Dalits Media Watch
News Updates 12.07.14
NHRC notice to Tamil Nadu government over Dalits' rights violations - Ummid
Relief for Boudh dalits- The Times Of India
http://timesofindia.
Demand in RS for scholarship funds release to SC/ST students- Business Standard
Vadakku Mangudi Dalits seek safe shelter- The Hindu
Rashtriya Ekta Manch organizes protest and peace rally against killings of Muslim techie and Dalit youth in Maharashtra- Two Circle
Govt promises action in rape of minor on panchayat diktat- The Hindu
NEEDED: ELECTORAL REFORMS FOR INCLUSIVE PARTICIPATION- The Pioneer
WITHDRAW STAND ON HOSTELS FOR SC/ST STUDENTS: YADAV- The Pioneer
Judicial remand of 41 Dalits extended - The Tribune
Ummid
NHRC notice to Tamil Nadu government over Dalits' rights violations
New Delhi: The NHRC Friday issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu government, demanding a report on the human rights violations of the Puthirai Vannar community.
Taking cognizance of the matter, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) observed the Puthirai Vannar community in Tamil Nadu is forced to perform dehumanising duties like washing of blood-stained clothes of girls attaining puberty and of mothers after their delivery.
They are also forced to wash the clothes of dead people and their close relatives till the conclusion of last rites, and similar other duties.
"There is no fixed time for their work. Even the remuneration is left to the whims and fancy of the dominant caste. If they refuse to perform such duties, they are subjected to abuse and physical assault and even forced eviction from the village," the commission said in a statement.
Observing the matter raises issue of bonded labour and violation of human rights of Dalits, the commission has issued a notice to the chief secretary, government of Tamil Nadu, directing him to submit a detailed report in the matter within six weeks.
The Times Of India
Relief for Boudh dalits
http://timesofindia.
CUTTACK: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the collector of Boudh district to pay adequate compensation and rehabilitate the 16 dalit families in Ratakhandi village in the district, whose houses were torched and looted by upper caste people in 2012.
The commission has directed the collector to construct new houses for the victims at the government's cost and rehabilitate them within eight weeks. The direction came in response to a petition filed by social worker Akhand highlighting the plight of the poor dalits.
The petitioner alleged that due to some previous enmity, upper caste people had attacked the dalit families in 2012 and also torched their houses. Since then, the victims have been staying outside the village. He alleged that the police did not take any action against the accused and registered cases five months after incident.
Taking note of the petition, the commission has sought a report from the Boudh district administration.
"The administration had mentioned in its report that compensation ranging from Rs 1,200 to Rs 15,000 was paid to the victims. But the commission stated that compensation amount was inadequate and directed the administration to pay appropriate money for their damages," said Akhand.
Business Standard
Demand in RS for scholarship funds release to SC/ST students
A demand was made in Rajya Sabha today for immediate release of funds meant for scholarships of students under Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories, saying the students were facing much hardship due to delays.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Avtar Singh Karimpuri (BSP) said the Constitution provided reservation for SC/ST students in education but fate of lakhs of such students pursuing post-matriculation courses hung in balance in want of release of scholarship funds meant for them.
"In Punjab alone, 2,35,000 Dalit students took admission in various degree courses last year but due to delay in release of scholarship funds they are not able to pursue courses in private colleges which demand timely money," he said.
This year, fresh matriculates are not able to take admissions in various colleges as funds have not yet been released to them till date, he said, adding the matter was serious.
Drawing the attention of the government towards the matter, he demanded immediate intervention to get the funds released.
The Hindu
Vadakku Mangudi Dalits seek safe shelter
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes, led by its Assistant Director Ramasamy, visited Vadakku Mangudi near here on Friday and interacted with the victims of violence.
The residents told the commission that ever since April 24, when polling for the Lok Sabha elections was held, the caste Hindus had attacked the colony at least thrice.
On the night of April 24, scores of houses were ransacked and six persons were admitted to hospital, and two of them died of injuries. The Dalits urged the commission to provide them a safe place to live and initiate action against those who indulged in violence. The commission assured them of action. It appreciated the timely action by the Cuddalore district police to maintain law and order.
Meanwhile, the Social Awareness Society for Youths (SASY), a human rights forum, has made a representation to the commission to provide a permanent shelter to the Dalits in a place near Chidambaram, where they would feel safe and secure. Its director I. Pandiyan said 160 Dalit families were living in the midst of 600 Vanniyar families at Vadakku Mangudi.
