Latest News Update: Apr 28, 2011

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Re: [ZESTCaste] Crisis Of Ambedkarites And Future Challenges

Dear All

As i an upper caste and upper middle class person i have come from attending a community monitoirng NRHM meeting yesterday, there is questioning of whether dalits are indeed poor by govt. officials. there was a mulsim and a christain (to my knowledge not a dalit) in this committee, and to my knoweldge no dalit or adivasi. The person heading the commtitee on civil society is very sensistive, an upper caste, he has little say on committee slection. probably i am sitting in becasue i am from upper caste

I would be grateful if somebody could ask under rti how mcuh% ias oficers are dalits and adivasis, how much % of vairous govt. and community monitoring bodies are dlaits and adviasis. within dalits let us disaggregate, Arundathiars are poorest to my knoweldge in tn.
I am willing to join the rti, but it has be dalit lead. who and am I to take the lead for i do not know what it is to be a dlait

Ranjani

--- On Tue, 26/4/11, ranjani k.murthy <rk_km2000@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: ranjani k.murthy <rk_km2000@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [ZESTCaste] Crisis Of Ambedkarites And Future Challenges
To: tmkkutty@gmail.com, "c kd" <ckdpkd@gmail.com>, "c k" <ckdpkd@yahoo.com>, "Namasivayam Kurien Jose" <dalitbandu@yahoo.com>, econfab@gmail.com, gayahariwtr@yahoo.co.in, "raghunath kanhiyoor" <raghu_iti@rediffmail.com>, "Karthik Navayan" <navayan@gmail.com>, prabhusrambiyil@yahoo.com, zestcaste@yahoogroups.com, ZESTCaste@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, 26 April, 2011, 6:18 PM

Dear anand

thanks this is indeed useful .

would like to know what you think ambedkar may have said about the neo liberal paradigm that exists today, what inter-state bodies should look like?

what did he feel about non dalits writing on their behalf?

ranjani

--- On Tue, 26/4/11, Ck Das <ckdpkd@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Ck Das <ckdpkd@yahoo.com>
Subject: [ZESTCaste] Crisis Of Ambedkarites And Future Challenges
To: tmkkutty@gmail.com, "c kd" <ckdpkd@gmail.com>, "c k" <ckdpkd@yahoo.com>, "Namasivayam Kurien Jose" <dalitbandu@yahoo.com>, econfab@gmail.com, gayahariwtr@yahoo.co.in, "raghunath kanhiyoor" <raghu_iti@rediffmail.com>, "Karthik Navayan" <navayan@gmail.com>, prabhusrambiyil@yahoo.com, zestcaste@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, 26 April, 2011, 4:47 PM

Crisis Of Ambedkarites And Future Challenges

By Anand Teltumbde

22 April, 2011
Countercurrents.org

Ambedkar Memorial Lecture at Ambedkar Habba, Spoorthi Dham, in
Bangalore on 14 April 2011

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[ZESTCaste] List of Dalit students committing suicide in last four years in

List of Dalit students committing suicide in last four years in
India's premier institutions
by Anoop Kumar on Monday, April 25, 2011 at 3:19pm

* Here is the list of the Dalit students who have committed
suicide in last four years.

* This is by no means an exhaustive list but covers only those
cases which we were able to document and where parents and relatives
have raised their voices and had accused the institutions of caste
discrimination against their children that led to their suicides.

* We are sure that the actual numbers of Dalit students committing
suicide in country's premier institutions in last four years will be
much higher.

1. M. Shrikant, final year, B.Tech, IIT Bombay, 1st Jan 07
2. Ajay S. Chandra, integrated PhD, Indian Institute of Sciences
(IISc), Bangalore – 26 Aug, 07
3. Jaspreet Singh, final year MBBS, Government Medical College,
Chandigarh, 27 Jan 08.
4. Senthil Kumar, PHD, School of Physics, University of Hyderabad – 23 Feb 08
5. Prashant Kureel, first year, B.Tech, IIT Kanpur, 19 April, 08
6. G. Suman, final year, M.Tech, IIT Kanpur, 2nd Jan, 09
7. Ankita Veghda, first year, BSc Nursing, Singhi Institute of
Nursing, Ahmedabad, 20 April, 09
8. D Syam Kumar, first year B.Tech, Sarojini Institute of
Engineering and Technology, Vijayawada, 13 Aug, 09
9. S. Amravathi, national level young woman boxer, Centre of
Excellence, Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh,Hyderabad, 4th Nov, 09
10. Bandi Anusha, B.Com final year, Villa Mary College, Hyderabad, 5th Nov, 09
11. Pushpanjali Poorty, first year, MBA, Visvesvaraiah Technological
University, Bangalore, 30th Jan, 10
12. Sushil Kumar Chaudhary, final year MBBS, Chattrapati Shahuji
Maharaj Medical University (formerly KGMC), Lucknow, 31 Jan, 10.
13. Balmukund Bharti, final year MBBS, All India Institute of
Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, 3rd March, 10
14. JK Ramesh, second year, BSc, University of Agricultural
Sciences, Bangalore, 1st July, 10
15. Madhuri Sale, final year B.Tech, IIT Kanpur, 17th November, 10
16. G. Varalakshmi, B.Tech first year, Vignan Engineering College,
Hyderabad, 30 Jan, 2011
17. Manish Kumar, IIIrd Year B.Tech, IIT Roorkee, 13 Feb, 11
18. Linesh Mohan Gawle, PhD, National Institute of Immunology, New
Delhi, 16 April, 11

