Sunday, May 8, 2011

Dalits Media Watch News Updates 08.05.11

Dalits Media Watch

News Updates 08.05.11

'Basava movement reduced to a caste' - The Hindu

http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/08/stories/2011050851770300.htm

Now, SC, ST students can join prestigious public schools - The Hindu

http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/08/stories/2011050858870300.htm

No headway in rape-murder case - The Tribune

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110508/haryana.htm#3

Untouchability a heinous crime: Seer - The Hindu

http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/08/stories/2011050858830300.htm

Quota demand for SC/STs in govt purchases - The Hindustan Times

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/newdelhi/Quota-demand-for-SC-STs-in-govt-purchases/Article1-694892.aspx

Imprisonment up to 10 years for branding women a witch - The Times Of India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Imprisonment-up-to-10-years-for-branding-women-a-witch/articleshow/8191557.cms

Shaking foundations - Ahmadabad Mirror

http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/26/2011050820110508023612639a82989c1/Shaking-foundations.html

The Hindu

'Basava movement reduced to a caste'

http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/08/stories/2011050851770300.htm

Staff Correspondent

Bidar: It is unfortunate that the reform movement started by Basaveshwara has become synonymous with a caste, Gulbarga University Professor Rajanna Dalawai has said.

He was speaking at the Basava Jayanti celebrations organised by the district administration and the Basava Jayanti reception committee on Friday.

"Basavanna started his reform movement in the 12th century with a dream to end discrimination based on caste. He hoped that his reform will eradicate caste system in this country. However, his followers achieved the exact opposite. They not only succeeded in adding another caste to the already existing system, but also did little to end the discrimination," Mr. Dalawai said. He said that 'Lingayat dharma' was founded as a rational faith based on scientific principles of dignity of labour and distribution of wealth.

"This was meant to be an answer to all the evils of Hinduism. However, the present day Lingayat dharma has become a rigid set of groups and sub groups that continue to have all the ills of Hinduism," he said. Rahim Khan, MLA, zilla panchayat president Kushal Patil Gadagi, Shivasharanappa Wali, Gangambika Patil, Additional Deputy Commissioner Manikappa Mangalagi, zilla panchayat Chief Executive Officer Jitendra Naik and others were present.

The Hindu

Now, SC, ST students can join prestigious public schools

http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/08/stories/2011050858870300.htm

Staff Reporter

Move to facilitate entry of dalit, tribal students on campuses

BHUBANESWAR: Students from poor dalit and tribal families are all set to get chance to study in prestigiouspublic schools in the cities.

The State government has made move to facilitate entry of students belonging to scheduled tribe and scheduled caste on campuses they have never dreamt of studying there.

At a high-level meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Bijay Patnaik here on Friday, it has been decided to build hostels at three urban centres such as Bhubaneswar, Rourkela and Berhampur.

"In the first phase, 1,600 students will be accommodated in these hostels; 300 each in Berhampur and Rourkela and 200 each in five hostels at Bhubaneswar. The place for these hostels in Bhubaneswar has been identified at Ghatikia, Niladrivihar and Pokhariput," Chief Secretary's office sources said.

The buildings would come up adjacent to the public schools.

The identified institutions where ST&SC students would get chance to pursue their studies include KIIT International School, DAV Public School, Unit VIII and SAI International School in Bhubaneswar, Delhi Public Schools in Angul and Damanjodi and Central and Navodaya schools located in various places.

Tuition fee

"The students will be provided tuition fee of the educational institutions where they will be enrolled, monthly stipends, uniforms, bus charges of students for to and fro from home and medical facilities," Chief Secretary's office said.

It further informed that the average cost towards all these were calculated at Rs.28,000 per month.

Roads and Buildings department instructed to complete the construction of hostel buildings before the coming education sessions so that the students can be accommodated there safely.

Minimum amenities like running water, electricity, sufficient number of toilets, and mosquito nets for children would be made available in those hostels.

The suggestions for sending ST&SC students into top schools came from SC&ST Department.

Senior officials like SC&ST Development Secretary Santosh Sarangi and Development Commissioner R. N. Senapati took part in the meeting.

The Tribune

No headway in rape-murder case

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110508/haryana.htm#3

Tribune News Service , Kurukshetra, May 7

The police has failed to make any headway in the alleged rape and murder case of a 15-year-old Dalit girl, even as the Deputy Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, Dr Raj Kumar Virka, virtually reprimanded the administration and asked it to take action against the erring police personnel and arrest the culprits within a week.

The police had registered a case under Section 364 (kidnapping) of the IPC and Section 376 (rape) and 302 (murder) were added later. However, no section under the Prevention of Atrocities on Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Act was added in the FIR. Virka, who visited the family of the deceased, said if any police personnel was found lacking in performing his duty, action would be taken against him.

The Hindu

Untouchability a heinous crime: Seer

http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/08/stories/2011050858830300.htm

Staff Correspondent

DHARWAD: Terming untouchability a heinous crime, Basavaraj Devaru, seer of the Sri Revanasiddheshwar Math in Mansur, has called for capital punishment to those practising and promoting untouchability. Speaking at the Basava Jayanti celebrations at the math here on Friday, some powerful persons who kept alive the regressive practice were not brought to book.

