Thursday, March 10, 2011

[ZESTCaste] Dalit engineeer's suicide: Cops face heat

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/Dalit-engineeers-suicide-Cops-face-heat/articleshow/7666539.cms

Dalit engineeer's suicide: Cops face heat
Yagnesh Mehta, TNN | Mar 9, 2011, 11.30pm IST

SURAT: Policemen now face the heat in Vipul Baraiya suicide case.
Baraiya, a Dalit software engineer who was accused of leaking his
company's secrets, ended his life on February 12, hours after being
grilled by the police.

On March 5, Baraiya's family filed a complaint alleging that the
police asked Baraiya to bring his personal computer and his friend's
laptop, which was handed over to his senior Jignesh Shah, manager at
Innovera Software, after questioning.

"The procedure was not followed by the police personnel who questioned
Baraiya on that day as they handed over the computer and laptop to the
complainant. Strict action will be taken against all accused," said
assistant commissioner of police M G Damor, who is investigating the
case. So far, a complaint of atrocity and abetment to suicide has been
lodged against Jignesh Shah and Micky Shah, owner of the firm.

Baraiya was called to the police station on February 12 morning
following Jignesh's complaint. He was questioned by head constable
Devi Singh from the surveillance staff of Umra police station. After
questioning, Baraiya was forced to write a confession saying that he
just sent a mail to a rival firm and had not exchanged any data as
alleged by Jignesh.

To investigate the data leak on his own, Jignesh kept the personal
computer of Baraiya and his friend's laptop. Afraid of being framed,
Baraiya wrote in his suicide note that "Jignesh may plant some data in
my personal computer to prove the charges."

Baraiya resigned from Innovera Software a week before his suicide. The
company officials were blaming Baraiya of leaking software and other
data to competitor firm and tortured him mentally, the victim claimed
in suicide note. Sources in the police said that the head constable
who questioned Baraiya has gone on sick leave. The head constable
allegedly went out of his way to help Jignesh since the dropped the
name of a senior police official, currently posted outside the city,
sources added.

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[ZESTCaste] Dalit children cases moving at a slow pace: study

 

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article1520594.ece

RAMANATHAPURAM, March 9, 2011
Dalit children cases moving at a slow pace: study
Special Correspondent

Criminal proceedings against perpetuators of offences, particularly
sexual harassment and rape, against Dalit children in Tamil Nadu
progress at a slow pace, according to a study conducted by Evidence, a
Madurai-based non-governmental organisation (NGO).

As per information received based on a Right to Information Act
petition by the NGO, 28 Dalit girls, who were below 18 years of age,
had been sexually harassed or raped in 11 districts, including
Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Theni and Madurai, between September 1,
2008 and October 31, 2010.

Ramanathapuram district topped the list with six offences followed
bySivaganga and Tirunelvveli (four each), and Madurai and Villupuram
(3 each).

It was startling to learn that out of the 28 Dalit girls, 23 were
allegedly raped. While 11 children were aged between 13 and 16, seven
were below 12 years of age. Caste Hindus had been accused in 23 cases,
and Dalit men were involved in the other five cases.

A. Kathir, Executive Director of Evidence, told The Hindu that out of
the 28 cases, just one person had been convicted. Other cases were
either pending in court or being investigated by the police. On an
average, 20 to 25 First Information Reports were being filed in a year
on sexual harassment and rape cases against Dalit women in the State.
In many cases, proper investigation had not been done by the police.
Most of the cases were at the stage of preliminary investigation.

In 2010, the Evidence studied 115 incidents of atrocities against
Dalit women in the State. Of them, FIR had not been filed in more than
70 percent of the cases. Gender and caste discrimination,
socio-economic vulnerability, exploitation, lack of awareness and
others were among the reasons for the sexual assault, sexual abuse or
rape against Dalit women, including children.

Creation of a separate police wing and special courts for disposing of
cases against women and children, particularly Dalits, were among some
of the best options for speedy justice and to prevent crimes against
women.

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[ZESTCaste] Dalit students back professor, VC

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/144306/dalit-students-back-professor-vc.html

Dalit students back professor, VC
Mysore, March 8, DHNS

Dalit students on Tuesday staged a demonstration in front of Crawford
Hall in support of Mysore University Vice Chancellor V G Talawar and
supended head of the Zoology Department, Prof Shivabasavaiah.

Talawar is facing charges of soft-pedalling a sexual harassment
complaint against Shivabasavaiah made by a married lady scholar
pursuing research under his guidance.

Led by former Mayor R Purushothama, also a Dalit leader, hundreds of
students, including girls, came together under the banner of
Federation of Dalit Students and took out a rally from Manasagangotri
to Crawford Hall.

Alleging that Talawar and Shivabasavaiah had been targeted because
they were Dalits, the students charged Medical Education and District
In-charge Minister S A Ramadas with showing undue interest in
escalating the issue.

Purushothama questioned the action against Shivabasavaiah, comparing
it with the cases involving Excise Minister Renukacharya and former
minister Halappa.

He accused Legislative Council chairperson Vimala Gowda and MLC
Bharati Shetty of bias and said that while they vociferously spoke for
the woman scholar, they did not utter a word when their own partymen
faced sexual harassment charges.

Later, activists of the BJP Yuva Morcha staged a protest at the same
venue against the Dalit Federation's remarks on Vimala Gowda and
Bharati Shetty.


