Latest News Update: Dec 1, 2011

Thursday, December 1, 2011

[ZESTCaste] Dalit leaders protest assault on activist

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysore/Dalit-leaders-protest-assault-on-activist/articleshow/10955024.cms

Dalit leaders protest assault on activist
H M Aravind, TNN | Dec 2, 2011, 12.13PM IST

MYSORE: The age-old practice of 'Made made Snana' at Kukke Subramanya
and the assault on a city-based activist who opposed it, is
snowballing into a controversy, with social activists and dalit
leaders staging a protest condemning the attack.

They have now sought action against those who attacked K S Shivaram,
the city-based activist, for speaking against the practice and
threatened to intensify the agitation in case the state government
doesn't initiate action against the attackers. Those who attacked
Shivaram should be booked and arrested. The practice should be stopped
too, they said staging a protest in the city on Thursday. Dalit leader
Harihara Anandaswamy led the agitators who said the district
administration has failed to focus on the issue. Muzrai minister V S
Acharya, who has argued against its ban citing beliefs, is promoting
the inhumane act. He should quit, they said, seeking action against
the cops who were on duty.

Meanwhile, the PUCL has opposed the practice and sought the
government's intervention to ban it. PUCL general secretary Dr V
Lakshminarayan said the temple management committee was ordered
against allowing the devotees to continue the practice, but has
violated it. This is illegal, he said, adding that the government is
promoting the inhumane practice. He also condemned the attack on
Shivaram.

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[ZESTCaste] Lords looks at plight of Dalits in international development aid debate

http://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2011/december/lords-debates-on-international-development-aid/

Lords looks at plight of Dalits in international development aid debate
01 December 2011

Members of the Lords, including a former Director of Oxfam and a
founding member of the Development Studies Institute at the London
School of Economics, will debate the Government's international
development policy this afternoon (Thursday 1 December).

Lord Singh of Wimbledon, Director of the Network of Sikh Organisations
UK and editor of the Sikh Messenger, will make his maiden speech.

Watch live coverage of the debate on Parliament TV (from
approximately 1.30pm)
Read a transcript of the debate from Today in the Lords (available
approximately three hours after the debate begins)
Lords Library note: International Development Policy and the
Situation of Dalits

Lord Sandwich (Crossbench), who tabled the debate and will speak first, said:

"I have been involved with aid agencies, including Christian Aid and
Save the Children, for many years and I have followed different
Government's attempts to ensure that the financial aid they provide
reaches the world's poorest and neediest people.

"Two of the main problems are, firstly, trying to identify who the
poorest are, and secondly how we can provide effective, timely and
relevant aid for them, particularly in countries which have suffered
from great conflict like Sudan and Kosovo, both of which I visited
this year.

"There is also now a great need to focus on the Dalits – or
Untouchables – in India, who truly are the poorest of the poor and are
very often victims of human rights abuses. Added to all of this is my
great concern that other Government departments might 'poach' some of
DFID's international aid budget to use for their own aid projects.
Whilst I am impressed by the Government's efforts to achieve greater
accountability, I wonder whether they will have the energy and
resources to follow up every project. I hope that this debate will
both draw attention to these issues and encourage the Government to
think carefully about their proposals to focus on the poorest of
mankind."

A House of Lords Library note examines the Government's international
development policy for India, currently the largest recipient of UK
development aid, and provides an overview of the situation of Dalits
in South Asia and the issue of caste-based discrimination in India.
Members taking part in the debate

Members of the Lords scheduled to speak include:

Lord Singh of Wimbledon (Crossbench), Director of the Network of
Sikh Organisations UK
Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead (Labour), Opposition Spokesperson for
International Development
Lord Judd (Labour), member of the Joint Committee for Human
Rights, former Director of Oxfam and former Minister for Overseas
Development
Lord Avebury (Liberal Democrat), former party Spokesperson for
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with special responsibility for
Africa
Lord Desai (Labour), founding member of the Development Studies
Institute (DESTIN) at the LSE
Lord Harries of Pentregarth (Crossbench), who has an interest in
overseas aid and development, and the Dalits in particular
Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat), former party
spokesperson for International Development

Viscount Craigavon (Crossbench) and the Bishop of Rippon and Leeds are
also expected to take part in the debate.

Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat) will respond on behalf of the government.

Government Whips Office: Speakers list [external website]

Further information

Members of the public can attend House of Lords debates and follow
proceedings from the public gallery.

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[ZESTCaste] Pro-Dalit organizations condemn attack

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hubli/Pro-Dalit-organizations-condemn-attack/articleshow/10954690.cms

Pro-Dalit organizations condemn attack
TNN | Dec 2, 2011, 11.35AM IST

HUBLI: Pro-Dalit organizations on Thursday staged a rasta roko at KC
Circle here to condemn the attack on Jagruti Vedike president at Kukke
Subrahmanya temple.

The protesters said Vedike president K S Shivaram went to the temple
on Wednesday only to study the 'made made snana' practice. But he was
allegedly attacked by the devotees.

