Monday, December 7, 2009

[ZESTCaste] Man desecrates Ambedkar's statue

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/allahabad/Man-desecrates-Ambedkars-statue/articleshow/5311850.cms

Man desecrates Ambedkar's statue

TNN 7 December 2009, 09:23pm IST

ALLAHABAD: Villagers and police had to face a tough time in trying to
control a drunkard in village Ishwarpur under the Sarai Mumrez police
station on late Sunday evening when he created ruckus infront of the
statue of Ambedkar after desecrating it.

No sooner than the news spread like wild fire in the adjoining
villages, several villagers gathered at the spot and police had to be
deployed at the spot to prevent any untoward incident. The nuisance
maker was later arrested and booked under sections 295, 298, 153 A,
427 of IPC and Sections of the SC/ST Act.

According to reports, Gaya Shankar was returning home in the evening
in a drunken state. As he reached the crossing where Ambedkar's statue
was installed, he started hurling expletives before desecrating the
statue.

Annoyed over the behaviour of the drunkard, the villagers tried to
stop him and informed the police. The station officers of Uttraon and
Sarai Mumrez reached the spot with the CO, Handia and arrested
Shankar.

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[ZESTCaste] “Don’t take benefit of reservations, if you can’t pay back” - An Interview with Dr. Umakant

 

"Don't take benefit of reservations, if you can't pay back"

An Interview with Dr. Umakant

By Gomathi Kumar & Sanjay Kabir

Dr. Umakant

Dr. Umakant (b. 1970) is a well known Dalit activist and scholar and has represented Dalit cause at various levels. After his schooling in home state Bihar, Dr Umakant joined Delhi University and later Jawaharlal Nehru University for higher education. In the year 2000, he was awarded doctorate for his thesis 'Human Rights of Dalits: A Case Study of Bihar (1977-1997)'. In JNU, he was one of the founder members of a Dalit student platform UDSF and later has worked with National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR), Indian Institute of Dalit Studies (IIDS) and International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN). He also co-edited a book titled 'Caste, Race and Discrimination: Discourses in International Context' (2004).

2

Illustration by Rajesh Kumar, JNU, New Delhi

For almost two decades now, you have been participating in the Dalit movement, first as a student activist and later as representing our cause at many national and international fora together with leading various campaigns for Dalit rights, how did you first get exposed to the Dalit movement and when?

My exposure to the Dalit movement started quite early. I got introduced to the Ambedkarite movement and philosophy at home itself thanks to my father who was very passionate for the cause. He introduced me to the literature published by BAMCEF, DS4 and BSP in my school days itself. However, my direct participation in the movement started in 1988, from my graduation days, when I came to Delhi and joined the Department of Political Science, Hindu college for my BA (Honours).

At that time our students were scattered and had no organisation or forum to come together, even informally. I started interacting with the Dalit students and tried to organize them, not by forming any separate organisation, but by bringing them together on certain issues. However, my participation increased in 1990 when the anti-Mandal agitation against OBC reservation took place and Delhi University became its main centre. 

Read more… »  

                                             Read the full interview at  http://blog.insightyv.com/


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[ZESTCaste] Mapping Contemporary Dalit Movement: Issues and Patterns of Mobilization

 

Mapping Contemporary Dalit Movement: Issues and Patterns of Mobilisation

Dear Friends,

title_dec-jan09_final

Welcome to the new issue of our magazine Insight Young Voices (December 09- January 10). The theme of the present issue is 'Mapping Contemporary Dalit Movement: Issues and Patterns of Mobilization'.

In the last 25-30 years, there has been a new wave of Dalit assertion that is visible across the country and is manifested through different forms of mobilization: political groups, ngos, socio-cultural groups, employees associations, student platforms, diasporas, religious groups etc.

In this issue we are trying to understand this phenomena through the lenses of people who are directly engaged in it. They are activists, scholars, politicians, artists, students but working together towards emancipation of our community from the clutches of brahminical social order, albeit, focusing in different areas.

For this, we have interviewed 24 people from across the country, contributing in the Dalit movement in their respective capacities. This issue carries 10 of them and are primarily from North India. In our next issue we will carry rest of the 14 interviews together with some research articles from the scholars who have been studying various aspects of Contemporary Dalit movement for quite some time.

This is our humble attempt to present various facets of Dalit movement before our readers, especially before Dalit youth and students. By no means we are attempting towards coding the entire movement in detailed manner but  trying to provide just a glimpse of  Dalit movement, as it stands today. With these two issues on Contemporary Dalit Movement, we hope to generate enough discussions and debates so that these get supplemented with out limited efforts.

