Latest News Update: Mar 16, 2012

Friday, March 16, 2012

[ZESTCaste] SAD’s social engineering formula won the polls

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/234746/sads-social-engineering-formula-won.html

SAD's social engineering formula won the polls
Chandigarh, March 15, 2012, DHNS

The country's oldest regional party had the widest social representation

One of the many reasons that resulted in Parkash Singh Badal's victory
in the recent Punjab elections was the careful application of the
social engineering formula his party had propounded, which was not
only evident in the polls, but was also obvious in cabinet formation.

Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal offers sweets to his son and
President of SAD Sukhbir Singh Badal in Chandigarh. PTIThe Akali Dal,
that traditionally represented Jat-Sikhs and farmers, carefully shed
that image by inducting the Dalits and the Hindus amongst its ranks,
giving the country's oldest regional party the widest possible
representation of the state's social spectrum.

Despite having the Saffron Party as its ally, the SAD issued tickets
to as many as 11 Hindus, 10 of whom have emerged victorious.

The Dalit card also worked heavily in its favour. The Akalis bagged 20
out of 34 reserved seats in the state while the BJP won three of them.

The collective strength of 23 for the ruling alliance offers an
altogether newer dimension to the Assembly, which is scheduled to meet
on March 19.

SAD's social engineering has resulted in nearly 37 per cent Dalit MLAs
representing the ruling alliance in the 117-strong Assembly.

The community also had its pay back as the octogenarian Chief Minister
gave three cabinet positions to the Dalits, as against one in the
previous council of ministers.
The Congress seem to have got its calculations wrong on the Dalit
front, in a state that has 29 per cent of the community –the highest
in the country. The party could only bag 10 reserved seats.

On the contrary, the ruling alliance could connect to the ordinary
Dalit voters through leaders like the head of the BJP legislative
group and the labourer-turned-industrialist Bhagat Chunni Lal, who
enters the cabinet this time.

Despite the Dalit-dominated BSP grabbing 4.6 percent votes (without
winning a seat), the alliance had overwhelming support from Dalits,
evident from its representation.

Dr Pramod Kumar, chairman of the Institute of Development
Communication (IDC) in Chandigarh said Punjab has been largely known
for its liberal practices in terms of castes.
"The political and ideological texture of the BSP has been unable to
fit into Punjab's regional cultural and economic ethos," Kumar said.

"The purity-population and Manuwad do not find expression in Punjab,
which the SAD clearly understood."

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[ZESTCaste] In Solidarity with the Dalits of Bolangir! Down with dominant, upper caste violence! Smash Feudalism!

http://dsujnu.blogspot.in/2012/03/in-solidarity-with-dalits-of-bolangir_15.html

15 March 2012
In Solidarity with the Dalits of Bolangir! Down with dominant, upper
caste violence! Smash Feudalism!

By now we are aware of the heinous and brutal atrocities perpetrated
by the feudal upper caste marauders under the tacit consent of the
administration in Lathor in the Bolangir district of Odisha.
Retaliating against Dalit assertion in response to assaults and
humiliation by the upper castes, the latter razed to ashes an entire
Dalit basti as the inhabitants managed to flee. Still the Dalit
villagers are homeless, camped in a high school without adequate
relief and rehabilitation. DSU appeals to all students to
unequivocally condemn this upper caste violence and stand in
solidarity with the Dalits of Bolangir. The following is an appeal
from the Dalit activists of Lathor who continue to brave upper caste
intimidation and administrative apathy.

An Appeal from the targeted ones in Lathor for Solidarity and Aid:

Caste atrocity in Lathor, Bolangir district of Odisha.
More than 50 houses burnt by upper castes on 22/1/12.

