[ZESTCaste] USA: 'Silent' Justice Outspoken on Affirmative Action
http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3667079page=1 'Silent' Justice Outspoken on Affirmative Action Clarence Thomas: Job Search After Law School Left Him 'Humiliated' and 'Desperate' By ARIANE de VOGUE Sept. 30, 2007— Although Clarence Thomas has written his views on preferential policies in his Supreme Court opinions, the release of his book and his interview with ABC News provide an opportunity for the justice to explain, more thoroughly then ever before, why he thinks racial preferences are wrong and detrimental. His views have long vexed civil rights groups, but they also differ from the traditional conservative outlook and might re-shape the nation's debate over affirmative action. While conservatives often talk about leveling the playing field for society as a whole, Thomas focuses on the stigmatizing effect affirmative action has on those it is meant to help. Clarence Thomas's personal experience, living through segregated elementary schools and then transitioning to mostly white schools, gives him a starkly different perspective from that of white conservatives opposed to affirmative action. When you talk about affirmative action programs you talk about the benefits and the costs. says Roger Clegg of the Center for Equal Opportunity, a group critical of racial preferences. Thomas can talk about costs with a credibility you can't have if you are not a supposed beneficiary of affirmative action. When Thomas applied to Yale Law School, his race was taken into consideration. He wrote in his book, I asked Yale to take that fact into account when I applied, not thinking that there might be anything wrong with doing so. But Thomas says that after he graduated from Yale, he went on several job interviews with one high-priced lawyer after another and the attorneys treated him dismissively. Many asked pointed questions, unsubtly suggesting that they doubted I was as smart as my grades indicated. The fact that he couldn't get a job would shape his thoughts on affirmative action programs for years to come. Thomas wrote, Now I knew what a law degree from Yale was worth when it bore the taint of racial preference. I was humiliatedand desperate. In his interview with ABC News, Thomas said he was unable, even when he was nominated to the Supreme Court, to erase the stigmatizing effects of racial preference. Once it is assumed that everything you do achieve is because of your race, there is no way out. he said. it is irrebuttable and it is proved to be true. In everything now that someone like me does, there's a backwash into your whole life is because of race. Peter H. Schuck, a professor at Yale Law School and a prominent critic of affirmative action, says that the stigma associated with preferences has long been an argument of those opposed to the programs. But he hopes that Clarence Thomas's real life experience will help to broaden the debate. Says Schuck, The fact that he is who he is gives the argument a special force. But opponents of Thomas's position argue there is no real stigma. Levi Pearson, the Communications Director for the National Black Law Students Association, contends There are no special conditions once you get into law school. You are competing at the same level. Pearson says, Affirmative Action creates doors to be opened. At some point you have to have special access to be able to get in the door. Besides the stigmatizing aspect that Thomas sees in affirmative action programs, he also worries about young children being thrust into programs and situations for which they are unprepared. Says Thomas, So we'll expend huge amounts of energy over affirmative action, but very little over what's really happening in the classroom for the bulk of these kids. Thomas maintains children don't need all these theories and says they need people to actually help them. In the past, Thomas has gone after those who say that programs that are predominantly black might somehow be inferior. In a recent Supreme Court opinion striking down voluntary public school district plans to assign children to schools based on race, Thomas writes that scholars have differing opinions as to whether educational benefits arise from racial balancing. As evidence, he cited a study done by George Mason University professor David J. Armor. Armor, who opposed the school district plans for race-based placement in the Supreme Court argument, says actual achievement data, when corrected for the rate of poverty at the individual level, show that black students in majority black schools perform about the same as in integrated schools. In a 1995 case regarding judicial desegregation remedies, Thomas wrote, It never ceases to amaze me that the courts are so willing to assume that anything that is predominantly black must be inferior. After detailing his painful struggles in life, Thomas wrote he doesn't want other children to have to suffer like he did. You don't know what you're putting on these kids, he wrote. You
[ZESTCaste] USA: The Future of UC Affirmative Action?
