Latest News Update: Jun 22, 2011

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

[ZESTCaste] Plan of Action for sending in money to Prabhavitha

On 23 June 2011 06:21, Anant Maringanti <anantumn@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear friends,
I have just returned to Hyderabad after nearly a month of travels. I will be checking in on Prabhavita, later this week. It is difficult to reach her on the phone as she stays in a hostel.
I will put together a short statement of commitments, receipts and projected expenses. As far as I can tell, she is doing fine with what was received and if anything more is needed we can meet it from here. So, I will send you an update on that as well.

warmly
anant

On Wed, May 18, 2011 at 5:43 PM, Anant Maringanti <anantumn@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear friends,

I met with Prabhavita and her father Narsaiah yesterday and told them to check the bank account periodically over this week. Prabhavita was quite overwhelmed. She said she will write a thank you note in due course. Narsaiah, her father says he wants to host a meal for everyone after she completes her programme.

As of now, my sense is that 50-55K will be enough. If need be another 20K can be added a few months later.

They returned to their village, Janagama, near Godavarikhani in Karimnagar district in the coal belt. Her vacation ends at the end of this month and so that will be when she will be back in college and get her passbook updated. But she can check the balance through the ATM.So she called today to say that she sees 25 K in her account.

Now, I know that 10k came from Sharmila Rege/Anil Saini and 5K from Chakradhar Hadke. I am not sure where the remaining 10 k has come from. So, unless it is meant to be confidential, can the depositor please own it up ? At this point, we need between 15 and 20K more only. Shiva said he will mail a check to my address for 10 k. So, if you can let me know if any of you is depositing any further amounts, that will be great.

best
anant

On Sat, May 14, 2011 at 10:53 AM, Anant Maringanti <anantumn@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Friends,

I apologise I could not write to you all yesterday.

The commitments received so far are as follows:

Already collected here 10,000

Shiva Shankaran (Usha+Arul+Ananth) 10,000

Chittibabu Padavala 10,000
Sharmila Rege 10,000
Narayanan 30,000 around July 16

Rama 4,000
Nagaraju Koppula 2000

Hadke Unspecified
Vageesh Unspecified
--------------------------------------------------------

Total 76000 +

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

I suggest that we do this in two or three steps.

1) Let us first take in the contributions from Chittibabu, Shiva Sankaran and Sharmila Rege (adding up to 30,000) right away. All these can probably be done through a net transaction. I will provide the bank details below. Just in case there is any difficulty with doing an online transaction, you can mail the cheque or draft to my address which is also given below. I can deliver it to Prabhavita. That covers 40,000 (including the 10000 we have already given her from here) of the 50K that is requested.

Account holders name: Prabhavitha

Account No. : 62082883931
Bank: State Bank of Hyderabad
Medchal Branch (Branch code 20091)
IFSC code SBHY0020524

MIRC code 500004070

(For those of you who are not familiar with the region, 'Medchal' is in Ranga Reddy district, which is the outskirts of Hyderabad.)

Please let me know when you send the cheque or do the net transaction so I can keep track of the transfer. It will be great if we can wrap this up by coming Wednesday - counting for delays in bank transactions etc.

If you want to mail a cheque or draft please make it out in Prabhabitha's name and courier it to my my mailing address
Anant Maringanti
Srisainivasam Flat 503
12-13-528/529

Nagarjunanagar
Tarnaka Street No. 14, Lane No. 13

Hyderabad
Phone: 09618251776

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[ZESTCaste] 'I never indulged in forceable conversion of Dalits': Pejawar Swami

http://www.newkerala.com/news/2011/worldnews-10161.html

'I never indulged in forceable conversion of Dalits': Pejawar Swami

Bangalore, Jun 18: Vishvesha Thirtha Swamiji of Udupi Pejawar Mutt
today clarified that he had never indulged in forcible conversion of
Dalits into Hindu nor had objected their conversion into Buddhism.

In a statement here, he said, ''I was surprised over the protests
against giving Diksha during my visit to Dalit colonies. Dalits, like
any citizen of this country, have right to choose their own religion
and as a citizen I too have right to advice, but it is left to them to
accept it or not.'' ''By giving advice I have not violated
constitution. I did advise in the interest of the society,'' he added.

He said in the colonies, he visited Dalits were worshipping Hindu Gods
and following Hindu culture. ''They are all Hindus, there is no doubt
about it and as such giving Diksha to them is not wrong or against any
religion.'' the Swmiji claimed.

