[ZESTCaste] Bad blood existed since 1960s

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/bad-blood-existed-since-1960s/201294-60-118.html

Tamil Nadu | Updated Nov 12, 2011 at 12:00pm IST
Bad blood existed since 1960s
indianexpress Express News Service , The New Indian Express

MADURAI: Although a 'caste wall' had divided the Pillaimars and Dalits
in Uthapuram in rural Madurai only from 1989, the bad blood between
members of the two communities had existed since 1960s.
As early as 1964 the village had witnessed a major bloodshed following
a clash between the Pillaimars and Dalits. The second clash in 1989
resulted in the death of five members from both sides prompting elders
of 18 neighbouring villages to construct a wall to prevent unnecessary
friction between the two communities. Since then the Dalits never got
to even see the Muthala Amman temple.
"The wall had divided the Dalit settlements from the Pillaimar
community," recalled Ponnaiya, a Dalit leader. The Dalits were unable
to use the road abutting the 'caste wall' too.
After members of the Untouchability Eradication Front 'discovered' the
wall, they led a massive agitation seeking to demolish the wall.
Bowing to pressure, the district administration demolished a portion
of the 'wall of shame' in 2008.
However, simmering hostilities between the two communities remained
alive and Dalits were denied entry into the temple. But persistent
peace efforts overseen by Madurai SP Asra Garg appeared to have paid
off on Thursday when Dalit worshipped at the temple. Dressed in white
dhotis Sankaralingam and Ponnaiya (69) along with 13 other Dalits
marched towards the temple, while members of Pillaimar community
welcomed them and jointly performed rituals. Activists said that it
was a dream come true for around 1,500 Dalits of Uthapuram.

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[ZESTCaste] Mayawati slams Rahul, plays Brahmin and development cards

 

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-12/india/30390956_1_mayawati-bahujan-samaj-party-rahul-gandhi

Mayawati slams Rahul, plays Brahmin and development cards
Ashish Tripathi, TNN Nov 12, 2011, 02.20PM IST

LUCKNOW: UP chief minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo
Mayawati on Saturday slammed Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi
for his remark that "a deep sense of anguish overtakes him when he
sees corruption, poverty and exploitation of people in Uttar Pradesh
(UP)."

"Why does Congress' 'yuvraj' (prince) not feel angry over a series of
scams that took place under the Congress led UPA government and the
spiralling inflation under its rule, attacks on people of UP and
atrocities against Dalits in the Congress ruled Maharashta," Mayawati
asked sarcastically. She did not mention Rahul's name but addressed
him as Congress party's 'yuvraj' in a bid to highlight the 'dynastic
and feudal structure' of the party.

The chief minister's rejoinder to Rahul's remarks came at the
inauguration of Dr Shakuntala Devi Mishra University for
Rehabilitation and Education of Disabled. She said that being a Member
of Parliament (MP) from UP, the 'yuvraj' should pressurise his
government at the centre to release funds for development.

"The Congress led UPA government at the centre is not releasing
development funds but it is criticising my government for not taking
adequate steps for development," she added. Mayawati said that the
Congress party was only playing politics for electoral gains and was
not serious about development of the state.

Interestingly, though the university was inaugurated on Saturday, but
it has been working for last two years. Also, the inauguration of the
university was an official function organised by Mayawati's
government. On the occasion, Mayawati also laid foundation for welfare
schemes and projects worth over Rs 16,140 crore. However, the official
event was converted into a BSP function with hundreds of party workers
and leaders raising slogans in favour of Mayawati and denouncing
opposition parties. They claimed that the BSP would win the coming
assembly elections (due in next four months) and conquer New Delhi in
2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Using the official platform to launch her party campaigning for the
assembly elections, Mayawati said that though she was a Dalit
(Schedule Caste) herself but still got a university constructed in the
name of a Brahmin (upper caste) woman. She said that the university
was named after social worker Dr Shakuntala Devi Mishra, mother of
BJP(Bhartiya Janta Party) general secretary SC Mishra and the
university had now become a symbol of upper-lower castes unity.

Mayawati said that this demonstrated that her government believed in
equality and not in caste divisions. She said that she was dedicating
the university to her grandfather Mangal Sen who had raised and
supported his family despite losing his vision. Mayawati recalled that
it was because of her grandfather that she got an opportunity to
pursue higher education.

The chief minister reiterated that law and order in UP under previous
governments of Samata Party (SP), BJP and Congress was worst. "Under
my rule, even ministers and MLAs of my party have been sent to jail
when found indulging in corruption and guilty of criminal activities
whereas in previous regimes no action was taken against any
influential person," she added.

Mayawati pointed out that the Congress had ruled UP for over 50 years
without bringing any development to the state. "Whereas all round
development has taken place during five years of BSP's rule.

Mayawati on the occasion laid foundation stones for construction and
repair of 23 state highways, 20 bridges, a power generation plant and
several water treatment plants among other things. She inaugurated
four bridges and three power projects. The chief minister also
announced extension of several social welfare schemes for Dalits and
backward classes.

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[ZESTCaste] Goodwill prevails as Dalits enter Uthapuram temple

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/204428/goodwill-prevails-dalits-enter-uthapuram.html

Goodwill prevails as Dalits enter Uthapuram temple
Chennai, Nov 12, DHNS:

The caste conflict that existed in Uthapuram in Tamil Nadu's Madurai
district between the 'Pillaimar' caste Hindus and the Dalits was
little known outside the confines of the village that no one had even
a whiff of it until the CPM stumbled upon it.