http://nwlc.blogs.com/womenstake/2007/10/the-future-of-u.html October 02, 2007 The Future of UC Affirmative Action? by Fatima Goss Graves, Senior Counsel National Women's Law Center This week's NY Times Magazine has a lengthy piece on affirmative action(http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/magazine/30affirmative-t.html?_r=1oref=slogin), with a particular focus on UCLA and what the author describes as the possible future of affirmative action. In the interest of full disclosure I feel compelled to reveal that I am a UCLA alumnae and was a student there both when the UC Regents, led by Ward Connerly, ended affirmative action in all UC admissions and when California passed Proposition 209, becoming the first state to effectively end affirmative action by statewide initiative. Since Prop. 209, Ward Connerly has made it his mission to spread anti-affirmative action initiatives around the country. - http://chronicle.com/news/article/2144/4-states-are-new-targets-for-bans-on-affirmative-action-preferences Back to the NY Times Magazine. Putting aside, at least for this post, some of the troubling comments made in this article — e.g., the author seems to credit Connerly's statement that achievement gaps between black and white students are largely self-imposed by black people— the article does acknowledge the marked decrease in minority enrollment since Prop 209. As it points out, Los Angeles has easily the largest black population west of the Mississippi River, making the decline in enrollment of minority students since 209 all the more shocking. Indeed, in 2004 only 218 out of the combined total of 7,350 freshmen at UCLA UC Berkeley were black. While these numbers alone are disturbing, the situation is even more extreme than the numbers reveal given that a significant portion of these students are athletes. Although athletics is important, even former(http://www.weshouldnotbetheonlyones.org/) UCLA athletes have protested that the black student population at UCLA should not be so limited. But a vast network of UCLA alumni and California corporations have stepped up to engage in outreach and recruitment to increase the pool of applicants of color to UCLA and the number of such students who select the university. They recognize that there is no reasonable proxy for race. And their efforts have paid off — the number of black freshman at UCLA alone is now up to 200, a significant increase in just one year. The alumni involved in these efforts are aware that opponents of affirmative action may challenge these practices. No court has said — or should say — that private, voluntary outreach and recruitment programs violate Prop. 209 or the U.S. Constitution. But my guess is that the usual suspects will look for ways to halt the progress these groups have made (indeed, affirmative action critic Richard Sander has already filed a public information request). Let's hope they don't – these programs need to be encouraged to ensure that California, and the nation as a whole, make diversity on campuses a reality and not just an empty promise. -- Subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a BLANK email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[ZESTCaste] Brahmins form BEM to take on Modi (News)
http://www.newkerala.com/oct.php?action=fullnewsid=8056 Brahmins form BEM to take on Modi Ahmedabad, Oct 2 : Taking a cue from the strong Patel community's show of strength against Chief Minister Narendra Modi at Rajkot recently, the Brahmin community has united under the banner of ''Brahm Ekta Manch (BEM)'' in a bid to make a dent in the Modi regime. ''Over one lakh brahmins will attend the BEM meeting at Rajkot on October 7 to show their social, economical and political strength,'' BEM convenor Jagdishbhai Dave said here today. Mr Dave, speaking to reporters, said, ''The BEM meeting has been organised