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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

[ZESTCaste] ‘Educated Dalits have failed to help community’

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/209617/educated-dalits-have-failed-help.html

'Educated Dalits have failed to help community'
Mysore, Dec 5, DHNS:

Former minister B Somashekar bemoaned that the social set-up hadn't
undergone much change during the last six decades.

Furthermore, he expressed his angst at the lack of initiative among
educated Dalits in taking thier community forward.

He was speaking at a discussion on the role of Dalits in Indian
politics to mark 55th Mahaparinirvana of Dr B R Ambedkar at the EMMRC
auditorium in the city on Monday.

Urging the younger populace to introspect, he said Dalits have been
given the constitution to ensure equality. But, Dalits have always
failed to respect people from their own community.

Instead, they seek the advise of others, which has caused them failure
in both political and socio-economic fronts. Expressing his opinion,
Somashekar said, "If Baba Saheb was living now and looking at the
large number of Dalits, who are educated, he would have committed
suicide, as they are failing to help their community as a whole.

Instead they are doing things only for personal gain. Doing personal
favours won't help the community. Only those who do for the community
can make some changes."

He said the Dalit community has been given a sizeable weapon in the
form of the ballot to fight inequality. But, Dalit leaders are failing
to seize the opportunity. They are more intent on breaking the united
strength of the community. "Our votes have a price, but have no
value... Dalits always listen to others and never care for the words
of their own leaders," he added.

Dr B R Ambedkar Research and Extension Centre director Dr J Somashekar
and student V Suresh were also present.

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[ZESTCaste] Made Snana: Dalits slam police for 'failing to prevent attack'

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Mangalore/article2688876.ece

MANGALORE, December 5, 2011
Made Snana: Dalits slam police for 'failing to prevent attack'
Special Correspondent

They seek a ban on the annual ritual, condemn attack on Shivaramu

People of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes at a meeting with
Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police here on Sunday, said the
Government should ban the three-day annual made snana, a religious
ritual, at Kukke Subrahmanya temple.

It was a ritual of people rolling on left over food consumed by
Brahmins on plantain leaves to fulfil a vow.

The participants at the meeting alleged that the attack on K.S.
Shivaramu, leader of a backward classes forum at the temple town, on
November 30, was pre-planned.

Condemning the attack, they demanded Superintendent of Police Labhu
Ram to take action against erring police officials who "failed to
prevent the attack".

They questioned the temple administration reportedly of extending a
hero's welcome to the assailants upon their release on bail when they
returned to the temple on Friday. The assailants were said to be
members of Malekudiya community, a Scheduled Tribe.

The speakers said that some forces were attempting to divide Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes people and making them fight among
themselves. Malekudiya people were innocent and had fallen to the
designs of such forces, they said.

L. Shekar, president, Dalita Hakkugala Horata Samiti, Belthangady
taluk, alleged that a sub-inspector of police and a police inspector
who had escorted Mr. Shivaramu, president, Karnataka Rajya Hindulida
Vargagala Jagruta Vedike, failed to prevent the attack. He said that
action should be taken against Nagaraju, Deputy Superintendent of
Police, who reportedly used abusive language against Mr. Shivaramu.

Mr. Shekar questioned why Brahmins should be served separate lunch at
the temple. Criticising it, he said that if it continued people from
other castes would sit with them next year.

S.P. Anand, organising secretary, Dalit Sangarsha Samiti (Ambedkar
Vada), Dakshina Kannada, and P. Keshava, convener, Dalit Sangarsha
Samiti (Bheema Vada), Dakshina Kannada, questioned the alleged
inaction of police on the spot during the attack. They alleged that
the attack was planned.

Mr. Ram said the Additional Superintendent of Police Prabhakara was
conducting an inquiry into the allegations against the Dy. SP. The
Superintendent of Police insisted the police did not anticipate an
attack and managed to rescue Mr. Shivaramu from the assailants.