The large number of Dalit and Adivasi students committing suicide
clearly indicates the wide-spread prevalence of caste discrimination
in the Indian education system, which perceives them as
'non-meritorious', not fit to belong there.

When a student from the lowest strata of society fights against all
odds to prove her merit and reach the best educational institutions in
India, are those institutions proving themselves meritorious enough to
recognize her worth, to accommodate, let alone nurture her
aspirations?

When a Dalit or Adivasi student becomes an engineer, doctor, business
graduate or scientist, it should be a cause of pride for not just the
family or the community but for the entire nation.

Instead, why do our nation and its educational institutions reward
their merit with discrimination, humiliation, violence and death?

The time has come for Dalit and Adivasi students to speak up, share
their experiences and bring their struggles in the public domain, so
that we can fight together to make our campuses caste
discrimination-free.

Our communities cannot afford to lose our bright, young hopes like
Linesh and Balmukund, in the hands of an insensitive and casteist
educational system.

Our documentary 'The Death of Merit' documents the horors of
caste-discrimination that is prevalent in AIIMS, New Delhi that
resulted in the suicide of one very bright Dalit student Balmukund
Bharti who was from very humble background.

Please watch the documentary at
http://thedeathofmeritinindia.wordpress.com/2011/04/24/%e2%80%98the-death-of-merit%e2%80%99-a-documentary/

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[ZESTCaste] Fwd: URGENT ADVISE

Friends pls advise/help her. Thanks.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ranjani k.murthy <rk_km2000@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, Apr 28, 2011 at 5:42 AM
Subject: URGENT ADVISE
To: dalit siddharta <mailsiddhartha.k@gmail.com>

Dear Sidaharta

do advise me as to which dalit group will take up issue seriously in tn- who will be there till the issue closes. IS IT WORTH AT ALL TO WRITE TO ANY DALIT MP/SC/ST COMMISSION. CAN I HAVE YOUR PHONE

I am not longer happy just writing and going. i want to give them my research time be there till issues close. IPR of what i write should belong to them

please see notes from yesterday visit

Ranjani

Summary of Thervoy village visit 27/4/2011

Met with 40 people, roughly half women, members of Thervoy Graman Munnera Sangam. What was reported by them as well as PRI secretary is given below:

- 2000 dalit hh, as per ration card 959. Some families are joint families. 90% have agric. Land[1] which is irrigated through channels from tanks in the village, which will get affected if the SIPCOT proceeds. Some tanks were destroyed. Of the 90% who had land, 70% had less than two acres, 20% had less than 1 acre and 10% had more than 2 acres. They take two crops most years, and only twice in the last 10 years they had to take one crop. They were employed for 9 months in the year in agriculture because of the irriigation. Few went out in search of wage work

- 80% of the households had livestock for which fodder and water came from the grazing land and tanks/ponds. [2]

- A check dam built by the forest dept. in 1995 in the MekKal land was already destroyed by the sipcot. This is going to affect water security

- Of 7 lakes, three have been closed by sipcot. DURING MY VIIST WITH ARUL NAPM TRUCKS WERE SHIFTING SAND FROM MEKKAL POROMBOKKU LAND

- A Draft non judicial agreement was being finalised in 21-12-2008 between forest department and Thervoy Panchayat stating that the Mekal grazing land (shurbs/trees) will be managed by the panchayat (for year 2008-2009). This draft was cancelled. Again copy of this is available and handed over to sipcot.

- SIPCOT industry was announced three years back, to be constructed in Mekal grazing land (1025 acres) of the village. It was supposed to be used for Michilen tyre company, brewery and other purposes.

- Gram sabha on 15-8-2009 in which majority of the villagers took part did not approve the project as it would affect agriculture, livestock, and affect women in particular who were dependent on the grazing shrubs for fuel, fodder, open defecation, cleaning menstrual cloths. Further it was the watershed area, feeding water into the lakes and pond around. 15 hhs lived in mekkal land and some had planted cashew trees

- The PRI is headed by Vani, a dalit but her husband runs the PRI. In fifteen years, the family has grown economically. Another Gram sabha was convened by him in secret with 10-15 people approving the project and this was given to the govt. He/Vani were purchased.

