Latest News Update: Jun 13, 2011

Monday, June 13, 2011

[ZESTCaste] Pawar slams RPI for teaming up with 'Hindutva forces'

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-06-11/mumbai/29646614_1_sharad-pawar-senior-ncp-leader-ramdas-athavale

Pawar slams RPI for teaming up with 'Hindutva forces'
Ambarish Mishra Jun 11, 2011, 01.58am IST

MUMBAI: Union agriculture minister and Nationalist Congress Party
(NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Friday slammed Republican Party of India (
RPI) leader Ramdas Athavale for teaming up with Hindutva forces.

Targeting the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party-RPI partnership, Pawar
said, "It is unfortunate that Athavale should join hands with the
Sena-BJP combine, which equates Hindutva with nationalism.'' Pawar was
addressing a conclave at Chunabhatti to mark the NCP's 12th
anniversary.

"Athavale has strayed away from Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's path. When he
renounced Hinduism and embraced Buddhism, Dr Ambedkar had given a vow
to his neo-Buddhist followers not to worship Hindu deities or seek the
services of a Brahmin priest for rituals. However, Athavale has
forgotten the pledge. He has teamed up with a party that is headed by
a 'Hindu-hriday-samrat','' Pawar said, referring to Sena chief Bal
Thackeray's much-touted title. "Equating one religion with nationalism
and upholding the thoughts and principles of a single faith will
threaten the country's multi-cultural, pluralistic and multi-religious
character,'' the NCP chief warned.

The Maratha strongman's criticism of Athavale clearly reflected the
growing worry in the NCP rank and file about the new political
equations scripted by the Sena-BJP-RPI partnership in the run-up to
the civic elections.

Pointing out that the NCP was engaged in a long-drawn crusade for
social transformation in the country, Pawar said the food security
legislation would cover 90% of the rural and 15% of the urban
population. "We will supply wheat, jowar and rice to the beneficiaries
at a modest price. The idea is to see that the fruits of the
fast-paced economic growth reach the lowest strata of society,'' he
added.

The NCP's unflinching commitment to the Dalit cause was the theme of
speeches at the jamboree. Senior NCP leader Praful Patel said his
party was instrumental in renaming the Nagpur international airport
after Dr Ambedkar. The conclave adopted a social transformation
charter which, among other issues, includes a demand for renaming
Dadar railway station as Chaityabhoomi. But the Sena is opposed to the
renaming of Dadar, the party bastion.

Public Works Department minister Chhagan Bhujbal urged the Sena to
observe the teachings of the late Prabodhankar K S Thackeray, a
well-known reformer and Bal Thackeray's father; the teachings were of
social justice and the empowerment of the downtrodden.

Senior NCP leader P A Sangma said after breaking away from the
Congress in 1999, his party has been growing stronger day by day.
Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram, N D Tiwari and Arjun Singh too had
launched breakaway groups, however, they didn't last long, Sangma
said.

Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said the NCP was ready for a
tit-for-tat bout with the Sena. Asking Sena CEO Uddhav Thackeray to
mind his language, home minister R R Patil said, "We have an ample
stock of foul words. Uddhav Thackeray will faint if we give him a
mouthful.''

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[ZESTCaste] Pawar cites Ambedkar's ideals, questions Athavale's alliance with Sena-BJP

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/article2094194.ece

MUMBAI, June 11, 2011
Pawar cites Ambedkar's ideals, questions Athavale's alliance with Sena-BJP
Special Correspondent

Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar (right) with film
editor Tariq Anwar at a rally on the occasion of the party's 12th
anniversary in Mumbai on Friday. Photo: Vivek Bendre
The Hindu Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar (right)
with film editor Tariq Anwar at a rally on the occasion of the party's
12th anniversary in Mumbai on Friday. Photo: Vivek Bendre

"Incompatible with the thinking of his new-found allies'

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president and Union Agriculture
Minister Sharad Pawar on Friday questioned Republican Party of India
(RPI) leader Ramdas Athavale's new-found alliance with the right-wing
Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), indicating that it was
against the ideals of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Mr. Athavale, a staunch Ambedkarite who was an ally of the NCP and,
later, the Congress, had switched sides recently, causing much
heartburn among his former allies. Mr. Pawar, speaking on the 12th
foundation day of the NCP at a rain-sodden Somaiya grounds here,
admitted that Mr. Athavale had a right to go where he pleased and that
while he would not criticise him, he was worried about Mr. Athavale's
antecedents as a follower of Dr. Ambedkar and how they were
incompatible with the thinking of his current allies.

