpal Committee, the representation of Dalits, Backwards and
Minorities should be there, as it is in the govt. services. These
communities are apprehensive that if this committee is constituted
without giving them due consideration, it is more likely that dalits,
backwards and minorities' officers and leaders will be targeted on
pick and choose basis. Our society is not only caste ridden but at the
same time it is multicultural and religious also. So the
representation of each major community should be taken care of. The
corruption is more social in nature than political, therefore ,
without addressing it, there is no possibility to weed it out. On 24th
August, we organized a mammoth rally for our demands and unlike the
news of Anna Hazare, not a single electronic channel has telecast it.
Isn't this mental corruption? The presence of participants in Anna
Hazare's movement is not only exaggerated but telecast continuously.
There is plurality and diversity in the society and so our views
should have been also shown. In these circumstances, we demand
representation of these communities in the structure of Lokpal
Committee. There are many schemes for the upliftment of these
communities but due to rampant corruption, fruits are not reaching to
them and therefore, the Bahujan Lokpal Bill urges the govt. to
consider this also. Violation of reservation should be also treated as
an act of corruption.

Dr. Udit Raj said that there are misgivings that the Rally of 24th
August was against Anna Hazare agitation but that is not true. In so
far as corruption is concerned, we are also strongly opposed to it.
From our rally it was asked to the craftsmen of Janlokpal Bill why did
they not include Corporate Houses, Media and NGOs? Anna ji was asked
why he kept silent when North Indians in Maharashtra and Muslims in
Gujarat were targeted and brutalized? He was also asked to express his
views on reservation for dalits. If his civil society leaders are not
trusting the representatives who are elected by lacks of people then
how the honesty and impartiality of Lokpal can be guaranteed ? No
doubt there is too much corruption in politics but it is more by the
blessings of Corporate Houses. At least, there are checks on peoples'
representatives and that is seeking the mandate of people again and
again but those deterrents are not there in case of Lokpal. We have
asked for an appointment with the Prime Minister and Standing
Committee of Parliament to submit our Bill and so far that has not
been communicated. The Govt. is not treating us at par with Anna
Hazare Civil Society and this is proved by the fact that so far we
have not been consulted and nothing communicated to us.

And given below is a meorandum submitted to the Rajya Sabha by the
"Savidhan Bachao Andolan":

To,
Shri K P Singh,
Director,
Rajya Sabha Secretariat
201, Second Floor,
Parliament House Annexe,
New Delhi – 110 001

MEMORANDUM OF VIEWS AND SUGESTIONS ON LOKPAL BILL 2011 (BILL NO 39 OF 2011)

Sir,

This is in reference to the Newpaper advertisement No davp
31202/11/0019/1112, where in Parliamentary Standing Committee on
Personnel, Public Grievance, Law and Justice have invited views and
opinions on the Lokpal Bill that is posted on the website of Rajya
Sabha. I have read the bill in detail and my views and suggestions are
as follows:

(1) The heart of the Lokpal bill is to constitute a mechanism for
dealing with complaints of corruption against public functionaries in
higher places. However there are many instances of corruption by
functionaries in the corporate sector which had duped the public in
the past. To cite a few examples – Harshad Mehta scam, Satyam, Telgi,
Citibank scams and school admission donations. At the moment,
accountability is disproportionately inclined towards public
functionaries in comparison to corporate. Also the Right to
Information Act 2005 is not applicable in corporate or private
institutions. Hence it is suggested to include corporate and private
functionaries within the ambit of Lokpal Bill.

(2) As per the clause 17 (f) of the Lokpal Bill, the jurisdiction
of inquiry of Lokpal extends to the societies or associations or trust
that are wholly or partially funded or aided by the Government. While
this is a welcome move, the media is completely left out from the
ambit of the Lokpal Bill. 'Paid news' and 'Paid opinion polls' that
influence the public opinion is a bad precedent. Hence it is suggested
that media be brought under the ambit of Lokpal as it the fourth
pillar of democracy.