- Madhumita Datta filed a RTI on 25/2/2011 and was informed on 24-3-2011 that TN Pollution control board has not issued consent for Establishment to the SIPCOT Industrial Park at Thervoy Kandigai

- After FAST AND Medha Patkar's visit the collector agreed to settle in a week, but nothing really happened. When protests happened, mainly women they were rounded and their saris were pushed off their shoulders by women and men policemen. Around 8 youthers were charge sheeted, the women were asked to leave after arrest, but they refused till the youth were released. They have come out on bail

- 16 people from therovy were recruited from Therovy Munnetra Mala Sangam - mahesh, kuppan, gautam, gunasundar, kripalandan, thiruvarasu, delhikumR, Silambasan, Muniratnam, Mohan, Arulselvi, Arul , kalpana,, tirpupati gokulan, ligasami, jayalkashmi – by Foundation for Rural Recovery and Development , New delhi and informed that they were going to do a base line of their situation now so that they could document negative impact later. The questionnaire contained one question do you want sipcot project. They Sangam asked them why do you want this information- we do not want. They removed the question and asked about their livelihood. The sangam smelt the rat only when an official of this NGO came to the village with HR manager of Michelin India company, and they chased the NGO out. The report sent by the NGO to NAPM statest that the draft report is not completed, but actually it was not completed because the society chased the orgn. out. THE DRAFT REPORT STATES THAT PEOPLE HAVE LITTLE LAND, LIVESTOCK AND EMPLOYMENT AND HOW THIS SIPCOT WILL HELP CREATE EMPLOYMENT.

- Caveat Petition issued on 19^th, april 2011 by court of sub court Ponneri stating Thervoy Grama Makkal munnetra Mala Sangam should not be done on the above matter without notice to Michelin India Tamil Nadu Tyres private limited. The counsel for Caveator is M/S Kochar and co, J sivanandaraj, No 6 Indian Chambers (SICCI) Esplanade Chennai 600018

- 1500 household of 2000 did have job cards, but were getting 25 days of employment at 50 days mainly women. While they wanted more days of work, they did report that it was not as though they were dependent on mnregs, as they valued their agriculture land and were employed nine months a year (the forrad report finding that people were starved of work did not apply)

- The NGO FORRAD's report that tanks, ponds and irrigated land were not being desilted was only partly true -, it needs to be asked why MNREGS was not used fully for this (it was used partly) and why Anna Marumlarchi thittam (20 lakh to pri) was not put to this cause. One tank was de-silted, the rest was used for road and burial ground. No gram sabha meeting was held according to the sangam.

- Educated youth (male and female) met stated clearly that they enjoyed working in their farms- unlike reports that they wanted factory employment.

- ON THE WHOLE THE REPORT OF FORRAD IS NOT VALID AS FAR AS THIS VILLAGE IS CONCERNED.

- Sadly women reported that one young woman who went to collect fuel had to face a naked man, and came back. Now they are forced to go in groups of ten

Inspite of these constraints they gave us a generous hot meal, frankly i deserve a meal only if i can do some thing to prevent this

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[ZESTCaste] Fwd: update

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ranjani k.murthy <rk_km2000@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, Apr 28, 2011 at 4:47 PM
Subject: update
To: dalit siddharta <mailsiddhartha.k@gmail.com>

several dalits from therovy village and few of us aksing things under rti, trucks temporarily stopped

Ranjani

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[ZESTCaste] List of Dalit students committing suicide in last four years in India’s premier institutions

List of Dalit students committing suicide in last four years in
India's premier institutions
by Anoop Kumar on Monday, April 25, 2011 at 3:19pm

* Here is the list of the Dalit students who have committed
suicide in last four years.

* We are sure that the actual numbers of Dalit students committing
suicide in country's premier institutions in last four years will be
much higher.

When a Dalit or Adivasi student becomes an engineer, doctor, business
graduate or scientist, it should be a cause of pride for not just the
family or the community but for the entire nation.

Instead, why do our nation and its educational institutions reward
their merit with discrimination, humiliation, violence and death?

Our communities cannot afford to lose our bright, young hopes like
Linesh and Balmukund, in the hands of an insensitive and casteist
educational system.

Please watch the documentary at

http://thedeathofmeritinindia.wordpress.com/2011/04/24/%e2%80%98the-death-of-merit%e2%80%99-a-documentary/

------------------------------------

PARTICIPATE:-
On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to zestcaste@yahoogroups.com

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