Extolling Dr. Ambedkar's towering contribution to the country and his
vision for social equality, Mr. Pawar said that when he accepted
'deeksha' at Nagpur on October 14, 1956, he had listed 22 pledges
which his followers were to respect. Mr. Pawar read out a few of these
pledges: "I shall not consider Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh as God, nor
shall I worship them. I shall not consider Ram and Krishna as God, nor
shall I worship them…and I will not perform any rituals to be
performed by Brahmins."

How, Mr. Pawar asked, when Mr. Athavale allies with a party whose
leader calls himself a "Hinduhridaysamrat", could the trend of
thinking be compatible with Dr. Ambedkar's pledges? India, he said,
was a land of many communities and religions and there had to be unity
among them. Calling oneself a leader of a single community threatened
the unity of that composite culture, he pointed out.

'Hinduhridaysamrat'

He who called himself "Hinduhridaysamrat" went against the unity of
religions, he said. Mr. Pawar said the BJP was a party that equated
Hindutva with nationalism or national pride. Again, he pointed out,
one could not identify a single religion with nationalism given that
there were many religions and communities in India. Is Ramdas going to
agree with these ideals, Mr. Pawar asked. If he did, then he was
departing from Dr. Ambedkar's philosophy. By joining up with the
saffron parties, said Mr. Pawar, Mr. Athavale had gone very far from
his avowed ideas.

NCP leaders, including Home Minister R.R. Patil, targeted Sena
executive president Uddhav Thackeray for opposing the renaming of
Dadar station as Chaityabhoomi, among other issues. Mr. Pawar said his
party was not interested in finishing off anyone or disrupting
anything. All the NCP wanted was to provide social justice and
equality to the poor and backward sections.

Following Mr. Athavale's exit as an ally, both the Congress and the
NCP have realised the need to woo the Scheduled Castes and the
backward sections of society. The NCP announced a charter of demands
which, Mr. Pawar said, all the NCP functionaries and workers would
implement. The 12th foundation day of the party was celebrated as
social justice day and a list of 41 demands, which Mr. Pawar described
as "Magna Carta," was released on the occasion. It included the demand
for acquiring 12.5 acres of land from Indu Mills near Chaityabhoomi in
Dadar and constructing a memorial to Dr. Ambedkar there.
Chaityabhoomi, where Dr. Ambedkar was cremated, is held as a sacred
place. The NCP also demanded that the Dadar railway station be renamed
as Chaityabhoomi railway station, setting at rest speculation that it
had struck a compromise with the Sena, which was opposed to the
demand. Street battles had broken out between the NCP and the Sena
over remarks made by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on the issue of
renaming the station till Mr. Pawar senior reportedly called up Bal
Thackeray and achieved a truce.

The Congress had written to the Central government 14 months ago,
demanding the renaming of Dadar station as Chaityabhoomi. Chief
Minister Prithviraj Chavan will soon lead a delegation to meet the
Prime Minister and urge him to expedite a decision on the Indu Mills
land so that a memorial to Dr. Ambedkar could be constructed.

The NCP's charter has a strong focus on the scheduled castes and
backward sections and lists various demands and concessions for them.

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[ZESTCaste] Untouchability wall sparks tension in TN village

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/untouchability-wall-sparks-tension-in-tn-village/158429-60-118.html

Tamil Nadu
Untouchability wall sparks tension in TN village
indianexpress Express News Service , The New Indian Express
Posted on Jun 11, 2011 at 02:15pm IST

SRIVILLIPUTHUR: An Uthapuram-like situation is developing in a small
village at Srivilliputhur in Virudhunagar district following the
construction of an 'untouchability wall' by a dominant community
there in the aftermath of violent caste clashes that rocked the hamlet
on May 15.

Strongly segregated in terms of caste, W Pudupatti, near Sivakasi, has
seen conflict and tension between the Naidus, Saliyars, Pallars and
Paraiyars since the 1960s. The series of clashes, the latest between
the Pallars (backward Hindus), numbering about 500 families, and
Paraiyars, comprising 300 Dalit Christian families, was the result of
a "hidden apartheid" prevailing in the village, rights activists have
alleged.

Signs of the confrontation were visible in the Dalit settlement, which
bore the brunt of the attacks, even after a fortnight.� The clash
reportedly broke out when a Dalit youth Jayaram Anthony (24) went to
buy a mirror from a shop near a Pallar street and was threatened and
beaten up by two Pallar youth.

