The Hindu, 30-4-2006

Ban on book by Rajasthan an anti-Dalit act: CPI(M)

JAIPUR: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has described the Rajasthan Government's decision to proscribe the book, "Ve Sharam Se Hindu Kahate Hai Kyon?" (Why are they ashamed of being called Hindus?) as an "anti-Dalit" act. Coming in the wake of a similar action against another book, "Haqeeqat", the ban on the book, which expressed Dalit anguish against oppression of caste Hindus, was a fascist move to suppress the voices of the depressed and the downtrodden, the party said. The State Secretariat of CPI (M) Rajasthan in a statement here said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Government had been taking an adversarial stand against the Dalits and minorities ever since it came to power two-and-a-half years ago. The ban on "Haqeeqat", authored by M.G. Mathew, was followed by a planned attack by the workers of the BJP, Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Christian institutions with tacit support of the State Government, it said. The attacks followed a State crackdown on the Kota-based Emmanuel Mission institutions and arrests of functionaries of the Mission. "Some of them, arrested in February last, are still in jail," the party pointed out. The whole anti-Christian campaign culminated in an oppressive legislation, the Rajasthan Freedom of Religion Bill, passed by the State Assembly early this month, it said. "Now the Government machinery has turned against the Dalits by applying Sections 153-A and 295-A against Sohanlal Singaria, the author of the book, `Ve Sharam Se Hindu Kahate Hai Kyon?' This is reflective of the feudal attitude of the Government," the party said. "If the same parameters are applied, Satyarth Prakash, authored by Swami Dayanand Saraswati and Kabir Vani, which too had spoken against the superstitions and outdated practices of Hindu religion, also would face the same fate in Rajasthan," it said.

25-4-2006

Two Dalits declared Martyrs in Peoples' Movement 2006

In the royal proclamation made on 1st Feb 05, King Gyanendra sacked the government and seized absolute power. The government formed under his Chairmanship hereafter started working against the public interest and agreement. This act of government affected all areas of the country. The country recorded the highest numbers of human rights violation cases under the absolute rule of the King. The pro democratic movement was announced jointly by all stakeholders (civil society, journalists, political parties, legal practitioners, entrepreneurs, human rights activists, employees, teachers, non governmental organisations, intellects, health workers, social workers business houses, etc.) of the society to give an outlet to the existing state of lack of rule and order and utter chaos and dismay.
The Seven Party Alliance (SPA) was formed to handover the rights to the public held by the monarch and to transform the ongoing strike and give it a peaceful outlet for the establishment of democracy. The SPA got into a dialogue with the rebel and got into a 12-points agreement. The latter stage of discussion involved further clarification and honesty in implementation of the 12-point agreement. With the understanding and agreement with the rebels and continuation of the ongoing democratic movement the SPA declared the peaceful general strike (which is supported by the Maoists too) from 6 April 2006. This general strike vows to reinstate democracy in and has received strong support, commitment and participation from citizens from all walks of life.
Millions of people came out in the streets everyday taking part in the peoples' movement. People were chanting slogans against the autocratic monarchy. The movement escalated day by day. Dalit collectively participated and supported the movement extensively at most places and even individually in the capital and other places. For instance Joint Dalit Struggle Committee (JDSC) organised a massive demonstration on 8 April 2006 at Chhetrapati. Likewise, Dalit students' organisations demonstrated at Baneshwore on 12 April. The state used all brutal measures to suppress the surging people's movement. To suppress the demonstrators, the state employed ruthless, undemocratic and totalitarianism measures (curfew, banning public gathering and protest programs, lathi charge,! use of tear gas, bullet firing, apprehension, killing).
And, finally in the late of 11:30 pm of the 24th April 2006, King Gyanendra made a historic proclamation reinstating the dissolved parliament. Now, the parliament has to form an inclusive government and has the responsibility to declare and conduct the election of constituent assembly. Constituent assembly will therefore be responsible for assuring the rights of Dalits. Rights of Dalits can only be assured in democracy.
During the peoples' movement, 19 have been known killed so far and more than 6000 injured in the peoples' movement. Out of the 16 killed, there were two Dalits, namely Setu Bishwakarma of Nepalgunj, Banke and Deepak Bishwakarma killed in Kalanki, Kathmandu.
Those who were arrested from Dalit communities in different parts of countries were, Padam Singh Bishwakarma, Binod Pahadi, Purna Bahadur BK, Prakash BK, Jeetu Gautam, Lal Bahadur BK, Tara Bishwokarma, Gajadhar Sunar, Ishwari Rizal, Bhagwat Bishwasi, Purshottam BK, Bom Bahadur BK, Sundar Purkoti, Babu Ratna Deula, Ram Lakhan Harijan, Hari Nepali, Dhan Bahadur Nepali, Bal Bahadur Pariyar, Hom Nepali, Prem Nepali, Chandra Bahadur BK, Prakash BK, Manoj BK, Raju Sharki, Lokendra Nepali, Lal Bahadur Chunara, and many others.
Likewise, those who were injured from Dalits in different parts of country were, Binod Pahadi, Nirmal Deula, Govinda Nepali, Sushil BK, Hira BK, Devi Maya BK, Pabitra BK, Sita Kishan, Kamal Kumar Lamgade, Bikash Kumar Lamgade, Purna Bahadur BK, Ujeli Kishan, Surya Kumari BK, Krishna BK, Tirtha Barma, Shanti Barma, Janga Khati, and many others.

