Latest News Update: Dec 9, 2011

Friday, December 9, 2011

[ZESTCaste] Woo dalit population in state: Ranike to party SC wing

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Woo-dalit-population-in-state--Ranike-to-party-SC-wing/885610/

Woo dalit population in state: Ranike to party SC wing

Raakhi Jagga Posted online: Fri Dec 09 2011, 03:44 hrs
Ludhiana : As elections near, political parties have begun targeting
the scheduled caste vote-bank in the state. On Thursday, Animal
Husbandary Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike urged the SC wing of the
Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) to gear up and actively pursue Dalits in the
state. In Ferozepur to chair a meeting of the SAD's scheduled caste
wing, Ranike stated that more that 35 per cent of the state's
population comprised of Dalits and if the scheduled tribe and backward
class categories were added, they would total half of Punjab's
population and would be a decisive factor in the forthcoming
elections.

"Elections are in the final gear, so we need to awaken the SC
population. After the latest census, SC voters have increased a lot.
The entire clock revolves around them, " Ranike said. " The main
thrust of the meeting was to tell our workers to awaken the masses
about various social welfare initiatives like the shagun scheme, widow
pension, old age pension, scholarships for SC students and much more,"
he added.

SAD workers claim that previous poll analysis have shown that general
category voters hardly come out of their houses to vote ans so they
need to work hard to woo the other category workers.

Joginder Singh Jindu, president of SAD SC wing, Ferozepur said:
"Elections are just two months away. So we need to start our work now.
We will also be going in large numbers to attend the state level rally
to be held in Moga on December 18. More than 20,000 of our workers
will attend this rally, because the CM has stated that special mention
will be on dalit voters"

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[ZESTCaste] SBC students to get same scholarships as SC/STs

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/SBC-students-to-get-same-scholarships-as-SC/STs/articleshow/11039988.cms

SBC students to get same scholarships as SC/STs
TNN | Dec 9, 2011, 04.35AM IST

JAIPUR: The state government has decided to grant same scholarship
benefits to the Special Backward Classes (SBC) students as are
available to those belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled
Tribe (ST) communities.

The state social justice and empowerment department passed an order in
this regard on December 5 and the benefits would be allowed from the
next academic session beginning July 1, 2011.

The Rajasthan Gujjar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti led by Kirori Singh
Bainsla had been pressing for the demand by making an amendment in the
Devnarayan Yojana meant for the Gujjar community. Energy minister
Jitendra Singh, who hails from the Gujjar community, has been made
chairperson of the committee set up to monitor the Devnarayan Yojana.

"The government order of December 5 has also raised the income limit
from Rs 1.44 lakh to Rs 2 lakh to avail the scholarships," said Himmat
Singh Gujjar, the Samiti's spokesperson and convener for Jaipur
Division.

The issue for removing the disparity between scholarships allowed to
SC/ST students and the SBC students was raised at during the Gujjars
recent mahapanchayat at Bhandarej near Dausa. Thanking chief minister
Ashok Gehlot for conceding to the demand, the Samiti spokesperson
added, "The government should now accept our demand for extending the
'scooty scheme' for SBC girls studying in colleges, too. The scheme is
currently available in schools only." The spokesperson reasoned that
the scheme was to distribute 500 scooty (two-wheelers) free of cost to
girl students from the SBC communities, but so far only 168 students
in schools have applied for the vehicle. "There are very few SBC girls
studying in schools. The government can easily include our
college-going girls also under the scheme as more than 300 scooty are
yet to be distributed," the spokesperson said.

The community will hold a meeting of its representatives from Jaipur
and Bharatpur divisions at Mahuwa on December 20 under the leadership
of Bainsla. The community has demanded arrest of the persons
responsible for the Lalsot violence in which six of its men died
during a clash between Gujjars and Meenas on May 1, 2007. The incident
occurred at the peak of the first Gujjar agitation for increased quota
in government jobs and educational institutions.

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[ZESTCaste] Dalits should save themselves through justice reforms

http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-STM-197-2011

INDIA: Dalits should save themselves through justice reforms
December 9, 2011
Share |

AHRC-STM-197-2011.jpgA way to effectively address caste-based
discrimination in India is by reforming institutions of justice
administration. This means changing the manner in which institutions
like the police, prosecution and judiciary function in the region. At
the moment, what are obtained in the name of human rights are only
empty promises. When public institutions of justice fail having a law
to guarantee non-discrimination of Dalits is of no meaning. What is
achieved in India will have tremendous influence in the region. (photo
above: A Dalit woman manual scavenger cleaning dry latrine. Courtesy
of New Statesman)

Police reforms

Despite constitutional protection and laws like the Scheduled Caste
and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 there is
hardly any improvement in the investigations into the violations of
Dalit rights. The reason is quite obvious. The investigators are the
police and among them prejudices against Dalits run deep.