Others joined the duo and indulged in stone throwing, damaging several
Dalit houses. "They hurled more than 20 country-made bombs— in which
college student M Prabhakaran was seriously injured on the foot—and
set fire to a cattle shed," R Inbam (45), a resident and former nurse,
told Express.

Pointing to deep knife cuts� on the front doors, she said the
attackers also ransacked their houses.

Claiming that the State machinery was siding with the higher-caste
groups, the villagers said after the incident, a wall, segregating the
higher caste Saliyars and the Dalit quarters, was constructed under
the supervision of the district SP and tahsildar. Official line: The
new wall marked the boundary of a Saliyar-run school.

Describing the structure as an "untouchability wall", the Dalits,
however, said they had been using the path for several years without
causing inconvenience or obstruction to anybody.� They alleged that
the real purpose behind the sudden construction of the structure was
to cut off the main escape route for the Dalit men in the event of
caste clashes, which have become an annual feature.

A life lived in perpetual fear, the status of Dalits in W Pudupatti
reflects the general pattern—discrimination and abuse at the hands of
higher-caste groups. Denied access to land, they roll cracker sticks
for their livelihood.

"None of the development schemes introduced by the successive State
governments has touched the 300 Dalit families in the village," rights
activist A Muniaraj said.

"The beneficiaries are all the higher castes," he said, pointing to
the well-laid roads, houses, drinking water and sewage facilities in
their areas and the neglected Dalit quarters.

Nevertheless, academic forte appears to be the silver lining as well
as the sore point.� A Jayakumar (28), a B Ed graduate, said the
higher-caste groups could not digest the development of the community
through education.

It has also inculcated in them a deep awareness of their rights and
intolerance to oppression.�

"If the wall is not soon demolished, it will give rise to an
Uthapuram-like situation and create frequent law and order problems,"
the Dalit villagers said, adding that a petition had been sent to the
chief minister's cell.

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[ZESTCaste] Dalits enter temple near Pollachi with protection

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article2099321.ece

Tamil Nadu
POLLACHI, June 13, 2011
Dalits enter temple near Pollachi with protection

Staff Reporter
Cadres of Adi Tamilar Viduthalai Munnani and Untouchability
Eradication Front entered the Vanniyakumarasamy temple at
Kinathukadavu, near Pollachi on Sunday amid heavy police protection.

The agitation was led by State Convener of Adi Tamilar Viduthalai
Munnani, Ravikumar and State Secretary of Untouchability Eradication
Front Perumal. Over 50 workers, including women and children entered
the temple in protest against discrimination of the Dalit community
denying them temple entry.
Special puja

Special puja was also held. Agitators asked the government to
eradicate discrimination of Dalits and to take stringent action
against twin-tumbler system and 67 forms of atrocities on SC/ST.

Over a hundred police personnel led by the Deputy Inspector General of
Police G. Venkataraman, and Deputy Superintendent of Police Muthurasu
were on bandobust duty to prevent untoward incidents.

Revenue Divisional Officer of Pollachi A. Alagirisamy and Tahsildar M.
Ravichandran were also present. The members of the listed community
hailed the Government for ending the discrimination and paving the way
for their entry into the temple.

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[ZESTCaste] When some are less than equal

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/When-some-are-less-than-equal/articleshow/8831575.cms

When some are less than equal
Rukmini Shrinivasan, TNN | Jun 13, 2011, 05.30am IST

Whether it is in education , health or jobs, there are enormous
differences in outcomes in modern India , so much so that it often
seems like two countries exist within one. Economic opportunities have
undoubtedly expanded for a section of India's population, but there
are serious obstacles in the path of many.

Nobel laureate and development economist Amartya Sen has written about
the 'conversion handicap' which, quite separately from an 'earnings
handicap' , impedes people from achieving their full potential. In
India, this could be caste, where a dalit schoolboy who is made to sit
separately from other classmates is not able to fully actualise the
benefits of an education. It could also be gender, where a woman
employee who faces sexual harassment in an office is not able to
perform to the best of her ability.

India's scheduled castes, who make up 16.2% of the population, are
poorer, less educated, more malnourished and in lower-paying jobs than
people belonging to 'upper' castes. (see table) Crimes against dalits
based on their caste alone, ostracisation and humiliation remain
rampant, particularly in rural India. They also face difficulties in
filing police complaints or getting a fair trial.

