Latest News Update: May 20, 2011

Friday, May 20, 2011

[ZESTCaste] Fw: New report SOMO & ICN: Child and bonded labour in India for western garment brands

--- On Fri, 20/5/11, Gerard Oonk <g.oonk@indianet.nl> wrote:

From: Gerard Oonk <g.oonk@indianet.nl>
Subject: New report SOMO & ICN: Child and bonded labour in India for western garment brands
To: ICN.India.News@server.liw.local
Date: Friday, 20 May, 2011, 8:43 PM

Dear reader

Please below the press release:

''Exploited Dalit girls Produce Garments in India for European and US Markets''

- Companies have taken steps, but exploitation remains widespread

Please find the report 'Captured by Cotton - Exploited Dalit girls produce garments in India for European and US markets' on which this media release is based here:

http://www.indianet.nl/CapturedByCotton.html

Please feel free to distribute the press release and report.

Kind regards,

Gerard Oonk

MEDIA RELEASE

Exploited Dalit Girls Produce Garments in India for European and US Markets

Companies have taken steps, but exploitation remains widespread

Amsterdam, 20 May 2011. Big garment brands and retailers have their products made under exploitative and unhealthy conditions by girls in Tamil Nadu, South India. The girls, mostly younger than 18 and from a Dalit ('outcaste') background are employed under the Sumangali Scheme. In its worst form, this employment scheme stands for bonded labour, as described in 'Captured by Cotton', a report published today by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporation (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN).

The report features case studies of four large manufacturers: Eastman Global Clothing Exports, KPR Mill, Bannari Amman, and SSM India. These enterprises produce for Bestseller (e.g. Only, Jack &Jones), C&A, GAP, Diesel, Inditex (e.g. Zara), Marks & Spencer, Primark, Tommy Hilfiger, and many other European and US garment companies. A number of companies have undertaken steps towards the elimination of the Sumangali Scheme, but abusive labour practices remain widespread.

Sumangali girls

The Sumangali girls are recruited with the promise of a decent wage, comfortable accommodation, and, the biggest attraction, a considerable sum of money upon completion of their three-year contract. This lump sum, varying between 400 and 800 euros, may be used to pay for a dowry. The reality stands in sharp contrast to the alluring promises: wages below the legally set minimum, excessive overwork (days of 12 hours are no exception), non-payment of overtime work, restricted freedom of movement, lack of privacy, no possibility to lodge complaints or get redress, unhealthy and unsafe working conditions, etc. This situation fits the definition of 'worst forms of child labour' as laid down by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for children up to 18 years old. This is a clear breach of international labour standards and Indian labour law.

The promised sum is not a bonus, but is made up of withheld wages. In a number of documented cases girls have not received the lump sum they were entitled to, despite having completed the contractual three year period.

The girls' freedom of action is severely restricted with guards keeping a constant eye on them. They are compulsory accommodated in basic dormitories, often within the compound of the factory. This also means workers hardly have a chance to get in touch with trade unions or advocacy groups.

SOMO and ICN have shared drafts of the report with the companies that are named in the report. Several companies have responded with detailed feedback that has been processed in the final version of the report, including C&A, Oxylane and Tesco. Other companies did not respond at all, or only superficially.

Garment companies promise improvements

Garment brands and retailers have become aware of the exploitative nature of the Sumangali Scheme, through research conducted by NGOs, media reports, as well as in some cases by their own social auditing. A number of brands and retailers have taken a clear stand against these practices. Some companies have developed corrective action plans to address the excesses of the Sumangali Scheme. SOMO and ICN research shows that since August 2010, promising improvements have been implemented at Eastman as well as at KPR Mill.

Nevertheless, the occurrence of the Sumangali Scheme and other labour rights violations in the Tamil Nadu garment industry is still widespread. All brands sourcing from this region run an enormous risk of having Sumangali workers in their supply chain encounter other abusive labour conditions.

Some companies explicitly state their commitment to work with other companies and civil society stakeholders in abolishing the Sumangali Scheme, including C&A, Bestseller, Primark and Tesco. The public statements they have published sound promising, but lack concrete time-bound actions. SOMO and ICN urge all companies that are customers of the Tamil Nadu garment industry to immediately take concerted concrete action to end the Sumangali Scheme and other labour rights abuses. SOMO and ICN will continue to monitor corporate policies and practices with regard to respecting labour standards in the global garment industry.