(3) As per the clause 17 (f) of the Lokpal Bill, the jurisdiction
of inquiry of Lokpal does not extend to societies or associations or
trust that are constituted for religious purposes. Large numbers of
people donate money in religious institutions which is managed by
these societies or associations or trust. Sadly, some of these
societies or associations or trusts have become safe havens of black
money which some people dispose off in the name of donation. The
societies or associations or trust have become richer day by day at
the cost of loss to the Government exchequer. Take the most recent
example of Sai Baba Trust where unaccounted crores of rupees and other
wealth were found after Sai Baba's death. And the trust itself is
worth Rupees 1.4 lakh crores as per media reports, which is 50 times
the annual budget of Government of India's flag ship program – Sarva
Siksha Abhyiyan. On top of that, majority (80 percentages) of the
population in India are Hindus, who worship in Hindu temples. However
many of these Hindu temples are controlled by the Brahmins, as is
their birth right, as prescribed by the Hindu religious scriptures.
Also the bylaws of these societies or associations or trust are
formulated in such discriminatory way that they directly or indirectly
exclude non Brahmi sections from their management. Isn't it strange
that Brahmins are entirely excluded from accountability to the public?
Hence it is suggested to include in the ambit of Lokpal such societies
or associations or trust that are constituted for religious purposes.

(4) The clause 4 (1) of the Lokpal Bill lists the members of
selection committee to recommend appointment of Lokpal. The selection
committee does not have representation from disadvantaged sections of
the society viz – women, SC, ST and minorities to safe guard their
interest. Hence it is suggested to include (a) Chairperson of National
Women's Commission, (b) Chairperson of SC / ST Commission and (c)
Chairperson of National Commission of Minorities in the Selection
Committee.

(5) The clause 2 (b) of the Lokpal Bill specifies that the Members
of the Lokpal should not exceed eight of whom fifty percent shall be
judicial member. There is no mention of inclusion of members from
disadvantaged sections of the society viz – women, SC, ST and
minorities communities as members in the Lokpal. The representation
needs to be in terms of proportions in the population and
recommendations made by various commissions from time to time. Hence
it is suggested that apart from fifty percent judicial representation
to include fifty percent representation for women, twenty five percent
representation from SC / ST and twenty percent for minorities in the
Lokpal.

(6) The clause 49 (1) of the Lokpal bill deals with offenses and
penalties when a false and frivolous or vexatious complaint is made
under the Act (Lokpal). Sometimes, it is seen that such a false and
frivolous or vexatious complaint is knowingly made against an SC / ST
functionary for harassment due to the prevailing societal prejudice.
Hence it is suggested that if such a false and frivolous or vexatious
complaint is made against and SC / ST functionaries then the relevant
clauses under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of
Atrocities Act), 1989 also need to be invoked and needs mention in the
Lokpal Bill. These clauses from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989 could be clauses 3.1 (ix),
3.2 (i), 3.2 (ii), 3.2. (vi) and 7.

(7) I have my full concurrence to all the clauses and sub-sections
in the Lokpal Bill 2011 other than that mentioned above for
suggestions to improve upon.

(8) The suggested additions other than the clauses and
sub-sections in the Lokpal Bill 2011 are as follows:

a. It is observed that many a times the common man is connected
with lower level of public functionaries and suffers due to indulgency
in corrupt practices by any functionary. Hence it is suggested to
include the lower level of public and private functionaries in the
Lokpal Bill as well.

b. There needs to be a mechanism in which common man can blow the
whistle and indicate corruption. Hence a website to register
complaints and a common telephone number needs to be provisioned for
this purpose as a via media for the common man to indicate possible
corruption. Necessary clauses need to be included for the protection
of rights of such whistle blower.

c. There have been instances in the past where funds allocated for
the SC / ST subplan from the Government of India have been misused /
diverted for the use that have not benefitted these disadvantaged
communities. Take an instance of diversion of funds from SC / ST
subplan to the Common Wealth Funds. This is against the Planning
Commission guidelines. Hence it is suggested that diversions of funds
from the SC / ST subplan should come automatically under the preview
of Lokpal and the treated as offence under the Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989. If required
then necessary amendments need to made under the Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989.

d. It has been observed that there are numerous cash flows during
the election time. The marginalized communities viz: women, SC, ST and
minorities that are the most disadvantaged and have less cash stands
deprived. Hence it is recommended that election expenses also be
brought under the ambit of the Lokpal Bill.

I am of the view that the Lokpal should not be above the Judiciary
and the Prime Minister and a separate mechanism similar to the
Election Commission needs to be constituted in the country. I trust
that there will be a favorable response to my proposition.

Yours sincerely
All Members
"Savidhan Bachao Andolan"


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