For all its many failings, one of independent India's achievements
must surely be the expansion of the political voice for people
belonging to backward castes through the rise of political parties
formed with the explicit objective of the empowerment of these castes.
Few at the moment of Independence would have imagined that a dalit
woman would one day be chief minister of Uttar Pradesh or speaker of
Parliament. But the translation of political voice into an expansion
of economic opportunity and human dignity is still work in progress.

For women's rights too, one of the most significant changes in modern
history has been in the sphere of expanded political voice. The 73rd
and 74th amendments to the Constitution passed in 1993 reserved
one-third of seats in all panchayati raj institutions and local body
elections for women. Some states like Bihar have further raised this
to 50%.

The results of this experiment have been inspiring. Elected women
sarpanches reported an increase in their self-esteem and greater say
in household decisions , while their performance was graded as equal
to that of men by the community . In addition, more women candidates
run for election in an open ward if it has been reserved in the past,
showing that the reservation does have a lasting impact.

Guaranteed equal rights as men in the Constitution, women continue to
be treated unequally, right from the moment of conception. The 2011
Census shows that far from abating, the preference for male children
as exhibited through sexselective abortions of female babies has only
grown, now touching even formerly egalitarian states and communities.
Even while girls outperform boys in school examinations year after
year, they are less likely to be enrolled, complete school and move on
to higher education than their brothers. As adults, they often face
domestic violence and do not have equal voice as their husbands in
household and economic decisions.

Organizations working for social justice thus often work on helping
marginalised groups become more aware of their rights, helping them
organise and protect against backlash. For instance, many tribal
rights groups helped spread information about land and resource rights
among adivasis which then built pressure for the enactment of the
Forest Rights Act. In the sphere of rights for sexual minorities, the
repeal of section 377 by the Delhi HC came as a result of tireless
work by gay rights campaigners, lawyers and a sensitive bench, leading
to the biggest milestone yet in the fight for the empowerment of
India's LGBT community.

One of the significant changes in the new language of social justice
in India is the rise of the rights-based approach to public goods.
This is not a mere rhetorical change; the very thought that nutrition
or healthcare is a right, and not simply a 'public good' can be
empowering . The Right To Education was passed last year, the NREGA
came out of debate around the Right To Employment, some states like
Assam have passed the Right To Health, and a vociferous Right To Food
campaign has forced the government to move towards a Food Security
Bill.

In the last few years, one of the strongest tools in the armoury of
advocacy groups has been the Right To Information Act. Brought into
being after a long grassroots agitation by campaigners led by the
Rajasthan-based Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, the Act has helped
democratize information by legislating transparency in a country where
being rich means that you get answers to your questions faster and
your complaints are responded to quicker. Using the RTI, groups as
diverse as south Delhi house-owners concerned about water tariffs and
rural Rajasthani women angry at not receiving their full NREGA wages
have forced governments to be more transparent and accountable.
Unsurprisingly, field experiments have found that merely filing an RTI
application is almost as effective as paying a bribe for delivery of
basic services.

Sometimes awareness generation and empowerment can be much more
nutsand-bolts , almost prosaic, but of potentially monumental
consequence. A large part of awareness generation is associated with
making people aware of existing or new government schemes, their
significance and how these can be accessed.

Some government departments have been known to launch novel and highly
effective information campaigns. Kerala's panchayati raj department
ran a televised reality show to find the state's most "green"
panchayat, discussing sustainable development alternatives through
this medium in each episode.

Game of the name

The popular narrative on urbanization is that caste prejudices break
down in modern India's economy. However academic Sukhadeo Thorat and
his colleague Paul Attewell disproved this in a study published in
2009. Thorat and Attewell answered by correspondence advertisements
placed in English newspapers for skilled jobs in private sector firms.

The academic duo found that the fictitious applicants who had dalit or
Muslim last names were far less successful in being called for an
interview than those with upper caste Hindu last names, even when they
were better qualified! The fact that this happened without the
advertiser being aware of anything beyond the names and the
qualifications clearly suggested bias based on the names.

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[ZESTCaste] Dalits to Protest against Pejavar Swamiji for Comments on 'Deeksha'

http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=244399

Udupi: Dalits to Protest against Pejavar Swamiji for Comments on 'Deeksha'

Team Mangalorean

Posted at 7-15 pm

Udupi, Jun 11: The district unit of the Karnataka Dalit Sangharsh
Samiti (Ambedkar-oriented) has announced that it would be staging a
statewide protest against the statement from Shri Pejavar Swamiji that
the recent embracing of Buddhism and 'Dhamma Deeksha' by 2,000 Dalits
here was a 'drama'.

