[ZESTCaste] When ignorance is convenient (Opinion)
http://www.livemint.com/2010/06/08215435/When-ignorance-is-convenient.html?h=B Posted: Tue, Jun 8 2010. 9:54 PM IST Views When ignorance is convenient It’s not the inclusion of caste data in the census, but what we make of it, that defines political outcomes Himanshu The issue of counting caste in the population census has now been referred to an empowered group of ministers (eGoM). This may be the easier way of addressing the vertical split that this issue has created among India’s major political parties (the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP). Interestingly, there is a parallel to this debate elsewhere—the case of France, which prohibits by law any collection and maintenance of data on race, ethnicity and religion ever since the Third Republic. As a result, the French census is devoid of these classifications. However, there has been a continuing debate to include these in the census with overtones similar to the Indian case. Two years ago, I was invited by the French government to visit that country. One of the issues I decided to study was discrimination, knowing well that there was no data that could help me understand the level of discrimination in French society. More importantly, I wanted to know how one goes about removing racial, ethnic and religious discrimination without knowing its nature and extent. The “colour blind” French are proud of the fact that their republic treats everybody as equal without any reference to their race, ethnicity and religion. But that is easier said than practised. The movement for inclusion of race in the census is spearheaded by CRAN (Conseil Representatif des Associations Noires, or the Representative Council of Black Associations in France). According to the council’s survey, 56% of blacks reported having suffered racial discrimination in everyday life in 2007. Similar stories of discrimination were reported by Muslims and immigrants in France, represented by higher drop-out rates and low employment availability. The November 2005 riots were in many ways a reflection of the frustration and anger of immigrants and similarly disadvantaged groups. Illustration: Jayachandran/Mint A decade ago, the response was to brush such statistics under the carpet. That ignorance is bliss was best represented by the French position. But things have started changing. By the 2007 presidential election, when counting race in the census became an issue, most of the political parties in the country had come around to the idea of including race and religion in the census except for the socialists, who feared the data might be used to target minorities. More importantly, there is recognition of the problem at the least in government circles. The Haute Autorité de Lutte contre les Discriminations et pour l’Egalité (HALDE, The French Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discrimination Commission) is an independent statutory authority, established by law to fight discriminatory practices. Nonetheless, the problem remains. How do you counter discrimination when there is no evidence of it in official statistics? That also rules out affirmative policies as a means of fighting discrimination. How do you achieve equality (one of the three tenets of the French republic—liberty, fraternity and equality) of opportunity when you have no idea what inequality is? The only way, then, is to be an ostrich and behave as if everybody is equal. The French solution is not acceptable in India’s democratic framework—based on the explicit recognition of diversity, inequality and constitutionally mandated instruments to eradicate them, such as reservations. It was this recognition that led to the inclusion of caste data for scheduled castes/scheduled tribes groups in the census. It is obvious that a strategy for equality has to be based on a solid diagnosis of inequality, its nature as well as dimensions. It is this necessity that is being lost in the debate over the caste census. Those who argue that this will lead to demands for affirmative action (reservations such as in the Gujjar case) must also recognize that such demands emanate and are accepted even in the absence of such data. Wasn’t the other backward classes (OBC) reservation demanded and accepted without any credible evidence? On the contrary, such data have helped uncover evidence of inequality and discrimination. A good example of this is the Sachar committee, which was successful in highlighting the situation of Muslims. Could we have done this if there was no data on religion? No. But, of course, it would have given us the comfortable pretext of a working secularism. It is this fear of accepting failure in providing equality that bothers most of us. The fear is also that this truth will embolden OBC leaders in the populous states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. What also hurts the BJP is the inconvenient truth that these OBC leaders have used discrimination to ally with similar disadvantaged groups such as Muslims. But it is
