Dalits Media Watch
News Updates 07.02.12
Cops tear off dalit boy's ear in Sagar - The Times Of India
'Dalits not getting RTC for their land' - Deccan Herald
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/225123/dalits-not-getting-rtc-their.html
No memorial for Ambedkar 56 years after his death - The Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2866331.ece
BSP in tight corner on dalit turf - The Times Of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/BSP-in-tight-corner-on-dalit-turf/articleshow/11787021.cms
Dalit chamber eyes SME exchange - The Times Of India
The Times Of India
Cops tear off dalit boy's ear in Sagar
TNN | Feb 7, 2012, 05.23AM IST
BHOPAL: A poor dalit boy's ears were pulled with such force by a couple of policemen that a big, bloody chunk came out, which surgeons could not stitch back.
The incident happened in Sagar district of the impoverished Bundelkhand region.
Narendra Ahirwar (13) was picked up by police on suspicion in a theft case on Sunday.
He was beaten black and blue, before two of the cops bodily lifted him upward by his ears. His left ear came detatched in the hands of one of his tormentors.
The two cops, assistant sub-inspector Ghanshayam Dubey and constable Vishwanath Mishra have been suspended and booked under IPC and the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, city superintendent of police Rakshpal Singh Yadav told TOI. A hunt has been launched to arrest the two, who are at large, the CSP added.
After the incident, the boy was sent to home. However, his family members admitted him to a hospital and lodged a complaint with senior police officials.
"His sister Basant Bai came to me with a complaint that his brother's ear has been severed,'' Yadav said adding that immediately he informed about the incident to SP Pramod Verma who suspended the duo on Sunday evening.
"I carried out an initial probe and found the two policemen guilty. A case has been registered against them on Monday, '' the CSP said, adding it was hard to say if one of the policeman or both pulled the boy by his ears.
He, however, denied the dalit boy was kept in the police custody for the whole night and beaten, as alleged.
Meanwhile, surgeons of the district hospital tried hard to repair his ear. but in vain. "It could not be stiched back, since over 24 hours had elapsed,"Yadav said.
Deccan Herald
'Dalits not getting RTC for their land'
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/225123/dalits-not-getting-rtc-their.html
Mangalore, Feb 6, 2012, DHNS:
The Dalits are not given RTC for the land sanctioned by the Deputy Commissioner to construct houses.
The officials are converting the land allotted to Dalits as government land and distributing to people of other communities. Even after several complaints, instances such as these keep continuing, grieved the Dalits at the SC/ST meet held at office of the Superintendent of Police office on Monday.
Dalit Sangarsha Samiti (DSS) Leader S P Anand said that though the issue has been brought out in the meet at DC's office, it has not been sorted yet. The atrocities on Dalits are taking place all over the district.
Many Dalit girls face sexual harassment from people of the upper class and these issues are hidden by the police due to the pressure from these people. The Dalits do not receive justice, he complained.
"If such issues pop up, the police have to be informed. We shall see that injustice does not occur," assured SP Abhishek Goyal.
Dalit Leader Shivaram was attacked in Kukke Subramanya with regard to the Made Snana issue and no action has been taken till date, complained Anand. "The court will take decision on the issue. It shall not fall prey to any pressurisation," said SP.
Placing his grievance, former Soldier Vijaykumar who resides in Puttur complained that a Christian community member has encroached upon his land in Beeru Mangala in Sullia and DSS leaders are supporting this, he said.
"Though I have proved my point by measuring my land three times, it has been of no use. A DSS member is working in support of this Christian family and has threatened me about this matter. The family has also constructed a wall in my property," said Vijaykumar.
"The police can take action on account of trespass, only if the incident has happened within a matter of three months. However, if the issue has happened more than three months ago, the police cannot take action. The petition has to be fought in a civil court," said SP.
Responding to this issue, DSS leader Keshav said that there may be factions in DSS but it shall not partake in issues where a Dalit will suffer. The person who is creating trouble may simply tell he is from DSS. In such case, police should take action against him, said Keshav.
Responding to this, SP said that the names of the members of DSS and its leaders should be given to the Police Department. "With this, we can easily take action," he said.
IGP's permission must for 'B' report
Many atrocities on Dalits are filed under 'B' report by the police and no action is taken, complained the Dalit members. To this, the SP said that in case a Dalit atrocity case has to be given 'B' report status, then the permission of the IGP has to be procured.