The Indian police is primitive concerning the caste issue. It can be
also said that police is the most undeveloped of all the public
institutions in the country. A combination of factors, including its
colonial origin and the overwhelming influence of old Indian
prejudices have made the Indian policing system one of the most
archaic institutions of the world.

India has attempted to modernise many of its institutions and achieve
some degree of success. In commerce, for example banking, India has
achieved remarkable success and today is in a position to compete
efficiently with the rest of the world. However, when it comes to
policing progressive ideas have been rejected. This is also clearly
the case regarding the elimination of violence against the Dalits,
Scheduled Tribes as well as the poorer classes of the society. This is
despite political promises by all parties to end caste-based treatment
of the people and of ensuring equality for all Indians.

The Indian police see themselves as oppressors and controllers of the
poorer classes. The suppression of all moves by the poor to organise
themselves for the purpose of achieving improvement in their lives is
obstructed by the police by the use of torture and extraordinary forms
of inhuman and degrading treatment. Higher-ranking police officers
have acquired enormous 'expertise' in humiliating, intimidating and
where they think it necessary, in the use of violence against Dalits
and all the poor. Creative writers in the country have demonstrated
the almost demonic nature of the Indian police when it comes to the
treatment of Dalits and the poor.

Dalit movement's failure to fight for police reforms

It is rather strange that the Dalit movement in India has not directed
its efforts to achieve police reforms despite the policing system
being the instigator and plays a major role in their oppression. In
this failure lies the inability to win over practical results in terms
of actual lives of the Dalits. Whatever they achieve by way of
legislation and political promises by various governments, none of
these are translated into actual affirmative actions since the police
plays the role of the implementer. The Dalit leadership needs to
develop their expertise in getting the laws, which could have a
positive effect on their lives translated into actual implementation
by achieving reforms in the institutions of implementation, such as
the police.

More intellectual effort is required by the Dalit movement to confront
the oppressive role of the police. The Dalits should become an active
agent of police reform. Particularly in the area of investigations of
crimes against the Dalits about which at the moment the Indian police
show little interest and even less efficiency. The Dalit movement
should realise that the country's police are conditioned by a policy
within the institution to defeat the calls for justice by way of
sabotaging investigations. Once the investigations are sabotaged there
is little chance of success in judicial actions. In courts, everything
depends on evidence and when the evidence collection is sabotaged the
perpetrators of the attacks against Dalits are ensured impunity. The
architect of impunity in crimes against Dalits is the Indian policing
system.

The policing system relies on oral statements from the witnesses
regarding crimes. In crimes against the Dalits persons who belong to
privileged classes obstruct investigations and also do not provide the
information required to the police. On the other hand witnesses from
the Dalit community itself are afraid of the consequences, to them and
their families, and often do not come forward to give evidence. The
police then write their reports to the courts stating that there is no
evidence to proceed regarding allegations of crime relating to the
Dalits.

Modern policing relies heavily on technological advances in dealing
with crime. India has the wealth and all the resources required to
reform its policing system and bring it in par with policing systems
of the developed countries. Without achieving this fundamental reform
and placing priority on evidence gathering through scientific methods,
laws like the Prevention of Atrocities Act will be of little use.

If the Dalit movement is to develop the expertise in playing the role
of a public opinion maker for police reforms, the Dalit leadership
should acquire knowledge and skill in dealing with this issue. The
meticulous documentation of the manner in which the Indian police
sabotage inquiries into crimes against Dalits could be a significant
way for influencing public opinion in India as well as outside. Dalit
leaders should request and obtain technical advice required in
developing their skills in order to achieve reforms of their policing
system.

Every little achievement in making the Indian police accountable in
terms of the rule of law will bring about enormous freedoms to the
Dalits. With such freedom Dalits will achieve improvements in life,
and will acquire skills, which will enable them to break away from the
bondage of caste-based employment, and various other humiliating
experiences Dalits are exposed to today.

Indian judiciary

Despite some encouraging trends from the Indian judiciary to ensure
equality before law, the examination of many cases shows shocking
attitudes by the judiciary when dealing with crimes relating to
Dalits. The ancient mentalities that refuse to recognise Dalits as
equals before the law is often reflected in the manner in which cases
relating to Dalits are dealt with and even by way of sentences against
the perpetrators of these crimes, who are treated often with
extraordinary lenience by some courts.