We also want to inform our readers that our magazine site insightyv is going through reconstruction and hence we will be putting this entire issue on this blog by posting one article/interview on every alternate day starting from Dr. Umakant's interview right from today.  We hope to have our website fully functional by the end of this month and then will put the present issue and all future ones on that website itself.

                                                          Please read the entire magazine at our blog http://blog.insightyv.com/


Jaibheem

Anoop Kumar

On behalf of Insight Editorial Collective

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[ZESTCaste] Cong surprised at BJP making issue of Rahul's dalit visit

 

http://www.zeenews.com/news585436.html

Cong surprised at BJP making issue of Rahul's dalit visit

Updated on Monday, December 07, 2009, 20:58 IST

Jamshedpur: Congress today expressed surprise that party general
secretary Rahul Gandhi's recent tours to the tribal and dalit
dominated pockets of the country has become an issue for the BJP for
the Jharkhand assembly election.

BJP did not have any achievements during its rule in the state to
highlight and that was why it wrecked up Rahul Gandhi's visit in
tribal pockets, AICC spokesman Mohan Prakash told a press conference
said here.

Perhaps Singh would not have any objection had Rahul Gandhi visited
the house of a rich person, Prakash quipped.

Criticizing the six-year 'misrule' of the BJP-led NDA government in
Jharkhand, Prakash said the mineral-rich state was lagging while
Chattisgarh and Uttarakhand, which were simultaneously created
alongwith Jharkhand, were now developed because of good governance by
the Congress and follow up work by BJP, he claimed.

"We will develop Jharkhand as a model state of the country in the
next five year, if voted to power," he said.

PTI

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[ZESTCaste] BJP to fight for cause of Hindu Dalits

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/BJP-to-fight-for-cause-of-Hindu-Dalits/articleshow/5309091.cms

BJP to fight for cause of Hindu Dalits
Abhay Singh, TNN 7 December 2009, 02:54am IST

PATNA: The state BJP has decided to go for massive Dalit mobilization
in the state pegging it on the imagined or real fear of the "Hindu
Dalits" that the UPA-II led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would
grant reservation facility to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims in
pursuance of the recommendations of the Ranganthn Mishra Commission.

Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, along with BJP state chief Radha Mohan
Singh, did not mince words here on Sunday. The grant of reservation
facility to the Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims would "jeopardise
the interests of Dalits among us (read Hindu segments of society),"
and the BJP, in the situation, would not sit idle, and in fact, oppose
it tooth nail to foil its accomplishment, Modi said.

Modi, whom the lower-rung leaders in the party's kept on referring as
"BJP's CM in the government," made open the stand of his own and that
of the party in this regard in the capacity of chief guest at the
function organized to observe the 54th death anniversary of B R
Ambedkar at Bharatiya Nritya Kala Mandir here.

Former Union minister and the party's Bhagalpur MP Shahnawaz Hussain,
who is the party's `Muslim mascot' at least from Bihar, was also
present on the occasion, but thought it better to apply discretion.
"Nothing can be done that the Constitution does not allow," he said.

Yet, since Babri Masjid was demolished on the same day 17 years ago,
he also used understatement: "I appeal to all of you to see things
with equal eyes. Whatever the caste and religion of people, all should
get justice. I do appreciate efforts being made by the Nitish Kumar
and Sushil Kumar Modi duo here."

It was also decided to hold rallies and demonstrations at the district
headquarters to protest the likely grant of reservation facility to
Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims till January 26.

The speakers lauded the steps taken by the Nitish-Modi duo to
alleviate the lot of Dalits. The steps included the grant of Rs 10,000
to Dalit students who had passed matriculation examination in first
division. Modi said that the move was afoot to improve the atmosphere
of 155 Welfare Hostels in the state. The hostel facility would be
outsourced and separate hostel superintendents would be appointed, he
added.

He debunked the Dalit affection of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and Lok
Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Ram Vilas Paswan.


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[ZESTCaste] Country’s first female Dalit mayor Aruna Sainya passes away

http://beta.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article61272.ece


Country's first female Dalit mayor Aruna Sainya passes away
PTI

Aruna Sainya, the country's first female Dalit Mayor, has died
following a prolonged illness, family sources said on Monday.

45-year-old Sainya, who breathed her last on Sunday, was suffering
from cancer for the last six months, they said.

Apart from being the country's first female Dalit Mayor, she was the
first woman Mayor of the Gwalior Municipal Corporation (GMC) from
1995-2000, the sources said.