District committee convener Hoovappa Master has condemned the reported
statement by the Swamiji that caste and untouchability were the soul
of Hindu faith and that Dalits' embracing Buddhism would ruin Hindu
faith.

The Samiti would stage a dharna in front of the deputy commissioner's
office on June 13.

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[ZESTCaste] As Shiv Sena and Dalits get cosy, India sees a political shift

http://www.firstpost.com/politics/as-shiv-sena-and-dalits-get-cosy-india-witnesses-political-shift-24468.html

As Shiv Sena and Dalits get cosy, India sees a political shift

Akshaya Mishra Jun 13, 2011
#Bahujan Samaj Party #Dalit #HowThisWorks #Mayawati #Shiv Sena

Call it strange bedfellows who stop being strangers or social
engineering with a quirk, Dalit politics and the politics over the
Dalit vote bank are taking a curious turn.

BSP chief Mayawati started it all. She sought to combine extremes of
the social spectrum in her political pool. Hitherto mutually exclusive
groupings — Brahmins and lower castes for example — came to share the
same platform, and it paid political dividend.

In the Bihar elections, the Congress tried something similar during
its Gaon ki Or Chalo padyatra. It was a disaster, though; the
intention was too visible. The recent re-induction of OBC leader Uma
Bharti in the BJP, predominantly an upper caste party, could be seen
as an effort to bridge the extremes and broad-base the party's social
appeal. The most interesting development on this front comes from
Maharashtra.

What makes the alliance curious is the long history of bitterness
between the Shiv Sena, the leader of the saffron pack, and the Dalits.
AFP

Experimenting with new alignments, the saffron combine in the state
has invited a strong section of the Republican Party of India (RPI),
headed by Ramdas Athavle, to its fold. The Dalits, looking beyond the
'secular' Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, have
reciprocated with some enthusiasm.

Traditionally, the Maratha-Muslim-Dalit combine has been a potent
winning mix for the Congress-NCP coalition. The Shiv Sena-BJP's
hardline Hindutva ideology had kept the fragmented Dalit vote bank
away (they account for more than 10% of votes in the state and 23% in
the politically sensitive Vidarbha region). The equations seem to be
changing now. The effort now is on leveraging the advantage of the
distinct support base of all three parties.

A note of caution here. The RPI is a hopelessly divided house at
present, with at least a dozen factions in circulation. Athavle leads
one of them. His entry into the saffron fold does not mean the entire
Dalit vote bank has shifted to the BJP-Shiv Sena. But it's an
interesting shift with repercussions for Dalit politics in the state
and elsewhere. It is a pointer to the fact that ideological stringency
is giving way to pragmatic politics in several parts of the country.

What makes the alliance curious is the long history of bitterness
between the Shiv Sena, the leader of the saffron pack, and the Dalits.
The latter suspected the Shiv Sena's role in the death of Bhagwat
Jadhav, the leader of the Black Panthers movement in the 1970s. Its
open opposition to Ambedkar's book Riddles of Hinduism and reservation
in employment and education is well documented. The already troubled
relations nosedived after the Rambai Nagar incident in the 1990s,
where 10 Dalits were killed.

What triggered the change of heart? Well, it is electoral compulsions.
New political forces have come up in the state to put pressure on the
existing alliance equations. The BSP's entry in the state has left the
Dalit leadership in a quandry. While the neo-Buddhists continue to
support the various factions of the RPI, the Dalit Hindus — this group
backed the Congress earlier — are veering towards the BSP. Mayawati's
party has not made a big splash yet, but it provides a rallying point
for many disenchanted Dalit outfits and their leaders.

For the Shiv Sena, it's the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) factor.
The Raj Thackeray-led outfit has divided the party's regular support
base and put the electoral prospects of the saffron alliance in
jeopardy. The Shiv Sena had to look for new groupings for support to
offset the MNS impact. Athavle was an easy catch since he nurses a
grouse against Congress-NCP after being left in the cold after the
last parliamentary elections.

Interestingly, Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar has also started speaking
about "issue-based alliance" with the Shiv Sena.