''I am doing this not due to pressure from any corner but to help in
eradicating untouchability in the society.

My action was supported by one and all except leftists in Dalit community.

The Swamiji clarified saying that he had never said anywhere that
Hindu was the only religion. ''In the present political scenario there
is no possibility of removing caste system.

Keeping this in mind I am doing my best to remove untouchability and
bring equality in the society. This should not be misunderstood by
anybody,'' he added

--UNI

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[ZESTCaste] India state leader cries foul over rape outrage

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ixc0o6DHvONE4T26dNydk6Su2_oA?docId=CNG.a41e69b9fe806087345e0672bfad367a.411

India state leader cries foul over rape outrage

(AFP) – 19 hours ago

LUCKNOW, India — One of India's most prominent state leaders said on
Tuesday she was the victim of a "political conspiracy" as pressure
grew for her to act over a recent series of horrific rapes.

"There have been attempts to tarnish my image citing these crimes,"
Mayawati, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, told reporters in the
state capital Lucknow.

"It is a political conspiracy to malign me."

Mayawati, who prides herself as a champion of the low-caste dalit
community to which she belongs, vowed tough action in the wake of
eight particularly violent rapes in Uttar Pradesh the past two days
that attracted national media attention.

One victim was gang-raped and burned alive, while another had her eyes
gouged out after resisting her attackers.

A Times of India report suggested that six of the eight incidents had
been hushed up by state police.

"We are treating the issue as a top-most priority," Mayawati said.

"I have called a meeting of all police officers. I will chair the
meeting myself and officials shielding culprits will be dealt with in
a harsh manner," she added.

Mayawati, who heads her own regional party, has recently been
embroiled in a series of heated rows with the ruling Congress party
which insists she has lost the "moral authority" to rule India's most
populous state.

Senior Congress leader and scion of the Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty
Rahul Gandhi has been especially vocal, accusing Mayawati of ignoring
the plight of the state's poor farmers and the dalits who voted her
into power.

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[ZESTCaste] Indian Government Accuses Dalit Poet and Activist of Provoking Class Warfare

http://uprisingradio.org/home/?p=21684

Indian Government Accuses Dalit Poet and Activist of Provoking Class Warfare

Feature Stories | Published 21 Jun 2011, 11:29 am | No Comments -

kandaswamyWe now turn to India, and a case that reflects the ongoing
hypocrisy of the Indian Caste system. The Indian caste system is a
system of social stratification and social restriction in India in
which communities are defined by social categories that define both
their job and status in life but also their spiritual purity. This
system which weaves race, religion, and class into one oppressive
noose has also led to the oppression of many but in particular a group
of people know as the Untouchables who are systematically
discriminated again because of their impure jobs. Untouchables, or as
they prefer to be called, Dalits number over 200 million people and
face a staggering amount of discrimination including the horrifying
statistic that ever hour 2 Untouchables are killed, 3 women are raped,
and 2 houses are burnt. It is into this environment that we bring our
next Guest Dalit Poet and activist Meena Kandaswamy who while based in
the UK has now been embroiled in a case in the Indian judicial system
where she is being accused of inciting communal or caste tensions
between communities. We go now to Meena. Good Morning Meena, and
welcome to Uprising.

GUEST: Meena Kandaswamy, Dalit poet and activist

Read Meena's writing at: meenu.wordpress.com

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[ZESTCaste] Pakistan: Awareness drive on the cards for identification of Dalits

http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=53861&Cat=4&dt=6/22/2011

Karachi

Awareness drive on the cards for identification of Dalits

Shahid Husain
Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Karachi

The religion-based census is depriving scheduled castes in Tharparkar,
as elsewhere in Pakistan, of their lawful rights, according to a
scheduled caste leader.

"We are planning to launch an awareness campaign in Tharparkar so that
Dalits do not register themselves as Hindus in the next census," said
Surendar Valasai, the founding president of the Scheduled Caste
Federation of Pakistan.

The word Dalit literally means "backward and oppressed", and since
historically 70 to 80 percent of the population of Dalits are counted
as Hindus, they have been looked down on with contempt and hatred by
Rajputs and Brahmins since ages.

According to the last census conducted in 1998, the Hindu population in Pakistan

was 2,443,514, including 2,111,171 higher caste Hindus and 332,343
scheduled caste Hindus. If the scheduled castes opt not to identify
themselves as Hindus, the demographic scheme of Tharparkar would be
drastically altered.