Ms. Sainya, who was elected GMC Mayor at the age of 31, was
instrumental in regularising 648 daily wage workers for the first time
in the GMC's history, they said.

Her last rites were performed last evening at the Laxmiganj
Crematorium, the sources said.


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[ZESTCaste] Non-Marathi Dalits throng Mumbai

 

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_non-marathi-dalits-throng-mumbai_1320921

Non-Marathi Dalits throng Mumbai
Shubhangi Khapre / DNA

Monday, December 7, 2009 0:49 IST

Mumbai: The political leadership was absent. And yet, the
undercurrents of a strong Dalit movement were felt in the city on
Sunday. Ten lakh Dalits from all over India converged at
Chaityabhoomi, Dadar, to pay tribute to Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar on his
53rd death anniversary.

With Dalit leaders, such as Ramdas Athavale [RPI] and Prakash Ambedkar
[Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh], still recovering from the setbacks
suffered in the recent polls, mainstream parties like the Congress and
the BJP tried to make their presence felt among the Dalits. Chief
minister Ashok Chavan of the Congress, deputy chief minister Chhagan
Bhujbal and home minister RR Patil [both NCP] and Gopinath Munde [BJP]
were there at Chaityabhoomi, with Prakash Ambedkar, grandson of BR
Ambedkar, and Athavale.
Athavale, who under the banner of the third front has failed to win
even a single seat in the assembly elections, renewed his pledge to
fight for the Dalit unity. His rival, Prakash Ambedkar, took the same
vow on a separate platform. But the huge crowds did not seem to take
much notice. Having paid their homage to Babasaheb, they wandered
through the streets of Mumbai like tourists, visiting places like the
Gateway, Haji Ali, Girgaum chowpatty and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.

This time, there was a record growth in the number of Dalits coming
from states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Maximum of those who came from within the state, were from Vidarbha
and Marathwada.

Prakash Ambedkar said, "The strong presence of people from distant
states clearly shows that BR Ambedkar's ideology is being accepted
across the nation, and by the GenNext."

Tushar Jagtap, president of Ambedkar Medicos Communique, said, "The
enthusiasm among the Dalits, who voluntarily assembled at
Chaityabhoomi, gives hope of a better tomorrow. They have rejected the
existing Dalit leadership, which has failed to live up to their
expectations. They are agitated as they have been let down by the
system. But the massive crowd at Chaityabhoomi proves that they have
not lost heart. They are ready for the bigger battle ahead. And their
inspiration remains Dr Ambedkar."

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[ZESTCaste] No discrimination against SC/ST officials in Western Coal: Govt

 

http://www.zeenews.com/news585393.html

No discrimination against SC/ST officials in Western Coal: Govt

Updated on Monday, December 07, 2009, 19:03 IST

New Delhi: The government today said 80 per cent officials of the
western coal sector, on whom a watch was being kept for indulging in
corrupt practices, belong to general category and there was no
discrimination against those belonging to SC/ST.

Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal said in the Rajya Sabha that if any
official is found indulging in corrupt practices, there is a system
for putting that official under the agreed list, which carries the
names of those officers against whom there are complaints of
corruption.

People under this list are secretly inquired by the CBI, especially
about their assets and financial resources and the agency also
collects information of specific instances of bribery and corruption
practices besides keeping a close watch on their lifestyle, he said.

"I would like to inform that among the officials of WCL, who have been
put under agreed list, 80 per cent belong to general category while 20
per cent officials belong to SC/ST category," he said during Question
Hour.

In 2007, three general category officers of WCL were kept in the
agreed list, while there was no officer from the SC/ST category. In
2008, there was only one SC officer in it while seven general category
officers were there. In 2009, there were four SC/ST officers in the
list and the number of general category officers were 15," he said.

Jaiswal accepted that the existing system is "not transparent all the
time" and whenever there is a case of discrimination it is taken into
consideration.

-PTI

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[ZESTCaste] Brahmin priests back T-stir

 

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Brahmin+priests+back+T-stir&artid=d/ZpdKtkD88=&SectionID=xAV59odivTs=&MainSectionID=xAV59odivTs=&SEO=&SectionName=BUzPVSKuYv7MFxnS0yZ7ng==

Brahmin priests back T-stir

Express News ServiceFirst Published : 07 Dec 2009 07:36:00 AM IST

HYDERABAD: The Telangana Purohita Brahmana Sangham has extended its
support to the Telangana movement.

Sangham president CA Ganesh Sharma and secretary GVN Sharma Siddhanti
today demanded that State Government move a resolution in the Assembly
on the Telangana statehood. The Assembly session is commencing
tomorrow.

