Dalits Media Watch
News Updates 29.02.12
Dalit man charred to death inside Silchar shop - The Times Of India
Dalit girl raped in UP - Zee News
http://zeenews.india.com/news/uttar-pradesh/dalit-girl-raped-in-up_761316.html
Controversy erupts over dalit's suicide - The Times Of India
SP leader booked under SC/ST Act - One India News
http://news.oneindia.in/2012/02/29/sp-leader-booked-under-sc-st-act.html
Dalit discrimination on rise in state since 2005: Thorat - The Indian Express
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dalit-discrimination-on-rise-in-state-since-2005-thorat/918091/0
Relief for Govt govt as SC stays HC order in contempt case - The Times Of India
The Times Of India
Dalit man charred to death inside Silchar shop
TNN | Feb 29, 2012, 06.53AM IST
SILCHAR: A man was charred to death at Gangapur village on Monday night when the shop inside which he was sleeping caught fire.
Like other days, Chunilal Rabidas (34), a Dalit, was sleeping inside his shop, while his wife and three children were at home on Monday night. Suddenly at 11 pm, villagers noticed that the store was in flames. They rushed to the spot and tried to douse the flames by pouring water. But by then, the shop was gutted.
A number of villagers, as well as members of Chunilal's family present on the spot, on Tuesday alleged that some miscreants poured petrol on the shop and then torched it which led to the death of Chunilal. However, no FIR has been lodged so far.
Silchar police station OC said police rushed to the spot and recovered the body, which was sent to Silchar Medical College Hospital for autopsy. He added that a probe has been launched and it is yet to be ascertained weather it was the handiwork of miscreants or an accident.
However, the village, dominated by Dalits, is tense because of the incident.
In a separate case, police rounded up two persons on Tuesday in connection with the brutal murder of Biswanath Goala (50) and his son, Bishal (23), inside their house at Merua Grant village near Silchar on February 22. Another person was wounded in the attack.
The arrested have been identified as Mati Ghatwar and Shyam Ghatwar. The duo was Biswanath's neighbours. They are being interrogated in Silchar police station.
Zee News
Dalit girl raped in UP
http://zeenews.india.com/news/uttar-pradesh/dalit-girl-raped-in-up_761316.html
Last Updated: Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 13:13
Gonda: A dalit girl was allegedly held captive and raped by two youths in Khargupur area here, police said on Wednesday.
The victim was allegedly abducted on February 25 evening and raped by two youths, Deputy Superintendent of Police Vinod Kumar Pandey said today.
She was also held captive for three days, her family alleged in the FIR registered yesterday.
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He said that the complainant has named fathers of two accused in the FIR of which one has been detained and interrogated. PTI
The Times Of India
Controversy erupts over dalit's suicide
TNN | Feb 29, 2012, 05.32AM IST
KOZHIKODE: The suicide of a dalit Babu alias Preaman (40) in Koyilandy on February 25 is gradually snowballing into a controversy. A joint action committee will be formed on Wednesday to demand a probe into the incident that led Babu to end his life.
People in the region say that he was beaten up by a group of 20-odd people when he visited the house of a woman near Kuravangad Central Upper Primary School in Koyilandy on February 24. It is alleged that he was thrashed and labelled as a thief before he was handed over to Koyilandy police. Apparently the miscreants also shot the entire incident on mobile camera and uploaded it on Youtube.
According to A Rajesh, a close friend and neighbour of Babu, though he was let off by the police, he was upset over the incident.
"We saw the video clippings and have identified the group who bet him up," he said. Rajesh said that Babu was stripped and his hands were tied to his back. Babu, a jeep driver by profession, is survived by his mother, wife, grandmother and a four year-old daughter. He was the member of the Koyilandy Taxi drivers union affiliated to CITU.
The police have registered a case under section 174 (unnatural death) of CrPC. Circle inspector P Haridasan said the probe is in the initial stage and a case could be registered under section 306 (abetment of suicide) of IPC.
The cops have sized the cell phones of Babu and the woman whose house he had visited. It has been handed over to the cyber cell. However, no arrest has been registered so far.
One India News
SP leader booked under SC/ST Act
http://news.oneindia.in/2012/02/29/sp-leader-booked-under-sc-st-act.html
Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 1:15 [IST]
Bulandshahr, Feb 28: SP leader Guddu Pandit was today booked under SC/ST Act for allegedly using derogatory remarks and threatening the husband of a block head officer in Dibai Assembly seat, police said.
"A case has been registered against SP leader Guddu Pandit under SC/ST Act today," SSP R K S Rathore said.
Apparently he had threatened and used derogatory words against Bhupendra Singh, husband of Baanpur block head, in Jalalpur village, he said. Several BSP supporters later took out a march to the police station and a complaint was registered against the leader. PTI
The Indian Express
Dalit discrimination on rise in state since 2005: Thorat
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dalit-discrimination-on-rise-in-state-since-2005-thorat/918091/0
Express news service : Mumbai, Wed Feb 29 2012, 02:42 hrs
Discrimination of Dalits is rampant in Maharashtra even though the state has been a pioneer in civil rights' protection. The number of cases registered under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, has been on a rise since 2005, said Prof Sukhadeo Thorat, chairman of the Indian Council of Social Science Research.