[ZESTCaste] Violence against Dalits on the rise
http://www.thehindu.com/2010/06/08/stories/2010060855820500.htm Tamil Nadu - Salem Violence against Dalits on the rise R. Ilangovan ‘Special act needed to stop discrimination against Dalits' SALEM: Violence against Dalits who want to worship in village temples and participate in festivals, is on the rise. The sudden spurt in violent incidents, particularly in Tamil months of Masi, Chitrai and Vaikasi when a majority of the temples in the State celebrate festivals, is being viewed by activists including the CPI(M)'s Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front, as a disturbing attempt. The violence during the car festival of Sri Sakthi Kaliamman Temple at Pottireddipatti village, in Namakkal district on May 24, had left eight Dalits seriously injured. A Dalit woman, Pappathi, who sustained a deep cut in the forehead in the violence, says that Arunthathiyars built a temple of their own since they were denied entry to the village temple by upper caste Hindus. Similarly, violence broke out on May 26 during the annual festival of Sri Periya Mariamman Temple at Kannankurichi, near Salem. G. Suresh, a Dalit was the chairman of the temple controlled by the HR and CE. The police had to disperse upper caste Hindus and bring the temple under lock and key. Mr. Subash, a former headmaster, says the violence was unleashed by people who could not tolerate him as the board chairman. “The entire village, however, support me,” he says. Houses damaged On March 28, houses of 10 Dalits were damaged following clashes during the festival of Sri Santhapettai Selliamman Temple at Sankagiri. Dhandapani, a Dalit, was attacked when he attended the Samabandhi bojan at a temple at Karamadai, near Mettupalayam. Huts of Dalits were burnt when violence broke out at the temple festival in T. Edayapatti village in Karur taluk during 2008. A recent study on Dalits being discriminated against in temples in 85 village panchayats in southern districts by the Madurai-based ‘Evidence' says that since May 2009 Dalits are being denied entry into temples in 69 village panchayats. Temple cars would not be drawn inside Dalit colonies in 54 panchayats. Clashes were reported from 49 panchayats during festivals. ‘Evidence' wants the government to enact a special act to end the discrimination against Dalits at places of worship and ensure them the right to worship. INFORMATION OVERLOAD? Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to zestmedia-dig...@yahoogroups.com, OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ PARTICIPATE:- On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to zestcaste@yahoogroups.com TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:- If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to zestcaste-subscr...@yahoogroups.com OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/ Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/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: zestcaste-dig...@yahoogroups.com zestcaste-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: zestcaste-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[ZESTCaste] Dalit sarpanch ostracized for contesting poll
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Dalit-sarpanch-ostracized-for-contesting-poll/articleshow/6025933.cms Dalit sarpanch ostracized for contesting poll Deepender Deswal, TNN, Jun 9, 2010, 02.33am IST ROHTAK: Bhoop Singh, a brick kiln worker in Army chief V K Singh's village in Bhiwani district, could be walking proud. Afterall, a Scheduled Caste sarpanch is a rarity in this socially conservative, caste-conscious jat belt. But Bhoop Singh now moves sleathily with armed escorts provided by the state administration to protect him from the upper caste community leaders of Bapora village who insist that all major panchayat and zila parishad posts were wrongly reserved for SCs. The upper caste leaders had forced most villagers to boycott Monday's local election and say they won't recognize the lower caste man as the village panchayat head. Soon after Bhoop Singh was elected unopposed on Monday, villager elders held a meeting and issued a fiat ordering residents to ostracize Singh and his family. Villagers said they were told not to talk or have any relations with the family of the new sarpanch. ''We have decided not to keep any with relations his family and we have decided not to acknowledge him as sarpanch of the village,'' said Mitersein, a villager. Bhoop Singh could not be reached for comment. A villager said he had not been seen in the village since May 27 after the village elders held a meeting and resolved to boycott the local election.