The forum also appealed to the commission to instruct Collector S. Suresh Kumar to give the Dalits counselling to get over the fear. It also appealed to Superintendent of Police A. Radhika to arrest the perpetrators of violence under the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Two Circle
Rashtriya Ekta Manch organizes protest and peace rally against killings of Muslim techie and Dalit youth in Maharashtra
Mumbai: With the intention of spreading environment of peace and harmony in the state and to express solidarity with the families of victims of hatred within the society, Rashtriya Ekta Manch and Maulana Azad Vichar Manch staged protests in different districts across Maharashtra.
Many Hindus and Muslims came together for the purpose under a banner of Rashtriya Ekta Manch who organized protest cum peace rally and went to meet the families of Muslim Techie Mohsin Shaikh who was killed unprovoked in last month’s Pune violence by members of Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS) and of Nitin Aghe , a Dalit youth who was killed allegedly due to falling in love with a Brahmin girl in Pune.
Mr. Hussain Dalwai, a sitting Rajya Sabha MP and a President of Maulana Azad Vichar Manch headed a gathering of nearly 500 people from Mumbai to Solapur , a hometown of Mohsin Shaikh and met his family. The gathering also went to the home of Nitin Aghe in Khardi, Pune.
Mr. Husaain Dalwai along with other members of the Manch spoke words of sympathy with both the families and assured of raising voice for them before the state government.
Speaking on the growing communal incidences in the state, Mr. Hussain Dalwai said such incidences against marginalized community have increased after Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) came to the power at center as the communal groups have been boosted with the win.
He called upon people from Muslim and Hindus to come together and work for strengthening peace and harmony within the society and not to fall prey to the urging of communal forces who divide the society on the basis of religion.
The protest was also attended by INC MLA Mohan Joshi, Deepti Choudhary and other members of Maulana Azad Vichar Manch and Rashtriya Ekta Manch.
The Hindu
Govt promises action in rape of minor on panchayat diktat
"Necessary action will be initiated in the serious matter after taking up the issue with the Prime Minister," Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawarchand Gehlot said in the Rajya Sabha.
The rape of a 10-year-old Dalit girl in Jharkhand on the diktat of a panchayat head had its echo in the Rajya Sabha on Friday with the entire House demanding stringent punishment to the culprits, forcing the government to promise necessary action.
“Necessary action will be initiated in the serious matter after taking up the issue with the Prime Minister,” Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawarchand Gehlot said as the entire House condemned the incident and demanded an action taken report on the issue.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Prabhat Jha (BJP) said heads should hang in shame over the incident in which the head of a panchayat issued a diktat for raping a 10—year—old girld in broad day—light, with the entire village remaining a mute spectator.
He said the girl was dragged to the forest and raped but none could come to her rescue while the hapless father and mother of the victim had to face much difficulty in lodging the complaint with the local police station as the police said there was no witness.
“I appeal to the government of India to ensure justice to her. This kind of incidents cannot happen in India...strict action is needed,” Jha said, as members cutting across party lines shouted “shame, shame“.
Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said: “Entire police machinery and the village should be held accountable. This is a question of neither A nor B government. How can we allow this? Last year, a legislation was passed, what happened to it?”
Ashwani Kumar (Cong) demanded that the government apprise the House of the action it has taken in the matter.
Deputy Chairman P J Kurien, who was in the Chair, remarked, “The entire House is one on the issue.
This being a heinous crime on a minor, government should enquire and come to the House. Also, if such a crime has happened, serious action should be taken.”
A minor was raped in Jharkhand allegedly on the panchayat head’s diktat by a person whose wife was allegedly molested by the girl’s brother at Gulgulia Dhora village in Bokaro district, some 160 km from Ranchi.
The Pioneer
NEEDED: ELECTORAL REFORMS FOR INCLUSIVE PARTICIPATION
Democracy is people’s power and a way of governance represented by people through elections. During last sixty five years of its application in India, the people’s representatives to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies in the largest democracy of the world have been experiencing huge non-representation of a large majority of voters and the rule of minority Government in terms of percentage of votes.
The recent 2014 election results both at the Centre and in a few States have forced many parties to seriously review the present electoral system and look for alternatives. The elections witness a huge amount of money being spent in campaigns to purchase votes and manage the elections with engagement of police and paramilitary forces.
It is evident that there is a huge disparity between the percentage of votes polled and seats secured by a party. There is no proportionality between the votes and the seats that a party gains.