They also demanded that the Central Government introduce a bill in the
ongoing Parliament session for formation of Telangana State.

They condemned the arrest of TRS chief Chandrasekhar Rao and described
it as violation of human rights. They advised all members of the
Sangham to support the Telangana agitation.

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[ZESTCaste] ‘HCs asked to find SC/ST members from Bar for post of Judges’

http://www.zeenews.com/news585356.html

'HCs asked to find SC/ST members from Bar for post of Judges'

Updated on Monday, December 07, 2009, 18:19 IST Tags:HCs asked, SC/ST,
post of Judges

New Delhi: The government on Monday said it has addressed letters to
the Chief Justices of the High Courts from time to time "impressing"
upon them to locate persons from the Bar, belonging to Scheduled caste
and Tribes, Minorities and women among others for appointment as High
Court judges.

Law Minister Veerappa Moily, while replying to a question in Rajya
Sabha asked by Parimal Nathwani (Independent), said empowering of SC,
ST and women is high on government agenda.


He, however, said appointment of Judges of the Supreme Court and High
Courts is made under Articles 124 and 217 of the Constitution of India
respectively, which do not provide for reservation for any caste or
class of persons.

"The government has, however, addressed letters to the Chief Justices
of the High Courts from time to time impressing upon them the need to
locate persons from the Bar, belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled
Tribes, Other Backward Classes, minorities and from amongst women, who
may be suitable for appointment as High Court Judges," Moily said.

PTI


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[ZESTCaste] Babasaheb played the violin, I danced: childhood memories at 86

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Babasaheb-played-the-violin--I-danced--childhood-memories-at-86/550889

Babasaheb played the violin, I danced: childhood memories at 86

Jinal Shah Posted online: Monday , Dec 07, 2009 at 0423 hrs
Mumbai : What Vanaspati Durgat, 86, does not know about the Indian
Constitution, she makes up for with her knowledge about the man
responsible for it. She knows, for instance, how much Babasaheb
Ambedkar loved the violin and what Ramabai's favorite paan was.
Durgat had worked at Rajgriha, Ambedkar's house in Dadar, from the age
of 12. She remembers him as a very composed man.

"He barely spoke to me. But he always asked me, 'How are you?' He
patted me on my cheek and head before leaving home," she said at her
10 ft-by-20 ft house in Matunga Labour Camp on Sunday, the leader's
death anniversary.

Durgat said she used to dance as Babasaheb played the violin. "In
those days he was learning the violin in his gallery. I really liked
the music so one day I started dancing to the tune. Ramabai found it
amusing and ever since then it became a habit," said Durgat.

She recalled how her family had started to work at Rajgriha: "My
parents were from a small village in Haryana, but shifted to Mumbai
for a better living. They did odd jobs in British homes before they
were thrown out. Due to construction work happening in and around the
Dadar area then, they managed to do some work for 50 paise at
Rajgriha, under Babasaheb Ambedkar's nephew Mukund. The owner arrived
once in a blue moon to check on the progress. Unaware who he was, my
father asked a co-worker. Because he was illiterate, he failed to
connect with the name."

Later, Durgat's parents were hired for housework at Rs 3 and
one-and-a-half rupees.

"It was routine to see Babasaheb walk in with his bag in the evenings
and meet the crowd who waited for him with their problems," said
Durgat. "I stayed with Ramabai most of the time. She had a habit of
chewing paan and kept a silver case. Seeing her chew, even I asked her
for a paan but she refused, saying, 'Pori tu lahan aahe aajun. Sagde
data kidhul jaat' (You are too young. All your teeth will fall out)."

Durgat could not read or write but was mesmerised by babasaheb's
collection of books.

"When I took to cleaning up the house, the most difficult was his
bookshelf. It had thick books," she said.

It has been a few years now since Durgat retired from work. Her elder
daughter-in-law has replaced her. "Three generations of my family have
worked at Rajgriha," said Durgat.

Durgat's eyes turned moist as she described the day his body was
brought home from Delhi.

"Thousands of people thronged his house to pay tribute to such a great
leader. Many lost their political leader but for me I knew him as my
Baba," said Durgat.