[ZESTCaste] Maya’s googly stumps BSP, rivals alike
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/mayas-googly-stumps-bsp-rivals-alike/631408/ Maya’s googly stumps BSP, rivals alike Sanjay Singh Posted: Jun 09, 2010 at 0339 hrs Lucknow Chief Minister Mayawati’s decision to not let her party BSP take part in Assembly and Lok Sabha bypolls till 2012 has put both her partymen and the Opposition at their wits’ end. Bypolls are regarded as a test of a government’s popularity. With the ruling party staying away, the Opposition parties wonder who will they fight. BSP leaders, on the other hand, are left guessing what the party would gain by the decision. Mayawati, who made the announcement after the BSP’s victory in the Domariyaganj bypoll on Monday, said the BSP would now concentrate on the next Assembly elections, due in 2012. Bypolls for Lakhimpur and Nidhauli Kalan Assembly seats are likely to be held soon, necessitated by the deaths of two SP MLAs, Kaushal Kishore and Anil Yadav. BSP insiders say Mayawati took the decision because bypolls disrupt her normal work schedule since political preparations begin much in advance. Also, since most of the ministers are involved in the campaign, it also affects the government. Since the last Lok Sabha elections, held in May 2009, the state has seen 16 Assembly bypolls. As many as four of these were held in August last year, 11 in November and now the one in Domariyaganj. Many in the party, however, feel this may prove counter-productive. If a political party stays away from elections, it may send out a wrong signal to the people, said a BSP leader. Besides, what will the BSP workers do at the time of bypolls? As for the Opposition, it’s yet to gather its wits. “Who will we target in the bypolls?” said Samajwadi Party spokesman Mohan Singh, though he said he doubted Mayawati would stick to her decision. “Wait and watch. I think she would field her candidates,” he said. BJP state president Surya Pratap Shahi was puzzled too. “How can she abstain from bypolls? She is first accountable to the people of the state. She cannot stay away from bypolls on the plea that she wants to spend her time strengthening her party.” State Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who had had many a skirmish with the BSP chief in the past, doubted Mayawati’s intentions. “She has no confidence to face people. You can’t use same tricks in all the bypolls. The Opposition parties are now fully aware of her tricks and are also in position to counter them.” INFORMATION OVERLOAD? Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to zestmedia-dig...@yahoogroups.com, OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ PARTICIPATE:- On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to zestcaste@yahoogroups.com TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:- If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to zestcaste-subscr...@yahoogroups.com OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/ Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/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: zestcaste-dig...@yahoogroups.com zestcaste-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: zestcaste-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[ZESTCaste] The agony & the ajaat (P. Sainath)
http://www.thehindu.com/2010/06/04/stories/2010060455241300.htm Opinion - News Analysis The agony & the ajaat P. Sainath “CASTE IS EVERYTHING”: Chaitanya Prabhu and Shyam Maharaj, the surviving grandsons of ajaat founder Ganpati Maharaj, at Shyam's house in Mangrul (Dastgir) village of Amravati district. Amitabh Bachchan says that if ever asked about his caste by Census enumerators, his answer would be: Caste – Indian. That, of course, would do little more than stoke the media's bollywood feeding frenzy yet again. Shyam Maharaj is no Bachchan. Nor is his brother, Chaitanya Prabhu. But they and the followers of their fraternity will likely throw up far more complex answers — and questions — if Census enumerators do finally pop that query on caste. “Our answer: we are ajaat. Here is my school leaving certificate to prove that. But you can write what you like,” Prabhu tells us at his house in Mangrul (Dastgir) village of Amravati district. Ajaat: this literally means ones without caste. The ajaat was a bold social movement of the 1920s and '30s that at its peak had tens of thousands of committed followers in what are present-day Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. It was led by the colourful and eccentric social reformer Ganpati Bhabhutkar better known as Ganpati Maharaj. Chaitanya Prabhu and Shyam Maharaj are his surviving grandsons. Apart from the usual anti-liquor and anti-violence norms of such movements, Ganpati Maharaj threw in others. He attacked caste frontally. Many stopped idol worship at his call. He pressed for gender equality and even railed against private property. And, in the 1930s, he and his followers declared themselves as ‘ ajaat.' His inter-caste dining drive raised hackles in the villages he worked in. As one of his disciples P. L. Nimkar put it: “he would ask his followers from all castes to bring cooked food from their homes. This, he would mix up totally and distribute the mix as prasad.” Caste was his great target. “Inter-caste weddings and widow remarriage — that's what he sought and