Download the report here: Captured by Cotton: http://www.indianet.nl/CapturedByCotton.html

Gerard Oonk

director India Committee of the Netherlands

Mariaplaats 4e, 3511 LH Utrecht

tel. 00-31-30-2321340 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            00-31-30-2321340      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

www.indianet.nl

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Re: [ZESTCaste] Why I am an inter faith spiritualist

i am an inter-faith spiritualist, where paths to spirituality is in quest for justice and breaking all divides. At the end of the day we are all human beings, and the problems lie in divisions human beings make on the basis of race, caste, class, sex/gender, orientation, religion etc. I feel at a total loss with this world, and feel like beating a retreat

I however feel reservation is a must for dalits till there is some equity.

Ranjani

--- On Thu, 19/5/11, Siddhartha Kumar <mailsiddhartha.k@gmail.com> wrote:

From: Siddhartha Kumar <mailsiddhartha.k@gmail.com>
Subject: [ZESTCaste] Why I am a Hindu
To: "zestcaste" <zestcaste@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Thursday, 19 May, 2011, 6:33 PM

http://writingcaste.wordpress.com/tag/kancha-ilaiah/

Why I am a Hindu
In Personal Narrative on May 19, 2011 at 12:10 am

Rama Srinivasan responds to Inside The Hindu Part 2
(http://writingcaste.wordpress.com/how-it-all-began/) and reflects on
how she is marked by religious and caste identity despite professing
atheism.

Malar's rant about inside jokes rattled me. Yes, there are inside
jokes and I enjoy them. If I can't make fun of my community I would
lose one of my most important sources of joy. I know this is
exclusionary but I have been born in a community and there is nothing
I can do about it. If I shed my tambrahmness I am denying the
privileges I have received since I was born. I would rather live in
guilt, torture myself for my identity than live a falsehood – that I
have transcended caste. I know that is not possible. I live in it, I
have lived it and I have enjoyed the benefits (I still do) and I
should own up rather than pretend that I have moved on. I can't wish
it away. Saying caste doesn't mean anything is like saying race
doesn't exist. It is worse to invisibalise and hence ignore oppression
than to acknowledge that it exists.
My ruminations on caste and religion come from Kancha Ilaiah and
Bhagat Singh. I remember being in awe of Ilaiah when he was lecturing
my class in journalism school – it was amazing how this man stood in
front of a roomful of predominantly high caste students, he was oozing
resentment and I think he could, in turn, sense the derision in the
air. I couldn't make up my mind whether I liked him or not but that is
beside the point. What I understood of Ilaiah is that Hindus cannot
come out of the blue and start owning Dalits, whom they had kept
outside the social system until contemporary politics necessitated a
change in the stand.
Bhagat Singh is at the other end of the spectrum. Why does the
right-wing majoritarian politics appropriate a communist non-believer?
Singh distanced himself from the very issues the right-wing
politicians stand for. I felt a great connect when I read his Why I am
an Atheist?
I have been an atheist since the time I remember myself but I would
insist I am a Hindu – I am not Kancha Illiah, I am just what he
resents. Nobody owned me, but I have been part of the system from the
time I didn't exist. I have reaped the benefits of being the
great-great granddaughter of a great Sanskrit scholar and a 'Rao
Bahadur' of Education under the British Raj. Hence, I believe the use
of the term 'merit' in the reservation debate is revolting since the
social capital I carried forward makes it impossible for me to project
myself as the victim.
Being a Hindu is about these things, it is more than faith itself. I
have no faith but I was brought up as a Hindu and I will always remain
one.
My Tambrahmness has handicapped the way I see myself. I have always
been a rebel without a cause. I would fit in better outside the system
than inside. But the system has included (indeed embraced) me despite
my rebellion while it would still exclude (indeed deride) a conformist
non-brahmin.

I still enjoy the jokes on my community – it is my way of rebelling
against the absurdity of my community.

******

Rama Srinivasan is a former journalist and is currently a PhD student.
She blogs at http://theoriginalvagabond.blogspot.com

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[ZESTCaste] Himachal HC lays down selection norm for reserved category in MD/MS courses

http://www.lawetalnews.com/NewsDetail.asp?newsid=4021

Himachal HC lays down selection norm for reserved category in MD/MS courses
19.05.2011 | 19:41
Shimla
Law et al. News Network

On the issue of selection in post graduate degree MD/ MS courses the
Himachal High Court has ruled that a SC/ ST category candidate who has
secured less than 50% but above 40% marks in the common entrance can
stake a claim to seat allocated to general category in case no
candidate is available from the general category. The court was in the
present case asked to determine minimum percentage of marks as well as
eligibility to admissions in MD/MS course for general category
candidates and reserved candidates.