to provide a common platform to various organisarions of Brahmin community to come under one banner and show their strength and solidarity.'' ''Though Brahmins are not a winning factor in the political scenario, but the ruling BJP or opposition Congress should not take us for granted as in every assembly constituency our voting strength is over 10,000 voters and in the last assembly elections, the winning margins were only between 500 to 5000 in around 65 constituencies,'' Mr Dave said. He denied that the BEM had association with any political party or individual politicians. Mr Dave said the BEM wants a seven per cent representation in the state assembly as Brahmins constitute seven per cent of Gujarat's population. --- UNI
[ZESTCaste] Dalits build Gandhi temple in Sambalpur (News)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Dalits_build_Gandhi_temple_in_Sambalpur/rssarticleshow/2423260.cms Dalits build Gandhi temple in Sambalpur 3 Oct 2007, 0121 hrs IST,TNN SAMBALPUR: God is worshipped in many forms. And for Dalits of Bhatara in Sambalpur district of Orissa, it's Mahatma Gandhi, the messiah of untouchables. The Dalits in this remote hamlet have built a temple to worship their God, who brought succour to the lives of so many marginalised and backward communities in the country. This 39-foot-high temple really comes alive on Gandhi Jayanti. We have a big festival on October 2 and special prayers are held to worship the Father of the Nation, said temple priest Gokul Bag. We also offer special prayers on January 30, his death anniversary, the priest said. Shunned by upper caste people, these poor villagers decided to pray to a true God. Many a time, we are barred from entering temples. That is why we decided to build a temple where we could worship our own God, somebody who would listen to our prayers, said Narendra Kumar Bag, a Dalit from Bhatapara. And who can be better than Mahatma Gandhi, the messiah of Dalits? But unlike other places of worship, the chanting of hymns doesn't pervade this temple. Instead, worshippers sing Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram and other bhajans.
[ZESTCaste] Saharanpur resident gets Kabir Puraskar for saving lives of Dalits (News)
http://www.calcuttanews.net/story/287152 Saharanpur resident gets Kabir Puraskar for saving lives of Dalits Calcutta News.Net Tuesday 2nd October, 2007 (ANI) New Delhi, Oct 2 : The Centre today announced to confer the Kabir Puraskar, for the year 2007, on Saharanpur resident Khalifa Gufran for playing pivotal role in stopping many incidents of communal riots in his locality. He will be awarded with a cash prize of Rupees 50,000. Resident of Gali Halwaiyan, in Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh), Gufran helped in saving the lives of two Dalit youths in 2006 after Muslims and Dalits scuffled over a petty matter that soon took the shape of communal violence. The timely arrival on the scene by Khalifa Gufran with the district authorities stemmed further escalation of violence and saved both the youths from the clutches of the mob, a release issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs that announces the award said. In March 2007 persons of Hindu and Muslim communities collected at Mohalla Jatavnagar and started pelting stones on each other. Here also Gufran helped the district authorities in restoring peace and normalcy. Kabir Puraskar is a National Award instituted by the Indian Government for recognizing the acts of physical or moral courage displayed by a member of one caste, community or ethnic group in saving the lives and properties of member(s) of another caste, community or ethnic group during caste, community or ethnic violence. The Award is given annually in three grades viz., Grade-I, Grade-II and Grade-III, carrying cash amount of Rs. 2,00,000; Rs.1,00,000 and Rs. 50,000 respectively.
