Latest News Update: May 13, 2011

Friday, May 13, 2011

[ZESTCaste] Nepal: Dalit/Karnali youth conferences in May and June

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Dalit%2FKarnali+youth+conferences+in+May+and+June&NewsID=287617

Dalit/Karnali youth conferences in May and June

Added At: 2011-05-12 11:20 AM

Last Updated At: 2011-05-12 1:13 PM

KATHMANDU: A three-day national convention is to take place in the
Capital from May 23 in a bid to pile pressure to establish rights of
Dalit communities of Nepal over natural resources and means.

At a press conference organised here on Wednesday by Dalit Rights
Forum Nepal for Natural Resources, its chairperson Sunil Kumar Pariyar
said though the issue of inclusion has been established in the
country, Dalit rights are still a far cry.

The convention is to take place to put pressure to ensure the rights
of Dalit communities on natural resources and means, he added.

The convention will dwell on community-based forest and issue of Dalit.

Similarly, Karnali Youth Convention is also taking place on June 3-4
to chart out youth mobilization strategy for sustainable development
of Karnali region, which is the most backward area of the country.

The issues to be discussed in the convention are tourism and youth for
the development of Karnali, youth's role in establishing lasting
peace, youths in resource of Karnali and its utility, visioning of
integrated development of Karnali, among others, informed coordinator
of convention organizing committee, Narayan Giri.

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

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[ZESTCaste] Dalit murdered, tension in city in Haryana

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Dalit-murdered-tension-in-city-in-Haryana/articleshow/8271528.cms

Dalit murdered, tension in city in Haryana
Sukhbir Siwach, TNN | May 12, 2011, 04.45pm IST

SIRSA: Tension prevailed in Sirsa city in Haryana, when members of
Dalit community called a bandh to protest the murder of a youth from
the community. The protesters were demanding strict action against the
accused of the murder which took place in a nearby village, Bani, on
May 1.

During the bandh, hundreds of unidentified miscreants allegedly looted
and damaged the shops. Following this, the affected shopkeepers
blocked the National Highway-10 for one hour. They also raised slogans
against the administration and police. They were demanding strict
action against the miscreants.

Talking about action on the part of cops, deputy superintendent of
police (DSP), headquarter, Puran Chand Panwar said, "We have arrested
four miscreants and extra police force have been called from nearby
town Fatehabad to maintain law and order situation in the city." "We
are in process to identify all who were involved in looting and
creating disturbance. We will arrest them soon," he added.

On May 1, dozens of youths shot dead a Dalit youth due to old enmity.
The murderers even attacked the youth with sharp edged weapons and
chopped him off mercilessly. The deceased was identified as Mukh Ram
(28) who was going to the village Surewala from his native village
Bani, in his car.

Two days after the murder, vice chairman of National Commission of
SC-ST cell, Dr Raj Kumar Verka met the deceased family. He even gave
an ultimatum of seven days to the district administration as well as
police department to nab the accused at any cost.

DSP Ellanabad, who is also investigating officer of the Bani murder
case, Ravinder Kumar said that they have already arrested five accused
of the murder case. However, protesters say that two accused in the
case have not been arrested yet. To raise the demand, they had called
the bandh off Sirsa city from morning 9 am to 12 noon on Thursday.

The administration has announced Rs 12 lakh as compensation to the
family of deceased besides a government job to a family member.

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[ZESTCaste] Probe ordered into Villur caste

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Probe-ordered-into-Villur-caste/articleshow/8280460.cms

Probe ordered into Villur caste
TNN | May 13, 2011, 12.08am IST

MADURAI: The district revenue officer (DRO) of Madurai has ordered a
magisterial probe by the revenue divisional officer into the police
firing at Villur village near Tirumangalam on May 1.

"Public who have personal knowledge of the circumstances that led to
the firing to disperse the unlawful assembly shall provide details
before May 25," said M U Pugazhenthi, Usilampatti RDO. DRO B Murugesh
ordered Pugazhenthi to probe the facts behind the incident and submit
a report.

Madurai superintendent of police Asra Garg opened fire in the air from
his service pistol at Villur village on May 1 after a mob of around
500 persons belonging to caste Hindu Thevar families allegedly
attempted to assault police personnel with deadly weapons. The angry
mob had demanded the release of five caste Hindus who were arrested by
police for assaulting a Dalit youth for riding a motorcycle along the
main street of the village against a discriminatory diktat. The caste
Hindus, for years, allegedly oppressed Dalits by preventing them from
riding motorcycles on Kaliamman Koil street in Villur. Caste Hindus
had also issued a diktat that Dalits should not walk with footwear.
Besides, two tumbler system was also practiced in the village, alleged
Dalits.