The Dalit movement needs to acquire the knowledge and the skill to
fight against the limitations of the judiciary. This again requires
meticulous documentation of judicial behaviour in caste related crimes
and violence. With such documentation the Dalit movement can influence
public opinion in India. The Dalit movement must now bear to confront
the oppressive system of justice and demand changes.
Document Type :
Statement
Document ID :
AHRC-STM-197-2011
Countries :
India
Issues :
Caste-based discrimination

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[ZESTCaste] Ambedkar’s 55th death anniversary observed

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/209907/dalits-threaten-boycott-setty-over.html

Ambedkar's 55th death anniversary observed
Dalits threaten to boycott Setty over failed promises
Malur, Dec 6, DHNS:

Dalita Nagarika Samiti district co-ordinator Purasanahalli Srinivas
stated that legislator S N Krishnaiah Setty will not be allowed to
visit the dalit colonies, if he fails to implement the promises he has
made. Dalits will hold a protest wearing a black band, he said.

He was addressing a gathering at the 55th death anniversary of B R
Ambedkar at a park near the bus stand here on Tuesday.

Legislator S N Krisnaiah Setty has made tall claims about welfare
schemes for the dalits during the last Assembly elections.

But nothing has been implemented, yet, Srinivas complained. His many
promises include, Ambedkar community hall which is under construction
since three years, in front of Ambedkar College Students Hostel,
developing a park in the town and installing bronze statue of
Ambedkar.

The work on the community hall is unnecessarily being delayed and the
material used is sub-standard, he alleged.

He demanded the legislator to name Malur-Hosur Main Road after Ambedkar.

He threatened to hold protest, if the legislator fails to keep his words.

In the meantime, at another programme organised to mark the death
anniversary of Ambedkar, Town Municipal Council vice-president A
Rajappa said promises made by the legislator will be fulfiled in a
phased manner.

A park located near the bus stand will be developed at a cost of Rs 35
lakh and work will be taken up soon.

He further said that a bronze statue of Ambedkar has been readied at a
cost of Rs eight lakh and it will be installed once the Ambedkar
community hall is completed. Council president Gulab Jaan was present.

In Bagepalli

Majority of the officials remained absent to the Mahaparinirvana of B
R Ambedkar organised at the Taluk Panchayat auditorium here. Only a
few officials from Social Welfare, Education, Forest and Women and
Child Welfare Departments turned up.

No audience

Even at the Mahaparinirvana programme organised by the district
administration at the Koti Chennaiah Rangamandira, many, including
dalit organisations stayed away from the programme.

Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar Meena offered floral tributes to the
portrait of B R Ambedkar and only a few officials were present there.
There was absolutely no audience which surprised the officials.
District Police Superintendent K Tyagarajan, Additional Deputy
Commissioner N Babanna and Assistant Commissioner R S Peddappaiah were
present.

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[ZESTCaste] Now, a bizarre temple tradition trips Karnataka govt

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/bizarre-temple-tradition-trips-karnataka-govt/210350-62-129.html

IBN Karnataka | Updated Dec 09, 2011 at 05:34pm IST
Now, a bizarre temple tradition trips Karnataka govt
IANS

Bangalore: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka,
already battling corruption scandals and dissidence, is now caught in
a delicate balancing act over a bizarre practice at a famous temple.
The practice, said to be 400 years old, involves people rolling over
plantain leaves containing leftovers of meals consumed by Brahmins in
the belief that it cures them of skin ailments.

It is called 'made snana' or 'urulu seve' (roll over ritual) and is
performed during the 'Champa Sashti' festival in late November or
early December at the Subramanya temple in Kukke in the coastal
Dakshina Kananda district, about 350 km from Bangalore. Soon after
performing the 'made snana', people head to the nearby Kumaradhara
river for a bath.

The practice has created a furore in the state in the last two years,
with Dalit organisations, sections of leading Kannada writers, heads
of several mutts (religious institutions), civil society groups,
politicians, including from the ruling BJP, calling for a ban.
Now, a bizarre temple tradition trips Karnataka govt

However, some BJP leaders, most notably Vedavyas Srinivas Acharya, a
doctor and minister handling the higher education portfolio, are
opposing the ban. While those calling for a ban assert that mostly
Dalits perform the ritual and the practice is "heinous", Acharya
insists this is not true.

"It is a matter of belief and people from various communities,
including Brahmins, undertake it to fulfil a vow to the god and the
government should not interfere in such issues," Acharya has been
arguing.

But several of his ministerial colleagues, such as Labour Minister
B.N. Bachche Gowda and Minor Irrigation Minister Govind Karjol, are
demanding a ban, saying the government cannot allow "superstitious
practices" to continue.

Temple authorities and Acharya contend that no one is forced to
undertake the ritual nor is it part of rituals recognised by the
temple. The temple authorities have no idea of how the practice
originated. This year, the Champa Sasthi festival concluded on Nov 30
and several hundred people performed the 'made snana'.