Urging the government to take stern action against the attackers, the
protesters took out a procession and from Dr Ambedkar Circle and went
through Lamington Road and Court Circle and assembled at KC Circle.
While staging a rasta rook, they raised anti-government slogans.

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[ZESTCaste] After Sena-BJP, Cong attempts to woo Dalits

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/After-Sena-BJP-Cong-attempts-to-woo-Dalits/Article1-776832.aspx

After Sena-BJP, Cong attempts to woo Dalits
Ketaki Ghoge , Hindustan Times
Mumbai, December 02, 2011

Concerned about the impact of Republican Party of India (RPI) leader
Ramdas Athawale's alliance with the saffron combine on the upcoming
Mumbai civic polls, a jittery Congress has now planned to befriend
other Dalit leaders. The party is looking for an alliance with Prakash
Ambedkar,
grandson of Dr BR Ambedkar and Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) leader,
and Dalit leader Jogendra Kawade.

Sources in the Congress said an initial internal assessment had shown
that the new saffron alliance could affect 15 to 17 seats in the
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and swing the results of the
polls.

"It will have an impact on a sizeable number of seats, which were seen
as traditionally ours. We hope to counter this effect by joining hands
with other Dalit leaders," said a Congress leader requesting
anonymity.

While the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is also thinking on the
same lines, it claims that its own Dalit leadership is strong enough
to counter any Athawale effect.

"Congress has not approached me till now. The NCP has called me for a
political discussion." said Ambedkar. "I am open to having an alliance
because it is necessary to have an alternative for the people in the
upcoming civic polls."

While the RPI led by Athawale presently has only three seats in the
BMC, there are 20-25 constituencies in the civic body where the Dalit
vote is likely to play the deciding factor.

On the whole, Dalits represent 15% of electoral vote in the state and
will play an important role in the civic polls of other cities such as
Thane and Nashik.

Political analysts feel that in the absence of an united Dalit
platform, opportunism is dictating alliances. "For many, Athawale's
tie up with the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party combine will feel
like a betrayal. So I don't know how much of an impact Athawale will
have. But Congress will get an upper hand by allying with Ambedkar. He
doesn't have any presence in the city, but his name could do the
trick," said Surendra Jondhale, political analyst.

"However, the Dalit youth is smitten by Raj Thackeray and this could
also have some impact on the civic polls," he added.

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[ZESTCaste] BC creamy layer may lose quota

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/hyderabad/bc-creamy-layer-may-lose-quota-758

BC creamy layer may lose quota

December 2, 2011
DC
Hyderabad

The issue of the 'creamy layer' (the relatively wealthier and better
educated members of the Backward Classes, who are not eligible for
reservation) is again in focus after two years.

The state government is making fresh attempts to identify the creamy
layer among BCs in the state, to be kept out of the ambit of
reservation in educational institutions and government jobs.

The government had attempted to exclude the creamy layer from
reservations, in 2006 and 2009. Though APPSC has been implementing the
concept in recruitment, it is not been implemented in educational
institutions.

However, the government has proposed that the annual income limit for
those who can avail of reservations be increased to Rs 4.5 lakh from
Rs 4 lakh, which it had fixed in 2009.

The government also plans to make the concept applicable to the fee
reimbursement scheme and scholarships later.

The department of BC welfare has finalised the modalities to identify
the creamy layer among BCs and submitted it to the government. The
file in now with the CMO. Once it gets approval, it will be placed
before the cabinet to be finalised.

Apart from income limit, the parents' employment will also be
scrutinised to determine if the applicant is from the creamy layer.
Children of parents holding constitutional posts, Centre and state
ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs, IAS, IPS, IFS, Group-I officers and those
serving in the Army, Navy and Air Force holding rank above Colonel
will not be eligible to claim reservations. Students will be
identified as 'creamy layer' also on the properties held by them.

The children of professionals like doctors, engineers, lawyers, I-T
consultants, chartered accountants, film artists, writers and
journalists, will not be eligible, if their annual income crosses `4.5
lakh for three consecutive years.

The BC unions said they will fight to stall the implementation of the
creamy layer concept in the state.

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[ZESTCaste] Dalit teacher beaten up by students in Muzzafarnagar

http://english.samaylive.com/regional-news/uttar-pradesh-news/676496938/dalit-teacher-beaten-up-by-students-in-muzzafarnagar.html

Dalit teacher beaten up by students in Muzzafarnagar

A Dalit teacher was allegedly beaten up by his students in this
district for not heeding to their warning of leaving his job.

Niten Kumar had been warned against teaching in the college by the
students. He was thrashed severely yesterday when he was about to
deboard a bus for college, police said.

According to police, the accused have been suspended from the college
and a case under Dalit Atrocities Prevention Act in addition to a
criminal case has been lodged against them.

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[ZESTCaste] Centre for Dalit and Adivasi studies inaugurated

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/centre-for-dalit-and-adivasi-studies-inaugurated/207588-60-121.html

Hyderabad | Posted on Dec 01, 2011 at 11:03am IST
Centre for Dalit and Adivasi studies inaugurated
indianexpress Express News Service , The New Indian Express

HYDERABAD: "Studies on Dalits and Adivasis are need of the hour as
their cultural and socio-economic life will be significant in today's
society," said C Damodar Rajanarasimha, deputy chief minister.