Garg and other police officials had gone to the village along with
revenue officials to hold peace talks. After initially agreeing to
maintain calm, the Thevars attacked Dalit houses when officials left
the village. On hearing about the attacks, Garg returned to the
village. By then, Thevars had gathered in large numbers near the
police station. When they attempted to attack the station, tahsildar
ordered for opening fire.

More than 50 Thevars were arrested in this connection.

Subsequently, Villur panchayat president S Subbulakshmi filed a writ
petition in the Madras high court bench here seeking an inquiry by a
retired high court judge

into the police firing. Subbulakshmi also wanted withdrawal of all
police personnel from the village. She alleged that the presence of
police personnel in the village had even curbed the movement of
essential commodities like milk and newspapers.

In her petition, Subbulakshmi claimed that male members of caste Hindu
families were forced to go into hiding due to the threat of arrests.

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[ZESTCaste] Mayawati lashes out at BJP over booklet on 'fake scams'

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mayawati-lashes-out-at-bjp-over-booklet-on-fake-scams/790364/

Mayawati lashes out at BJP over booklet on 'fake scams'
Agencies Posted online: Fri May 13 2011, 17:05 hrs
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati today lashed out at
BJP for publishing a booklet on "fake scams" against her government
and said the Opposition parties were spreading "canards" about her
administration as they have no real issues.

"As the opposition parties, including BJP, are left with no other
issues against the state government which has given a very good
governance. They, under a planned conspiracy, spreading canards about
the working style of the government and BJP has gone ahead by
releasing a booklet of fake scams to mislead the people," she said
while addressing a function to mark completion of four-year of her
government.

Yesterday, Mayawati accused the opposition parties of spreading "lies
and rumours" and doing "dirty politics" over the issue of farmers'
agitation in the state.

BJP recently released a 400-page book 'Mayawati Sarkar Ke 100 Ghotale
- Scams in Uttar Pradesh'.

On the BJP booklet which mentions 100 scams of the BSP government, she
said they are mere rhetoric and not worthy enough for her to institute
an inquiry.

"But I would definitely ask the BJP leaders to come out with the
evidence of its charges to prove them before the people or it would be
proved that it is not a party which practices principled politics as
they claim," she said.

Terming BJP as the "number one" party in the country spreading
rumours, she said it had done the same during the last Vidhan Sabha
elections to harm the BSP by releasing a book but it was reduced to
the third spot. Again they have adopted same tactics, she added.

The chief minister was specially critical of BJP President Nitin
Gadkari who she said used flowery (unsavoury) language against the BSP
during a meeting in Varanasi recently. She said though her people
advised her to give a befitting reply to Gadkari but she decided
against it as she came from a cultured family.

"It appears that BJP president has not been brought up in a cultured
family," she said, adding she prayed that he get some values as this
has been earning a bad name for the BJP.

Warning people against the designs of opposition parties to mislead
them, she said there is also an effort to level baseless charges of
corruption against her party government and officials.

"If an inquiry is ordered into the working of all the previous
governments in state, several of their ministers and officials would
have to face action," she said, adding she wanted to do so.

The chief minister said though she welcomed the campaign against
corruption, most of the people in civil society led by Anna Hazare are
playing into the hands of political parties.

"Though they come from Maharashtra and there have been several scams
in that state as well as other states surrounding it they chose to
launch their campaign in Uttar Pradesh proving their anti-dalit
mentality as well as political interests," she said.

"The campaign (anti-corruption) is playing into the hands of the
parties with anti-dalit mentality," she said.

Citing the Commonwealth games scam and CD issue, Mayawati said
Congress, SP and other parties need not speak on corruption.

Even the BJP which was in power for six years did nothing for bringing
black money stacked in foreign banks and t seems that this black money
belongs to these party men, she said.

Mayawati, however, said she would stamp out corruption from the state.

On the occasion, she also dispelled any fears among her party men
stating that there would be no change in the names of the candidates
finalised by her on all the 403 seats for next year's assembly
elections.

"Under a conspiracy it is being stated that some of the tickets could
be changed so that the probable candidate remain in double minds but I
want to clarify that it would not be changed," she said, adding those
who had been denied of party ticket following new delimitation or
other reasons would be adjusted elsewhere in Rajya Sabha and
corporations.