25-4-2006

Dalit beaten for asking his wages

A Dalit resident of Baluwa, VDC 5 of Khairala of Kailali district was chided insulting his caste and beaten inhumanly by a non-Dalit family who run a shop at the same place. His crime was that he had taken goods from the shop against the work he had done for the family.
In the last mid of February, Nandalal BK, aged 42, second son of Tularam BK had made a spatula and ladle for the Suresh Thapa (50 years) and Durga Thapa (40years) who run a tea and retail shop in the same location. BK had hoped that he would get something in return and had asked for a packet of gold flack cigarette and a match box in credit in 5th March 2006. After taking the credit of Rs. 11, BK had asked Suresh Thapa to deduct the amount from his remuneration to Thapa also agreed. On 20 March 2006, BK went to buy a cigarette costing Rs 2, from Thapa's shop where Durga Thapa forcefully took Rs 50 from him and said that he would have to clear earlier credit of Rs. 11. BK tried to explain that he already had agreement with her husband regarding that amount and requested for t! he change, as he had to buy a wicker basket. She insulted BK by calling him a rascal and said that they were low caste untouchables and had always been living that. BK asked Durga Thapa not use abusive language to which she started beating him with stick. Grief stricken BK said that he pushed her away and she fell in the ground.
Stating the same reason, Durga's husband came with a sharp knife hidden inside a radio cover to BK's house around six in the evening the same day. Calling BK 'a prostitute's son and rascal untouchable', Thapa accused him of touching Thapa's wife and tried to beat him. In the tussle, the knife fell, which Man Bahadur Balami seized and Thapa went away. Later around 8 pm, Thapa sent Bir Bahadur Khadka and Mangal Bahadur Thami of the same village to BK's house. Asking BK to come out, as they had to talk, both started beating him in the road nearby. The beating left him with terrible bruises in eyes, forehead and mouth. While preparing this report, BK said and showed that blood comes out of his mouth while coughing. Mr. Ganesh BK, Chairman of the Regional Dalit Network (RDN) , informed that RDN would provide legal assistance for justice and compensation to BK.