While driven by opportunism, the development is promising in the
context of politics in general. It creates scope for mutual
adjustment, breaks down hardened stands growing out of mothballed
world views and promises to ease tension between caste and
communities. It is yet to develop into a pan-Indian phenomenon, but
trust politics to make the extremes meet.

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[ZESTCaste] Dalit protesters lathicharged in Hisar

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/dalit-protesters-lathicharged-in-hisar/159020-3.html

Dalit protesters lathicharged in Hisar

Jyoti KamalJyoti Kamal , CNN-IBN
Updated Jun 13, 2011 at 04:40pm IST

Hisar: A group of protesters belonging to the Dalit community were
lathicharged in Hisar, Haryana on Monday when they were agitating
outside the District Collector's office against the bail given to some
of the accused in the infamous Mirchpur murder case.

Hisar Superintendent of Police Hanif Qureshi said that the protesters
started pelting stones on the police force after which the order for a
lathicharge was given.

"There were about 300 protesters. The people protesting were organised
by Ved Prakash Kanwar. They were provocated by the speech of Ved
Prakash Kanwar and then they broke the barricade and started stone
pelting. Some police personnel too were injured in the incident. The
police carried out a mild lathicharge," said Qureshi.

However, he denied that the protests were connected to the Mirchpur incident.

On April 21, 2010 two persons from the Balmiki community were killed
when members of the Jat community attacked them. The two persons
killed were 17-year-old physically disabled Dalit girl, Suman, and her
70-year-old father Tara Chand.

The Jat community has also been demanding a fresh probe into the
Mirchpur incident. The protesters want all those who stand accused in
the case to be brought back to Hisar jail.

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[ZESTCaste] Buddhist marriages on rise

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/regions/karimnagar/buddhist-marriages-rise-603

Buddhist marriages on rise

June 11, 2011DC WARANGAL

June 10: A small group of Ambedkar followers in Warangal is trying to
popularise the concept of Buddhist marriages among Dalits as such
marriages are seen as rational and a financially viable option for
poor families, who cannot afford the costly and elaborate rituals in
Hindu marriages. The latest to opt for a Buddhist marriage in Warangal
is Chinta Kankaraju, 26, a government teacher and resident of
Timmapuram village in Hanamkonda, who married M. Sumalatha, 22, at
Kadipkonda village in Hanamkonda on Friday morning.

P. Abbaiah, state president of Buddhist Society of India (BSI) and B.
Narsimhulu, secretary of BSI, attended the marriage along with other
intellectuals and Dalit leaders. According to B. Kattaiah, a Dalit
leader and president of Warangal chapter of Buddhist Society of India,
Kankaraju and Sumalatha are the 18th couple in Warangal to have opted
for a Buddhist marriage, which is also known as 'Adarsha viviham'.

"The first Buddhist marriage in Warangal took place in 1985," said Mr
B. Kattaiah, who got his daughter, Ms B. Padmavathi, married this way
making an example for others to emulate. Since the first Buddhist
marriage in 1985, sources said, there has been at least one such
marriage in Warangal every year. What is interesting about Buddhist
marriage is that there is neither a band baja nor a priest to perform
the rituals.

Rather, it involves lighting a candle before the figure of the Buddha,
who is offered a floral tribute by the couple. This is followed by
chanting of Buddha's 'Panchashila Sutra' in Pali language, which is a
common practice followed by Ambedkar followers on the eve of any
auspicious occasion. However, Buddhist followers in Warangal say that
very few people are opting for such marriages. Prof. G. Bhadru Naik, a
Dalit leader and a believer in Buddhist principles, blamed costly
marriages as one of the reasons for increase in debts among rural
households. "Performing marriage of daughters is still a costly event
for poor people, which they cannot afford but have to as all others
are doing the same," said prof Naik, while stressing on the need for
more 'Adarsha Vivaham'.

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[ZESTCaste] 2.5 lakh turn up for saffron-RPI rally

http://www.mid-day.com/news/2011/jun/100611-Azad-Maidan-Shiv-Sena-BJP-RPI-BMC-elections-dalit-corruption-rally.htm

2.5 lakh turn up for saffron-RPI rally
By: Varun Singh Date: 2011-06-10 Place: Mumbai

A TURNOUT of 2.5 lakh at Azad Maidan despite heavy showers yesterday
brought happy tidings for the Shiv Sena-BJP-RPI alliance and led to
talk of the parties having the requisite support to win the BMC
elections next year.

The rally was organised to protest against the central and state
governments for their roles in corruption, price rise and dalit
atrocities.

