India Dalit boy 'killed over high-caste man's name'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-15997648
A low-caste Dalit boy has been killed in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh for sharing a name with a man of a higher caste, police say.
They said Neeraj Kumar's father Ram Sumer had been asked to change the names of two sons as they were the same as those of Jawahar Chaudhary's sons.
The body of Neeraj, 14, was found on 23 November in a field. Two friends of the Chaudhary family have been arrested.
Mr Chaudhary denies the involvement of his family in the murder.
He says the family is being framed by police.
Dalits, formerly known as "untouchables", are at the bottom of the Hindu caste system in India.
Although caste discrimination is illegal, biases remain in many areas.
Strangled
The latest incident took place in Radhaupur village in Basti district.
Both Ram Sumer and Jawahar Chaudhary have sons named Neeraj and Dheeraj and that has long been an issue between the two families, Sub-inspector Praveen Kumar said.
Mr Chaudhary, who belongs to a higher caste, had given several warnings to Mr Sumer to change the names of his boys.
On 22 November, Neeraj left home after dinner to watch television at a friend's house. His body was found the next day.
Police said he was strangled.
Mr Chaudhary's sons - Neeraj and Dheeraj - are missing, but police have arrested two friends of the family who they say had a role in the murder.
Hindustan Times
After Sena-BJP, Cong attempts to woo Dalits
Concerned about the impact of Republican Party of India (RPI) leader Ramdas Athawale's alliance with the saffron combine on the upcoming Mumbai civic polls, a jittery Congress has now planned to befriend other Dalit leaders. The party is looking for an alliance with Prakash Ambedkar,
grandson of Dr BR Ambedkar and Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) leader, and Dalit leader Jogendra Kawade.
Sources in the Congress said an initial internal assessment had shown that the new saffron alliance could affect 15 to 17 seats in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and swing the results of the polls.
"It will have an impact on a sizeable number of seats, which were seen as traditionally ours. We hope to counter this effect by joining hands with other Dalit leaders," said a Congress leader requesting anonymity.
While the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is also thinking on the same lines, it claims that its own Dalit leadership is strong enough to counter any Athawale effect.
"Congress has not approached me till now. The NCP has called me for a political discussion." said Ambedkar. "I am open to having an alliance because it is necessary to have an alternative for the people in the upcoming civic polls."
While the RPI led by Athawale presently has only three seats in the BMC, there are 20-25 constituencies in the civic body where the Dalit vote is likely to play the deciding factor.
On the whole, Dalits represent 15% of electoral vote in the state and will play an important role in the civic polls of other cities such as Thane and Nashik.
Political analysts feel that in the absence of an united Dalit platform, opportunism is dictating alliances. "For many, Athawale's tie up with the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party combine will feel like a betrayal. So I don't know how much of an impact Athawale will have. But Congress will get an upper hand by allying with Ambedkar. He doesn't have any presence in the city, but his name could do the trick," said Surendra Jondhale, political analyst.
"However, the Dalit youth is smitten by Raj Thackeray and this could also have some impact on the civic polls," he added.
The Times Of India
Two arrested for allegedly raping minor girl
The author has posted comments on this articlePTI | Dec 1, 2011, 08.35PM IST
BANGALORE: Two persons have been arrested for allegedly raping a 10-year-old minor girl, police said on Thursday.
Farooq (34), a poultry shop owner and Imran (36), a fruit vendor, lured the victim by offering chocolates and sweets before taking her to a deserted place and raping her today, police said.
The duo were remanded to judicial custody.
--
.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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