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Friday, December 23, 2011

[ZESTCaste] Lokpal should not overrule the Parliament

Friends,

I just created a petition entitled Lokpal should not overrule the Parliament, because I care deeply about this very important issue.

I'm trying to collect 100 signatures, and I could really use your help.

To read more about what I'm trying to do and to sign my petition, click here:
http://www.change.org/petitions/lokpal-should-not-overrule-the-parliament?share_id=kLNHRVbmLM&

It'll just take a minute!

Once you're done, please ask your friends to sign the petition as well. Grassroots movements succeed because people like you are willing to spread the word!

karthik

B.Karthik Navayan,

http://karthiknavayan.wordpress.com/
https://sites.google.com/site/karthiknavayan/

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Thursday, December 22, 2011

[ZESTCaste] BSP won't support Lokpal bill if CBI is kept out, says Mayawati

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/BSP-wont-support-Lokpal-bill-if-CBI-is-kept-out-says-Mayawati/articleshow/11213789.cms

BSP won't support Lokpal bill if CBI is kept out, says Mayawati
TNN | Dec 23, 2011, 03.41AM IST

LUCKNOW: Chief minister Mayawati on Thursday said that her party would
not support the Lokpal bill if the Central Bureau of Investigation was
not brought under its purview. The BSP chief also blamed the Centre of
not paying any heed to her suggestions on the issue.

In an official statement, Mayawati pointed out that none of the BSP
MPs were given a copy of the bill before it was tabled in Parliament
-- a practice that has been going on for decades. "It appears from
media reports that the Centre has not paid heed to the suggestions put
forward earlier for a strong and effective Lokpal bill in which there
was a special thrust on bringing the CBI within its ambit," she said.

"In case CBI is not included in the Lokpal bill, BSP would not support
it," she said, adding that her party had made the demand for its
inclusion, as it had been seen time and again that the Centre was
misusing the premier investigating agency for its political gains and
BSP and its government had been a victim of this.

The BSP chief also said that her party had been pushing for bringing
the prime minister, and group C and D employees under the Lokpal's
purview. Besides this, the party had also demanded proper
representation to members of SC/STs and OBCs, who had been victims of
casteist mentality for a long time. Even the panel which drafted the
bill should have representatives from all religions, castes, tribes
and other sections of the society, she demanded.

Maya cries foul over food security bill: Stating that the food
security bill is only a political stunt of the Congress before the
2012 assembly elections, Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Bahujan
Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Thursday alleged that the bill
introduced in the Parliament was without proper provisions of funds
and food grains.

She said since the UPA government has not updated the below poverty
line (BPL) count recently, a big chunk of the deserving populace would
be out of the food security bill, and the bill will put extra fiscal
pressure on non-Congress-ruled state governments. She said tabling the
bill without going into its important details like funding and
availability of foodgrains establishes that main purpose behind the
bill was to extract political mileage for UP poll.

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[ZESTCaste] Dalit lawmakers kick up a shindy

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Dalit+lawmakers+kick+up+a+shindy+&NewsID=313677

Dalit lawmakers kick up a shindy

Obstruct Parliament proceedings

Added At: 2011-12-22 11:39 PM

Last Updated At: 2011-12-22 11:39 PM

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Cutting across party lines, Dalit lawmakers today
obstructed House proceedings, condemning the brutal killing of a Dalit
in the remote Kalikot district over a minor issue, and demanded legal
action against those involved in the incident and due compensation to
his kin.

Manbire Sunar of Jubitha VDC, Kalikot, was beaten to death on December
10 by Mim Bahadur Shahi and Dip Bahadur Shahi after he reportedly
entered the kitchen of Bal Kumari Shahi to light his cigarette.

The Dalit lawmakers raised a ruckus as soon as the House proceedings
began, demanding that the government furnish a reply to the House and
forced Speaker Subas Nembang to adjourn the session till December 27
and issue a ruling to the government regarding the circumstances that
had led to Sunar's death.

Khadga Bahadur Bishwokarma of the Unified CPN-Maoist, Chhabilal
Bishwokarma of the CPN-UML, Khadga Bahadur Bashyal Sarki of the Nepali
Congress, Kalawoati Devi Dusandh of Madhesi Janaadhikar
Forum-Democratic, Rashmiraj Nepali of Rastriya Janmorcha Nepal and
Shanti Devi Chamar demanded that the government furnish a reply to the
House about the incident, provide Rs 1 million as compensation to the
bereaved family and ensure his children's education and wellbeing.

"Parliament has passed a law regarding untouchability (crime and
punishment 2068)," Maoist lawmaker Khadga Bahadur Bishwokarma said,
adding, "But the government has failed to implement it to punish the
culprits." Chhabilal Bishwokarma said it was unfortunate that a Dalit
was beaten to death over casteism and the local administration could
not arrest those involved in the incident.

The Speaker during previous House session had issued a ruling to the
government to provide information about the action initiated in
connection with the incident. But the minister failed to furnish a
reply before the House, which prompted the Dalit lawmakers to rise
from their respective seats in protest. The lawmakers told the Speaker
that they would not let the House proceed with its regular businesses
unless there was a response from the government.

The Dalit lawmakers were demanding that Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister for Home Affairs Bijaya Kumar Gacchadar reply to the House
about Manbire Sunar's brutal killing. It is learnt that Home Minister
Gacchadar could not attend the House due to his illness.