Uddhav Thackeray, Ramdas Athavale and BJP leaders on the dias during the rally

The biggest gainer, perhaps, was the Shiv Sena, a partner in the
coalition which is ruling the current BMC, which had almost gone out
of contention thanks to the MNS and other factors.

The RPI and Ramdas Athavale's entry, however, seems to have infused
renewed confidence in the Sena ranks, which has made the opposition
parties sit up and take notice.

So much so that the Congress and NCP, partners in the Democratic Front
alliance which is in power in the state, have labelled the alliance an
ATM one, after Athavale-Thackeray-Munde, as part of their attempts to
stop people from flocking to them.

While senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde was conspicuous by his absence
at the rally, other leaders made it a point to draw attention to the
resurgent alliance and take potshots at the Democratic Front.

Vinod Tawade, senior BJP leader said, "This ATM will dispense money
for the poor instead of the Congress-NCP ATM, which only takes money."

Ramdas Athawale, who managed to keep the audience glued with his
oratory and drew applaud with his shayaris, said he had spent 20 years
with the Cong-NCP alliance and would spend at least 10 with the Shiv
Sena-BJP one, prompting Uddhav Thackeray to say that he would ensure
the alliance lasted a 100 years.

Athavale, who was criticised heavily by the Opposition for giving up
his ideology and going along with the Sena said, "I was with the
Congress and NCP for a long time, but they never did anything for the
community.

Hence, we have come to this alliance and we are sure that these
parties will help us fulfil our promises and work for our community."

Long-term view
Senior Sena-BJP leaders said that the reason for bringing the RPI in
was not the number of corporators they have in the BMC (three, against
the Samajwadi Party's eight) but the party's vote share and draw with
the dalits.

"It is not about the number of corporators RPI has in the current BMC
but about the vote share. The RPI has a good base in most pockets
which, when combined with that of the Sena-BJP, will surely affect the
Congress and the NCP as both parties have decided to go solo in the
elections," said a Sena leader.

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[ZESTCaste] NCP puts forth its pro-Dalit agenda

http://www.hindustantimes.com/NCP-puts-forth-its-pro-Dalit-agenda/Article1-708120.aspx

NCP puts forth its pro-Dalit agenda
Ketaki Ghoge, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, June 11, 2011

The Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) 12th foundation day rally
celebrated on Friday as a social justice convention was a
show-of-strength statement in the backdrop of the upcoming local
self-government polls. It was also a serious attempt to present a
broader and more inclusive identity of the NC
P, largely known as the party of Marathas, by flagging a pro-dalit and
backward class agenda.

The charter of demands by the party included renaming of Dadar station
as Chaityabhoomi, greater financial subsidies, education opportunities
and reservation in government schemes, among others.

The rally had leaders organising special trains from Vidarbha and
hundreds of buses came in from cities such as Nashik and Pune. The
organisers claimed the gathering was around 1.5 lakh.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar assured the crowd: "Fruits of progress should
go to the last man in the hierarchy and this charter will try and
bring benefits of government schemes to the poorest families."

The charter is to be submitted to the central as well as state
governments. The sops include 90% subsidy for sprinkler irrigation for
backward class farmers and adivasis, building of three lakh homes for
them, 10% reservation in Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee
(APMC) stalls, reservation in MIDC plots, more scholarships for higher
studies and hostels.

The party also plans to take up a drive for ensuring speedier caste
certificates to backward class families on the lines of ration card.
In a bid to woo minorities, it has called for terming Neo Buddhists
and Christians converted post-1956 as scheduled castes. The party
faces a serious challenge in the upcoming elections, which it is
contesting solo, and faces its ally, Congress, as one of the rivals.
In the last elections, the party saw its vote bank shrinking and is
looking at ways to consolidate its base in rural areas and making
better foray into towns and cities.

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[ZESTCaste] Dalit youths demand arrest of HKADB chairman Amarnath Patil

http://www.hindu.com/2011/06/11/stories/2011061152330500.htm

Karnataka - Gulbarga

Dalit youths demand arrest of HKADB chairman Amarnath Patil

Special Correspondent

Seeking action:Members of the Dalit Sanghatanegala Samanvaya Samiti
forcing their way into the Deputy Commissioner office complex in
Gulbarga

GULBARGA: In a spontaneous move, Dalit youths who had converged at the
Vikasa Soudha here on Friday to protest against the delay in arresting
HKADB chairman Amarnath Patil and his supporters (who are facing
charges of assaulting Shrimant Pattedar, personal assistant to HKADB
Secretary Shalini Rajneesh Goel), forced their way into the Deputy
Commissioner's office complex and voiced their indignation against
Deputy Commissioner R. Vishal for not meeting them or explaining the
reason for the delay in arresting the accused.