Speaking at inauguration of the Centre for Dalit and Advasi Studies &
Translation at the University of Hyderabad on Wednesday, the deputy
chief minister congratulated the varsity for starting such a centre
and called upon more such centres in other major universities like
Osmania and Andhra universities.

Rajanarasimha, who is also the minister for higher education said he
is making efforts to get the National Hindi University established at
Hyderabad.

"The CDAST has been established with the aim of preparing an
atmosphere of national integrity and emotional binding between
marginalised communities like Dalits and Adivasis with mainstream
literature through translation in Hindi," said Prof. V Krishna,
coordinator of CDAST. The centre will offer MPhil and PhD programmes.

Later the deputy chief minister also attended a seminar on
Implementation of Reservation to SC/STs in Universities organised by
the SC/ST Employees' Welfare Association. In his address he said,
"Care should be taken to ensure that education reaches to all
communities." He called upon Dalits and Adivasis to get their children
educated, to help them in securing higher position in career.

UoH vice-chancellor Prof. Ramakrishna Ramaswamy, other faculty, staff
and students were present on the occasion.

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[ZESTCaste] Paswan won’t attend lokpal deliberations

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/north/paswan-won%E2%80%99t-attend-lokpal-deliberations-605

Paswan won't attend lokpal deliberations

December 1, 2011
Correspondent
New Delhi

LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan on Wednesday said that he would not take
part in the deliberations in the standing committee on Lokpal as his
key demand for reservation to SC/ST, backward classes, minorities and
women in the ombudsman has been ignored.
Mr Paswan told reporters that he had decided not to take part in the
meetings of the standing committee on Wednesday and Thursday due to
the fact that the draft of the Lokpal Bill was being finalised without
giving any thought for reservation to SC/ST, OBC, minorities and
women. The LJP leader is a member of the standing committee, which is
preparing a report on the draft Lokpal Bill.

***
Court upholds women quota in maha civic polls
umesh mohite
mumbai, Nov. 30

The Bombay high court on Wednesday rejected the petition challenging
the decision of reserving 50 per cent seats for women in the
forthcoming civic elections.
Rejecting the petition, the division bench of the HC maintained that
there was nothing wrong in awarding the reservation, which was quite
constitutional.
Kandivali resident Kapurchand Gupta had approached the court stating
that there was no need for reserving seats for women in the civic
polls. The petitioner basically challenged the state government's
decision to reserve 50 per cent seats for women in the Brihanmumbai
Municipal Corporation election.

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[ZESTCaste] Exams where caste stigma has no answer

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/article2654919.ece

NEW DELHI, November 24, 2011
Exams where caste stigma has no answer
Vijetha S.N.

Manish Kumar landed in the Capital from Bihar three years ago with
happy thoughts that his childhood dream of becoming a doctor was
almost within grasp.

He was on the right path, with a seat secured in a well-known medical
college and with the realisation that he could finally shed the caste
identity that was part of his small-town upbringing.

In the three years since, Manish has studied hard, seen the insides of
a court room, filed RTI applications and knocked at the doors of
government offices, but has still not managed to get past the second
year of the MBBS course.

"I was a first year medical student at Vardhman Mahavir Medical
College in 2008 when I first failed in physiology. This happened again
in July 2010 and I sat for the supplementary exams in October. I did
not know how to react when I found out that I had failed again in the
supplementary exams along with 24 of my classmates, every one of whom
belonged to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe or some other
reserved category," says Manish, adding that he received a bigger
shock when he found that among the 25, there were students who had
been failing only in physiology from 2004 onwards until 2009.

Manish and his friends realised something else later. "The university
allots roll numbers to the reserved category candidates in a row and
the answer-sheets are coded and collected in a way that the identity
of the reserved category students is revealed easily."

Ever since this revelation, the students seem to have knocked at every
door that could help them -- from filling RTI applications to
complaints with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, and even
going to the High Court.

However, the legal battle only brought them some temporarily relief.
"Under the Court's supervision, we took another exam in which every
one of us, including those who had failed repeatedly since 2004,
passed. The Court also passed an order that we be allowed to attend
classes for the second year and that due consideration be given for
shortage of attendance."

Since then the students have been attending second year classes but
were prevented from taking their exams in mid-November. "We were told
we did not have sufficient attendance. The Principal usually refused
to meet us and whenever he had, he pretended that he was not aware of
anything and seems to have washed his hands off the whole affair."

When contacted by The Hindu , the Principal refused to discuss the matter.

These days Manish spends all his time worrying whether he would be
allowed at least to take the supplementary exams in March, and praying
that he would not be humiliated every time he attends class.

"Right after the court case, the lecturers would tell our classmates
to look at us -- the people who could only gain entrance into a
medical college through reservations and couldn't pass without a High
Court order. After some complaints it has toned down," says Manish.

The students, however, believe another legal battle is imminent. "Our
lawyer has asked us to file for contempt of court. I don't see this
ending easily."

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