achieved,” says Prabhu. “In our own family, from granddad to us, we married into eleven different castes, from brahmins to dalits. In our extended family there have been scores of such weddings. Ganpati Maharaj himself had such a marriage.” He also “created the religion of ‘ maanav' (humanity) and opened the temple here to dalits, offending the upper castes,” says Shyam Maharaj. “They filed cases against him and no one would touch his case. All the vakils here at the time were brahmins.” The movement waned over years, as some followers left on the caste issue, and with its Gurus's death in 1944. (He is buried at a community centre he built here decades ago, just opposite Prabhu's home). Still, it remained known and respected for some time after independence. “See my school leaving certificate,” says Prabhu, showing it to us. “As late as the 1960s, even the ‘70s, we still got certificates calling us ajaat. Now, schools and colleges say they've never heard of us and won't give our children admission.” The surviving ajaat are not doing too well. Shyam and Prabhu just about make ends meet as petty agricultural traders. Forgotten by the late ‘70s, the ajaat were re-discovered some years ago by Nagpur journalists Atul Pandey and Jaideep Hardikar who wrote about their plight in Marathi and English respectively. Their reports sparked a Maharashtra government move to help them. But that died with the exit of the one senior official who had shown interest in the matter. Ajaat candidates can't contest panchayat polls. Poll officials refuse to accept their forms — which state no caste. “ Ajaat folk can't get ration cards without a huge struggle,” says Prabhu. College admissions, scholarships and government jobs elude them for the same reasons. Other villagers won't marry into these families now as their caste status lacks clarity. In short, the followers of a once proud anti-caste reform movement have been reduced to a couple of thousand people viewed as something like a caste themselves. “My niece Sunaina could not get into college,” says Prabhu. “The college said: ‘we don't recognise this ajaat. Bring us a proper caste certificate and we'll admit her'.” His nephew Manoj who did finally make it to college says: “They treat us as an oddity there. There were no scholarships for any of us. No one there believes such a thing as ajaat exists.” A restless younger generation feels imprisoned by the past. Many of the ajaat, including Prabhu's family, have faced the ignominy of having to trace out an ancestor whose caste could be clearly proven. “Imagine our humiliation,” he says. “We have to take out caste certificates for our children.” Not easy, given the generations of inter-caste marriages these families have seen. And even the ledger of the village kotwal lists them as ‘ ajaat.' Some have had to trace a great grandfather whose caste could be established. “To recover and rebuild those old record
[ZESTCaste] BSP MLA's kin kill Dalit
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/BSP-MLA--s-kin-kill-Dalit/631004/# BSP MLA's kin kill Dalit Agencies Posted online: Jun 08, 2010 at 1219 hrs BalliaThree persons, including the relatives of a BSP MLA, were on Monday arrested here for allegedly beating a Dalit youth to death after he attended a wedding function, defying a diktat, police said. Tribhuvan and Laxman, cousin brothers of BSP MLA and former minister Ghuraram, and Shobha Devi were held on the charges of killing Direndra Kumar on Saturday night, Deputy Superintendent of Police B N Tiwari said. Dhirendra's family, which had been "socially boycotted" some years ago, had earlier lodged a complaint accusing the BSP MLA of conspiring in the murder, he said. Earlier, police said the victim went to attend a marriage function Saturday night and some villagers attacked him in order to teach a lesson. However, some persons had lodged a complaint alleging that the attack was in retaliation to rape of a 15-year-old girl allegedly by Dhirendra and his two associates.
[ZESTCaste] Fellowships for Dalit Professionals
Fellowship for Dalit Professionals Dalit Foundation, New Delhi Location: Anywhere in India Last Date: June 20, 2010 Email: fundrais...@dalitfoundation.org About Dalit Foundation: Dalit Foundation is a non-government organization, the first grant-making institution in south Asia working for the empowerment of Dalit communities. Established in June 2003, the Foundation’s mission, vision and programme objectives focus exclusively on empowerment of Dalit communities and eradication of caste based discrimination. It is committed to support individuals, community-based organizations, and networks that work to secure social change and protect the rights of Dalits. Dalit Foundation provides small grants and fellowships to individuals and organizations working among Dalits in India. The focus areas are combating caste violence, eradication of manual scavenging, building leadership among Dalit women and youth, rights over natural resources, health and education, etc. The aim is to build the capacity of our partners in order to execute effective grass-root level interventions. We are also committed to building a strong line of leadership for the Dalit movement and promoting Dalit art and culture through our various other programmes including the Fellowship Programme for Dalit Professionals. About