From: Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC <pmarc2008@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Jul 12, 2010 at 5:52 PM
Subject: [PMARC] Dalits Media Watch - News Updates 12.07.10
To: Dalits Media Watch <PMARC@dgroups.org>
Dalits Media Watch
News Updates 12.07.10
No Dalit cook for students in this UP school - NDTV
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/no-dalit-cook-for-students-in-this-up-school-37033
Forgive and forget now: Jats urge Dalits - The Hindu
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/12/stories/2010071257230500.htm
Two-member team to probe humiliation of JC - The Hindu
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/12/stories/2010071259530500.htm
SC cook's entry to school kitchen sparks off violence, 6 cops hurt - Express India
Now, Congress launches new set of Dalit icons - Times Of India
Security withdrawn, couple blames police - The Tribune
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100711/haryana.htm#3
NDTV
No Dalit cook for students in this UP school
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/no-dalit-cook-for-students-in-this-up-school-37033
NDTV Correspondent, Updated: July 12, 2010 15:46 IST
Lucknow: Another shameful incident has brought the caste inequalities in an otherwise modern India to the fore. Parents rioted outside a school in Uttar Pradesh after discovering that the cook who prepared food for their children under the mid-day meal scheme was a Dalit.
The Government middle school in the newly created Ramabai Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh has 191 students, nearly half of them who belong to so-called upper castes refused to eat food cooked in school.
Shanti, the Dalit cook was hired by the school 3-4 days ago. When children found out she was a Dalit, they complained to their parents.
Furious parents came out to ensure the school does not forget the age-old caste divisions. Fearing trouble, the school principal fled from the spot.
"These children will go out to study in other schools like even if they get food there or not, but they will not study here," said Biru Dubey, an angry villager.
Villagers have even forced the district administration to toe their line and attacked the police jeeps with stones.
"We have not received many application forms that is why we are giving them 3 more days. If there are any more women who want to apply, they can send in their applications," said Govind Raju, District Magistrate, Ramabai Nagar.
In Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, Dalits comprise over 20% of the population and it's shameful that such an incident has occurred in a state ruled by a Dalit chief minister.
The Hindu
Forgive and forget now: Jats urge Dalits
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/12/stories/2010071257230500.htm
Vrinda Sharma
MIRCHPUR: In a desperate attempt to patch up with Dalits of Mirchpur and ensure early release of the men convicted of arson and murder, the Jats of the village held a panchayat here on Sunday and appealed to the families of victims of recent caste-based violence to embrace brotherhood and forget the past.
"We are all terrified by the events of that unfortunate day, lives have been lost and homes have been destroyed but the Valmiki members of the village must use their right to forgive and forget so that we can all live in brotherhood," said Balbir Saab.
On the 21st of April this year a mob comprising upper caste Jats set ablaze over 18 Dalit houses over a minor incident.
Seventy-year-old Tara Chand and his polio-stricken daughter Suman were charred to death in their home as they could not escape. Police arrested over 40 people.
While Dalits claim that some of the guilty Jat leaders were never arrested, the Jats say that those who were innocent must be released immediately. Asked about his opinion about the punishment for the guilty, an elderly Jat man said on Sunday, "Brotherhood means no grudges against anyone. When we all live as one family, we are all assured of our safety and peace and the dark shadow of past events will fade away. Village matters must not reach the police and courts; those must be resolved by mutual understanding and cooperation."
The Dalits complain that they are under pressure to withdraw police cases and strike a compromise. "We are living under absolute social boycott. We are not sold milk and our children are scared to go to school. The Jats want us to take our complaints back and befriend the men who burnt down our homes without caring for women and children. Half the Dalit population has already left the village and the others have packed their bags and they want us to feel grand about ourselves by forgiving!" said a Dalit, Satyavan.
The deceased Tara Chand's son Pradeep said that until all the guilty men are punished there can be no compromise and that the panchayat must stop pressurising the community to forgo their right to justice.
Meanwhile Tara Chand's sons have started working at the Hisar Secretariat on the posts that the Administration offered them and a compensation of Rs.5 lakh has been given to the family.
The Hindu
Two-member team to probe humiliation of JC
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/12/stories/2010071259530500.htm
Staff Reporter
HYDERABAD (Andhra Pradesh): The State government on Sunday formed a two-member inquiry team to investigate into the charges of humiliation of Joint Collector of East Godavari district Kola Sashidhar in the name of caste recently by a local bar association member in a meeting convened on land acquisition at Rajahmundry.
According to the functionaries of Andhra Pradesh SC, ST Senior Officers' Forum for Social Justice here, an IPS officer of the rank of Additional SP and an Assistant Accountant General would form the team to investigate the issue. The forum condemned the incident of humiliation and decided to take the issue to the notice of Governor and Chief Minister. A delegation of the forum briefed Chief Secretary S.V. Prasad on Sunday. At a meeting convened on land acquisition for Nannaya University on July 7 a bar association member allegedly humiliated Mr. Sashidhar in the name of caste.
The officer lodged a complaint with a local police station on the same evening and a case under SC, ST (Atrocities) Prevention Act was booked against the accused advocate. However, using his connections with political and police bigwigs the bar association member was learnt to have secured bail on July 8, the forum alleged.