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Monday, December 5, 2011

[ZESTCaste] Shiv-Bhim shakti on display today

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_shiv-bhim-shakti-on-display-today_1621942

Shiv-Bhim shakti on display today
Published: Tuesday, Dec 6, 2011, 8:00 IST
By Shubhangi Khapre | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

The Republican Party of India (RPI) has decided to showcase the new
political alignment with the Shiv Sena-BJP combine at Shivaji Park on
the occasion of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's death anniversary on Tuesday.

Despite alliance with the Sena-BJP, the RPI has retained its original
colour symbolically depicting there is no shift from its ideology. The
RPI's annual rally at the historic ground will explore and explain to
Dalits the concept of Shiv Shakti-Bhim Shakti.

"Ever since I took the decision to shun the Congress and the NCP,
there is an intense campaign launched against me and my organization
to tarnish our image. We have to set things right," RPI chief Ramdas
Athavale said.

Dalits across Maharashtra who converge on December 6 to pay their
reverence to Ambedkar are raising questions whether the RPI has
decided to follow Hindutva by joining hands with the saffron combine.

Dalits are wondering how the RPI can pursue its ideology hobnobbing
with the Sena -BJP combine. These are some of the questions, which
Athavale wants to remove from the minds of Dalits ahead of the civic
elections.

"I want to send a strong message that there was no ideological shift
in the RPI. Moreover, the decision to join the Sena-BJP alliance was a
tactical move towards empowerment of Dalits who have often been
exploited by the ruling Congress-NCP combine," Athavale said.The RPI
has extended invitation for the grand rally to second rung leaders of
Sena and BJP.

"We want Athavale to be the star of the rally. And we don't want it to
turn into a personality based event. What is more significant is the
message he would convey to the Dalits," RPI activists said.

Dalit writer Arjun Dangle said, "The Gennext Dalits are well aware
about Congress-NCP's betrayal to Athavale. They are ready to accept
the Sena-BJP as an alternative. As far as ideological differences are
concerned, we will always maintain our stand."

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[ZESTCaste] Government promotes the gutter of caste

http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-STM-187-2011

INDIA: Government promotes the gutter of caste
December 5, 2011

A Joint Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission and the Vigil
India movement

AHRC-STM-187-2011.jpgThe 'Made Snana' practiced at the Kukke
Subramanya temple, near Mangalore attracts severe criticism and equal
amount of support in India. The practice involves devotees allowed to
roll over plantain leaves; reportedly after dominant caste Brahmins
have eaten from the leaves. It is believed that the ritual will cure
skin diseases, in the past leprosy, mostly of the inferior castes, in
particular the Dalits. The temple is under the Muzrai Department of
the Government of Karnataka. Dr. Vedavyas Srinivas Acharya, a senior
minister of the state cabinet, who is also responsible for higher
education, planning, statistics and information technology departments
in the state government heads the Muzrai department. Dr. Acharya is a
medical doctor turned politician. (photo source: Deccan Herald)

That a qualified medical doctor heads a government department, which
manages religious institutions and the revenue generated from such
institutions is also responsible for other important cabinet
portfolios, not only allows such inhuman practices in the country but
justifies it in the name of religious belief and centuries-old
tradition is not just a shame for the country, but illuminates the
deep-rooted nature of orthodox prejudices that benefits the dominant
castes in the caste system of India. It underscores the fact that the
liberation of the country from the cobweb of caste is impossible
should the current situations continue. It paints an appalling picture
of what modernisation means in India, that Acharya is a senior
minister in the state, which hosts the country's IT capital,
Bangalore. It reiterates the argument that neo-Dalit political leaders
like Ms Mayawati are nothing more than shrewd politicians who use
pro-Dalit sentiments to maintain power and intends no good to the
community that she allegedly represents and her newfound affinity for
Brahminical practices could justify, manual scavenging, a practice
vicious and demeaning that rolling over banana leafs.

The government had prohibited the practice of Made Snana in 1979. But
it was soon reintroduced on the justification that it is a
centuries-old religious ritual. So is untouchability, a much older
practice, which today is prohibited not only in the constitution, but
also in at least half a dozen statutes. Yet it continues openly in the
country.