The chief minister who laid foundation stones and inaugurated
development and peoples welfare schemes worth Rs 2,000 crores besides
releasing a booklet on achievements of the government during the past
four years gave an account of the various works which she claimed that
the state carried out through its own resources.

Accusing the Centre of adopting step motherly and biased attitude
towards the state, she said the various packages demanded by her from
time to time have not found any favour with the centre.

Moreover, she alleged even the centre's contribution to the state or
for the central schemes have either been delayed or received too late
and that hampered the projects, schemes and development works.

The chief minister rejected the claims of some leaders of the Congress
that UP was getting additional help from the centre.

Besides, she termed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's announcements
during a recent meeting in Banda district of Bundelkhand as a
"political drama".

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[ZESTCaste] Traders jam road after Dalit bandh call

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Traders-jam-road-after-Dalit-bandh-call/articleshow/8285354.cms

Traders jam road after Dalit bandh call
Bhaskar Mukherjee, TNN | May 13, 2011, 05.46am IST

SIRSA: Disorder prevailed here on Thursday, when members of Dalit
community gave a bandh call in the city on Thursday. They did so to
protest against the murder of a youth from the community. There were
incidents of looting and damage to shops. All that led to the affected
traders also blocking the national highway-10 for an hour.

The murder had taken place in Bani village on May 1.

Angry at the protesters` action, Heera Lal Sharma, president of
Haryana Vaypar Mandal said, "Why are we targeted every time? Even the
police kept mum when miscreants were damaging shops. We demand that
city SHO Maha Singh be transferred and proper compensation be given to
the affected shopkeepers." After the jam on NH-10, a situation of
traffic chaos emerged near the "Lal Batti Chowk" in 43 degrees celsius
temperature. Many people had to wait for an hour there.

Talking about action on the part of cops, DSP (headquarters) Puran
Chand Panwar said, "We have arrested four miscreants and impounded one
bike. Situation in the city is normal now and shopkeepers opened their
shops late in the evening. Heavy police force deployment in the city
to maintain law and order situation. We are in process of identifying
miscreants who were involved in looting and creating disturbance. We
will arrest them soon," he added.

In the May 1 incident, Mukh Ram, 28, was shot dead by members of a
group of youths due to an old enmity. The assailants also attacked him
with sharp weapons mercilessly. The deceased was going to the Surewala
village in his car.

Two days after the murder, vice-chairman of National Commission of SC
Cell, Dr Raj Kumar Verka, met the family of the deceased. He also gave
a seven-day ultimatum to the district administration as well as police
department to nab the accused.

Ellenabad DSP Ravinder Kumar, who is also investigating officer of the
Bani murder case, said they had already arrested five of the accused.
However, protesters said that two accused in the case were still at
large. The bandh was to continue from 9am to noon on Thursday. Dalit
leader Veer Shanti Swaroop said, "We give five days to police
department for arresting all the accused. If police fail to do that,
we will take the protest to Jantar Mantar in New Delhi."

On its part, the administration has announced Rs 12 lakh compensation
to the family of the deceased besides government job to a relative.

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[ZESTCaste] With Athavale's support, saffrons plan to capture Dalit vote bank

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/With-Athavales-support-saffrons-plan-to-capture-Dalit-vote-bank/articleshow/8280223.cms

With Athavale's support, saffrons plan to capture Dalit vote bank
Radheshyam Jadhav, TNN | May 13, 2011, 12.11am IST

PUNE: With the Athavale faction of the Republican Party of India (RPI)
inching towards an electoral poll pact with BJP-Shiv Sena for civic
general elections in Maharashtra, the saffron alliance hopes to
penetrate into the city's Dalit vote bank dominated by the Congress
and like-minded parties, including the NCP.

As a step towards formal electoral pact with BJP-Sena, RPI leader
Ramdas Athavale on Thursday announced a public rally on June 9 against
the Congress-NCP government. Athawale, Sena executive president Uddhav
Thackeray and senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde made the announcement
at a joint press conference in Mumbai.

"It's a welcome move which will bring strong forces together. In Pune,
both the BJP and Shiv Sena and RPI will get mutual benefits from the
alliance. This alliance will ensure that the NCP-Congress rule in Pune
ends and the new alliance will come to power after February 2012 civic
polls," said Sham Deshpande, leader of Shiv Sena in Pune Municipal
Corporation (PMC).