the Fellowship In order to increase the participation of Dalit students and professionals in the Dalit Movement, Dalit Foundation awards fellowships to dynamic Dalit professionals from the fields of engineering, law, medicine and journalism. As part of the fellowship, the selected candidates will be required to carry out the following activities: • Development of a comprehensive data base of Dalit Professionals from all across the country and from leading professional fields • Establishment of support and counselling groups for Dalit students in leading professionals institutes of the country • Establishment of a network of professionals in each of the four zones (North, South, East and West), with a cadre of 20 professionals for each zonal group • Formation of a national level core group Criteria for selection: 1. The person who has completed Master’s studies from the respective field. 2. The person who has strong motivation and record of such initiative during the campus life. 3. The person who is not an office bearer of any political party. 4. The female candidates to be given priority. 5. The person has the capability to do such work. Period of fellowship: Shall be one year and it can be continued based on performance. Fellowship amount: Rs. 1/- per month Looking for International Development Jobs (rather than Indian jobs)? Receive 20-25 jobs & consultancies each day via 3 Months DevNetJobs Value Membership. Only USD 44 for 3 months. Click here to proceed www.devnetjobsindia.org Top of Page INFORMATION OVERLOAD? Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to zestmedia-dig...@yahoogroups.com, OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ PARTICIPATE:- On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to zestcaste@yahoogroups.com TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:- If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to zestcaste-subscr...@yahoogroups.com OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/ Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/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: zestcaste-dig...@yahoogroups.com zestcaste-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: zestcaste-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[ZESTCaste] ‘Does everyone keep track of UP’s Dalit castes t he way they do in the case of Bihar?’
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/-Does-everyone-keep-track-of-UP-s-Dalit-castes-the-way-they-do-in-the-case-of-Bihar-/631310/ ‘Does everyone keep track of UP’s Dalit castes the way they do in the case of Bihar?’ Vandita Mishra Posted online: Wed Jun 09 2010, 01:27 hrs Madhepura : He's been in poll mode almost ever since he’s been in power. The ongoing Vishwas Yatra is his fifth in four-and-a-half years. Nitish Kumar uses this latest yatra to showcase his government’s record and to dole out new schemes in an election year. In the corridors of Patna’s secretariat, awed stories do the rounds about how this Chief Minister puts in 8-10 hours in a sitting, parses the commas, looks at a 10-page document and spots mistake in line 13. On his yatra, he travels with the image of a chief minister immersed in detail. Nitish Kumar evidently revels in this. “I hear every voice, howsoever distant, and then I reflect and take a decision. I am going away now to the district headquarters where I will spend several hours assessing the area’s problems,” he says as he takes leave of his audience at the village meeting in Jorgama, during the yatra in Madhepura. Later, in an interview to The Indian Express, he narrates an instance: “In my last tour through the state, the Vikas Yatra, a disabled child came up to me. I was told that he didn’t get the disability pension because he was under 18 years. I went back to Patna and changed the requirement. Now, all are entitled to it. Then, I was told that the disability certificate can only be issued by a civil surgeon. I changed that as well. Now it can be issued by the doctor at the primary health centre. Earlier, the collector would dole out the pension. Now, the SDO can do it.” These are “micro-level” implementation issues for which “I try and find a way out”, he says. The Chief Minister is most at home surrounded by his team of bureaucrats, a number of whom he ferries with him to the district on his yatra to showcase on the dais when he makes his speeches. But the politician has sensed the clamour building from below. Across the poll-bound state, there is increasingly audible criticism of what many call afsar shahi, or the perceived rule of the bureaucrat in Nitish’s Bihar. In his recent speeches, Nitish pointedly addresses allegations of increased corruption in the lower bureaucracy. Corrupt bureaucrats will not be spared, he says. He plays to the gallery in Madhepura: “I ask my IAS officers, if you are so qualified, so intelligent, and you’ve come in through the UPSC, then how come a petty village thug can subvert your schemes?” He has set up a trial system for public servants under the Bihar Special Courts Act, he tells the Express. “This is through an amendment last year of the Prevention of Corruption Act. There will be designated courts with two provisions — one, a time-bound trial, and two, if the government finds ill-gotten property, it can be confiscated by a designated authority. When these courts begin working