Dalits Media Watch
News Updates 15.12.11
Dalit accuses councillor of using abusive language - The Times Of India
Dalit Inc. ready to show business can beat caste - Indian Express
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dalit-inc.-ready-to-show-business-can-beat-caste/888062/0
Abolish made snana, Dalits urge DC - The Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Mangalore/article2716857.ece
Couple found hanging in Bhavnagar village - The Times Of India
The Times Of India
Dalit accuses councillor of using abusive language
TNN | Dec 14, 2011, 10.09PM IST
RAJKOT: A complaint has been filed against leader of opposition in Bhavnagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Rajesh Joshi under Prevention of Atrocities against Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes Act.
According to B Division police station officials in Bhavnagar, the complaint was filed on December 12 by a Dalit living in Anandnagar area of the city Dayabhai Chauhan against Joshi, who is a Congress councillor from Krushnanagar area.
Chauhan has alleged that Joshi used abusive words about Dalits and threatened him too following some heated argument over some deal of the shops.
Deputy superintendent of police (SC/ST cell) is investigating the case.
Joshi could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.
Indian Express
Dalit Inc. ready to show business can beat caste
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dalit-inc.-ready-to-show-business-can-beat-caste/888062/0
Thu Dec 15 2011, 02:43 hrs New Delhi:
Two days from now, a 1,000-strong club of Dalit entrepreneurs will showcase their wares over 1 lakh square feet of space in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla complex. The Rs 2-crore infrastructure budget for the three-day event beginning December 16 is not without purpose. It will tell the world that Dalits, given the opportunity, will beat the caste order with capitalism — and will give much more than they seek.
Hobnobbing with the Dalit entrepreneurs at the DICCI Trade Fair 2011 will not be the Prime Minister of India, but the czars of India Inc., Ratan Tata and Adi Godrej.
"Getting the prime minister for a Dalit gathering is not difficult in our society. But for Dalit entrepreneurs, taking a photograph with Tata and Godrej over lunch and tea is an aspiration — and proof that they have arrived," said Chandrabhan Prasad, mentor, Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DICCI), an organisation that was born as SC, ST Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2003.
In a display of its capitalist credentials, DICCI plans to parade at the fair about half a dozen Dalit entrepreneurs who have turned multinationals. "The Dalit community has so many leaders. But we need business leaders now," said Milind Kamble, who along with four or five friends conceived the SC, ST Chamber of Commerce and Industry nearly 10 years ago.
"As Dalits, we need a DICCI more than a FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) to develop leadership. Tata and Godrej are idols for our youth," he said.
Kamble, the son of a school teacher from Latur in Maharashtra, is now managing director of Fortune Construction, a Rs 101-crore company.
What entrepreneurs desperately need is an umbrella to push their corporate agenda, Kamble said. According to him, economic reforms and globalisation actually spurred Dalit entrepreneurship in India.
"It (globalisation) triggered outsourcing of ancillaries," he said.
It was not easy for Kamble and his friends to organise and build muscle at DICCI. In the initial years, many did not want to disclose their caste, fearing it would impact their business. But over the last couple of years, it has become easy to talk to them and convince them.
"The affirmative action agenda of the government as well as industry's realisation to engage with us has helped," Kamble said.
The Tata Group has booked a large space to display 40-odd products at the trade fair. "The Tatas want all Dalit entrepreneurs to know what they can supply to the Tata Group," said Chandrabhan Prasad, who has been funded by the University of Pennsylvania's Center for the Advanced Study of India to prepare a list of Dalit entrepreneurs in the country.
"Almost 40 per cent of Tata Motors' parts are outsourced to small players. Nano's silencer is produced by a Dalit entrepreneur. So are two-three parts of the Tata Indigo," he pointed out.
Kamble said his organisation is keen to engage in a constructive dialogue with the Indian government and industry. "The government is more inclusive today. The new procurement policy that requires 4 per cent sourcing from Dalit small and medium enterprises is its first concrete affirmative action. And we cannot afford to hate capitalists anymore," he said.