The Rising Nepal, 24-4-2006

Dalits deprived to fetch water in Dadeldhura

DADELDHURA, Apr. 24: More than 100 Dalit families of Bashantapur, Gurukhola and Dhiruwasaiti VDCs have been forced to drink water collected from wells as the non-Dalits deprived them of water sources in the villages.
They go to fetch water to the stream an hour's walk away from the village and sometimes they have to return without water in the winter season.
Eighty Dalit families of Gurukhola, eight families of Bashantapur and eight Lohar families of Dhiruwasaiti VDCs have been facing the scarcity of water because of caste based discrimination imposed by non Dalits.
Although, the District Development Committee (DDC) had planned for a drinking water project, the project was suspended after the non-Dalits debated over the source of water. The consumers' committee had, already, completed half of the works.
Committee chairman Dani Ram Lohar said the works could not be carried out smoothly after the non-Dalits debated over the source of water.
The district administration's attention has, already, been drawn towards the issue, which is learnt to have inquired into the dispute.
Lohar complained that the Dalit families were facing the scarcity of drinking water due to discrimination of non-Dalits despite adequate water sources available there in the villages.
Secretary of the District Dalit Network Karan Ram said that most of the Dalit families in the district were being deprived of their access to drinking water. "Even the Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) are not working to put an end to such discrimination," he added.

OutlookIndia.com, 24-4-2006

How Sharad Got A Life (by Anuradha Raman)

As did Amit, Risha, Parag and many like them. Quotas empowered them to take on challenges.

AsiaNews, 24-4-2006

Another five Dalits were severely injured. The attack took place in the eastern state of Bihar, where "discrimination against outcastes still prevails".

Patna (AsiaNews/ICNS) -- A group of as yet unidentified people yesterday, 23 April, beat a Dalit [outcaste] woman to death. She was picking up grains that had fallen during the sowing of a field near the village of Basudeo Dehri in the eastern state of Bihar.
Police told the local press about the attack, saying it was "further evidence of discrimination against outcastes, still prevalent in the area".
According to reconstructions of the attack, the woman was with other local Dalits; they were picking up seeds of grain dropped by peasants during sowing. Upon seeing this, a group of people took the women captive in a house, where they were beaten severely. Apart from the woman who was killed, five others were severely injured. Police rescued the women and registered a case, but no arrest has been made.
Shortly after the incident, a group of people blocked Mohania-Ara Highway for several hours demanding "the immediate arrest of the culprits". A police officer said: "Tension prevails in the village, but we are keeping the situation under control."

Asian Age, 14-4-2006

States told to identify areas prone to atrocities

New Delhi, April 15: The Centre has instructed all states to identify atrocity-prone areas and implement the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1951, and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 both in letter and spirit. Besides, the Centre has instructed all state governments to prepare an action plan and take necessary preventive steps to protect the life and property of the members belonging to SC and ST community. Talking to this correspondent, a senior official of the Union home ministry said, "Majority of the state governments and Union Territories have set up special cells to deal with offences against SCs and STs. Some state governments have identified atrocity-prone sensitive areas for taking necessary preventive steps to protect the life and property of the members of the SCs and STs also. But there are certain states who have not taken any initiative so far." He further said: "The ministry has also asked all state governments to set up special cells to deal with the offences against SCs and STs and ensure speedy disposal of pending cases with the police." Besides, instructions have been issued to recruit sufficient number of persons belonging to SCs and STs in police force at cutting edge level, he added. "Police and public order are state subjects under the Constitution and the primary responsibility of detection, registration, investigation and prosecution as well as prevention of crime vests with the state governments," said the official.

