Saturday, August 3, 2013

Dalits Media Watch - News Updates 03.08.13




Dalits Media Watch

News Updates 03.08.13

 

Girl's death sparks tension- The Hindu

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/girls-death-sparks-tension/article4984360.ece

Youth kills self in dalit wife's house- The New Indian Express

http://newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/Youth-kills-self-in-dalit-wife%E2%80%99s-house/2013/08/03/article1715605.ece

School turns away dalit boy, probe ordered- The Times Of India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/School-turns-away-dalit-boy-probe-ordered/articleshow/21562284.cms

Dalits fall victims to fraudulent loan rackets- The New Indian Express

http://newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/Dalits-fall-victims-to-fraudulent-loan-rackets/2013/08/03/article1716020.ece

BJP demands punishment to Mahakalpada accused- The Hindu

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-otherstates/bjp-demands-punishment-to-mahakalpada-accused/article4984705.ece

Fine Arts Professor denies allegations- The New Indian Express

http://newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/Fine-Arts-Professor-denies-allegations/2013/08/03/article1715691.ece

Mystery shrouds death of Dalit boy who married Vanniyar girl- Business Standard

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/mystery-shrouds-death-of-dalit-boy-who-married-vanniyar-girl-113080200837_1.html

Odisha Govt plans 55 new hostels for SC students- Odisha Today

http://odishatoday.com/viewnews.php?news_id=4992

 

NOTE : Please find attachment for HINDI NEWS UPDATES (PDF)

 

The Hindu

Girl's death sparks tension

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/girls-death-sparks-tension/article4984360.ece

 

The suspicious death of a Dalit girl triggered tension in Tuticorin on Friday.

 

Twenty eight-year-old D.Selvakani, of Three Cent Anthoniyarpuram, allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself from the railing of a staircase at her workplace. Angered over the girl's death, her relatives blocked traffic at the four-road intersection on the Palayamkottai Road, seeking action against those instrumental for the death.

 

The girl, whose parents were deceased, was working in a private mobile phone distribution agency on Anna Nagar Main Road here. The Tuticorin South police were informed of the apparent suicide around 8 p.m. on Thursday.

 

Based on a complaint preferred by D.Kaniraj (24), brother of the deceased, the police filed a case under Section 174 (suspicious death) of the Indian Penal Code. Superintendent of Police M.Durai said the girl, who had worked at the agency for close to a year, reportedly had an affair with her relative and colleague Vijay.

 

When it resulted in a family dispute recently, the agency dismissed Mr.Vijay and asked the girl to leave the office after collecting her salary dues. This drove her to take her life, he said.

 

The girl's relatives questioned the police action of removing the body without informing them.

 

The girl's body has been sent for post-mortem.

 

The New Indian Express

Youth kills self in dalit wife's house

http://newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/Youth-kills-self-in-dalit-wife%E2%80%99s-house/2013/08/03/article1715605.ece

 

A 19-year-old Vanniyar youth who married a girl belonging to Adi Dravidar community committed suicide at the latter's house here on Thursday night.

 

Vinod Kumar, son of Chandran of Vellalagundam village in Valapady taluk took his life by consuming poison, police sources said.

 

Vinod married Sasikala (18) a few months back after courting her for sometime.

 

 Since Kumar's family opposed the marriage the couple was staying with Sasikala's family at Nehru Nagar in Karipatti.

 

Both of them got acquainted while working in private firms in Salem.

 

He consumed poison at the house on Thursday and died later in the day.

 

The reason behind his suicide is yet to be ascertained by the police and investigations are going on in this regard. Police recovered the body and sent it to Salem Government Hospital for autopsy.

 

According to police, a case under Section 174 of the CrPC (unnatural death) has been registered and investigations are on.

 

However, sources said the parents of the youth, who have already forsook him, and that of the girl have not filed any complaint regarding the death.

 

The Times Of India

School turns away dalit boy, probe ordered

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/School-turns-away-dalit-boy-probe-ordered/articleshow/21562284.cms

 

BHOPAL: A four-year-old dalit boy was allegedly removed from a private school in Bhind district after other students refused to sit with him in the class.