The background of the incident is that a 9th class Ganda (Dalit) boy
Ganesh Suna went to purchase a T-shirt. He used to wear 2 shirts every
day but on that day he wore only a shirt. He went to buy a shirt.
Instantly the shopkeeper Bharat Meher and his brother Daya Meher,
called him back and accused him as a thief and beat him. When the boy
was on his way back home he met with an elderly man from the
community, Gouranga Suna, to whom he narrated what happened with him.
The elderly man asked the shopkeeper why he beat the boy. He also said
that if he stole the shirt the money could be have been paid instead
of manhandling the boy. But instead of paying attention to what the
elderly person said, the shopkeepers beat him (Gouranga Suna) too with
their footwears. The elderly person reported this to his family
members followed by which 4-5 Dalit youths went to the shop and had a
fight with them.
The upper castes reacted to this and went on a rampant attack on
Dalits in their Basti with weapons and sticks. Because the Dalit were
minority in number, so they could not face the violent force of the
upper caste mob. So they ran off their homes. Some of them went to the
forest, some went to the nearest villages and the women ran to the
Ghasia Basti (Scavenger) to save their life.
Taking advantage of the village being empty they went of to loot the
gold ornaments, expensive materials and set ablaze the entire Dalit
lane. They burnt all the certificates and valuable documents of the
students. The mob abused all Dalit women with derogatory language. The
Marwadi Agrawal traders distributed liquor and petrol free to ruin the
houses. Meanwhile some community members tried to register a FIR at
Lathor police station but the police refuse to register the case. The
incident became very serious and when media persons came to cover the
story, they beat the news reporter of Kanak TV and threatened the
Dharitri reporter Bhubaneswar Barik. They burnt tires to block all
road communication and further dug the road to prevent any vehicles
into Lathor.
According to OTV news the fire continued for more than 6 hour. The
upper caste mob attacked the fire brigade and burnt their vehicle so
that the fire was not extinguished till all the Dalit houses were turn
to ashes. From the current report there is not a single commodity or
food grains left. A case was registered and the police arrived there
at midnight.
On the 23 January morning the DIG reached the spot with another
battalion and ordered the fire brigade commandos to act. When the fire
stopped there was nothing left. Later between 10-11 am the
administrative officers like Tahasildar and BDO reached to have a
stock of the situation. A makeshift relief camp has been put in place
and the victims were distributed some biscuits, shawls and beaten
rice. The relief provided by government is insufficient. The
victimized and homeless Dalits need proper rehabilitation, adequate
help and psychological support.
They lost their houses, property, wealth, clothes, bikes, books and
they now are hopeless and homeless. It is estimated that wealth worth
more than 4 crores has been lost in this pyre show. The whole Dalit
Vasti is burnt, where more than 50 fifty families were living. The
children, women and men are displaced from homes. The situation is
very pathetic. In the face of this brutal attack by the caste Hindus,
the Police and the administration are unable to deliver justice to the
victims.From TV report the Odisha Chief Minister declared a
compensation of 1 lakh to each family. This is too less for restarting
their lives in a proper manner.
Details of the victims staying in Lathor Durgeswari High School in
temporary relief camp:
Number of victims:
Males: 60; Females=70; Boys =35; Girls=28 [Total=193(pre-natal=2,post-natal=1)]
Males above 50 yrs=10; Females above 50 yrs=13; School going students
below eight standard =28; Eight to +3 students=25
Minimum requirement per victim:
Male: Trouser: Rs.300; Shirt: Rs.250; underwear: Rs.50; Vest: Rs. 45;
Towel: Rs.70 [Total: Rs. 715]
Females: Sari: Rs.450; Inner garments: Rs.300 [Total: Rs.700]
Expected Aid in Solidarity:
Females: 70*Rs.700 = Rs.49,000; Males: 60*Rs.715=Rs.42,900
Boys: 35* Rs.400= Rs.14,000; Girls: 28*Rs.450=Rs.12,600 [TOTAL = Rs.1,18,500]

All Organization Meeting
30th January, Monday,
at 11am, in Teflas
Agenda: Plan a coordinated solidarity and aid campaign
for the targets of upper caste violence in Bolangir.

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[ZESTCaste] SP members thrash dalits in Dadri

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-03-15/noida/31196274_1_sp-members-sp-workers-dalits

SP members thrash dalits in Dadri
Purusharth Aradhak, TNN Mar 15, 2012, 03.45AM IST

GREATER NOIDA: With just a day to go before the Samajwadi Party
government is sworn in, lawlessness in the state has started to show.
A few SP workers allegedly thrashed dalits in Ramgarh area in Dadri on
Wednesday over a petty issue. The groups had earlier clashed over a
land dispute. The police have registered a case with Dadri police
station under various sections of the IPC.

DIG Jyoti Narayan said that the incident took place on Wednesday.
"There were some old disputes between the groups. A team of senior
police officials, headed by SP (rural), arrested a few of the accused
while others are absconding," Narayan said.

An argument had started between four persons over buying a T-shirt.

Local residents said that after the incident, the Ramgarh village head
and his family members and supporters brutally thrashed the dalit
group in which at least 20 people were injured, six of them
critically.