Asian Age, 14-4-2006

Funds for SCs, STs remain unused

New Delhi, April 13: The dismal performance of the various welfare schemes of the Delhi government, aimed at encouraging students belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities and Other Backward Castes (OBC), may provide food for thought to many. A case in point are the Delhi welfare department records, which indicate that various incentives promised to dalit and backward community students at the school level (Class 6 to Class 12) in the form of providing free stationary and scholarship, and in vocational institutions by offering tuition fee and scholarship, have failed to deliver desired results. Not only do targets for these schemes remain grossly unachieved, major portions of funds have also lapsed for the year 2005-2006. With nil achievements, some schemes have remained an eyewash. For instance, under the scheme "Free supply of stationary to SC\ST\OBC\minority students in schools" the government till January 2006 has spent only Rs 74 lakhs against the revised outlay of Rs 5.33 crores. Though it aimed to help 74,000 students from the segment, only 25 per cent (18,040) could avail these benefits. Not a single student has been selected under the scheme "vocational and technical scholarship" in the various industrial training institutes run by the government against the ambitious target of 1,900 students, resulting in a lapse of Rs 20 lakhs. Against the target of 8,000 students, only 2,740 students from Class 6 to Class 8 are availing financial assistance of Rs 150 and Rs 250 respectively. Thus, the government have spend Rs 11.51 lakhs against the available fund of Rs 40 lakhs. The financial income is not considered a criteria in case of the SC/ST students, while the income should not exceed Rs 48,000 in case of OBC and minorities students. Also, if the government data are to be believed one gets the impression that the students from the beneficiary segment are not "intelligent" enough to be selected for the scholarship offered at various educational level.

Asian Age, 12-4-2006

NDA scraps panel on Ranvir Sena

Patna, April 10: The NDA government in Bihar has scrapped the Justice Amir Das Commission notified to probe the nexus between politicians and Ranvir Sena, an outlawed militia of upper caste landlords responsible for the killing of several hundred dalits in the state. Senior NDA leaders, including deputy chief minister Sushilkumar Modi and road construction minister Nandkishore Yadav, were expected to face the heat generated out of commission's report. The request for an extension by the commission, notified after the infamous Lakshmanpur Bathe massacre on December 1, 1997, wherein 59 dalits were killed, was turned down by the Nitish Kumar government as it "realised" of late that not only the commission failed to come out with its final report even after eight years but, also, it was "irrelevant" today.
Interestingly, it is known, the commission was compiling records and evidences it collected and was expected to come out with the final report in just a few months. While probing the nexus between politicians and militants, the commission had served notices on 38 politicians, including BJP leaders Murli Manohar Joshi, C.P. Thakur and Kailashpati Mishra. RJD leaders Kanti Singh Akhilesh Prasad Singh (now ministers in the Union government), Arun Kumar and Shivanand Tiwary, LJP's Ram Jatan Sinha (previously in the Congress) had also deposed before the commission. Statements of 400 witnesses had also been recorded while the Sena's chief, Brahmsewar Singh, presently behind bars in Beur Jail, was to be questioned shortly. If people associated with the probe are to be believed, the commission required only three to five months extension to prepare the final report.

Asian Age, 12-4-2006

In UP, Dalits reconvert to Hinduism

Lucknow, April 10: More than 295 Dalits belonging to 57 families in Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh have reconverted to Hinduism. These persons had converted to Christianity last year and their conversion had kicked up a major controversy with a section of the people claiming that they were being forced to convert. In an elaborate ceremony on Sunday, these families were initiated back into the Hindu religion in the presence of representatives from the Hindu Jagran Manch and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The reconversion ceremony took place in Chandvak Khas village under Chandvak police station village where 108 persons belonging to 22 families had converted to Christianity last year. Another ceremony took place in Bagerwa gram panchayat where 187 persons reverted back to the Hindu fold. Local RSS functionary Murlipal told this newspaper on Monday that some local Christian missionaries had lured the Dalits, and some tribals, into Christianity by promising them a better life and education for their children. "We are very happy that they are returning to their parent religion and we will make sure that they do not get misled again," the RSS functionary said. "When these people converted to Christianity last year, we did not raise any objections because we knew it would lead to a major controversy. However, a year later, these people have seen through the game and came to us with as plea that they wanted to revert to being Hindus. We asked them to go back and give it another thought but they all came back to us and so we finally arranged for their return to the Hindutva fold," he said. Kunwar Nagina, a local tribal who had led others when he converted to Christianity last year, told this newspaper that when they found that there was no difference between the two religions, they decided to revert back to Hinduism.