in the next one year, there will be an impact,” he says. But as elections draw closer, when faced with criticism of his government on most other counts, the much-awarded Chief Minister is surprisingly testy, and ill at ease. Two questions, or two criticisms, agitate Nitish Kumar especially. One, the suggestion that his government has been able to deliver in the state in part because he was better placed than his predecessor in terms of financial assistance from the Centre. Incidentally, this is the thrust of the anti-Nitish campaign being conducted by JD(U) dissidents and the Opposition in election year. It is finding echoes in Bihar’s streets, where it often translates into a hard-nosed questioning of the Nitish government’s achievements vis-a-vis the role of Central largesse in Bihar’s recent development, especially in the building of roads. And two, the bataidari issue. On the first, the role of the Centre versus the state in Bihar’s development, Nitish counters: “What does the Centre give us? Is there any Bihar-specific scheme?” Bihar’s plan size has grown from about Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 20,000 crore, he says. But, of this, “70 per cent is made up of our own resources and our borrowing; and only 30 per cent is plan assistance from the Centre which is formula-driven. We’re not going to be grateful to the Centre for that!” On the contrary, he claims that the Centre has withheld funds for relief for the Kosi-affected, and the state has had to pitch in its own funds to repair the national highways. “The national highways are more visible, so if the Centre is tardy in sanctioning the money, I have to do it. Or else, what will everyone say?” On the second issue of the “bataidari” fears spreading in the countryside among the upper castes, sparked off by a government-appointed commission’s proposals on land reform, Nitish is unyielding. “This is not an issue, this is a ghost. I will not discuss it,” he says. His government has put the 2008 land reforms repor
[ZESTCaste] Indian Village Burned by Upper Caste and Police: Two Dead
http://www.groundreport.com/World/Indian-Village-Burned-by-Upper-Caste-and-Police-Tw/2924565 Indian Village Burned by Upper Caste and Police: Two Dead by William WattJune 08, 2010 "Do the poor have no right to live?" exclaimed Jaswant, a local Indian of the village Mirjpur. Mirjpur recently had 20 houses burnt to the ground by the Jat Community and experienced zero support from local officers. In fact, local officers were seen that night lounging in the houses of the Jats. Some even stood aside as the houses were burned before their eyes. There is great speculation that the police might have actually deployed several of the groups responsible for the carnage. Having said that, the Jats have been increasingly more violent in the Hissar district of India. As of late, they burned houses in Dulina, Salvan, and now Mirjpur village. Of the three burnings only Mirjpur has experienced fatalities. Two people died in the last carnage. A man and his disabled daughter were burned alive in their home. A survivor of the incident, the deceased man's son, was interviewed by IndiaUnheard correspondent, Amit Kumar. The man describes the means by which the Jats burned the houses, and his despair is felt through the screen as he shows the wreckage of his old home. Jaswant explains that the Jats have been acting increasingly violent to try and prevent the Dalit and Valmiki communities (lower castes) from gaining equal rights. "They want us to be their slaves. This is the only reason for this carnage." The Dalit and Valmiki communities aren't experiencing relief from the government, who makes false promises of justice to silence their cries for help. Standing tall to the camera, Jaswant speaks, "We want the government to punish the culprits, and book the officers under section 302-SC/ST." Knowing your rights is a first step, but in a society that depends on the authority of a lackadaisical government, it is hard to imagine Jaswant or Mirjpur village will ever see proper justice for this incident. To learn more about this story and to explore the hidden truth's behind India's caste system, watch this short video. http://indiaunheard.videovolunteers.org/amit/caste-violence-in-haryana/
[ZESTCaste] BSP MLA's kin kill Dalit
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/bsp-mlas-kin-kill-dalit/631004/ BSP MLA's kin kill Dalit Agencies Posted online: Jun 08, 2010 at 1219 hrs BalliaThree persons, including the relatives of a BSP MLA, were on Monday arrested here for allegedly beating a Dalit youth to death after he attended a wedding function, defying a diktat, police said. Tribhuvan and Laxman, cousin brothers of BSP MLA and former minister Ghuraram, and Shobha Devi were held on the charges of killing Direndra Kumar on Saturday night, Deputy Superintendent of Police B N Tiwari said. Dhirendra's family, which had been "socially boycotted" some years ago, had earlier lodged a complaint accusing the BSP MLA of conspiring in the murder, he said. Earlier, police said the victim went to attend a marriage function Saturday night and some villagers attacked him in order to teach a lesson. However, some persons had lodged a complaint alleging that the attack was in retaliation to rape of a 15-year-old girl allegedly by Dhirendra and his two associates.