SP (rural) Sriparna Ganguly said some villagers are claiming that the
clash was result of an old fight between SP and BSP members, but their
claims are being verified. "Around five months ago, a case under the
SC/ST Act was registered against one of the SP members," Ganguly
added.

"Medical examination of 19 persons has already been conducted and the
police are registering their statements to carry out further
investigation in the matter," Ganguly said.

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[ZESTCaste] Anna's agitation was anti-dalit, says Coorilos

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/Annas-agitation-was-anti-dalit-says-Coorilos/articleshow/12281299.cms

Anna's agitation was anti-dalit, says Coorilos
TNN | Mar 15, 2012, 10.59PM IST

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The agitation led by Team Anna recently in the
name of democracy was in fact anti-dalit, said Bishop Geevarghese Mar
Coorilos, Niranom diocesan metropolitan of the Jacobite Syrian
Christian Church. "Meritocracy was one of the major issues raised
during the agitation and slogans against reservations originated from
protesters," he said during a lecture on 'media and mass agitations'
here on Thursday. The lecture was organized as part of the fourth
death anniversary of C Rajeshkumar, who was a journalist with a local
newspaper, by his friends.

"Anna hadn't even once asked his followers not to shout slogans like,
'stop reservation, end corruption'. You can also see there were not
many dalits and minority community members in his core team," Coorilos
said. "It is evident that Team Anna doesn't approve of Ambedkar. Their
disregard to the constitution drafted by Ambedkar stands testimony to
this fact," he said.

"The new concept of civil society evolved out of the failure of the
state, political parties, judiciary and free market to resolve the
issues of the people," said the Bishop. "Media has the power to break
and make news," he said. "It has played a major role in projecting
what is a people's movement and what is not. So much hype and hysteria
was created about Anna Hazare's anti corruption movement by the media
portraying it as the biggest people's movement," he said.

"But every time a real people's movement takes place, the media
shifted its focus from the central point". Mar Coorilos gave the
example when the media highlighted the traffic jam caused by a rally
at Delhi against the price hike and unemployment, than on the issues
raised in the rally.

"News channels never hear the voices of women, tribals, dalits and the
fisherfolk," Coorilos said. "However their dissenting movements to
subvert hegemony can bring about a radical change. The agitation in
Chengara, Muthanga, Singur and Narmada bears testimony to this." he
added.

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[ZESTCaste] Parkash Singh Badal rewards Dalit politicos with three cabinet berths

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2115629/Parkash-Singh-Badal-rewards-Dalit-politicos-cabinet-berths.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Parkash Singh Badal rewards Dalit politicos with three cabinet berths

By Vikas Kahol

PUBLISHED: 21:53 GMT, 15 March 2012 | UPDATED: 21:53 GMT, 15 March 2012

After the SAD-BJP alliance's successful social engineering which
helped it bag 24 of the 34 reserved seats in Punjab, the newly elected
Punjab government has rewarded the Dalit representatives with cabinet
berths.

Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has inducted three Dalit leaders.

The last cabinet had only one Dalit representative.

Among those inducted are BJP leader Bhagat Chunni Lal, Swaran Singh
Phillaur and Gulzar Singh Ranike both from the SAD. Akali Dal sources
said the ruling alliance has succeeded in making inroads into the
Dalit bastions in the state.

'The Dalits deserved due representation in the cabinet,' a minister said.

The sources said election results indicate that the Dalits are
asserting their identity in the state and were responsible for the
defeat of the Congress.

Paramjit Singh Kainth, president of Chamar Mahan Sabha, a Dalit
organisation, said the Dalit vote bank slipped away from Congress
since the party did not promote the second line of leadership among
the Dalits.

'The political parties can't ignore Dalits who behave in a different
manner in Punjab than in Uttar Pradesh,' said Dr Pramod Kumar, who
heads the Institute of Development Communication in Chandigarh.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2115629/Parkash-Singh-Badal-rewards-Dalit-politicos-cabinet-berths.html#ixzz1pGFa7fG4

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[ZESTCaste] BSP workers throng Dalit park

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/noida/BSP-workers-throng-Dalit-park/articleshow/12284753.cms

BSP workers throng Dalit park
Vandana Keelor, TNN | Mar 16, 2012, 03.58AM IST

NOIDA: Even as Akhilesh Yadav was being sworn in as the new chief
minister of Uttar Pradesh at Lucknow, nearly 200 BSP workers gathered
at the Dalit Prerna Sthal and shouted slogans demanding to be let into
the park that has not yet been opened to the public. The BSP workers
had assembled at the park to celebrate their late leader Kanshiram's
birthday on Thursday. While the city police and the administration had
a tough time controlling the unruly crowd, traffic was disrupted for
hours in the area.