But Dr Khatao Mall, a senior physician at the Civil Hospital Mithi,
thinks otherwise. "Education has brought a vital change in the
attitude of upper-class Hindus. They no longer discriminate against
scheduled castes and eat with them at restaurants and in marriage
ceremonies," he said.

"If scheduled castes decide to have their distinct identity in the
next census, it will be like a separate electorate."

A large number of scheduled caste children in Tharparkar have no way
but to work as child labourers to support their families. This is
despite the fact that Pakistan ratified the United Nations Convention
on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1990. The CRC is a comprehensive
instrument comprising 54 articles and two optional protocols that
cover the full range of human rights of persons below the age of 18
years.

However, access to radio and TV channels has proved to be effective in
raising awareness level in the area. "People living in villages listen
to BBC Urdu regularly and are well aware what's going on in Pakistan
as well as on the international level. Even drivers are aware about
the latest news because they listen to radio while driving their car,"
Khatao said.

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[ZESTCaste] Mayawati calls for more stringent punishment for rape accused

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2123443.ece

Lucknow, June 21, 2011
Mayawati calls for more stringent punishment for rape accused
Atiq Khan

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati addresses a press conference in
Lucknow on Tuesday. Photo: Subir Roy
The Hindu Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati addresses a press
conference in Lucknow on Tuesday. Photo: Subir Roy

Pushed on the back foot by the spate of rape incidents and concerned
at an alarming increase in crimes against women, Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister Mayawati has proposed amendments to the Criminal Procedure
Code (Cr.PC) and Indian Penal Code (IPC), calling for more stringent
punishment for the rape accused and making the offence non-bailable.

"The ordinances pertaining to amendments in the relevant sections of
Cr.PC and IPC have been sent to Governor B.L. Joshi for his approval,"
Ms. Mayawati said.

She conceded that some of the incidents were on account of the lapses
on the part of the police and the administrative officials in the
districts. To tighten the screws on the State officials and making
them more sensitive towards rape cases and atrocities on women, Ms.
Mayawati has called a meeting of senior administrative and police
officials, Commissioners, Inspectors-General, DIGs, District
Magistrates and SPs in Lucknow on June 27.

The amendments proposed in Cr.PC are related to Sections 437 and 439
of the code.

While the rape accused are generally granted bail, as per the
amendment, bail will not be granted to the accused till the case is
disposed of. Amendment in the IPC has been proposed in Section 354
(outraging the modesty of women) for making rape a non-bailable
offence in Uttar Pradesh.

"These changes in law will act as a deterrent and help reduce crime
against women," Ms. Mayawati told journalists here on Tuesday.

Ms. Mayawati said directives had been issued to the station house
officers of all police station areas to launch a month-long campaign
for preparing a dossier of persons with doubtful character. The SHOs
have been asked to first try to reform such characters and, if they
don't change, take strict action against them. Unruly elements would
not be spared, she said.

Asking the media, particularly the TV channels, to exercise retrain in
such cases till it gets the " official version," Ms. Mayawati said by
jumping the gun not only wrong news was being disseminated but also a
law and order problem was being created.

Ms. Mayawati slammed the Opposition parties, especially the Samajwadi
Party, for launching a vicious propaganda against the government.
Dubbed as a political conspiracy to defame her party and government,
the Chief Minister cautioned the opposition parties not to politicise
serious issues, but create "social awareness."

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[ZESTCaste] 368 OBC seats converted to general

http://www.hindustantimes.com/368-OBC-seats-converted-to-general/Article1-712250.aspx

368 OBC seats converted to general
HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, June 22, 2011

This year too, the IITs had to convert seats reserved for OBC students
to general category because of a lack of eligible students. 368 OBC
seats were converted to the general quota this year, after the first
round of allotment. There were 2,599 seats set aside for OBC students
this year. Las
t year, 469 seats of the 2,570 OBC seats had to be converted.

While the OBC seats can be converted, students from scheduled
caste/scheduled tribe (SC/ST) and physical disability (PD) category
will be given a further relaxation in cut-offs to fill up the vacant
quota seats.

These SC/ST and PD category students would be inducted into a one-year
preparatory course before joining mainstream programmes.