Wife yet to get govt response

KALIKOT: Reshma Sunar, wife of Manbire Sunar, who was beaten to death
on December 10, said she was yet to receive any response or relief
from the government. Reshma, who has been left to fend for herself, is
worried how she would be able to look after her 72-year-old
father-in-law and three children. "There is no one to look after us,"
said Reshma. SP Ram Bahadur Katawal said the police had detained Mim
Bahadur Shahi and Dip Bahadur Shahi and filed a murder case against
them.

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[ZESTCaste] Jayanthi Natarajan hauls up Mayawati for apathy towards rivers’ clean-up in UP

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jayanthi-Natarajan-hauls-up-Mayawati-for-apathy-towards-rivers-clean-up-in-UP/articleshow/11214045.cms

Jayanthi Natarajan hauls up Mayawati for apathy towards rivers' clean-up in UP
TNN | Dec 23, 2011, 04.12AM IST

NEW DELHI: The UPA government launched another salvo at BSP supremo
Mayawati with the Union environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan
writing to the Uttar Pradesh CM pointing out that industries were
polluting select rivers in the state leading to contamination of
groundwater in some regions.

The minister also criticized the state government for not utilizing
Central funds properly to abate pollution in the water bodies. "In
last two years, the environment ministry has sanctioned several
projects for conservation of river Ganga and lakes like Ramgarh Tal at
Gorakhpur. Hundreds of crores have been released to Uttar Pradesh for
implementation of these projects. I hear that the state government has
not used the money properly," she said.

"Our efforts, to clean river Ganga that flows to important parts of UP
have not been able to succeed because of the indifference shown by the
state government with regard to pollution," she added.

Natarajan has asked the state government to direct her state pollution
control board to curb pollution, specifically in Aami River in
Gorakhpur.

She noted that effluent from industries in Gorakhpur industrial area
and untreated municipal solid waste was making its way unchecked into
the river and polluting the groundwater of villages in the vicinity.

The central pollution control board, which works under the environment
ministry, had found that the effluent treatment plants of the area
were not working and the waste of Gorakhpur too was being dumped in
Rapti river despite directions from the Centre against it.

In the last two years the environment ministry has sanctioned seven
projects at a total cost of Rs 1341.60 crore for conservation of Ganga
in Allahabad, Varanasi, Garhmukteshwar, Moradabad and Kannauj.

Of the sanctioned amount, Rs 204.20 crore has been released to the
state so far. Another Rs. 217.14 crore has been transferred to UP in
the last three years for implementation of ongoing sanctioned schemes
under the Gomti Action Plan and the Ganga Action Plan Phase-II.

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[ZESTCaste] A Dalit success story

http://www.livemint.com/2011/12/22231551/A-Dalit-success-story.html?h=B

Posted: Thu, Dec 22 2011. 11:15 PM IST

A Dalit success story
Dalit entrepreneurs lack the social networks or organizational backing
or access to credit to compete with non-Dalit businesses, and this is
precisely where the state can intervene by, for instance, prioritizing
procurement from Dalit-run companies by public sector enterprises

In just about every way that can be measured, prejudice, both social
and economic, against Dalits has reduced since independence. Since
1991, after liberalization, some Dalits have been able to take
advantage of the new opportunities offered by the growing economy just
as others have. This was in evidence at the first-ever national trade
fair organized by the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries
in Mumbai a few days ago. The fair was supported by corporate
heavyweights such as the Tata and Godrej groups, and found support
from the Confederation of Indian Industry as well. There is a move on
the part of industry to encourage Dalit enterprise, which wants to
embrace the concept of "supplier diversity" and promote Dalit
entrepreneurship. No less than titan of industry Ratan Tata called
upon corporate India to use its economic clout in pursuit of social
justice.

There is some evidence to suggest that the expanded set of
opportunities offered in the post-liberalization economy flattened the
playing field for aspiring Dalit entrepreneurs. A rapidly expanding
economy opened up new jobs and careers to people who were otherwise
pushed to the margins of private industry. Liberalization upended the
status quo and a number of Dalits were able to take advantage of the
resultant chaos to acquire capital like never before. The market could
thus be said to be levelling historical disadvantages more effectively
than caste-based reservation has done.

The necessity of affirmative action—or, in the Indian context,
caste-based reservation—has long been a matter of debate. Enshrined in
article 15(4) of the Constitution, the quota system is intended to
provide equal opportunity in education and employment to scheduled
castes and tribes. How successful such a policy is in equalizing the
playing field for Dalits is highly contentious —and, indeed, it has
been argued that such a policy is more effective as a political tool
to gather votes than to make available educational or professional
opportunities that would have otherwise been closed to them. Certainly
the idea of extending quotas to the private sector to increase Dalit
economic achievement has merited strong opposition.

However, this does not mean that the government cannot incentivize
private enterprise to promote social justice, or aid in removing some
of the barriers that Dalit-owned businesses face. Dalit entrepreneurs
lack the social networks or organizational backing or access to credit
to compete with non-Dalit businesses, and this is precisely where the
state can intervene by, for instance, prioritizing procurement from
Dalit-run companies by public sector enterprises.

Illustration by Jayachandran/Mint

Is affirmative action the way to social justice? Tell us at views@livemint.com