Around 8am, hundreds of BSP supporters convened at the Dalit Park.
They came in by busloads and several other vehicles to pay tribute to
and garland the Kanshiram statue inside the park. They were stopped
from entering at the gates by the security personnel posted to guard
the park. Angry at being stopped, the BSP workers sat on a dharna on
the road, protesting the denial to be let inside. "We have come here
to pay respect to our leader on his birthday and are very upset at
being stopped by the guards," said a senior party leader leading the
supporters. "How can the park be closed when Mayawatiji inaugurated
the Prerna Sthal in October last year?" he asked.

Soon the police arrived and tried to control the huge crowd as well as
the resulting traffic snarl. Trying to calm the protestors, Noida SP,
Anant Dev Tiwari agreed for one group to enter the park to pay homage.
Even as the guards opened the gates, the huge crowd barged in and
created further chaos. The police had to forcibly remove some of the
BSP workers who, in protest, started bursting firecrackers.

Even as the city police tried to reason with the protestors and told
them that they should have sought prior permission to congregate at
the park, party leaders maintained that they did not want to clash
with the police. "We do not want to create any tension or violence. We
just wanted to peacefully celebrate our founder's birth anniversary,"
said a party supporter.

Meanwhile, many commuters on their way to their offices in the morning
faced a harrowing time as the entire stretch from the Noida entry gate
to the start of Noida-Greater Noida expressway near the Mahamaya
flyover was choked. "We are fed up of political parties protesting
something or the other. They need to realize the inconvenience they
put people to with their antics," said a commuter on his way to Delhi.

Mayawati's dream park was unveiled on October 14 amid much fanfare,
but was closed to the public the next day as officials claimed that
the park still needed some work to be completed.

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[ZESTCaste] Party worker denied entry into Dalit Prerna Sthal: BSP

http://english.samaylive.com/regional-news/uttar-pradesh-news/676501507/party-worker-denied-entry-into-dalit-prerna-sthal-bsp.html

15 Mar 2012 03:17:58 PM IST
Last Updated : 15 Mar 2012 03:17:58 PM IST
Party worker denied entry into Dalit Prerna Sthal: BSP

BSP workers were denied entry into the Dalit Prerna Sthal park here to
celebrate their late leader Kanshi Ram's birthday on Thursday, claimed
a senior BSP leader who also alleged that Dalits were ignored after
change in government in Uttar Pradesh.

Nealy 200 BSP workers come from Delhi to garland the Kanshi Ram statue
here as a mark of respect on his birth anniversary were not allowed to
enter into the park, alleged senior party leader Dr Salim who led the
party workers.

They were told that the Sthal was not opened to the public yet when,
Salim said, then Chief Minister Maywati had inaugurated the Sthal in
October last year.

"We do not want to create any tension or violence. We just wanted to
peacefully celebrate our founder's birth anniversary", he added.

As the government has changed the police and administration were
ignoring Dalits", Salim alleged. Police tried to move the BSP workers
who sat outside the Sthal but most of them moved away as they did not
want to clash with police, he added.

During the BSP government every year on Kanshi Ram's birth anniversary
several developmental and social welfare projects were announced by
Mayawati.

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[ZESTCaste] I am not after any post... I was happy as a teacher: Jyoti Panigrahi

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/I-am-not-after-any-post--I-was-happy-as-a-teacher-Jyoti-Panigrahi/articleshow/12286113.cms

I am not after any post... I was happy as a teacher: Jyoti Panigrahi
Ashok Pradhan, TNN | Mar 16, 2012, 06.58AM IST

The alleged gang rape of a 19-year-old Dalit girl from Pipili has
dominated state politics for over two months. State Commission for
Women chairperson Jyoti Panigrahi too found herself caught in the
political fight over the issue recently when she, in her inquiry
report, said she found no evidence of rape on the victim. She
discusses the case and other issues with Ashok Pradhan.

Q-When will you give your second report in the Pipili case?