The national parties like Congress (19.3 per cent) and BSP’s (4.1 per cent) voting percentage are not converted into seats in Parliament and Assemblies. The BJP with 31 per cent of the total polling got 282 seats which is 51.9 per cent of the total seats. The BJD in Odisha with1.7 per cent of the total votes of the total national polling got 20 seats in Lok Sabha where as DMK of Tamil Nadu with the same percentage of votes has no seat.
BJD with 43.2 per cent of the votes in the State has occupied more than 80 per cent of the total seats in State Assembly. The parties like BSP, CPI and CPI(M) though have been getting votes in the State but not being represented in the Assembly proportionally. The BSP in Uttar Pradesh having 19.9 per cent of vote of the State total polling has failed to gain even a single seat in the Parliament and got very poor representation in the State Assembly.
It was also in 2012 the Samajwadi party with 29 per cent votes took 55 per cent of the seats in the State Assembly but the BSP with 23 per cent of votes failed to get same proportion of seats.
JM Lyngdoh, former Chief Election Commissioner of India, during his tenure observed that there are candidates who win with less than 25 per cent of the votes polled in a contest of 50 per cent polling as is usual. Virtually 75 per cent of the electorate is unrepresented. Media reports reveal that most of the candidates use all the unfair means to get votes in a cutthroat competition in spite of legal restrictions and monitoring by the Election Commission over the use of money, muscle, caste and religious devises to mobilise votes in a multi cultural and caste divided society like India.
It is exhibited that the priority for parties is to gain elections, not the issues of the people of the country. Many of the small parties and minority parties are being marginalised without being represented in governance in spite of their mass base and votes.
As per the Election Commission sources, there are about 464 political parties in the country and 34 political parties in Odisha have contested the 2014 general elections. But the diversity has not been reflected in the Government.
The parties include six national parties, three State parties and 419 unrecognised parties. As alternative to first past the post (FPTP) there has been proposal by many for Proportional Representation (PR) system for India.
This system is already in practice in electing Rajya Sabha members, President and Vice President of India. Historically, it was Kazi Syed Karimuddim and Mahboob Ali Beigh Bahadur of the Indian Muslim League who argued for proportional representation system for India in the constituent Assembly though the proposal was not accepted by Dr BR Ambedker on the ground of presence of a large number of illiterate voters in those days with only 15 per cent literacy rate.
Later on in 1955 Dr Ambedker suggested for PR system as best suitable alternative to separate electorate for Dalits as reparation to Poona Pact of 1932.
Jawaharlal Nehru also had asserted for PR as suitable for India. Later, Jayaprakash Narayan in 1974 appointed Justice Tarkunde Committee to look into electoral reforms and PR system was recommended by him for the country by then. Further, Indrajeet Gupta Committee report in the Parliament and in 1999 the National Law Commission of India had made a review of the electoral system of the country and suggested PR system for India.
There are a number of political parties like CPI, CPI (M), DMK, Siromani Akali Dal(SAD), Samajwadi Jana Parisad and civil society campaigns such as Campaign for Electoral Reforms in India (CERI) led by scholar activist MC Raj who did extensive research on electoral systems and wrote a book on it prescribing PR for India and advocating PR system in India.
It has been suggested for Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) representation system with thirty and seventy percentage of seats division between FPTP and PR for India.
It has been further argued that PR system will not allow wastage of votes, resolve corruption and violence and lead to inclusive governance with representation of all sections of people including Dalit, Adivasi, minorities and women of the country who are not being adequately represented in our governance in spite of coalition politics.
The Muslims of the country who represent about 15 per cent of the total population have only 22 members in the Parliament. Similarly women have very marginal representation in the Parliament though many of the women are holding key visible positions in governance and parties as office bearers.
The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have representation due to reservation in the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies but it is true that they are more representatives of their party than of
their communities.
Many of the seats meant for SCs are grabbed by communities that do not belong to the untouchable category but included in the Scheduled Caste list in the State. The Dalit votes get divided and Dalits parties have very limited chance to win in the reserved seats of the country.
The Adivasis also are not able to represent their community in the absence of political parties of their own. As a result, SC and ST representatives are simply co-opted and accommodated by the mainstream political parties bettering the interest of their parties.
Therefore, many minority, Dalit, Adivasi and women see a hope of qualitatively better representation in the PR system. There are examples of Sami Parliament in Norway for indigenous ‘Sami’ people and ‘Maoris’ in New Zealand have separate electorate that recognises the presence of indigenous communities in their national governance.