Supporting the sentiment, BJP's Vikas Mathkari said, "All three
parties have their separate mass base and this mass base is enough to
route out NCP-Congress from Pune politics. This is a positive step
towards the new beginning in the state and city politics."

BJP leaders admit that the party has failed to expand its base to
other communities other than the Brahmins in Pune. "It is fact that we
admit candidly. Efforts are being made at all levels to purge the
Brahminical face of the party and the alliance with Athavale will
provide the BJP a chance to penetrate into the traditional Dalit vote
bank which is manipulated by the Congress. The city BJP is also
putting hard efforts to expand the Maratha vote bank. If the party
succeeds to convert these efforts into votes, the BJP will emerge as
the single largest party in Pune and with the support of Shiv Sena
could easily get the majority number in the PMC," said a senior BJP
ideologue, who requested anonymity.

Shiv Sena, on the other hand, is apprehensive about the exact
political benefit to the party. "We cannot judge the benefit at this
juncture. All these years, the Sena and RPI have literally locked
horns in politics and on street. We will have to wait and watch the
reaction of grassroots workers," said senior Sena leader from Pune.

Ramdas Athavale supporters in Pune are finding it hard to swallow the
fact. "As of now, Athavaleji has announced agitation against the
government. It is the public resentment that has brought all of us
together and the anti-government rally is organised by the opposition
parties," said RPI corporator and Athavale's supporter Siddharth
Dhende.

Meanwhile, NCP and Congress leaders in Pune are worried a lot though
they do not admit it on record. Especially, the Congress which banks
on Dalit vote bank is forced to plan a counter strategy to keep intact
its traditional vote bank. Congress leader in the PMC Aba Bagul
preferred to say that his party was watching the developments closely,
while NCP leaders kept mum on the development.Dalit politics stand to
lose with Athavale's political ploy

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[ZESTCaste] Dalit group upset with Jha, for casting Saif

http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/2011/may/130511-Dalit-group-Prakash-Jha-Saif-Ali-Khan-Aarakshan.htm

Dalit group upset with Jha, for casting Saif
By: The Hitlist Team Date: 2011-05-13 Place: Mumbai

Dalit group in Patna is up in arms against Prakash Jha for casting
'royal' Saif Ali Khan as a member of the scheduled caste in
'Aarakshan'

A Dalit group in Patna is upset with Prakash Jha, for casting Saif Ali
Khan as a Dalit in his next film Aarakshan.

The movie that deals with reservation issue has Chhote Nawab playing
Deepak Kumar, a member of the schedule caste.

A certain Dalit Suraksha Samiti has sent Jha a letter of protest,
claiming that getting someone like Saif Ali Khan a blue blood to play
a Dalit, is an insult to their community.

The letter also threatens Jha of 'serious repercussions' if he doesn't
explain why has he cast Saif for the role. Jha says, "Yes, we have
received a letter.

My people are looking into it. We have not filed any complaint yet. It
does not seem to be a registered organisation."

Jha, who has always tried to bring to fore the plight of political and
developmental initiatives in Bihar through
his films says that he cannot fathom the organisation's problem.
"Dalit groups should be happy that we are making a film about
reservation.

I can't understand why anybody should be offended if Saif, being from
a royal family, is cast as a Dalit. As directors, we cast actors who
we think are suitable for the role. I thought Saif would be right for
the part, so I cast him," he says.

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[ZESTCaste] A docu that lays bare the real face of eastern Uttar Pradesh

http://tehelka.com/story_main49.asp?filename=Fw120511FilmReviewUP.asp

Posted on 12 May 2011
THE FINANCIAL WORLD
FILM REVIEW

A docu that lays bare the real face of eastern Uttar Pradesh
Saffron War
By Rajiv Yadav, Shahnawaz Alam and L Prashad
61 min | Rs. 95

With the rise of the Hindutva movement over the past three decades,
there has also been an attempt to understand this phenomenon through
essays, articles and films. These films have also served the purpose
of spreading awareness about the rising threat of communal politics,
and dangers to national integration due to the rising communal tide.
The Mumbai violence, Gujarat genocide and Kandhamal riots amongst
others have been objects of serious study and analysis. Saffron War: A
war against nation is the latest in a series of significant works.
This film is a combination of analysis of Hindutva ideology and its
cooption of Dalits into communal politics where they are made to
believe that the real problems of society are coming not from the
caste structure but from the Muslims.