A-The media reports about my submitting another report concerning the
19-year-old Dalit girl from Pipili are baseless. I am not going to do
that. Though I have complete faith in the judiciary and the ongoing
inquiry by the crime branch, if I feel that the commission's
intervention is needed at any stage to ensure justice to the girl, I
will do so. For example, concrete action is yet to be taken against
doctors who neglected the girl from the very beginning. I have
recommended the government to take action against the erring doctors
in all the three hospitals where the victim went for treatment.

Q-Why did you give your report in the case in haste?

A-That is not true. The AIIMS doctors and the National Commission for
Scheduled Castes took lesser time to come to a conclusion in the case.
I took around three weeks after the victim's family approached me in
January. My officers and members duly interacted with her family.
Questions were raised as to why I did not go to her village. I had met
the girl and her family when they approached me and later in the
hospital. I went through all the material evidence available before
me. Three weeks were enough time. I wanted to clear the air over false
propaganda in the case at the earliest. The subsequent reports only
established that I was right. Unnecessary political colours were added
to it because of the impending panchayat election then, though I never
faced or entertained any political meddling.

Q-Why did you give the report days ahead of panchayat poll?

A-The timing was not deliberate to give political advantages or
disadvantages to any party. I did my duty with all sincerity and
submitted the report when it was ready in February. Panchayat poll
happened to be scheduled around that time. It only gave fodder to
opposition political parties to take to the streets. But my conscience
always told me that a girl battling for life should not be
unnecessarily branded a rape victim. It will be an injustice on her
and her family more than anybody else.

Q-Are you lobbying for a Rajya Sabha seat?

A-I never aspired for any post. I was happy as a teacher and now as
chairperson of the commission. I do my assigned duty honestly. I am
sure chief minister Naveen Patnaik will name the best candidates for
the Rajya Sabha. I was never in the reckoning for the post and am
content doing my current job to the best of my ability. I will
continue to do my job as efficiently as I can till the time I occupy
this seat.

Q-How are you able to ensure justice to victims approaching you with
the limited powers conferred on the SCW?

A-I am trying my best. But obviously, the government should confer
more powers on the commission. The SCW chairperson whose rank is
comparable with a principal secretary should be given a cabinet
minister status. Then, officers would listen to the chairperson more
seriously. Currently, the commission has to make requests to them. If
given a cabinet minister's status, she will be in a position to give
orders. So many other states have given their commissions the rank of
a cabinet minister or that of a minister of state. It is high time
Odisha followed suit.

Q-What are the functional difficulties of SCW?

A-Of the six members, posts of two members are lying vacant for over
two years since I joined the SCW in 2011. These should be filled up.
The commission needs technological up-gradation to dispose of cases
early. It should be computerized and the staff should be given
computer training. We also need at least two more counsellors. The
chairperson should have at least a full-time secretary so that her
office remains open even when she is on tour. The commission has two
dilapidated old cars. It is difficult to move around the state and
attend to the victims everywhere.

Q-At least 12,400 cases are pending in the commission. How will you
clear the backlog?

A-We are trying to end the pendency by working hard. But with
popularity of the commission, the number of cases is on the rise. We
are getting around 300 cases per month. Since its inception in 1993,
the commission has registered 47,383 cases and has disposed 34,986 of
them. That is not a small achievement. The government should fill up
the posts and improve the infrastructure so that the commission
becomes more efficient.

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[ZESTCaste] Raghuraj Pratap Singh: A raja who is kingmaker

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Raghuraj-Pratap-Singh-A-raja-who-is-kingmaker/articleshow/12283700.cms

Raghuraj Pratap Singh: A raja who is kingmaker
TNN | Mar 16, 2012, 01.57AM IST

Raghuraj Pratap Singh, better known as Raja Bhaiya, has been an MLA
from Kunda since 1993. He was 26 when he won his political spurs,
first proving his usefulness to his political masters in 1997 when he
split the BSP to help form the BJP government in UP. A majority of
MLAs who defected from BSP were thakurs.

In May 2002, Mayawati's BSP emerged as the single largest party and
she formed the ministry that lasted a year. She had her revenge by
booking him under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) after police
found one AK-56 assault rifle, 36 cartridges, two wireless sets and
800 gm explosive from his palace in January 2003.

There were 44 criminal cases against him then, including extortion,
land-grabbing (which included a lake owned by the government),
misusing public property, and threatening public servants. He was
packed off to jail by the Mayawati government.