The Hindu, 12-4-2006

Set up protection cells: Dalit rights fora

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre, all States and Union Territories, the National Human Rights Commission and the National Commission for SC & ST on a petition seeking effective measures to prevent atrocities on Dalits. A Bench consisting of Justices Ruma Pal, Dalveer Bhandari and Markandey Katju issued the notice on Monday on the plea by the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights, Sakshi--Human Rights Watch and the Centre for Dalit Rights. The petitioners wanted a direction issued to the respondents to appoint nodal officers and set up protection cells, as envisaged under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. They said the victims were not allowed to make complaints and first information reports were rarely registered. Even when they were registered, there was no reference to proper sections of the Act. The victims were invariably forced to compromise on pain of social/economic boycott. Separate special courts should be set up in each district within six months as provided under the Act. All cases of atrocities on the Dalits and tribals must be regularly monitored by judicial officers. Such cases should receive top priority and the victims should get speedy justice. The petitioners also sought a direction to trial courts to send a report every six months to the High Court concerned.

NCDHR, 11-4-2006

NCDHR Welcomes the UPA Government's Decision to Introduce Reservation for OBC's in Educational Institutions

New Delhi, 11 April 2006

The National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) welcomes the UPA Government's decision to introduce Reservation for OBC's in Education Institutions. This was a long awaited demand to be fulfilled by the Government of India in order to correct the imbalance in the field of education, wherein the rights of the socially and educationally backward castes have been trampled upon since century's altogether. This is certainly a welcome step in the right direction and if implemented in true spirit would definitely lead to overall development of the great chunk of India's population which has been forced to remain on the margins. NCDHR would like to make it very clear that education is a right and can not be allowed to remain a privilege for the chosen few.
At the same time NCDHR expresses its great concern on the role played by a large section of Indian media in creating an unpleasant situation of crisis which might add fuel to the fire by instigating a section of student community to spread hate campaigns. The hate campaign is already on through Internet which reflects deep rooted hostility and hatredness towards Dalits, Adivasis and OBC's. The caste bias of the Print as well as the Electronic media has come out openly. Heaven will not fall if reservation is extended to the OBC's in educational institutions, but the manner in which media has blown the matter out of proportion, is highly despicable. Once again the media has chosen to play the role of maintaining the status quo in society, rather than being an agent of social change.
It is wrong to say that reservation kills efficiency and competitiveness. Merit, efficiency and competitiveness are not the sole property of a particular section/s of the Indian society. Reservation as a matter of fact is a defence mechanism against well entrenched caste based discrimination prevalent in Indian society. All those who are shouting against reservation saying that it affects merit and efficiency forget to highlight the fact that reservation is provided only at the time of admission in educational institutions and not at the time of awarding degrees. Every one including Dalits, Adivasis and OBC's need to secure minimum pass percentage to be eligible to get a degree. So how does reservation affects merit and efficiency. Reservation is certainly not against merit, it is a means to have access and equal opportunity. In a society where institutionalized casteism is a norm which governs all kinds of relationship, it is not enough to say that education and skill building will result in fair recruitment. Proportionate representation to various disadvantaged and discriminated sections must be provided if we claim to be an egalitarian society, or else we should frankly claim that India should be governed by Manu Dharma and not by a modern Constitution which is based on the principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.
Why do people forget that on the Indian Sub-Continent, where traditional caste system has still maintained a stranglehold, it is only the Brahmins and other twice born castes who have benefited from the unwritten reservation for centuries together. Even now it is they who dominate in almost every sector, be it politics, governance, industry, media etc. What is wrong in correcting this imbalance? There is certainly a need to compensate the denial of right to education to Dalits, Adivasis, OBC's and other disadvantaged sections of Indian society.
NCDHR believes that caste blind policies would not work to improve the situations of exclusion, discrimination, denial of access and equal opportunity. What is needed is the overall transformation of Indian society, culture, economy and polity, but till the time that takes place, we will definitely need reservation in some form or the other mainly because caste based discrimination has continued even in our present times. Reservation Policy is not an Anti-Poverty policy. The objective of Reservation policy is parity and not charity. Reservation is a human rights issue of Dalits, Adivasis and other disadvantaged sections which also includes OBC's, Women, Disabled, which can not and should not be denied any longer, if India as nation claims to be egalitarian and a nation which is sensitive and responsible enough to end all kinds of discrimination hitherto faced by Dalits and other disadvantaged sections. The creamy layer concept applies to those sections of Indian society, who have been lording over the fate of this nation since millennia. Why should this argument be applied to Dalits, Adivasis and other disadvantaged? As a matter of fact reservation is also one of the ways to harness the untapped potential and vast human resources for the country and its overall development.
NCDHR appeals to the Government of India, leaders of different Political Parties and the civil society at large to ensure justice to the large majority of Indian population who have remained the victims of obscurantism and graded inequality in our traditional socio, economic and political set up. It is not enough to provide reservation in educational institutions and therefore the Government of India should come out with a comprehensive policy of affirmative action covering different sectors both in the government as well as in the private sector.