This film is made in the backdrop of Gorakhpur, where Yogi Adityanath,
a BJP MP, has been spreading his tentacles aggressively. The film's
major contribution is to show how Gorakhnath Math has been gradually
shifted away from its struggle against caste oppression to hatred for
the minorities. Through interviews and visuals, the film shows the
spread of venom against minorities. The language used by the Yogi and
his followers comes under the category of 'hate speech'. The prejudice
and bias against minorities, Muslims in particular, is openly asserted
in public meetings where Muslims are presented in negative light and
violence is openly propagated and promoted. An imaginary fear of
minorities is projected and the propagation of violence is done in the
garb of defending the Hindu religion. The degree of aggression in
language is shocking. In many meetings when hate speeches are made,
the police stands as passive listeners, unmindful that such hate
speech should invite strong legal action.

Major mobilisation is done in the name of Adityanath and the majority
of people who are mobilised are Dalits and OBCs. They begin with
Savarkar's definition of Hindutva and make the concept of a Hindu
Rashtra as the basis for other hate propaganda. Adityanath's
propaganda says the voting rights of Muslims should be taken away.
Gorakhpur and surrounding areas must be one of the few places where
Savarkar is quoted so blatantly. The emphasis on making Uttar Pradesh
like Gujarat comes up regularly. On the lines of Bajrang Dal, there is
the Arya Veer Sena and the Hindu Yuva Vahini training the youth in the
use of arms, with Har Har Mahadev as the war cry.

The film brings out clearly how the earlier Bharat Milap processions
in the area symbolised Hindu-Muslim brotherhood, but now anti-Muslim
sentiments are invoked. This has seriously intimidated the minorities
in the area. The role of these forces in the Mau riots of 2005 is well
brought out in this film. But it should have connected more with the
national phenomenon. The film does need technical improvisation.

Ram Puniyani is a former professor at IIT Mumbai & recipient of
National Communal Harmony Award.
ram.puniyani@gmail.com

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Re: [ZESTCaste] Stress on holistic approach to Dalit liberation

in total agreement of the position. i think we should be back to pedagogy of oppressed . why should international thesoophical institute, chennai by led by elite. how many position holders are dlaits, adivasis, and oppressed groups of different counties?. let us start an altrenative movement of such kind where the oppressed are leaders, and people like me the back seat

Ranjani
--- On Wed, 4/5/11, Siddhartha Kumar <mailsiddhartha.k@gmail.com> wrote:

From: Siddhartha Kumar <mailsiddhartha.k@gmail.com>
Subject: [ZESTCaste] Stress on holistic approach to Dalit liberation
To: "zestcaste" <zestcaste@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Wednesday, 4 May, 2011, 4:36 PM

http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/02/stories/2011050253160300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Vellore

Stress on holistic approach to Dalit liberation

Special Correspondent

VELLORE: South India has the largest number of oppressed people in the
world, according to A.M. Chinnappa, Archbishop of Chennai and
president of the Tamil Nadu Catholic Bishops' Council (TNBC).

Releasing the Dalit Bible Commentaries (DBC) at a function organised
in connection with the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Centre for
Dalit/Subaltern Studies (CDS) at the Bishop's House here on Saturday,
Rev. Chinnappa said that in no other part of the world there are so
many oppressed persons as in South India. Tamil Nadu is the State
where casteism is most prevalent in India, followed by Andhra Pradesh.
The attempt of the Dalit Bible Commentaries, namely Deuteronomy and 1
& 2 Samuel Commentaries, is to lead the people from darkness that
casteism symbolises, into light. The Archbishop said that the Dalits
constitute the root of theology, and therefore, the task of liberation
of Dalits should be taken up after integrating the different
theologies. Any attempt at Dalit liberation should not only involve
the oppressed people but also the oppressors, to have a holistic
approach towards the goal of Dalit liberation, he said.

Rev. Chinnappa honoured James Massey, Director, CDS and author of 1 &
2 Samuel Commentaries, and Monodeep Daniel, author of Deuteronomy. I.
John Mohan Razu introduced the commentaries. The guests received
copies of the commentaries from the Archbishop.

Rev. Y. William, Church of South India Bishop of Vellore, released the
Leviticus and Numbers Commentaries.

Rev. P. Soundararaju, Catholic Bishop of Vellore and Chairman of TNBC
Commission for Youth, welcomed the gathering.

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