Though the ritual is practised at some temples devoted to Hindu god
Subramanya in neighbouring Udupi district also, the 'made snana' at
Kukke is widely known. It is believed that those who cannot go to
Kukke perform it at temples in Udupi.

While last year too the practice had ignited protests, with Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, herself a Dalit, joining the call for
ban, the issue turned ugly this year.

On Nov 30, some devotees bashed up K.H. Shivaramu, leader of the
Mysore-based 'forum to create awareness in backward communities', who
had gone to Kukke with a small group of supporters to protest the
ritual and create awareness about it. The district police arrested six
persons for the attack. They are out on bail now.

The attack on Shivaramu led to a furore in many parts of the state and
pressure mounted on Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda to ban the
practice. But Kukke town observed a bandh (shutdown) Dec 5 against
"outside interference in the temple town's affairs".

Heads of some religious institutions, such as Veerendra Heggade of
Dharmasthala, another famous pilgrim centre in Dakshina Kananda, have
also taken a stand against any government intervention. Heggade has
termed the issue as one created by media.

Caught amidst this row, the Gowda government has asked the district
authorities to report by the end of this week on whether only Dalits
and people from backward communities take part in the ritual and
whether there is any force to perform it. "We will take a decision
once the report is received," Social Welfare Minister A. Narayanaswamy
said on Tuesday.

However, opponents of the practice say no report is needed and the
practice should be banned immediately, particularly because the temple
comes under the government's 'Muzrai' (religious affairs) department.

The issue figured in the legislative council Wednesday with Congress
and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) members lambasting the government for
not banning the practice immediately. The government stuck to the
stand that it will act only after studying the report of the district
authorities.

The temple at Kukke is devoted to Subramanya. The idol of Subramanya
is in the shape of a nine-headed serpent. Legend has it that
Subramanya protected serpent god Vasuki who had taken shelter in a
cave at Kukke from Garuda.

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[ZESTCaste] Will Ambedkar's real legatee stand up?

http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column_will-ambedkars-real-legatee-stand-up_1623352

Will Ambedkar's real legatee stand up?
Yogesh Pawar | Friday, December 9, 2011

There can be no doubt about how farsighted Dr Babsaheb Ambedkar's
immense contribution to the polity was when he asked Dalits to shika,
sanghatit vha ani sangharsh kara (educate, organise and agitate).
Wonder what he would make of the competitive clamour by various
political parties, groups and factions in trying to prove how they are
more Ambedkarite than the others around December 6 every year.

It began with the Republican Party of India (RPI-A) chief Ramdas
Athawale's warning of an agitation if the Indu Mills land in central
Mumbai was not allotted for the construction of an Ambedkar memorial.

"If the land is not allotted by December 6, the death anniversary of
Dr Ambedkar, the RPI will launch a protest against the state
government from December 13," he said.
Article continues below the advertisement...

Not wanting to let Athawale hog all the credit, activists of
Ambedkar's grandson Anand Raj's Republican Sena and his elder brother,
Prakash's Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh, made efforts to break police
barricades at the mill compound last Tuesday.

The 12 other factions of the RPI have also made such demands at
various points. In fact the intense rivalry among the many 'leaders'
to project themselves as 'the' community leader has led to some rather
disturbing shows of strength.

On July, 11, 1997, when police fired on Dalits protesting the
desecration of an Ambedkar statue at Ramabai Nagar, Ghatkopar, 10
people died. Many may remember visuals and photographs of how Athawale
was set upon, attacked and stripped, leading him to flee, horror writ
large on his face.

What has led to many smirks among political observers is the way the
Shiv Sena too has been making supportive noises on the memorial. While
its new-found love can perhaps be explained bythe saffron party's
tie-up with Athawale in the run-up to the Mumbai civic polls, surely
sainiks haven't forgotten their party's stand on renaming Dadar.

At the height of the Sena's campaign to rename the Victoria Terminus
as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, then railway minister Ram Vilas
Paswan had set the proverbial cat among the pigeons. He suggested that
Dadar be renamed Chaityabhoomi. While this found favour with Dalits,
the Sena newspaper Saamna went hammer and tongs at the suggestion.

I don't know whether Athawale's aggressive posturing against the UPA
will cut ice with anyone, considering how thick he was with them till
recently. Known to be very close to Sharad Pawar till he lost the 2009
election, he broke the alliance with the NCP-Congress in 2011 only
after realising that political rehab through the Rajya Sabha route
wasn't happening.

Yet when it comes to hypocrisy, the country's oldest party takes the
cake, dough and the bakery.

The Congress actively worked to ensure Ambedkar's defeat from Byculla
to ensure its own candidate VB Gandhi won. How can one expect them to
do anything to preserve the memory of Dr Babasaheb, who stood his own
even against the Mahatma?

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