"Till now, the SP had the right to give a case 'B' status. However, according to a government order, the 'B' status to a case has to be given by the IGP," he said and told that the Dalits need not worry."Cases on Dalit atrocity have more punishment involved. Some may file cases unnecessarily and may try to misuse this. One should be careful while filing complaints," said he SP.
One can voice their grievance in case they are not happy with the 'B' report status. One can also go to court and cancel the 'B' status in case they feel that they have not received justice from Investigating Officer, SP and IGP, he said.
The Hindu
No memorial for Ambedkar 56 years after his death
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2866331.ece
Special Correspondent
Memorials have been dedicated to 14 national leaders, says government in RTI reply
Documents obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act indicate that he is the only national leader who does not have a memorial.
Chandrakant Bhandhare, a government employee and Ambedkarite, who filed an RTI on February 23, 2011, had asked the Urban Development Ministry, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), and the Ministry of Home Affairs for details on the policy of granting land for Rajghat and memorials of national leaders in New Delhi and other areas in the country.
"Why is there no memorial 56 years after Dr. Ambedkar's death? Isn't he a national leader? When I asked for information, I got a list of 14 national leaders who have memorials. There is no mention of Babasaheb in that list," Mr. Bhandhare told The Hindu.
He asked if Dr. Ambedkar, who was posthumously conferred the Bharat Ratna in 1990, was considered a national leader and if the government had any plans of allocating land for a national memorial of the Rajghat type for him in New Delhi and Mumbai.
The CPWD said that Dr. Ambedkar was a national leader, but did not say anything on building a memorial for him.
In a reply dated April 5, 2011, it gave the names and location of memorials dedicated to 14 national leaders — Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Charan Singh, Zail Singh, Jagjivan Ram, Devi Lal, K.R. Narayanan, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the former Prime Minister, Chandra Shekhar and the former President, Shankar Dayal Sharma.
The Urban Development Ministry gave a vague reply with only details of Rajghat to which 89 acres was allotted in 1978, and about some land allotted for Indira Gandhi's memorial. The Ministry of Home Affairs said it had no information on the matter.
In 2002, the then Maharashtra Chief Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, headed a committee which decided on a four-phase development of a memorial for Dr. Ambedkar. But matters came to standstill after that.
Republican Party of India (RPI) activists have been demanding a memorial for Dr. Ambedkar and last year things picked up momentum with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party trying to outdo each other with their fervour for a memorial.
The demand became vociferous from all parties before elections to the local bodies got under way in December. In the winter session of the Legislature, both Houses, which witnessed a ruckus over this issue, decided that the entire Indu Mills land must be given up for the memorial.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had promised the entire 12.5 acres of Indu Mills land for a memorial for Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar in Dadar. In December 2011, the Prime Minister approved in principle the demand. An all-party delegation led by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan met him in this connection.
The Indu Mills is located near Chaityabhoomi at Shivaji Park, where the Buddhist Society of India has dedicated a memorial to Dr. Ambedkar, visited by lakhs of his followers every year.
A secretary-level committee will decide the formalities of the handover of the land, possessed by the National Textile Corporation. The land was to be handed over by January 31..
The Times Of India
BSP in tight corner on dalit turf
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/BSP-in-tight-corner-on-dalit-turf/articleshow/11787021.cms
Pravin Kumar & Akhilesh Kumar Singh, TNN | Feb 7, 2012, 06.00AM IST
AMBEDKARNAGAR (UP): To experience the sharp erosion of support for Mayawati, one must visit Ambedkarnagar. A district named after the dalit icon and personally "adopted" by the chief minister, it remains enveloped in darkness.
As Lucknow's Rs 2,000-crore Ambedkar Memorial Park dazzles, 200 km from the state capital Ambedkarnagar is a sea of darkness. It's 8pm and the town is already half asleep. The only signs of life are in little small patches lit up on the occasion of Barawafat by diesel-guzzling generators. This district doesn't even get its quota of 14-hour electricity that the state's mofussil towns are entitled to.
"The number of power riots that the district has seen in the past few years is unprecedented," says Om Prakash, a social activist. "Not that the power crisis is new here. Now people have lost patience and started reacting bitterly." As an afterthought, he adds: "Is zile ko toh Mayawatiji ne god liya tha. Iska vikas toh sabse zyada hona chaihye. (Mayawati had adopted this district. It should have been ahead of all.)"
Ambedkarnagar was the first "nagar" named after a dalit ideologue by Mayawati when she tasted power in 1995. It was showcased as Mayawati's Amethi and Saifai rolled into one and the district has so far been loyal to BSP.