N. Paul Divakar, National Convenor, NCDHR
J. Vincent Manoharan, General Secretary, NCDHR

KeralaNext.com, 10-4-2006

Dalits build own temple in Orissa

Kendrapada (Orissa),India April 10 : Denied entry into a temple in Orissa by the upper castes, Dalits of a village have built a shrine of their own and appointed a Brahmin priest. Chauriberhampur village on the outskirts of Kendrapada town in the coastal district of the same name is home to nearly 1,400 people from different castes as well as Muslims. It has a temple dedicated to Hindu god Shiva where Dalits and other lower castes were being denied entry as part of an age-old practice.
"There are 900 people in the village who belong to the 'hadi' (scavenger) community and considered lower castes," said Dalit leader Abhumunya Naik.
Most of them clean streets, toilets and do other odd jobs.
"We have been worshipping Hindu goddess Maa Mangala in an open place. We decided to build a temple in that place for the deity," Naik told IANS. "People from our caste not only contributed financially but also built the 30-feet high temple. It was completed last month at a cost of nearly Rs.200,000."
Naik said Krupasindhu Patri, a Sanskrit scholar, had been appointed the priest of the temple at a monthly salary of Rs.1,000. "We appointed a Brahmin priest because they know how to perform the rituals," he said.

Asian Age, 5-4-2006

Lucknow Dalit rally on April 7

Lucknow, April 4: The two-month-long Dalit Mukti-Yatra, launched by the Indian Justice Party, will culminate in a rally in Lucknow on April 7. The Indian Justice Party, led by Dr Udit Raj, aims at providing a political alternative to dalits in the state by edging out the Bahujan Samaj Party. Dr Udit Raj, who earlier led the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations, has been fighting for protection of the rights of dalits. He has raised his voice against anti-reservation orders, organised great Bauddh Diksha Programme to eradicate the caste system, demanded reservation in private sector and raised his voice for reservation in the US business in India and filling up the backlog vacancies. Despite his efforts, he realised that social organisations have their own limitations and are not powerful enough to fight the adverse impact of privatization and globalization. He launched the Indian Justice Party with these objectives in mind. "Dr Ambedkar also said that political party is the master key to realise the objectives. Dalits in the UP are being exploited by certain dalit leaders in the name of Dr. Ambedkar’s mission. The benefit of this dalit movement is confined to the leadership. Lakhs of Bahujan Samaj workers and leaders have remained exploited while their leaders are now promoting the same values through Brahmin Sammelans, which are responsible for discrimination and caste system," says Dr Udit Raj. Through the Dalit Mukti- Yatra, Dr Udit Raj has raised the issue of deprivation and exploitation of dalits at the hands of their own leaders.