In the state quota, 37 seats for PG degree courses and 7 for diploma
courses were available. Reservation was also available for both
in-service and direct candidates. While no candidate from in-service
general category could secure minimum 50% in the entrance test two SC
in-service candidates qualified in the entrance test by scoring more
than 40% but less than 50%.

The State of Himachal Pradesh had taken the stand that the reserved
candidates who belong to the in-service category having secured 40% or
above marks though below 50%, can be considered for allotment of any
of the 23 seats meant for the in-service general category.

Ajay Mohan Goel, counsel for the petitioner, contended that once seats
are reserved for SC/ST candidates and in case they do not secure the
eligibility level prescribed (50%) of the marks for the
general/un-reserved category, such SC/ST candidates can be considered
only against the seats reserved for them.

However counsel for the reserved category candidates, Anup Rattan and
counsel for the Himachal Pradesh University, BC Negi supported the
stand of the state government.

Deciding the matter a Bench comprising the Chief Justice Kurian
Joseph, Justice RB Misra and Justice Surjit Singh observed that "Once
the State allocates the seats group-wise (in-service and direct) and
the seats are reserved in each group for SC/ST/OBC categories who need
only score the lower minimum qualifying marks and where the State has
also made a speciality-wise distribution of seats among the various
categories, those candidates in the reserved categories who become
qualified with lower minimum percentage should be allotted only the
seats/specialities specially allocated to them on rotation. However,
in case seats are available in their respective group (in-service or
direct) after accommodating the un-reserved/ general candidates who
have scored the prescribed minimum qualifying marks for the general
group, as against those un-filled seats in the general group, the
candidates belonging to the SC/ST/OBC category who have scored only
the lower minimum qualifying marks shall be considered in the general
group since they have otherwise become eligible to be included also in
the respective group".

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[ZESTCaste] ST/SC quota in private sector back on agenda

http://www.mydigitalfc.com/news/stsc-quota-private-sector-back-agenda-830

ST/SC quota in private sector back on agenda

By Ajay Kumar Shukla May 19 2011
Tags: ST/SC, News
The government seems to have brought back to fore its social and
economic inclusion agenda. It has pressed for scheduled caste (SC) and
scheduled tribe (ST) jobs reservations in private sector.

Sanjeev Kumar, joint secretary, ministry of social justice and
empowerment emphasised the need for more SCs and STs participation in
private sector and sought larger corporate initiative in this regard.

"SCs are still lagging behind. The government has been making efforts
for their empowerment. Now, corporate world must complement the
government's efforts," he said, while speaking at a CSR conclave.

It was VP Singh-led Janta Dal government in 1990 that first proposed
reservation for SCs and STs in private sector jobs. UPA government had
tried to push for similar reservations, but due to hu-ge pressure from
India Inc, the move was hanging fire.

Unlike most of the industry chieftains, Videocon chairman, Venugopal
Dh-oot said, "We support any such move. I feel this will help in
bringing back balance in the Indian society". Videocon employs around
10,000 people.

However, Ficci director general Rajiv Kumar said that any mandatory
reservation norm for SCs/STs would not be a good idea for
competitiveness and gro-wth of Indian industry. "Any such move would
have discriminatory effect on the industry. Reservations wou-ld never
solve any problem, but will make the situation worse," he said.

Nasscom foundation ch-ief executive offer Reeta Soni said we should
value diversity and treat that as business opportunity.

Sangita Gairola, special secretary, ministry of social justice and
empowerment said "It's not only the government's responsibility to
create an equitable and harmonious society. The private players should
also chip in.

Bookmark and Share

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[ZESTCaste] Government scheme to irrigate SC, ST lands

http://www.siasat.com/english/news/government-scheme-irrigate-sc-st-lands

Government scheme to irrigate SC, ST lands
Thursday, 19 May 2011

Hyderabad, May 19: With an aim to provide irrigation facility to about
10 lakh acres belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, the
state government will launch a new scheme 'Indira Jala Prabha'soon.

The scheme will be funded through the National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (NABARD).

It would be the first new scheme launched by chief minister N Kiran
Kumar Reddy after coming to power apart from reviving the 'Rachabanda'
programme envisaged by former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

Incidentally, Kiran Kumar Reddy continued the legacy of YS Rajasekhara
Reddy and named the scheme after former prime minister Indira Gandhi.