[ZESTCaste] A betrayal of democracy
http://www.hindu.com/mag/2007/09/23/stories/2007092350070400.htm Magazine A betrayal of democracy If democracy is rule with the consent of the governed, it is being betrayed in States like Rajasthan where far-reaching decisions regarding SEZs are being taken without consulting the people affected. ASEEM SHRIVASTAVA Economics of development: A SEZ coming up. Arre, arre chor aaya re, chor aaya re… SEZ laya re, SEZ laya re! So goes the rallying cry from performers playing alarmed villagers in a street play on SEZs and land acquisition. The corrupt neta, beaming greedily in his starched kurta-pyjama, is seen striking lucrative land deals over the backs of farmers with Uncle Sam's representative in a bowler hat. He sends firm messages over his mobile to his local cronies to organise the land for the company. After some hiccups and noises of protest from villagers, the deals go through. But the story has just begun, as farmers prepare for land battles with the company and the State… Immense participation The play has been put up in hundreds of villages of Rajasthan during the last few weeks. Organised by several different social action groups from the State, the Jan Adhikar Yatra concluded in Jaipur, after a 10-day padayatra of 300 villages in four districts (Alwar, Sikar, Tonk and Ajmer) around Jaipur by as many as 400 participants from around the State. Consider for a moment the possibility that in order for it to set up a Special Financial Zone you are asked by the government to vacate your luxury apartment in the city because the land on which the building stands is right next to the financial district. Not only is it valued very highly in the real estate market, it is pointed out to you that it is in the larger public interest to allow the SFZ to come up, hence making it possible for the government to invoke the Land Acquisition Act to take possession of your property. As compensation you are offered a sum equal not to the replacement value of your property, but to its current market value. In some cases, the compensation offered is even less. You have no voice in the matter, especially since a significant proportion of your neighbours in the building have agreed to the deal. Threatened lives This is the precise nature of the predicament in which hundreds of thousands of rural households find themselves today. Special Economic Zones are planned on their farmlands. The SEZ Act of 2005 is being invoked to acquire land from villagers. Till date, three SEZs, two near Jaipur and one in Jodhpur have become operational in Rajasthan. In addition, five others have received formal approval and 10 others (including as many as seven multi-product zones above 1,000 hectares each, five of them in Alwar district alone) await formal approval, having already acquired in-principle approval. The largest of these is the Omaxe SEZ planned in Alwar district. It is proposed to occupy as much as 6,000 hectares of land, a good 1,000 hectares above the legally permissible limit, as per changes announced by the Government of India in April 2007. The padayatra has focused its protest on six related issues: acquisition of land for SEZs, forced planting of jatropha for bio-diesel (on as much as six million hectares in the State, often on the village commons, falsely construed as wasteland), removal of restrictions on the sale of land owned by SC/ST groups, better implementation of the NREG and RTI Acts (for employment and information respectively) and social security for workers in the unorganised sector of the economy. The red thread connecting all these controversial issues is the fact that far-reaching decisions are being made without consulting affected people or allowing their political participation in any form. If democracy is rule with the consent of the governed, it is evidently being betrayed in States like Rajasthan. Big decisions are being made in a dangerously autocratic manner, with consequences all too easy to foretell. Land acquisition for corporations is being facilitated by the State by amending or breaking existing land laws. At the same time, the implementation of schemes like the Employment Guarantee Scheme (in which Rajasthan is leading the States in terms of employment generated) are being poorly implemented: workers are being denied the promised minimum wage of Rs.73 per day. There is opacity in a large number of government decisions. RTI applications are gathering dust in public offices: the 30-day time limit is routinely violated. Red tape is rife. Public information boards are missing from Panchayat offices. Corruption has not been brought to an end. And this in the State which birthed the idea of the people's right to information. High spirits I walked with the padayatris in Sikar district for a few days. The sun was fierce but spirits were high. There were 75-year-old farmers singing songs mocking the government administration. Puppets were used to attract people to the street play about
[ZESTCaste] Dalits seek mass transfer of teachers (News)
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEK20071001030649Page=KHeadline=Dalits+seek+mass+transfer+of+teachersTitle=Southern+News+-+KarnatakaTopic=0 SOUTHERN NEWS - KARNATAKA Oct 3, 2007 Dalits seek mass transfer of teachers Monday October 1 2007 13:28 IST ENS GULBARGA: A protest rally was taken out in the city under the banner of Dalit Employees' Joint Action Committee on Saturday, against the suspension of scheduled caste lecturer Arunkumar Naronkar. They alleged that the culprits in the alleged assault on a lady lecturer at the Government Degree College had been let scot-free, while an innocent has been made the scapegoat. The organistion refuted the allegations that Naronkar slapped a lady lecturer of the same college --Shivaganga Rumma. The alleged use of abusive language against her was also denied. Action committee president Shantappa Malli and general secretary Devendra Heggade claimed that BJP MLC Shashil Namoshi had played a major role in suspending Naronkar and principal S S Avaradi. Though an FIR has been filed against Shivaganga Rumma and Kannada lecturer Gurubasappa, who belong to the Lingayat community, on charges of atrocity against Dalits, no action has been initiated against them, they alleged. The committee has urged the authorities to order a comprehensive inquiry into the incident to ensure justice. They also sought a congenial atmosphere for students to pursue their studies by transferring the entire teaching staff, besides suspending Shivanga Rumma and Gurubasappa. They took out a rally to the Deputy Commissioner's office led by D G Sagar, representing KRSS and submitted a memorandum to the the Chief Minister.