The practice of manual scavenging is also prohibited, including the
construction of dry latrines. But institutions like the Indian
Railway, the municipalities, corporations and panchayats employ manual
scavengers. The Indian Railway is the largest employer of manual
scavengers, and manages some of the longest rows of open latrines in
the world. The open-hole lavatories in every railway compartment that
is in service in the country turns the largest rail network of the
world into one big lavatory that drops raw human excreta and other
waste onto the rails, and over people and vehicles - where the rail
line runs above roads. It is a common scene in every railway station
in the country, railway employees cleaning with a broom, railway
sleepers covered with human excreta. In a country that tolerates this
and accepts the practice as 'god given' to a community, a few thousand
'devotees' rolling over leftover food and plantain leaves upon which
the food was served and eaten by some of the most exploiting
communities in the world - those Brahmins who believe in the caste
hierarchy - have eaten must be a negligible incident.

That caste-based discrimination continues in India is nothing new.
There is neither news value in it, nor is there any shocking discovery
about the incident. That this year's Made Snana was widely reported in
the media can be discounted due to the news value the event attracted
since a person who protested against this was publically assaulted.
The inhuman ritual never attracted such media frenzy before, and
probably will never again until some untoward incident that has an
alleged media value than the ritual itself happens. Such is the media
vigilance in India on some important issues, and the Indian media is
not immune to caste prejudice. It is clear from the fact that many
other similar inhuman practices based on dominant caste prejudices are
of no news value for the Indian media. This includes widespread bonded
labour of Dalits, Devadasi practices, the denial of food and medicine
to the Dalit and tribal children in rural villages by the dominant
caste government servants and land grabbing by dominant castes.

The only entities that openly express discomfort regarding caste
prejudices are the government agencies that represent India in
international fora. For these institutions and the persons who work
for them representing the government, caste is an internal matter of
the country. So was apartheid an internal matter of South Africa,
holocaust a domestic affair for Nazi Germany, and slavery an in-house
labour management for the racists.

Mistakes get corrected starting from the moment defects are admitted.
Caste based prejudices in India will continue until the government
publically admits that discrimination based on caste, in all its
manifest forms, is a crime against humanity. What it requires is
honesty in polity, and it is precisely what the governments in India
lack.

-------
About Vigil India: The Vigil India movement is a collective of
jurists, intellectuals, journalists and human rights defenders with
its office in Bangalore. The Vigil India movement was founded in 1977.

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[ZESTCaste] Dalits seek ban on Made Snana

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mangalore/Dalits-seek-ban-on-Made-Snana/articleshow/10991323.cms

Dalits seek ban on Made Snana
TNN | Dec 5, 2011, 02.01PM IST

MANGALORE: Leaders of various dalit organizations demanded a ban on
Made Made Snana practiced at Kukke Sri Subrahmanya Temple during the
'shasti' festivities at the monthly meeting organised by DK district
police with members of and representatives of SC/ST organizations here
on Sunday.

Terming the practice "inhuman", they demanded that the feelings of
dalits be conveyed to the state government for necessary action.L
Shekar of Dalit Hakkugalla Horata Samiti pointed that such customs
were increasingly being used to subjugate dalits and they were foisted
on them in the name of tradition. He was also critical of the district
administration which backed down from its earlier decision of banning
the ritual.

Narayana Punchame, another dalit leader observed it was time for all
concerned to create awareness and bring this practice to a halt. P
Keshava, Dalit Sangharsh Samiti leader, sought action against
policemen on duty for failing to prevent the assault on K S Shivaramu,
president of Karnataka State Backward Classes Awareness Forum.

Noting that the section of the temple's administrators had treated
Nagesh and others accused of assaulting Shivaramu like heroes, Shekar
demanded that police take action against Keshava Jogithaya, the chief
priest of the temple for honouring the accused and offering them
prasad. SP Labhu Ram who chaired the meeting said since the probe was
on into the incident, points raised by the leaders would be looked
into during the course of investigation. he said t hat only one
complaint had been registered in connection with the assault and
police had already.