He was speaking on 'Discrimination, Atrocities and the Dalit experience of hope and despair in Maharashtra' at the A R Desai Memorial Lecture in Mumbai University's Kalina campus on Monday.
Thorat said incidents such as the Khairlanji killings and more recently the alleged humiliation of Dalits in Satara district are "disturbing and surprising" as Maharashtra has been a pioneer in civil rights' protection. "I have been a victim of discrimination," said Thorat, also the former chairman of the University Grants Commission.
He said the number of registered cases under Atrocities Act in Maharashtra vary from 141 (minimum) in 1998 to 370 (maximum) in 2007. The number increased from 219 in 2004 to 350 in 2006, 370 in 2007 and 334 in 2008. "Punitive measures don't seem to discourage upper castes to refrain from caste-related atrocities. These data, however, don't indicate the real magnitude of the problem as untouchables generally make use of the Act only in cases that are severe or those which attract public attention. Also, official data doesn't indicate the form/nature of violent methods used," he said.
He said analysis of the number of cases registered under the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, from 1994 to 2008 in Maharashtra shows that an average of 140 cases were registered yearly. The number was highest at 398 in 1994, but reduced to 135 in 1999, 98 in 2000 and 20 in 2008. "There has been a steady decline. It could be interpreted either as untouchability is declining or that untouchables don't desire to register cases as they may not get adequate justice," he said.
Thorat said while laws have brought in positive changes, complete exclusion and discrimination against Dalits or untouchables still exist in many spheres. He said all steps to tackle discrimination have been victim-focused. "We also need to target our policies at those who practise untouchability and change their beliefs/norms/ideologies. Social reform programmes should be dual in nature. Interpersonal behaviour and family are predominant sources of discrimination, children pick up values from family and society and we need to target them," said Thorat.
He said children must be sensitised outside family and the Maharashtra government must look at introducing a component in the curriculum that teaches problems of caste/gender bias. "We never teach children to deny discrimination. How many studies and empirical data have been generated by Mumbai University on this issue? Each instrument of social mobility must be used to teach that discrimination is wrong. Why can't political parties make it their agenda? Political, cultural and religious forums/functions can be used as instruments of change. The state can set up a committee to look into problems of caste, gender and come out with solutions," he said. Thorat proposed introducing ministry of social reforms within the state's social justice department.
Rajpal Hande, director of Board of College and University Development (BCUD), Mumbai University, suggested that the faculty of arts can develop a foundation course on societal problems like discrimination, which can be implemented by the university.
The Times Of India
Relief for Govt govt as SC stays HC order in contempt case
TNN | Feb 29, 2012, 01.49AM IST
JAIPUR: The Ashok Gehlot government was saved from an embarrassment on Monday when the Supreme Court stayed the Rajasthan High Court's last week order wherein the state's two top bureaucrats were held guilty of "willful contempt of the court" in the quota in promotions case.
The high court was to award punishment to chief secretary Salauddin Ahmed and principal secretary (personnel) Khemraj in the afternoon. However, in the morning, the apex court stayed the high court's proceedings till March 20.
At the same time, the top court also stayed execution of the notification issued on September 11, 2011 that the state government had been citing as compliance of the high court order of February 5, 2010, which led to the contempt proceedings.
After this, the high court also deferred hearing in the matter till March 26 and directed the state government to submit before it the apex court's stay order of Monday on oath by then.
The case pertains to the legal dispute on the quota in promotions constitutionally allowed to state government employees belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SC) and the Scheduled Tribes (ST). Even as the non-reserved categories employees, including those from the Other Backward Classes ( OBC) category, opposed the quota alleging that the apex court guidelines were not adhered to, in doing so, the state government reasoned how it has now fulfilled all the legal requirements in granting the benefit to the SC/ST employees.
A division bench of Justice NK Jain and Justice RS Rathore, however, rejected the state government's plea that it has abided by the high court order of February 2010 by gathering the quantifiable data through the Bhatnagar committee to support the quota for SC/ST employees and, thereafter, issuing the notification of September 11, 2011. The Samata Andolan Samiti, one Bajrang Lal Sharma and others, on other hand, moved contempt petition and alleged that the government attempted to "overreach" the February 2010 judgment by forming the Bhatnagar committee and issuing the notification that would protect the "illegally promoted" SC/ST employees. The Samiti reasoned before the apex court that as compliance of the high court judgment, the state government ought to have issued revised seniority lists of its employees from April 1, 1997.
The high court had summoned chief secretary Ahmed and principal secretary Khemraj at 2 pm on Monday to hear the punishment for contempt. But, on the basis of a special leave petition moved by the state government against the high court's contempt order, the Supreme Court intervened and stayed the proceedings.
--
.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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