[ZESTCaste] Various SC/ST organisations to begin massive campaign (News)
http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=508510 Various SC/ST organisations to begin massive campaign KOCHI,OCT 3 (PTI) A campaign for safeguarding SC/ST reservation and also for comprehensive land reforms, organised by various organisations of SC and ST, will begin on October 7, top leaders of the organisations said today. Speaking to reporters here, M Geethanandan, General Secretary, Rashtreeya Mahasabha and C K Janu, President, Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha, demanded that reservation for SC and ST in medical and para-medical courses and engineering sectors,which was reduced to two percent, should be increased to 10 percent. Among other things, Geethanandan also demanded a legislation to guarantee reservation for SC and ST.The campaign will be organised after a convention which will be held at Thrissur on October 7, he said. Conventions and seminars will be organised in all the districts, he said. The convention will mainly discuss the uncertainty that existed in the self-financing education sector, Geethanandan said.
[ZESTCaste] CPI(M) to launch temple entry agitation on October 4 (News)
http://www.newkerala.com/oct.php?action=fullnewsid=8063 CPI(M) to launch temple entry agitation on October 4 Chennai, Oct 2 : The Tamil Nadu unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), along with Tamil Nadu Untouchability Abolition Front, would launch ''temple entry'' agitation on October 4 in three temples, in which Dalits were denied entry. CPI(M) State unit Secretary N Varadarajan, in a statement here said the agitation would be held in Agneeswarar Temple at Tamaraipakkam in Thiruvannamalai district, Kaliamman Koil at Ayakudi in Dindigul district and Kannimar temple at Bhavani in Virudhunagar district of the State. Mr Varadarajan said the agitation would be led by the district unit leaders and local party legislators and called upon Dalits to take part in the agitation in large numbers and make it a success. In other district headquarters on October 4, the party would organise demonstrations and picketing against untouchability, he added. --- UNI
[ZESTCaste] Dalits enter temple (News)
Dalits enter temple http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Hindu/400x60/0 KURNOOL: A group of Dalits entered Siva temple at Ponnapuram on the outskirts of Nandyal town on Gandhi Jayanti Day on Tuesday. According to reports, people belonging to the the upper castes beat up a Dalit a few days ago when he sat on the platform in their locality. Dalit organisations have been fighting for their rights in the village since then. Revenue Divisional Officer B. Sankar and Deputy SP Bala Muralidhar accompanied them. -Special Correspondent New Indpress
[ZESTCaste] DU seeks details of SC/ST appointments in colleges (News)
http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/02/stories/2007100257150400.htm New Delhi DU seeks details of SC/ST appointments in colleges Parul Sharma No compromise on Constitutional obligation Not enough candidates from SC/ST categories NEW DELHI: The Dean of Colleges at Delhi University has written to all the colleges asking them to send a copy of their post-based roster for appointment of teaching and non-teaching positions. He has also requested them to follow the guidelines with regard to ad hoc appointments against Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe vacancies. In a letter to all the Principals dated September 5, Nayanjot Lahiri wrote: A copy of your post-based roster for appointment of teaching and non-teaching positions is required by my office. This is because Delhi University from time to time has to answer questions from and meet the chairpersons of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as also answer parliamentary questions. It is my request to you to follow the guidelines relating to ad hoc appointments against SC/ST vacancies in your college. Against such reserved posts, it is essential to appoint SC/ST candidates only. I hope there will be no compromise on this Constitutional obligation, said the letter. Similarly, Prof. Lahiri had written a letter on September 6 to the heads of all departments seeking their cooperation in preparation of ad hoc panels of candidates against SC/ST vacancies in colleges. The University is conscious of the Constitutional obligations regarding appointment of SC/ST teachers. This is the law of the land and it has to be observed. As soon as I took over in September, the Vice-Chancellor asked me to do this on a priority basis. Different colleges have been sending their rosters. Once I get all of them, then I will analyse and examine all the data, said Prof. Lahiri. The Dean also said that a mechanism could be worked out whereby the panel for ad hoc teachers against SC/ST vacancies can be put on the University website. Some of the Principals have admitted that since there are not enough candidates from the reserved categories, they are forced to appoint those from the general ones.