It may be recalled that Rajasekhara Reddy was known for naming all
schemes of the state government after Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Wednesday, rural development minister
D Manikya Varaprasad said that the state government had identified
about 26 lakh acres of land belonging to SC and STs across the state
and decided to provide irrigation facilities.

"Apart from developing or reviving the water tanks and digging canals,
we are also prepared to drill one lakh borewells to provide irrigation
water to these fields as per requirement," the minister said.

The government will spend Rs 1,600 crore for implementation of the
scheme where Rs 800 crore each will be provided under NREGS and
Nabard, the minister said.

In an attempt to curb irregularities in implementation of NREGS in the
state, the chief minister directed the authorities to prepare
proposals to bring out a new Act for dealing with the people involved
in such irregularities.

The new Act will be a combination of various existing laws to initiate
stringent criminal action against the culprits who resort to
irregularities in implementation of NREGS.

--Agencies

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[ZESTCaste] Seeks ministerial berths for Dalits, Adivasis

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/seeks-ministerial-berths-for-dalits-adivasis/276233.html

Seeks ministerial berths for Dalits, Adivasis

Express News Service
First Published : 20 May 2011 05:08:34 AM IST
Last Updated : 20 May 2011 09:44:43 AM IST

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The All-India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations
has demanded that the UDF Government should induct two representatives
from Dalit and Adivasi community in the new ministry.

Tribal woman MLA Jayalakshmi should be considered to be inducted into
the Cabinet. Confederation president K Ramankutty told a press
conference here on Thursday that SC/ST communities should get at least
two berths in the 20-member cabinet.

He asked the new government to place the Ministry of SC/ST Development
under the charge of the Chief Minister. Human rights activist B R P
Bhaskar, Kerala Vannar Service Society president Elamad Chellappan and
Ayyanavar Mahajanasangam president C Rameshan were present at the
press conference.

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[ZESTCaste] 2,000 Dalits to Turn Buddhists on Buddha's Birth Anniversary

Friday, May 20, 2011 9:43:46 AM (IST)
1Share
Udupi: 2,000 Dalits to Turn Buddhists on Buddha's Birth Anniversary

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=102655

Udupi: 2,000 Dalits to Turn Buddhists on Buddha's Birth Anniversary

Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)

Udupi, May 20: Sundar Master, state committee member of Karnataka
Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (Ambedkar), claimed at a press conference held
here on Thursday May 19 that over 2,000 dalits from Udupi and
neighbouring districts will accept Buddhism as their religion on May
24. He said that this mass exodus from Hinduism will take place at a
convention of Buddhists being organized at Narayana Guru Auditorium at
Bannanje here on the said date, under the joint aegis of Karnataka
Bouddha Mahasabha, Dakshina Kannada district unit of the Mahasabha,
Abidhamma Trust Bangalore, and Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (Ambedkar).

Explaining further, Master said Buddhism offers solutions and ways and
means to escape from the multifarious problems the people now are
facing. "Buddhism is gaining in popularity in the whole world because
of its simple principles and thoughtful ideas. The dalits are
frustrated over their protracted exploitation by the upper castes,
untouchability, and such other practices prevalent in Hinduism.
Therefore, they have decided to migrate to Buddhism," he explained.

Buddhist Bhikkus (monks), Manorrakita Banteji, Bodhisatva Banteji,
Shriddhananda Banteji, well-known rationalist, K S Bhagawan Mysore,
former union minister and MLA, Srinivas Prasad, and several other
scholars and stalwarts will be participating in the convention. Prof
Krishnappa Trust Bangalore president, Indira Krishnappa, renowned
painter, K T Shivaprasad, Abidhamma Trust president, Nandakumar,
professor of archaeology in Shirva College, Prof T Murugeshi, All
India Dalit Sahitya Academy president, Anantapadmanabh Bhat, and a
number of other dignitaries will also participate in the
deliberations, he disclosed.

Master added that a procession that will leave from district Ambedkar
Bhavan at Adi Udupi at 10 am that day, will reach the venue of the
convention, before the proceedings there are initiated. The first
programme in the agenda will be the initiation of 2,000 dalits into
Buddhism, after which, sessions and deliberations will commence, he
explained.

Dalit Sangharsh Samiti office bearers, Hoovappa Master Karkala,
Shyamaraj Birti, Shambhu Suvarna, Parameshwar Uppoor, Sundar
Gujjarabettu and Sudhakar Gujjarabettu were present at the press
conference.