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[ZESTCaste] Tributes to Ambedkar on his death anniversary

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Tributes+to+Ambedkar+on+his+death+anniversary&artid=pAOHbsYbEbY=&SectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&MainSectionID=wIcBMLGbUJI=&SectionName=rSY%7C6QYp3kQ=&SEO=

By Express News Service
07 Dec 2009 03:37:00 AM IST

Tributes to Ambedkar on his death anniversary

CHENNAI: Various organisations paid homage to Bharat Ratna Dr B R
Ambedkar on his 53rd death anniversary in the city on Sunday. At the
Chennai Port Trust, senior officers like B S Raghunathan, CVO, paid
floral tributes at Ambedkar's portrait.
The Makkal Desam Parayar Peravai observed the day with a peace march
led by its president Sathai A Packiaraj.
The All India Ambedkar People's Party led by Dr V Bal­asundaram paid
floral tributes at the Ambedkar statue at Kodambakkam.
Janata Dal (U) secretary D Rajagopal garlanded Ambedkar's statue at
the party office at Gandhi Nagar.
PMK president Dr P K Ramadoss, along with G K Mani, garlanded the
Ambedkar statue at Thailapuram government sports complex.
The AISMK garlanded the Ambedkar statue at the Ambedkar Manimandapam,
Raja Annamalaipuram.


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[ZESTCaste] BJP Leaders Pay Tribute to Dr. Ambedkar

 

http://www.patnadaily.com/news2009/dec/120609/ambedkar_anniversary.html

BJP Leaders Pay Tribute to Dr. Ambedkar
Patna: December 6, 2009

Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, at an event to mark the 54th
death anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, said that the Bihar
government, in the true spirit of the man also known as the architect
of the Indian Constitution, was committed to the cause of the dalits
and minority, and had initiated a number of schemes to improve their
social and economic status in the society.

Modi, along with party leader and former Central Minister Shahnawaz
Hussain, placed flowers at the picture of Dr. Ambedkar who, they said,
created 'the best' Constitution ever produced by any country in the
world.

"It was Dr. Ambedkar who first raised the issue of reservation for
scheduled castes and tribes who were the targets of caste-based
discrimination in the early years of this country. Because of his
relentless pursuit to create a society where no one was considered
superior or inferior due to the caste one was born into, there are
reservations for dalits in the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha today," Modi
said at the function held at the Bharatiya Nritya Kala Mandir.

Hussain also credited Dr. Ambedkar for creating awareness among those
who were considered socially backward and had no representation in the
local or national governance.

BJP state president Radha Mohan Singh and Dr. Sukhda Pandey were among
many who also paid tributes to Dr. Ambedkar.

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[ZESTCaste] Thousands throng Ambedkar Memorial

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Thousands-throng-Ambedkar-Memorial/550767


Thousands throng Ambedkar Memorial

Express News Service Posted online: Monday , Dec 07, 2009 at 0147 hrs
Lucknow : To mark the 53rd death anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar, the
ruling Bahujan Samaj Party mobilised thousands of party workers and
supporters at Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal (Ambedkar
Memorial) in Lucknow on Sunday.
In the past, the event was organised near the Dr Ambedkar statue in
Hazratganj. This was the first time it was held at the Ambedkar
memorial.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had refused to entertain a plea from the
Mayawati government seeking permission to undertake maintenance and
cleaning work at the premises in view of Sunday's function.

This is the second time the memorial was thrown open to the public
after the Supreme Court had stopped all activity inside memorials on
September 12. The state government, thereafter, had barred the public
from entering the memorial.

The memorial was first opened on September 17, when Chief Minister
Mayawati laid the foundation of Kanshiram Green Eco Garden near the
Kanshiram Memorial.

Mayawati, who reached the venue around 10.30 am, paid a floral tribute
to Dr Ambedkar at the auditorium. She spent over 15 minutes there.

She was accompanied by senior officials including Chief Secretary Atul
Gupta, Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh and DGP Karamvir
Singh.

Most of the visitors who came from Lucknow and adjacent districts like
Barabanki and Sitapur, said they reached the state capital after
receiving a message from the local leaders of the ruling BSP.

"I received a message from my district president Ratan Lal Gautam on
Saturday to bring all party supporters," said Sant Ram Gautam, BSP
Sector President of Surat Block in Barabanki district. "I passed the
message among our people. The vehicle was made available to us by
Saturday evening."

Ram Kumar, convener of the Bahujan Volunteer Force (BVF) in Lucknow's
Itaunja area, said he received the message to reach Lucknow on
Saturday.

Santosh Kumar, a resident of Allunagar in Digoria on IIM-L road, said
the BSP supporters were mobilised by Rakesh Gautam, the local member
of the Block Development Council.

Ram Kumar, president of BSP's Aishbagh area of Lucknow, said the party
district unit held a meeting of the party workers on November 4.

"The plan to come to Lucknow was discussed at the meeting. The final
message came to me on Saturday," he added.


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