The district administration has ordered an inquiry into the alleged caste discrimination against dalit student.

The shocking incident came to light at Gohad tehsil- 70 km from the district headquarters- after boy's father Santosh Valmik sought intervention of local administration.


According to Santosh, he had admitted his son Anubhav to National Convent School on July 29. He was given admission after collecting Rs 2,000 as fee. He also received a receipt for it.


On July 30 when he went to school for the first time, other students in the classroom allegedly refused to sit with them or share bench with him. Disheartened Anubhav returned home without attending any class and informed his parents about, sources said.


When his father went to school and informed the matter, authorities concerned advised him to look for another school reasoning that none of student in the class was ready to sit with him. The school fee was also returned.

Annoyed over the dismissal, Santosh approached sub-divisional magistrate and lodged a complaint against the school operator.


The matter was reported to district collector M C B Chakravarti, who ordered block education officer to probe the matter. "I have ordered an inquiry into the matter. Action will be taken against those guilty," the collector told TOI.

 

The New Indian Express

Dalits fall victims to fraudulent loan rackets

http://newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/Dalits-fall-victims-to-fraudulent-loan-rackets/2013/08/03/article1716020.ece

 

A group of people, mostly Dalits, who were allegedly taken for ride by a fraudulent loan racket are engaged in a fight to save their mortgaged properties.

 

The victims who hail from different parts of Thrikkakara and Kochi corporation on Friday organised a protest march to the house of a person in Kizhakkambalam, who allegedly cheated a Dalit family in Kakkanad on similar lines.  The victims say that they are facing the threat of their properties being attached by the SARFAESI Act. The Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act enables banks to reduce their non-performing assets (NPAs) by adopting measures for recovery without seeking the mediation of courts.  Vijo Vijayan, chairman of the 'Janakeeya Samarasamithi' said that the strategy of the fraudsters was to zero in on poor people who are in badly in need of loans.

 

"It is very difficult for the landless and people with relatively less land and other property to get access to credit. The fraudsters, well connected to certain officials in some of the mainstream banks approach the needy promising that they will arrange loans from reputed mainstream banks", he said.

 

The gang prepares documents and arranges loans for the owners of the land.  They make use of the ignorance of the victims and usurp the majority of the loan amount. The actual owners of the land are merely given a small amount of the money. The gang also takes money from the victims in the pretext of paying EMIs.

 

They rarely pay the dues and victims will come to know about the huge debt and interest accumulated only after the banks send recovery notices invoking SARFAESI Act," he said.

 

The Hindu

BJP demands punishment to Mahakalpada accused

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-otherstates/bjp-demands-punishment-to-mahakalpada-accused/article4984705.ece

 

BJP State President K.V. Singhdeo on Friday demanded exemplary punishment to the accused involved in Mahakalapada gang-rape and attempt to murder incident in which a minor Dalit girl was set afire by the accused.

 

After visiting the SCB medical college and hospital here, where the girl is undergoing treatment, Singhdeo strongly condemned the inhuman and heinous act and demanded that the victim's family members should be given adequate protection as they are receiving threat calls.

 

The BJP president and many other party functionaries also discussed with doctors here about the treatment given to the girl, who has received over 70 per cent burn injuries.

 

Before visiting the girl in the hospital here, the BJP leader had also gone to her native village in Kendrapara district where the victim's grandmother told Singhdeo about the threats the family is receiving over these days.

 

Questioning about the police inaction in the case, Singdeo also wondered as to how the police have failed to nab the third accused involved in this barbaric act.

 

Singdeo said apart from providing free treatment to the girl, the State Government should also pay adequate compensation to the victim.

 

The BJP members in the hospital also met the family members of Maino Murmu, a minor girl who was axed by a relative.

 

The New Indian Express

Fine Arts Professor denies allegations

http://newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/Fine-Arts-Professor-denies-allegations/2013/08/03/article1715691.ece

 

Prof Stanley Suresh, who has been accused of sexual harassment by students at Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University denied all allegations against him and said he was being targeted because he was a Dalit.