"This year, there is no preparatory list for SC candidates as the
number of qualified candidates are more than the available seats,"
said Sounak Choudhary, coordinating chairperson of IIT- JEE 20011.
"But there are vacancies in ST and PD categories and there will be
preparatory lists. The final figures on vacancies will come only after
the third and final round of admissions." The admissions are expected
to end by July 10.

In IIT-B, after the first allotment round there is one vacancy in ST
category and six vacancies in PD category.

OBC students are given a 10% relaxation from general category
cut-offs. SC/ST and PD candidates get a 50% relaxation and if there
are vacancies a further 50% relaxation puts them in a preparatory
course. In 2009, more than 1,000 SC and ST seats remained vacant and
were transferred to the preparatory course.

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[ZESTCaste] UP rape horrors: Mayawati slams Opposition for 'politicising' incidents

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/up-rape-horrors-mayawati-slams-opposition-for-politicising-incidents-113789

UP rape horrors: Mayawati slams Opposition for 'politicising' incidents

NDTV Correspondent, Updated: June 21, 2011 17:22 IST

Lucknow: Under fire for a string of rape incidents in her state in
the last two days, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati today hit out
at the Opposition, blaming it for "politicising" the incidents.

The chief minister's response came following widespread condemnation
by political parties after the state reported eight incidents of rape
in the last forty-eight hours.

Addressing a press conference, Ms Mayawati said that tough action
would be initiated against the culprits.

"I have called a meeting of top police officers on June 27...Officials
shielding culprits will be dealt with in a harsh manner", she said.

Another incident of rape was reported from UP's Bagpat district today,
the 8th in the last 48 hours.

The daughter of a CRPF jawan was raped by her friend's brother last evening.

The 17-year-old had gone to her neighbour's house for sewing classes.

The girl committed suicide this morning.

"In families which have characterless people, they should work towards
inculcating good habits in them. My party will work towards this even
the NGOs should work towards this," said Mayawati.

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[ZESTCaste] Rajasthan's Dalit women celebrate 'liberty' at temple

http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=246162

Jun 20, 2011

Rajasthan's Dalit women celebrate 'liberty' at temple

Varanasi, June 20 (IANS) In a revolution of sorts, some 200 Dalit
women from Rajasthan Monday achieved what they thought would remain a
mirage -- performing rituals with upper caste Hindus at the Vishwanath
temple.

Amidst ecstatic shouts of 'Har Har Gange', the women, who once worked
as manual scavengers, also took a dip in the holy Ganga and chanted
hymns along the Dashashwamedh Ghat, deemed to be the most pious bank.

"We never thoughtt we would get an opportunity to celebrate our
liberty like this... For decades, we have faced hatred and
discrimination. As we mingled with the upper caste, we get the feel of
being liberated," Shanti Chaumaria, a manual scavenger of over two
decades, told IANS.

While the Vishwanath temple does not bar Dalits from offering prayers,
the women considered performing rituals with Brahmins an act of
empowerment.

"It's an out of the world experience for us. We want to stay here as
long as we can. This day will remain memorable for us. We now feel we
have really joined the mainstream. Sharing a platform with the
upper-caste is really a privilege," said Guddi, who was a manual
scavenger for 10 years.

After performing rituals at the Dashashwamedh Ghat for nearly two
hours, the women proceeded to the Vishwanath temple, carrying earthen
pots filled with Ganga water, even as the locals watched them
curiously.

"When people from upper castes assisted us in carrying out the
rituals, for a while it all appeared like a dream. Though we have
visited several prominent temples across the country, it was for the
first time most of us got the opportunity of taking a dip in the
Ganga," said Shakuntala Chaumar, who was earlier involved in manual
scavenging in Rajsthan's Tonk district.

Brahmanand Chaturvedi, one of the priests who guided the women in
their rituals, said: "For the almighty, everyone is same and equal.
Why should there be any discrimination? These women are also a part of
our society. We must make efforts for empowering them."

Sulabh International, the social service organisation which organised
the programme, flew in the women from Rajasthan.

The NGO rehabilitated these manual scavengers by providing them with
various vocational jobs like stitching, embroidery and pickle-making.
The women now earn a monthly stipend of Rs.2,000.

According to Sulabh International's founder Bindeshwar Pathak, an
estimated one lakh people are still involved in manual scavenging in
the country.

"Manual scavenging still prevails in several states, including Uttar
Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra," Pathak told IANS.

"We are trying our best so that we can weed out the disgraceful
practice in a year or so. It would require support from all sections
of the society," he added.

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