Mayawati achieved a hattrick winning this parliamentary seat and BSP rule was at its zenith after the 2007 elections when all five MLAs from the districts were from the blue brigade. But with lack of development virtually putting her on the ropes this time around, she seems to have already ceded a considerable lead to SP and may further be slipping.
Three of BSP leaders from the district - Lalji Verma, Ram Achal Rajhbar and Dharamraj Nishad -became key Maya ministers. This time, only one of them - Lalji Verma is in the fray. Ex-transport minister Rajbhar, after his indictment by the Lokayukta, has made way for his son Sanjay in Akbarpur. Former fisheries minister Nishad has crossed over to neighbouring Jaunpur to contest from Shahganj. This speaks volumes for the trio's performance.
BSP has been doing so well in the district because of united support from dalits and most backwards castes, Rajbhar and Nishads, who have been standing solidly behind Behenji. But that unity now seems to be crumbling.
MBCs complain that dalits have grabbed the lion's share of welfare schemes. So, despite choosing a "safe" seat for himself, Verma is in a spot because SP has fielded old warhorse Shankhlal Majhi, a Nishad, from here.
Two more sons are tasting electoral waters in neighbouring Jalalpur. While sitting BSP MP Rakesh Pandey has managed a ticket for his son Ritesh, BJP has fielded muscleman Azamgarh MP Rama Kant's son Arun. The two are locked in another intense battle against former BSP man Sher Bahadur.
The discontent is all-pervasive. Bad power scenario, breakdown of irrigation facilities, fertilizer available only after spending a fortune. Everybody wants a reply. More so, because three of their MLAs remained ministers for a better part of the past five years.
The Times Of India
Dalit chamber eyes SME exchange
TNN | Feb 6, 2012, 12.50AM IST
NAGPUR: Formed with the idea of encouraging wealth generation by the backward classes, Dalit India Chamber of Commerce and Industries (DIis exploring opportunities for its members in the SME sector and the new proposed SME capital market.
Businessmen dressed in black suits greeted each other with 'Jai Bhim' at the launch function for the Nagpur unit at Hotel Centre Point on Sunday. DICCI is an association of entrepreneurs from the scheduled castes and tribes, formed in 2005, with 127 enrolled members in the city as of now.
DICCI, which had an overwhelming response, had to close the membership drive at 127, with around 200 entrepreneurs still waiting for membership. Strangely, DICCI would only say that they wanted to keep the group manageable, so they restricted membership. This led to some resentment, and with chances of protests, the launch function was held with security men deployed outside the hall.
The chamber, which is already planning a Rs 500 crore venture capital fund, is also looking forward to the proposed SME capital market. "With members in DICCI being from small and medium enterprises (SME) sector, they are being apprised about the SME exchange being started by Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)," Milind Kamble, chairman of DICCI, told TOI.
The launch function of the Nagpur chapter was followed by a session on this new bourse by deputy CEO of BSE Ashishkumar Chauhan.
Chauhan said BSE is planning to launch the SME bourse in next four to eight weeks, with trading expected to start in three months. "So far one draft red-herring prospectus for a public issue of Rs 5 crore has been filed with SEBI. However, many more proposals, mainly from small towns are in the pipeline. A similar potential is seen from DICCI members too," said Chauhan. A listed company has a better chance of wooing venture capital funding, he added.
Kamble pegs the total turnover of DICCI's 1,350 members at Rs 12,000 crore. But he says most of the industries have reached stagnation level and need fresh capital to grow further. In Nagpur, he termed Infratech Private Limited, which is coming up with the Venkatesh City complex, as the biggest member with turnover of over Rs 400 crore. He said the company has acquired a huge fruit plantation in Andamans with a processing unit in Bangkok.
Lately, industries from this class have also secured a quota of 4% in purchases by government agencies. The government has to compulsorily make 20% of its purchases from SMEs, and 20% of the SME quota is now reserved for units run by SC/STs, giving it 4% of the overall government procurement.
About the venture capital fund, Kamble said that it was an idea originally mooted by deputy chairman of planning commission Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia. In this, 5% of the corpus will be contributed by the members with the rest being invested by financial institutions.
The fund will be used to provide capital to innovative business ideas. Analyst Prasad Dahapute, said the fund is expected to be formed soon, adding that one of the members has funding arrangement for around Rs 50 crore.
--
.Arun Khote
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of "Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC")
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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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