Multinationals run by Dalits
Jangal Exports, Ludhiana
A T-shirt exporter with showrooms in London and Dubai. Turnover Rs 70 crore. Owner Malkiat Chand's parents were agriculturists.
Gujarat Pickers, Ahmedabad
Has a sugar mill in Africa. Turnover Rs 380 crore. Owned by Rati Bhai Makwana.
Kamani Tubes, Mumbai
Has a copper unit in the Gulf. Turnover Rs 500 crore. Owner Kalpana Saroj once worked for Rs 2 a day in a hosiery unit in Mumbai.
Das Offshore Engineers Ltd, Mumbai
Has an oil exploration business in Gulf. Owner Ashok Khade's father was a cobbler.
Indo Sakura, Bangalore
A software firm with operations in Japan. Turnover $2.5 million. Owner Atul Paswan's father was a schoolteacher.
The Hindu
Abolish made snana, Dalits urge DC
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Mangalore/article2716857.ece
Staff Correspondent
Participants at the meeting organised on Wednesday to address development-related issues faced by the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes people unanimously demanded a ban on made snana across the State.
During a meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner N.S. Channappa Gowda, members of various Dalit groups said the practice should be abolished by the district administration.
Members of the Dalit Rights Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Shekar L. said that serving food only to people of a particular caste in a government-run temple amounted to the government supporting discrimination on the basis of caste. He said the district administration should abolish the "inhuman" practice across the State.
Mr. Gowda said that he would convey the views expressed to the State Government. Dalit groups would be consulted on the course of action to be taken, he added.
Withdraw order
During the previous SC/ST meeting held a year ago, Nagarika Seva Trust had demanded that the order allotting land reserved for the depressed classes to an educational institution in Dharmasthala in Ujire be scrapped.
As District Social Welfare Officer Arun Furtado read out the minutes that the Government had allotted 43.90 acres of land, loud exclamations arose from a number of people.
District convenor of the Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (B. Krishnappa faction) Krishnananda said that allotting land to an educational institution "which already had hundreds of acres of land was wrong when Dalits have been struggling for years to obtain DC manna land". This prompted scattered applause from participants of the meeting.
Mr. Gowda told the meeting that the land had in fact been granted in 1949 and that he would write to the State Government about the objections raised.
Land issues
The overwhelming concern of nearly all the people who participated in the meeting was the allotment of land kept reserved for people of depressed classes (commonly called D.C. manna land) to Dalits.
A number of activists spoke about instances of DC manna land being encroached upon by others. In several cases, where Dalits were living on DC manna land, title deeds were not given to them, they said.
Activist Bhanuchandra requested Mr. Gowda to file cases under Section 3 (4) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 against those who encroached upon land notified to be allotted to SCs or STs.
Mr. Gowda said that he could take action under other revenue laws but not the Atrocity Act.
Section 3 (4) of the Act classified wrongful occupation of land meant for SC/ST people as an atrocity.
Zilla Panchayat member from Naravi C.K. Chandrakala said that although she was allegedly abused over her caste by Mada Gowda and Lalita, no arrests had been made.
Additional Superintendent of Police Prabhakara said that he would look into it.
Mr. Gowda said that a special meeting would be convened to address the issue of land. He directed that similar meetings be held once a month by the tahsildars and once every two months by Assistant Commissioners.
The Times Of India
Couple found hanging in Bhavnagar village
TNN | Dec 14, 2011, 11.02PM IST
RAJKOT: A man and a 20-year-old girl allegedly committed suicide by hanging themselves from a tree in Isora village of Bhavnagar on Wednesday morning.
The deceased have been identified as Suresh Koli and Alpa Bariaya.
Talaja police said both, residents of Isora village, were in love. They also belonged to the Koli caste. Fearing societal problems, both committed suicide, police said.
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