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[ZESTCaste] Dalit activist leaves hospital alleging negligence by doctors

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article1520955.ece

JAIPUR, March 9, 2011
Dalit activist leaves hospital alleging negligence by doctors
Mohammed Iqbal

He was brutally attacked recently for seeking information under the RTI Act

Dalit activist Mangala Ram from Bamanor village in Barmer district —
who was brutally attacked recently for seeking information under the
Right to Information Act — left Sawai Man Singh Hospital here on
Tuesday, a day after being brought from Deesa in Gujarat and admitted
to the poly-trauma ward for treatment at the State Government's
expenses.

Mangala Ram, 33, was severely beaten up at the village panchayat's
social audit meeting on March 3 allegedly by Sarpanch Ghulam Shah and
his accomplices, who took exception to his applications under the RTI
Act seeking details of all public works sanctioned and carried out
between 2001 and 2008. He sustained injuries in head and arms, and his
legs were broken in the attack.

Following protests by civil rights groups, the police have registered
a first information report against Mr. Shah, while Barmer Collector
Gaurav Goyal has provided financial assistance worth Rs. 25,000 to Mr.
Ram. On the instructions of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, the victim
was brought from a private hospital in Deesa and admitted to SMS
Hospital here on Monday.
No arrests yet

Mr. Shah and other accused named in the FIR are yet to be arrested.
Dalit groups here point out that the Sarpanch enjoys considerable
clout in the region and has been occupying the office for 22 years. He
had allegedly threatened Mr. Ram several times when he raised the
issue of incomplete information and demanded follow-up on his
applications.

Mr. Ram left the hospital on his own on Tuesday while alleging that
doctors in the poly-trauma ward were not attending to him properly.
His fractured legs were bandaged with a heavy dressing and the
hospital's orthopaedic surgeons were yet to take a final decision on
his surgery.

"Doctors told me yesterday that surgery would be needed for [treatment
of] serious fractures. But they started saying this morning that a
plaster would set my legs right," Mr. Ram told The Hindu lying in an
ambulance after leaving the hospital. He left for Palanpur in Gujarat,
where he said the surgery of his legs would be performed shortly.

The Dalit activist, who rested briefly at the house of an acquaintance
in the city, said he suspected that the doctors were neglecting him
"on the instructions of the political set-up" because he had contested
the panchayat election last year as a rival candidate against Mr.
Shah. "Everyone in our village knows that the Sarpanch has [high]
political connections. He can easily influence the hospital machinery
here."

SMS Hospital Medical Superintendent L.C. Sharma, when contacted, said
since there was a difference of opinion in the orthopaedics department
about the course of treatment for Mr. Ram, the hospital administration
offered to appoint a medical board. "The board would have decided if
the plaster would suffice or the surgery on legs was immediately
required."

Dr. Sharma said Mr. Ram and his relatives were insisting that the
Deesa hospital's opinion in favour of surgery be accepted here. "Even
though we sought some time and facilitated his telephonic talk with
[social activist] Ms. Aruna Roy, Mr. Ram was adamant on leaving. He
gave us in writing that he is not willing to undergo our treatment."

The Centre for Dalit Rights, which has taken up Ram's case, was
dismayed that he had left Jaipur within a day. Gopal Ram Verma of CDR
said the activist's presence in Jaipur would have helped in putting
pressure on the State Government for dealing with the threats issued
by dominant sections to "ordinary people who dare to question them"
through the RTI queries.

"The brutal attack on Mangala Ram depicts a pattern emerging in the
rural areas of Rajasthan. Individuals fighting against corruption in
public life are routinely threatened and implicated in false cases by
those having [vested] interests," pointed out Bhanwar Meghwanshi of
Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan.

In view of the sensitivity of the matter, two teams of the State Human
Rights Commission and the Directorate of Social Audits have visited
Bamanor village to verify the facts. The State's Dalit activists
leaving for Shillong to attend the Third National Convention on RTI
beginning on Thursday also plan to raise the matter vigorously at the
national level.


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[ZESTCaste] Dalits are in favour of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh : Dalit Mahasabha

 

http://andhrapradesh.com/laest-news/dalits-are-in-favour-of-bifurcation-of-andhra-pradesh-dalit-mahasabha/

Dalits are in favour of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh : Dalit Mahasabha

Vijayawada, Mar 3: Dalit Mahasabha General Secretary Katti Padma Rao
claimed that majority of Dalits in Coastal Andhra Pradesh and
Rayalaseema regions are in favour of bifurcation of the state, hoping
that it would provide benefits to them.

Addressing a press conference here, he said Dalits were of the view
that if separate Telangana was carved out, Dalits in the Seemandhra
would have a vast political as well as employment opportunities.

He alleged that some politicians like Kavuri Sambasiva Rao, Lagadapati
Rajgopal and Rayapati Sambasiva Rao were obstructing bifurcation of
state keeping in mind their own industrial benefits.

The Dalit leader said a massive demonstration would be held in Eluru
town in West Godavari district, followed by public meeting on April 24
to demand bifurcation of the state.

He said the Dalit leaders in the state were negotiating with like
minded parties and organisation to mobilize support in favour of
carving out separate Telangana state.

He challenged the leaders who were opposing bifurcation of the state
to have an open debate.

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