He was also critical of the alleged attempts at what he described as branding the 12th century reformer as belonging to one community or sect. This was an insult to Basaveshwara, who stood against the caste system, he said. He succeeded in building a new society free from the clutches of orthodoxy, he said.

The Hindustan Times

Quota demand for SC/STs in govt purchases

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/newdelhi/Quota-demand-for-SC-STs-in-govt-purchases/Article1-694892.aspx

Press Trust Of India

New Delhi, May 08, 2011

Last Updated: 11:54 IST(8/5/2011)

A demand for quota within quota has been made for bagging government purchases which run into several crores of rupees. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) is considering a proposal under which 20 per cent of all government purchases will have to be sourced from the micro and small units.

Now, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has made a strong demand for earmarking at least half of this for the enterprises run by Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. " ...I am not against the principles that Scheduled Caste should also have a reservation in it...This is the matter which is decided by the Cabinet," MSME Minister Virbhadra Singh told PTI.

He said in case the demand for quota within quota has to be met then, the reservation limit for government purchases should be increased to at least 25 per cent.

The annual government purchases run into Rs 1,70,000 crore, of which the micro and small units' share is estimated to be not more than 4-5 per cent. The MSME Ministry is working on the proposal on the recommendation of a task force set up by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh which went into the whole gamut of problems faced by the sector. The MSME Minister the proposal has been circulated among different ministries for their feedback.

Virbhadra Singh said he would favour a legislative support for the policy so that it could be enforced. "We would like to bring a legislation for it so that more sanctity is attached to it," he said. Singh said that lack of credit availability remains a main challenge for the MSME sector.

The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has not been able to ensure adequate finance to the sector, which employs 60 million people and contributes eight per cent to the country's Gross Domestic Product. He said that the bank which functions under the Ministry of Finance should be shifted to the administrative control of his ministry.

"SIDBI, which like NABARD is presently under the administrative control of the Finance Ministry, has not had much impact so far, as small scale companies have to go to other sources for finances," he added. He said that while the name 'SIDBI' suggested that the bank was meant to cater to the financial needs of the small industries, but it was not able to meet their requirements in an adequate way.

The Times Of India

Imprisonment up to 10 years for branding women a witch

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Imprisonment-up-to-10-years-for-branding-women-a-witch/articleshow/8191557.cms

Nitesh Kumar Sharma, TNN | May 8, 2011, 12.36am IST

JAIPUR: In the recently proposed Rajasthan Women (Prevention & Protection from Atrocities) Bill, 2011, a major thrust has been given to protecting women who are tortured or killed after being branded as witches, an evil practice prevalent in many rural areas of the state.

Similar to laws in states like UP, Jharkhand and Bihar, the state department of women and child development, has proposed stringent steps against such criminals.

The bill has been welcomed by women's rights activists who had been demanding this for some time. A divisional bench of Rajasthan High Court had on Tuesday issued notices to the state government, women's commission of Rajasthan and director general of police (DGP) in this regard.

The bench sought reply within four weeks. The notices were issued by a petition filed by the National Federation of Indian Women through its secretary Nisha Siddhu.

According to the bill, whoever accuses or defames a woman by calling her Dayan or Dakan or Dakin, Chudail or Bhootni or Bhootdi or Chilavan or Opri or Ranndkadi or any other name or symbol suggesting her to be a witch, and accuses a woman of performing witchcraft or her performing any puja, use of mantra, tantra etc. aimed at harming any person; shall be punishable with imprisonment up to a term of three years with minimum fine of Rs 1,000 which may increased to Rs 5,000.

Furthermore, whoever, in the name of performing witchcraft or her being possessed one', uses criminal force against a woman and/or instigates or provokes others in doing so with intent to harm and/or to displace her from the house, place or the property, lawfully occupied or owned by her or to coerce her to leave the area of which she is a rightful resident or a visitor, shall be punishable with imprisonment of a term which may extend to seven years and with fine which may extend to Rs 20,000.

Besides, whoever intimidates a woman, calling her a witch and accuses her of practising witchcraft, to the extent that the woman is forced to commit suicide shall be punishable with imprisonment of a term of five years which may extend to 10 years with minimum fine of Rs 25,000 which may extend to Rs 50,000.

The bill makes the provision of prosecuting those who assaults or uses criminal force or causes to assault or to use criminal force against a woman, accusing her to be a witch, resulting in her death, under Section 302 of IPC (Central Act 45 of 1860).

The bill has proposed that if quacks known as ojha' or tantrik' or baba', claiming to possess spiritual and/or magical powers, declares any woman as a possessed one' and performs any ritual to free the woman from the so-called evil sprit or entices a woman or any person on her behalf with a promise to bless the woman with a child or performs any ritual on behalf of any person with intention to harm the woman, and whoever promotes, helps organizing and performing such rituals or associates one self with such rituals shall be punishable with imprisonment of a term of one year which may extend to five years with a fine of Rs 10,000.