His father, Udai Pratap Singh, and cousin, Akshay Pratap Singh, were
also charged under POTA. However, all this had a flip side: he assumed
an iconic status among UP's thakurs. The SP, looking to woo thakurs,
saw an opportunity in supporting Raja Bhaiya in his hour of crisis.

Within 30 minutes of Mulayam Singh Yadav's coming to power in August
2003, charges under POTA against Raja Bhaiya were dropped. He got bail
and was made minister for food and civil supplies. All this paid SP
handsomely in 2004 when it won 35 Lok Sabha seats.

However, Raja Bhaiya had to resign within months when the Supreme
Court quashed the Mulayam government's order of removing POTA. Later,
when POTA was repealed in 2004, Raja Bhaiya was re-inducted in
Mulayam's cabinet. The police officer, RS Pandey, who had raided his
house, later died in a road accident, a case being investigated by the
CBI.

Action against him strengthened Maya's dalit base because low castes
have historically been exploited by thakurs. It also helped Maya get
brahmin support in 2007 since they are opposed to thakur dominance in
UP.

There were 44 criminal cases against Raja Bhaiya in 2003, including
extortion,land-grabbing (which included a lake owned by the
government), misusing public property, and threatening public
servants. He was packed off to jail by the Mayawati government

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[ZESTCaste] Harish Rao attacked employee because he was a dalit - Krishna Madiga

http://digg.com/newsbar/Politics/harish_rao_attacked_employee_because_he_was_a_dalit_krishna_madiga

Harish Rao attacked employee because he was a dalit - Krishna Madiga

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[ZESTCaste] Ambedkar memorial: Dalit activists attempt to storm legislature

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/ambedkar-memorial-dalit-activists-attempt-to-storm-legislature_100604855.html

Ambedkar memorial: Dalit activists attempt to storm legislature
Thursday, March 15, 2012 8:07:29 PM by IANS

Bharatiya Janata Party Mumbai, March 15 (IANS) Protesting the delay by
the centre in handing over land for constructing a memorial to B.R.
Ambedkar, the Republican Party of India Thursday staged a noisy
demonstration outside the Maharashtra legislature.

Entering the high-security zone and taking the security by surprise,
around 60 RPI supporters shouted slogans and attempted to barge into
the legislature building at Nariman Point.

However, the police managed to stop them and the protestors were
whisked away from the venue, while around a dozen were detained.

Earlier this week, RPI chief Ramdas Athawale, an ally of the
opposition Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party, had warned that unless
the centre immediately cleared the proposal, his party would take a
protest march to Mantralaya.

The centre has given an in principle approval to a proposal for
handing over 12.5 acres of the Indu Mills at Shivaji Park in Dadar to
construct an ultra-modern memorial for Ambedkar, the architect of the
Indian Constitution.

The mill land belongs to the National Textile Corporation Ltd and it
must first be transferred to the state government.

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[ZESTCaste] Govt dithers even on statue of equality plan

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_govt-dithers-even-on-statue-of-equality-plan_1662960

Govt dithers even on statue of equality plan
Published: Friday, Mar 16, 2012, 8:00 IST
By Dhaval Kulkarni | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

Even as the state government seemed to have backtracked on erecting a
giant statue of warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the
Arabian Sea, another ambitious project is gathering dust.

There was a plan to set up a 'statue of equality' of Dr Babasaheb
Ambedkar in the sea. It had been floated during Ambedkar's birth
centenary celebrations which began in 1990.

This soft peddling has led critics to say that such announcements are
an attempt to use national icons for vote bank politics. Hari Narke,
head and professor, Mahatma Phule Chair at the University of Pune,
said a committee under the then chief minister Sharad Pawar as the
president and former minister Dadasaheb Rupwate as working president
had been set up for the celebrations.

Narke, also an activist,said the committee had sought models for the
statue, but the plan was put on the backburner in wake of the
political upheavals and the 1992-93 riots. "Since then, the idea has
been in cold storage," he added.

A social activist alleged that such announcements were an attempt to
use national icons for narrow political ends and added that the
non-completion of these projects indicated a "lack of political will".

He said that the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue idea was born
after the attack on the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune
by the Sambhaji Brigade in 2004 to protest the writings of American
author James Laine which denigrated the warrior king and his mother
Rajmata Jijabai.

Ambedkar's grandson and Republican Sena chief Anandraj Ambedkar said
if there were stumbling blocks in erecting the statue in the sea, a
compromise can be made by setting up an international memorial for him
at the Indu Mills land at Dadar.

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