Express India
SC cook's entry to school kitchen sparks off violence, 6 cops hurt
Posted: Sun Jul 11 2010, 03:58 hrs Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh):
The entry of a Scheduled Caste woman cook inside the kitchen of a primary school in Kannauj's Bahadurpur Majgawa village sparked off tension in the area on Saturday.
A police team, which reached the village after receiving information of the incident, bore the brunt of the villagers' ire as they were attacked with utensils and stones. Six policemen were hurt in the clash.
"Villagers were annoyed after Shanti Devi went inside the school's kitchen to prepare midday meal. Today was her first day," said Mudh Mangal Yadav, village pradhan. Another woman, Sadhna Dubey, also prepares midday meal in the school. The pradhan said the villagers also beat up the person who supplies foodgrains for the meal.
The police said the situation has been brought under control. However, no person has been arrested.
"The situation was brought under control only after senior officers reached the spot and convinced the villagers," said Raghvan Singh, Station Officer of Saurikh police station.
While Kannauj SP Surya Nath Singh said a case would be registered and action will be taken against the guilty, the District Magistrate, Govind Raju NS, said awarness programme will be held in the villages.
"There were several other issues which had annoyed the villagers. I have asked the officials to ensure that the problems are sorted out soon," said the DM.
According to the police, tension broke out in the village on Friday too when locals learnt that an SC woman has been appointed as cook at the primary school. However, the district officials, intervened and assured the villagers.
Times Of India
Now, Congress launches new set of Dalit icons
Manjari Mishra, TNN, Jul 11, 2010, 01.55am IST
LUCKNOW: Fight for dalit vote-share takes a dramatic turn as UP Congress launches a new set of homegrown Dalit icons. The party think tank delved deep into archives and government records to raise a force of forgotten Dalit OBC and Most Backward Caste (MBC) local heroes from 55 districts in the state to offer a stiff competition to their better known counterparts showcased by rival BSP.
The list of moth-balled celebrities would come handy in striking an emotional cord with the electorate in the chosen pockets where Congress hopes to identify, trace and publicly honour their descendent.
Names like Lakhan Chamar, Chchappan Ahir and Phulva Kurmi, whose 'shobha yatras' were taken out in Kanpur on June 27, definitely don't strike a chord. But each, says Amresh Mishra, the convener of the UPCC Anti-Communal Cell, has a history of sacrifices. Each of the three played a crucial role in engaging British forces in Kanpur on June 27 and July 21, 1957 as per the records.
If Agra witnessed a Bhallu Dalit and Baijoo Chamar Yatra on July 5, Lucknow was a Chinhat Vijay Yatra to commemorate the role of Veera Pasi and Uda Devi, the Pasi icons, on June 30. Congressmen also hunted out the descendent of Ganga Baran Pasi who was beheaded by British near what is now known as the Sarkata Nullah in Lucknow. Even Meerut woke up to the paeans sung to the exploits of Kadam Singh Gujjar, a local celebrity none remembers or talks about.
The plan is to pick up two to five icons from the 55 districts, says Mishra. The cell incident has identified 91 little-known freedom fighters and 52 out of the lot belong to the Dalit and MBC slot which gave the party the idea to capitalise on the issue and use the "their-dalit-versus-our-dalit dual" as an effective bait to 60 percent votebank comprising the two segments.
And if poaching on their terrain leads to annoying the BSP and SP supremo, Congressmen are not concerned. So Etawah will soon commemorate the valorous deeds of Bhondu Singh Ahir, a trusted lieutenant in the army of the erstwhile ruler and Maya's home turf Ambedkarnagar will wake up to the glory of Sattu Chamar - rediscovered by the Congress. The yatras convened by the 'Sajhi Virasat aur Sajhi Shahadat Abhiyan' expected to conclude on May 2011, Mishra hopes will give to UP heroes their rightful place.
The Tribune
Security withdrawn, couple blames police
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100711/haryana.htm#3
Sushil Manav, Tribune News Service
Sirsa, July 10
A youth from the dominant Jat community of Karamgarh village in this district, who married a Dalit girl against the wishes of his family, has alleged that the local police has withdrawn the protection provided to them on court orders, by coercion.
The couple, Surender Kumar and Sharda, approached SP Satinder Kumar Gupta yesterday and alleged that the SHO of the Baragua police station made them sign blank papers and withdrew the protection provided to them two months ago.
SHO Ram Kishan has, however, denied the allegations and maintained that the couple themselves returned the protection.
He alleged that Surender had a dispute with his brother Kulwant, who had lodged a complaint against him and added that the boy was unnecessarily dragging the police in his dispute with his brother.
Surender, a fatherless youth, had married Sharda, a Dalit girl of his own village, on April 8, 2010, in a temple against the wishes of his family.
The couple approached the court for protection on April 15 alleging death threat from his brother Kulwant and uncle Moman Ram, who, he alleged, had shown them the door.
The Baragura police station provided security to the couple after orders of a local court in this regard.
The couple alleged in their complaint to the SP that the local police was hand in glove with Surender's family and had withdrawn their security by forcing him to sign blank papers. Fearing threat to their lives, the couple sought security for them.
--
.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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