[ZESTCaste] Dalit assaulted, Ostracised (News)
Dalit assaulted, Ostracised http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IET20071003032111Page=THeadline=Dalit+assaulted%2C+OstracisedTitle=Southern+News+-+Tamil+NaduTopic=0 Wednesday October 3 2007 13:42 IST ENS PERAMBALUR: A Dalit was allegedly assaulted and ostracised for taking bath in the village pond at Vadakadal in Udayarpalayalam taluk of Perambalur district. According to sources, Duraiswamy, a 58-year-old Dalit was attacked by Rajendran, a caste Hindu of the same village, for taking bath in the pond meant for caste Hindus on Wednesday last. Alarmed at the treatment meted out to him, Duraiswamy took up the issue with the village heads but in vain. Adding insult to injury, another Dalit was also assaulted, when he came in support of Duraiswamy. Subsequently, they preferred a complaint with the police, who took into custody Rajendran, though after three days. Duraiswamy was also threatened to withdraw the complaint or face dire consequences. Meanwhile, caste Hindus who convened a meeting headed by Samithurai, president of the adjacent Pookollai panchayat, decided to ostracise Duraiswamy, sources said. The Dalits were also told that they would not be able to board buses if the complaint was not withdrawn. Police are investigating.
[ZESTCaste] Dalit woman raped, murdered (News)
http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/02/stories/2007100256340300.htm Other States - Uttar Pradesh Dalit woman raped, murdered Muzaffarnagar: A Dalit woman was strangulated to death by some unidentified persons here after being raped, police said on Monday. The body of the 30-year-old woman was found on Sunday in half-naked condition from a jungle near Alipur village, police said. Nobody has been arrested in the case.
[ZESTCaste] State in a fix over age relaxation for jobs (News)
http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/26/stories/2007092650420100.htm Front Page State in a fix over age relaxation for jobs New rule may make many 40-plus persons also eligible HYDERABAD: As the process of recruitment for over 8,000 posts in different departments has got under way, the State Government has landed in a piquant situation over age relaxation applicable to the aspirants for various posts. Against the norm of calculating 26 years as the base age for recruitment to gazetted and 28 years to non-gazetted posts, successive Governments relaxed the maximum age limit enabling those under 34 to secure jobs. The present Government has, in principle, decided to relax the upper age limit by four more years for fresh recruitments on the lines of the procedures followed in 1998 and 2003. Officials are now assessing the impact of the decision on candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Backward Classes, physically-handicapped and ex-servicemen categories. Under the normal course, five years relaxation over and above the maximum age limit is permissible for SC/ST/BC candidates, 10 years for physically-handicapped and three years for ex-servicemen and NCC candidates. This will result in a situation where SC/ST/BC candidates up to the age of 43 years and physically-challenged candidates up to the age of 48 can appear for the written examination and interview for recruitment. The situation turns more complex in cases where physically-challenged candidates belonging to SC/ST/BC communities claim relaxation under both the categories. According to the official, a decision on scrapping the ceiling would be announced shortly.