Whoever, assaults or uses criminal force against a woman to remove or causes to remove clothes from her body and demonstrates and parades her naked or with such scanty clothes that fail to protect her modesty, shall be punishable with imprisonment of a term of five years which may extend to 10 years with minimum fine of Rs 10,000 which may extend to Rs 50,000. 

A department officer said that the bill's draft has been prepared and is under consideration of the state government which plans to table the bill in the assembly soon.

Ahmadabad Mirror

Shaking foundations

http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/26/2011050820110508023612639a82989c1/Shaking-foundations.html

Dalit activist Rajesh Solanki has been legally bothering functionaries about a bhoomi pujan conducted at Gujarat High Court. Here's why:

Jyoti Punwani, Posted On Sunday, May 08, 2011 at 02:35:34 AM

Every day, government dignitaries perform bhoomi pujans on public premises. Nobody bats an eyelid. When dalit activist Rajesh Solanki did, he got fined Rs 20,000.

On Gujarat Day (May 1) last year, two of the three highest functionaries in Gujarat – the Governor and Chief Justice (CJ) of the Gujarat High Court — presided over the bhoomi pujan of a new building on High Court premises.

That very day, Solanki — who heads an Ambedkarite organisation called Council for Social Justice — sent off a telegram to the CJ, followed by two letters with copies to the Union and State Home Secretaries.

Expectedly, nothing happened

Others would have let the matter rest, but not Solanki, who says 'secularism runs in my blood'. He filed a PIL in Gujarat High Court against the Union of India, the State of Gujarat, the High Court and the Court's Advocates' Association, asking that the puja be declared unconstitutional and that directives be laid down to avoid further such violations of the Constitution.


Interestingly, the CJ recused himself from the petition. Girish Patel, one of Gujarat's best known lawyers and human rights activists, left his sick bed to argue the PIL. At the end of it, Justices Jayant Patel and J C Upadhyay called Solanki's view 'pervert' [sic] and dismissed his petition with an 'exemplary' fine.

Stating that the puja was for the successful completion of the proposed building, and for the larger interests of all those who would benefit from its construction, the order defined secularism as based on the principles of 'Vasudev Kutumbakam' (the world is one family). Differentiating between religion and 'dharma', the judges said dharma meant 'sarva bhavantu sukinah' (may everyone be happy).

Solanki moved the Supreme Court, which dismissed his petition last week. This week, he filed a review petition. But why bother? Solanki's pleasant demeanour hides a depth of outrage. His petition argues that the High Court is the protector of the Constitution, of which secularism is an integral part.

By associating with a Hindu ritual, the respondents violated the basic structure of the Constitution. The petition quotes Gandhi and Nehru on their vision of the secular state, one which would neither associate with religion, nor favour one religion over others.

Additionally, it points out that after the violence in 2002, many non-Hindus in Gujarat lost faith in the secular nature of the State, and this puja proved that Gujarat was non-secular. Advocate Girish Patel argued that if a religious function had to be performed, it should have involved all religions.

Muslims have a similar ceremony called sange buniyad, argues Solanki, while Christians sprinkle holy water on the site. But even the involvement of priests of all denominations would not have satisfied Solanki.

"Since dalits were not allowed into temples or learn Sanskrit, we evolved our own system of pujas with pujaris called Guru Brahmans," he informs. "After BJP came to power, as part of its samrasta campaign, it started teaching these priests Sanskrit so that they could perform pujas in the vedic manner.

If the court had held a ceremony in which all priests were invited, whom would they have invited to perform the Hindu ceremony? Certainly not a dalit priest! "In fact, this was a brahmanical and casteist act, one in which I as a dalit would not have been able to participate. When a Vedic ritual is performed, the Brahman asks the yajman, 'What's your gotra?' What would my answer be? I have no gotra.

And yet, the Court accused me of filing the petition for 'extraneous considerations'! Did they even consider my feelings as a dalit? What if the Chief Justice had been muslim? Just because people don't object, it doesn't mean they consent."

Solanki insists he is not against religion. "My mother is a staunch Hindu," he asserts. "I respect her beliefs, even her superstitions. But if she were the Governor, I would tell her, 'Go home and perform your puja. This is my country too'."

Solanki describes himself as a 'proud Amdavadi'. "My forefathers built Sultan Ahmed Shah's fort. That's the reason we are secular," he says. "And it was for my grandfather that Vasant-Rajab gave up their lives." Vasant Rao and Rajab Ali, Rashtra Seva Dal volunteers, became martyrs after they sacrificed their lives in 1946 to save Hindus and Muslims from communal mobs during the annual Ahmedabad rath yatra.

"My grandfather was Dudhabhai Solanki, founder of the Harijan Sevak Sangh, and one of the first dalit industrialists. His house was being attacked by Muslims when Vasant-Rajab rushed to save him. They lay down their lives for us, now it's my turn."


-- 
.Arun Khote
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of "Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC")
..................................................................
Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics and intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC. 

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