With assistance from Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front
(TNUEF), the Marxists had been holding a sustained campaign to
demolish the deeply entrenched caste divide that kept the Dalits
outside the areas occupied by the caste Hindus.

However, things got blown over when CPM General Secretary Prakash
Karat visited the village in June 2008. The main plank of the Marxist
campaign was to restore the Dalit's rights to worship at the
Muthalamman Temple in the village, controlled by the Hindus.

With the support of the state government, the campaign won a partial
victory when a ban on the Dalits to enter through the Hindu areas was
lifted, saving them the ordeal of taking a 2.5 km circuitous route to
exit and enter the village for their daily chores. Opposed to this
move, many of the 'Pillaimar' families have even shifted their
residence to a nearby hillock as they still consider proximity to
dalits unacceptable. A permanent police picket had also been posted at
the village to avert clashes.

Long years of mutual suspicion though, has become a thing of the past
since Thursday evening with a mutual rapprochement between the two
Communities that enabled the entry of the Dalits to their
long-cherished 'Muthalamman Temple' in Uthapuram.

Sources in Uthapuram told Deccan Herald over telephone on Friday that
the 'historic Temple entry' by the Dalits was made possible by a
peace pact, mediated by the Madurai District Collector, U Sagayam, and
Superintendent of Police, Asra Garg, reached between the communities
on October 20.

The first group of 11 Dalit in the village led by their elders K
Ponnaiah and Sankaralingam, were received by the upper caste Hindus
near the Temple shaded by a huge peepul tree, and taken inside for a
special 'Pooja' on Friday evening.

The Dalits offered a garland, coconuts and fruits to the goddess,
popularly also known as 'Mariamma', which was followed by the priest
performing the 'Pooja' for the welfare of all the people, sources
said. Outside the Temple, the SP, Asra Garg along with a large posse
of cops waited patiently in a precautionary gesture, as the village
witnessed the historical event. "We are entering the temple premises
for the first time after 1989," said Ponniah.

The right to enter the temple and perform their traditional rituals
has been a long-pending demand of the local Dalits, which was made
possible on the auspicious occasion of 'Ippasi Pournami (full moon)
Friday night.

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[ZESTCaste] Dalit assaulted for refusing to endorse civic poll candidate

 

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-14/madurai/30397239_1_dalit-man-uthamapalayam-local-body

Dalit assaulted for refusing to endorse civic poll candidate
TNN Nov 14, 2011, 02.48AM IST

THENI: A 44-year-old dalit man was allegedly assaulted by a non-dalit
in a village in Theni district for allegedly refusing to support the
candidate proposed by the latter in the recent local body election.

Police have arrested the alleged assaulter and have registered cases
under various IPC sections besides the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities
Act. Police said that P Muthurasu (44) of Chinna Ovulapuram village
near Uthamapalayam in Theni district was walking down the street in
his village when A Veeranan (50), a non - dalit

of the same village intercepted him. Unleashing a verbal onslaught on
Muthurasu for failing to extend support to P Pugazhendi, who contested
for the post of panchayat president in the recently-concluded local
body polls, Veeranan assaulted Muthurasu, police said.

While Pugazhendi was proposed by Veeranan and a few other non-dalits,
Annathurai, also a non-dalit, managed to win the post. Pugazhendi was
the panchayat president for the past qo years. Veernan had nursed a
grouse against Muthurasu as he held him responsible for the defeat of
Pugazhendi. who also happened to be his relative.

Muthurasu, in his complaint, alleged that after intercepting him on
the street, Veeranan started assaulting him.

"Charging that I had mobilised dalits to vote against Pugazhendi,
Veeranan started assaulting meHe also threatened I would not be
allowed to live peacefully in the village

,'' Muthurasu said in the complaint.

Muthurasu lodged a complaint with the police and, subsequently,
Veeranan was arrested on Friday. Meanwhile, Muthurasu has been
admitted to Government Hospital, Theni, for treatment.

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[ZESTCaste] Nepal: Dalits unaware of drive against polio

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Dalits+unaware+of++drive+against+polio&NewsID=309146

Dalits unaware of drive against polio

Added At: 2011-11-13 11:53 PM

RAVI DAHAL

BIRGUNJThe government campaign for polio eradication is not meant for
underprivileged children, it appears.

Two days have passed since the Parsa District Public Health Office
started administering oral polio vaccine to the children under five
years of age, but the children of the Dum community living in BP
Uddhan, Parsa, are yet to get the dose against polio.

Talking to this daily, Chhatiyadevi Malli of the Dum community said,
"Nobody has informed us about the polio campaign."

While Chinnu Malli of the community said he had not seen any polio
centre in his locality.

Locals said the campaign has failed to cover the Dalit children due to
the lack of publicity. Vaccination officer at the DPHO, Sachitananda
Singh, admitted that their publicity campaign was not effective,
adding that they will send supervisors to every house to monitor the
campaign and make the parents aware of the need to administer polio
drops to their children.

The DPHO plans to administer oral polio vaccine to 122,524 children
under the age of five by mobilising 1,744 volunteers.

It said the campaign may not be able to achieve its goal due to the
lack of awareness among the Dums.

According to the DPHO, Birgunj, Alau, Sissiya, Khalbatola, Amarpatti,
Dhore, Viswa, Sambhauta, Janakaitola and Mahadevpatti VDCs are highly
vulnerable to polio.

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