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[ZESTCaste] Dalit girl raped and murdered in Bihar

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dalit-girl-raped-and-murdered-in-bihar/793214/

Dalit girl raped and murdered in Bihar
Agencies Posted online: Thu May 19 2011, 16:48 hrs
Biharsharif : A dalit girl was allegedly raped and murdered by two
persons in Mahila village in Bihar's Nalanda district, police said
today.

Finding the girl alone at her home, the duo entered the house and
raped her before slitting her throat with a sharp object last night,
superintendent of police Jitendra Rana said.

The girl's family members were away in Dhanbad to attend a wedding, he said.

The neighbours found the girl lying in a pool of blood this morning
and informed the police.

A case has been registered in this connection and raids are on to
apprehend the culprits, Rana said.

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[ZESTCaste] ‘Ambedkar, a master humanitarian’

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/162238/ambedkar-master-humanitarian.html

'Ambedkar, a master humanitarian'
Mulbagal, May 17, DHNS :

Dr B R Ambedkar was one of the greatest humanitarians India has seen.
Now the onus is on the younger generation to realise his dreams, said
legislator Amaresh.

He was speaking after inaugurating the birth anniversary celebrations
of Dr Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Buddha Jayanthi at Netaji
Playground in Mulbagal, on Tuesday. The programmes were organised by
the taluk administration.

" There is need to imbibe the values and thinking of Ambedkar. He had
played a massive role in inculcating self-respect among the dalits,
downtrodden and the oppressed," he added.

Also speaking on the occasion, Dalit Sangrasha Samiti (DSS) founding
member Nagaraj said it was heartening to know that people who fight
for the dalit cause are felicitated during Ambedkar Jayanthi
celebrations, organised by the Taluk administration.

Tahsildar P Jayamadhav urged the youths to emulate Ambedkar's thoughts.

The contribution of Babu Jagjivan Ram in bringing about the Green
Revolution in India, is immeasurable. Whereas Buddha was a greatest
source of inspiration to both Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram, he said.

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[ZESTCaste] 'Cong creating rift between Sena, RPI(A)'

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Cong-creating-rift-between-Sena-RPIA/articleshow/8450606.cms

'Cong creating rift between Sena, RPI(A)'
Ambarish Mishra, TNN | May 20, 2011, 12.36am IST

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has accused the state Congress
leadership of reviving the Marathwada University renaming controversy,
known as 'namantar' in political parlance, to drive a wedge between
the Sena and its new-found Dalit ally, the
Republican Party of India (Ramdas Athavale group:RPI-A).

In a statement on Thursday, Thackeray stoutly denied the Congress
charge that he had opposed the re-naming of the Marathwada university
after Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. The state Congress, he said, is
reigniting the controversy to trigger a split in the Sena-RPI(A)
alliance.

The re-naming row may now be a relic of the past. However, the issue
had strong political-cultural undertones in the 1970s, and it had
disrupted the fragile Maratha-Dalit caste balance in the state as the
then chief minister Sharad Pawar cleared the decks for the re-naming
of the university after Dr Ambedkar in keeping with Maharashtra's
progressive credo. Pawar threw his entire political weight behind the
pro-changers- the socialist-Dalit-left parties which favoured the
re-naming of the university. A resolution was unanimously passed by
the state legislature.

This had triggered largescale Dalit-caste Hindu riots in Marathwada.

Vehemently opposed to the move, The Sena cleverly cultivated its caste
Hindu vote-bank in the politically sensitive region. In later years,
the Congress suffered political reverses in Marathwada, even as the
Sena graph continued to soar.

The Sena is now cosying up to the RPI(A) in an attempt to weld a caste
Hindu-Dalit alliance to take on the ruling Congress-NCP alliance in
the upcoming BMC polls. Not to be outdone, the state Congress has
revived the 'namantar' debate only to embarrass Thackeray. The
Congress strategy is to remind the Dalit voters that Athavale, who cut
his political teeth during the 'namantar' stir, is now ready to team
up with the anti-Ambedkar Sena.

Claiming to set the record straight,
Thackeray, in his statement, said he was never opposed to renaming the
Marathwada university after Dr Ambedkar. ''My only contention was that
Marathwada's valiant history, its long-drawn fight against the
draconian Nizam rule should not be forgotten.''

Thackeray further claimed that he had suggested, during talks with
another RPI leader R S Gavai (now governor of Kerala) that the
university should be named as Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada
university ''Gavai had accepted my suggestion and Pawar too had
endorsed it,'' the Sena supremo added.