 

The professor, who has been removed from the post of head of department of painting and has been served a show-cause notice, alleged that certain faculty in the university who were jealous of his achievements have been trying to remove him from the past several years. He demanded an official inquiry into the case.

 

Talking to the Express, he said, "I have been targeted because of my Dalit identity. Let them produce evidence against me through a CB CID inquiry and prove me guilty. I am ready to take any punishment."

 

Meanwhile, the legal notice sent to the varsity has also demanded immediate suspension of Prof B Srinivas Reddy, principal, College of Fine Arts, for his alleged role in safeguarding the tainted professor. According to High Court lawyer, PS Rajasekhar, who sent the legal notice to the university, the principal has been colluding with Stanley Suresh and has been trying to suppress the students' protest.

 

Business Standard

Mystery shrouds death of Dalit boy who married Vanniyar girl

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/mystery-shrouds-death-of-dalit-boy-who-married-vanniyar-girl-113080200837_1.html

 

Mystery shrouds the death of a 19-year-old Dalit boy, who was living with his in-laws after his family opposed his marriage with a caste Hindu girl. 


Vivek Kumar, a flower vendor at the bus stand here, died last night at a private hospital in nearby Vazhapadi where he was rushed yesterday after he was found unconscious at his father-in-laws' house, police said today. 

The deceased and 20-year-old Sasikala, both residents of Vellalagundam village near here, got married four months back. 


Since Kumar's parents opposed their marriage, the couple were staying with the girl's family, who belonged to Vanniyar community.

 
Police said a case under CrPC section 174 (unnatural death) had been registered and investigations were on. 

Since the death occurred within four months of the marriage, an inquiry by the Revenue Divisional Officer would be held, they said. 


Kumar's death comes close on the heels of the death of Dalit youth, Illavarasan, in neighbouring Dharmapuri district in a tragic end to an inter-caste marriage that triggered anti-Dalit violence last year. 


Illavarasan was found dead on July 4 along a railway track a day after his wife, a Vanniyar girl, said she would live with her mother.

 

Odisha Today

Odisha Govt plans 55 new hostels for SC students

http://odishatoday.com/viewnews.php?news_id=4992

 

Bhubaneswar: The State Government has decided to construct 55 new 100 seated hostels in 10 coastal districts including Sonepur. This was declared by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at a meeting of the Scheduled Castes Welfare Advisory Board here on Friday.


"155 numbers of SC girls hostels have been sanctioned under Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana, out of which 135 hostels have been completed so far and the balance 19 SC girls hostels are likely to be completed within two months", Patnaik said.


In order to bring the SC households to the mainstream,  Government is committed to safeguard their rights and entitlements through strict enforcement of  these Central Acts. These Acts seek to remove untouchability and protect the SCs and STs against atrocities, injustice and exploitation, Patnaik added.


Besides, the State Government has also decided to enhance the post-matric scholarship Maintenance Allowance to one thousand rupees per month for SC-ST boarders of Group 2, 3 and 4 categories.


More so, to reduce high dropout rates and increase attendance, the Odisha Government will give uniforms to all students of Class XI and XII studying in ST & SC Development Department schools.


Reviewing legal assistance to the SC/ST communities, Patnaik stated the State Government has opened 390 Legal Aid Cells in the State to provide free legal services to the SC/ST communities. As many as 593 Legal Retainers have been appointed in 298 Legal Aid Cells in the State. Besides, steps have also been taken to establish 3 special Courts at Cuttack, Balasore and Bolangir for speedy trial of pending atrocity cases, he said.

While monetary relief to the tune of Rs.165.26 lakh has been released for payment to 572 SC atrocity victims, Rs. 207.81 lakh has been released for payment of cash incentive to 421 inter-caste married couples during the current year, he informed.

 

Diet Expenses have been enhanced from Rs. 20 to Rs.100 & Daily Maintenance Expenses from Rs.50 to Rs.200 for payment to the witnesses and victims respectively to facilitate adducing of evidence in the trial courts and also at the time of investigation of cases. 

 

 

 

News Monitor by Girish Pant

 



--
.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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