In India we have only provisions of fifth and sixth schedule areas but no special arrangement in the Parliament and the State Assemblies for Adivasis. Electoral system experts reveal that out of 211 democratically governed countries in the world, 89 have adopted PR and many others are in the process as this system has inclusiveness in the era of globalisation. The PR system in many countries has been instrumental in improving quality of governance and reduction of corruption by involving its citizens in decision making process.
As political parties have to play a major role in the PR system, the internal party democracy and State funding in elections can be ensured in the electoral process to achieve larger political accountability of parties and avoid family rule and monopoly of individuals.
When each vote does not go waste, the interest in voting will be increased among the voters in the PR system. In order to bring change in the electoral system of the country, suitable amendments in the Representation of the Peoples Act, 1951 and approval of the Parliament are required.
Political parties, academics, civil society groups, people’s movements striving for a democratic India need to think over it seriously. The governance system of the country needs to be democratised and inclusive to ensure political rights, as human rights to all its citizens without which socio-economic development will not be possible.
Article 21 of UDHR says everyone has the right to take part in the Government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of Government and shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
(The writer is rights activist, who can be reached at ojaabbsr@gmail.com)
The Pioneer
WITHDRAW STAND ON HOSTELS FOR SC/ST STUDENTS: YADAV
State Congress president Arun Yadav has demanded that the order of the State Government barring the students of SC/ST categories from departmental hostels, to study in colleges and universities, should be withdrawn.
The reaction came after the State government issued orders barring students from hostel facilities for SC/ST categories and the students were instructed to leave the hostels.
Yadav said that tribals studying in colleges and universities are instructed to vacate Pre-Matric and Post-Matric hostels. It was a beneficial facility for the past several years for tribal students as they were provided with staying facilities in these hostels but after the amendment in law SC/ST Welfare Department in March 2014 the students have been strictly ordered to vacate the hostels.
The hostel wardens are employed in implementing the instructions in a strict manner. Tribal students belonging to poor family from remote areas used to avail the facility of Tribal Hostels in every district but after the implementation of the amendment in the rules the students are facing problems of shelter. Several students are not able to bear the cost of rented rooms and would be forced to leave the studies and move back to their native places. This is harassing the tribal students and disturbing their study affecting their career prospects and state government would be responsible for the impact alleged State Congress President Yadav.
Earlier the state government has declared that under the Awas Sahatya Naveen Yojana the tribal students studying in colleges and universities would be provided with Rs 1250 at district and Rs 1000 at block level for availing rented rooms but till date the arrangements for providing the money has not been made and without providing any arrangements the students are forced to leave the hotels.
The Tribune
Judicial remand of 41 Dalits extended
Sangrur, July 11
Gurmeet Singh Tiwana, Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMIC), extended the judicial remand of 41 Dalits till July 25 today. These persons were arrested from Bhawanigarh on June 27 while protesting against the auction of panchayat land of Balad Kalan village (reserved for SCs). They have been in judicial custody since June 28.
The JMIC held proceedings through video-conferencing and extended their judicial remand for another 14 days. The Bhawanigarh police had registered a case against 41 persons on June 27.
They were accused of attacking the police force and obstructing them from discharging their duties.
The case was registered under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 353, 186, 355, 332, 120-B, 148 and 149 of the IPC.
Several Dalits from Balad Kalan gathered at local Banasar Garden under the banner of the Zamin Prapati Sangharash Committee (ZPSC) today. They took out a march from Banasar Garden, but the police stopped them at Shaheed Pheruman Chowk (near tower clock) from heading towards the judicial courts complex.
The protesters, including a large number of women, raised slogans against the government. They staged a dharna on the road. Their demands included cancellation of the auction of Balad Kalan panchayat land (reserved for SCs) and re-auction of the same at low rates, withdrawal of case registered against 41 Dalits and leaders of the ZPSC, unconditional release of 41 Dalits, and registration of case against "erring" police officials, allegedly responsible for action against the protesters.
Leaders of Unemployed Linemen Union Pirmal Singh and Soma Singh Bharro, former panch of Balad Kalan Paramjit Kaur, Balad Kalan ZPSC representative Ram Pal Singh and Punjab Student Union leaders Kulwinder Sekha, Shankar Badra and Aman Bijalpur addressed the protesters.
News Monitor by Girish Pant
.Arun Khote
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of “Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC”)
Pl visit on FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/
..............................
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.
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of “Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC”)
Pl visit on FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/
..............................
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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