The police, who were present in good numbers, were taken by surprise
when the Dalit youths rushed towards the main gate of the office
complex and forced it open shouting slogans against the district
administration and the Deputy Commissioner.

The Dalit youths were led by Dalit Sena State general secretary
Hanumanth Yelsangi and JD(S) leader Suryakant Nimbalkar. The Deputy
Commissioner, who was busy at a Revenue Department meeting, had told
the Dalit youths that he was busy and could not meet them.

He had deputed Additional Deputy Commissioner Math Mallikarjun to
receive the memorandum.

Mr. Vishal said the Dalit youths should not have taken such a step. He
said the police were doing their job and Mr. Patil and his supporters,
who were the main accused in the case for alleged assault of Mr.
Pattedar, would be arrested soon.

The Dalit leaders pointed out that even 24 hours after the FIR was
registered, not one of the accused had been arrested.

They said the attacks and atrocities on Dalits in the district had
been on the rise in recent days. The district administration should
take effective measures to end the attacks on Dalits and give them
adequate protection, they said.

They also demanded the Deputy Commissioner direct the police to
include Section 307 of the IPC in the charges against Mr. Patil and
his supporters. The Government should immediately dismiss Mr. Patil
from the post of the chairman of the HKADB, they said.

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[ZESTCaste] "Caste discrimination‚ untouchability to end"

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=%26quot%3BCaste+discrimination%E2%80%9A+untouchability+to+end%26quot%3B&NewsID=291398

"Caste discrimination‚ untouchability to end"

Added At: 2011-06-11 3:00 PM

KATHMANDU: Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Krishna Bahadur
Mahara said caste-based discrimination and untouchability will come to
an end once the issue of state restructuring is resolved.

At a meeting of a sub-committee formed by Parliament's Women, Children
and Social Welfare Committee to study problems of caste-based
discrimination and untouchability and solutions, Home Minister Mahara
stressed the need for amending the laws and acts related to state
restructuring.

He informed that the government had already brought Caste-based
Discrimination and Untouchability (Crime and Punishment) Act and the
home administration is serious to implement as a campaign.

Formation of a judicial unit to hear in the central court and a
separate unit in local level to end caste-based discrimination is
going on in earnest, Mahara said.

"The state and political parties should present themselves positively
to end caste-based discrimination and untouchability and unite to
completely end this," he said.

In the meeting, Home Secretary Lila Mani Poudel said the home
administration is sensitive on the issues of caste-based
discrimination and untouchability and stressed for strict
implementation of the existing laws.

IGP Rabindra Pratap Shah said the police administration has been
actively working to end discrimination against the Dalit community.

In the meeting, committee coordinator Binod Pahadi and members Kamala
Sharma, Malabati Rana, Mangal Biswokarma, Puran Singh Dayal and Bimala
Nepal said the home administration should work to end the tendency of
refusing to receive complaints from Dalit people in some districts.

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[ZESTCaste] Nepal: Fake hubby‚ brother try to sell off Dalit girl

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Fake+hubby%E2%80%9A+brother+try+to+sell+off+Dalit+girl&NewsID=291390&a=3

Fake hubby‚ brother try to sell off Dalit girl

Added At: 2011-06-11 12:34 PM

Last Updated At: 2011-06-11 3:27 PM

"During interrogation‚ the duo admitted they were taking the girl to
India by forging documents"

KANCHANPUR: Two persons, who were taking 18-year-old Laxmi BK of
Bajhang district to India to sell off her, were arrested from
Mahendranagar Buspark.

With the support of organisations working in the field of human
trafficking, police arrested Ram BK of Bajhang's Kacha VDC and his
aide Ramesh BK.

During interrogation, the duo admitted they were taking the girl to
India by forging documents, said coordinator of Sana Haatharu Surendra
Deuja.

Ram BK feigned himself as Laxmi's husband and Ramesh her brother.
Another accomplice was made her father, Deuja said. Ram had lured the
orphaned girl into going to India with a promised to wed her.

Laxmi is now under the shelter of Sana Haatharu and the arrestees
under investigation.

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Monday, June 13, 2011

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