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[ZESTCaste] Clash between two communities leads to stone pelting, arson

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5168325

20/05/2011
Clash between two communities leads to stone pelting, arson

Ahmedabad, May 19 (PTI) A major clash broke out between two
communities in Sanand town of the district late tonight with the
conflicting groups indulging in arson and stone pelting at each other,
prompting police to fire teargas shells to disperse the mob.
The incident was sparked off by a small altercation between members of
the upper cast Darbars and Dalit communities. As tension mounted,
members of both the communities came out on the road and began hurling
stones at each other.
The two groups also torched vehicles and properties belonging to each
other, police said.
Four fire fighters have been rushed to Sanand from Ahmedabad city,
they said. Additional police force is being sent from Ahmedabad city
police division, along with a unit of State Reserve Police (SRP),
police said.
Teargas shells were fired by the police to disperse the mob, they said.
Efforts are on to control the situation, police said adding few minor
injuries have been reported so far.

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[ZESTCaste] Sonia trains guns at Mayawati

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/162593/sonia-trains-guns-mayawati.html

Sonia trains guns at Mayawati
Lucknow, May 19, DHNS:

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday kicked off her party's
election campaign from Varanasi by launching a blistering attack on
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati for alleged 'brutalities' on
farmers in Greater Noida villages

She also took on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for levelling
allegations of corruption against the UPA and asked it to instead
'look within' even as she termed the recent Assembly polls result as
indicative of growing support for the Congress.

"We all are ashamed at the brutalities on the farmers," Sonia said
referring to the alleged atrocities at Bhatta-Parsaul villages in
Greater Noida while addressing a two-day convention of the state
Congress in Varanasi.

"It seems that a conspiracy is on in the state to grab farmers' land
by the government...we will never tolerate this land grabbing by some
people for their vested interests," she declared adding that the new
Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation bill would be tabled in the
Parliament soon.

"A state of anarchy prevails in the UP. There is no rule of law
here...there is lootpat ki rajniti (politics of grabbing) going on in
the state," Sonia said charging the BSP regime with 'creating hurdles
in the way of development of the state'.

She said that the UP lagged behind in development owing to the faulty
policies pursued by the successive non-Congress government during the
past two decades.

In a sarcastic tone, Congress chief said that the state witnessed
several 'opportunistic alliances' in the past and one such alliance
(BSP-BJP) was for running the government for six months and then
handing over power to the other partner.

Sonia sought to corner the allegations of corruption against the UPA
government. "Jinke ghar sheeshe ke hote hain, wo dusron par patthar
nahi marte (Those who live in house of glass should not pelt stones on
others)," Sonia said taking potshots on the opposition parties
especially BJP.

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[ZESTCaste] Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray under fire over 'U-turn' on varsity renaming

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Shif-Sena-chief-Bal-Thackeray-under-fire-over-U-turn-on-varsity-renaming/articleshow/8464358.cms

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray under fire over 'U-turn' on varsity renaming

PTI | May 20, 2011, 03.12pm IST

MUMBAI: Two days after he lambasted political opponents for
insinuating that he opposed renaming of Marathwada University after Dr
Babasaheb Ambedkar, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray is now in middle of
a contorversy, with a section of media terming it as his 'U-turn'.

"From 1994 to 2011, Thackeray has done a 180-degree turn on the
renaming issue," leading Marathi newspaper Loksatta claimed in its
lead story on Friday.

Marathi channel Star Majhaa aired a special programme last night,
highlighting the change of stance, apparently with an eye on Dalit
votes, in backdrop of his cosying up with new-found ally, Dalit leader
Ramdas Athawale.

"At a public meeting in Parbhani on February 21, 1994, Thackeray said
he will continue to oppose the varsity renaming till he is alive," the
newspaper said.

"Thackeray also said that Dalits were paying obeisance at the
university gate, thinking it was the Chaityabhoomi," it said.
Chaityabhoomi, in Dadar area, is where Ambedkar was cremated and lakhs
of his followers visit the memorial on his anniversary each year.

Rubbishing critics who questioned the contradiction of his alliance
with Athawale, whose party RPI has a large Dalit following in the
state, and also his old stance against the renaming, Thackeray had
said on May 16: "Let me make it clear once again. I never opposed
renaming of the university. I had suggested that the name Marathwada
University be retained and Ambedkar's name be added to it."

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