Pioneer, 3-4-2006

Rabri & Co. SCuttled them economically

New Delhi The scheduled Castes in Bihar account for 15 per cent of the total population, but the State during Lalu-Rabri rule did not show any keenness in getting funds from the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for the economic uplift of SCs. Ministry officials have now pinned hope on the new regime. Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry releases over Rs 400 crore to several States annually under Special Central Assistance (SCA) to Special Component Plan (SCP) for the economic uplift of SCs. The officials have now pinned the hope on the new dispensation in the State vis-à-vis the utilisation of SCs funds. "For the past many years, Bihar has not displayed any keenness in getting the funds under SCA to SCP scheme. In 2003-04, Bihar was released over Rs 9 crore out of which the State claimed to have utilised about Rs 5 crore. Since the State Government did not submit the utilisation details, no funds were released during 2004-05," a Ministry official said."We, however, kept sending reminders to the State Government in this regard in vain. As a result, no funds were released during 2005-06 too. It is a big loss to the State's SC population. During the new financial year beginning April 2006, funds will be released provided the State Government gives us the utilisation details of earlier funds released," the official further said. Apart from Bihar, other States not showing seriousness in getting funds under SCA to SCP scheme are Jharkhand, Kerala, and Goa. The States making most of the funds include Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Karnataka. Over Rs 150 crore were released to these States during the current financial year.

Asian Age, 3-4-2006

UPA ignores rights of SCs, STs

New Delhi : The Congress-led UPA government had claimed that it attached highest priority to developing physical infrastructure for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in particular. Not only this, the UPA’s common minimum programme, which helped it win votes, had promised to enact a Reservation Act to codify all reservations for the Scheduled Castes. However, two years down the line, the dalits are still facing the same hardships that they were facing before the CMP was formulated. Nothing has changed for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. As far as the Scheduled Tribes (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill is concerned, which aims to provide tribals rights to forest resources linked intimately with their lives, has also not seen the light of the day. The draft bill aims to compensate the "injustice" done to the forest-dwelling tribes that were denied their traditional rights to forest lands and resources. However, it has failed to impress the targeted beneficiaries. Besides, the Centre has failed to constitute a separate regulatory authority for effective regulation of the reservation policy. The parliamentary committee on welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes also recommended constitution of a separate regulatory authority. According to observers, the basic objective of the UPA government is to provide maximum benefits for the welfare of SCs and STs as guaranteed by the Constitution and, while providing benefits to them, intention of the implementing authority should be clear and unbiased. Article 46 (Directive Principles of the State Policy) of the Constitution provides that educational and economic interests of SCs and STs be safeguarded. Experts also believe that besides implementing strictly the existing laws, the government should not hesitate to evolve new laws, rules or ways to give maximum benefits to people belonging to SCs and STs. Necessary amendments may be made in the Constitution to enable passage of a Reservation Act and the same should be placed in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution. But the UPA government has been done anything in this regard.

The Hindu, 1-4-2006

Dalit youth's murder: three held

HYDERABAD: Three suspects, including a Telugu Desam corporator, were picked up by the Uppal police on Friday in connection with the kidnap and murder of a Dalit youth here on Friday. The police had let them off earlier due to lack of evidence in the kidnap of a private company worker N. Ashok of Ramanthapur but they turned out to be alleged conspirators when his body was discovered in a decomposed state in the Musi near Bacharam in Hayatnagar on Thursday. "While one of the suspects Maruthi Ramulu confessed to have poisoned Ashok to death, the role of his mother-in-law Shakuntala and Boudhanagar corporator K. Narayana is being ascertained," Saroornagar ACP Jaganmohan Reddy told a press conference here. The case took many twists and turns since Ashok went missing on March 18. Five days later, his wife Shirisha approached the Uppal police suspecting the involvement of her mother Shakuntala, the corporator and Maruthi Ramulu with whom Ashok was reportedly seen last. Based on her complaint, the Uppal police booked a kidnap case. Shirisha maintained that she married Ashok a year ago against her mother's wishes after falling in love with him while he was living next to their house at Warasiguda. She complained to the police that her mother tried in vain to break the marriage with the help of the corporator. She also pointed the needle of suspicion towards Ramulu, who hails from Ashok's native village in Warangal district, and tried to broker a compromise. "We questioned the complainant's mother, the corporator and the driver but had to set them free since no evidence was found against any of them then," the ACP explained.