Uttar Pradesh: Voice of Nuts from Varanasi Anupam Nagvanshi/Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi 8/6/2008 1:22:39 PM(IST) Twenty one families live in village Kuwar in Baragaon block in Varanasi district. The Nats are categorized as the Schedule Caste in India. The Scheduled caste community is considered as untouchable in India. Nats traditionally are professional acrobats, dancer. Now as they did not have any permanent means of livelihood so Nats are managing their need through begging and catching snake and working as hawker. Most Nats are landless and live in mud huts covered with plastic sheets which are unsafe to live in during the rainy season. Several times they went to get benefit of housing under Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) village head reproves them. There is no Government Primary School in Nats hamlet as their children have to travel approximately 2 km that's why Nats children are not willing to go school. Kalwati Son Govind gets cold stroke and his mother took debt for his treatment. Kalawati youngest daughter Shanti did not get uniform from the school and she feels shame going school in torn clothes. Many children like Shanti and Govind are facing same schooling problem in Nats hamlet. No electricity facilities in provided in Nats hamlet after 60 years of Independence. After returning from school Nats children engage themselves in grazing animal and picking rags. Several times Nats demand for opening Anganwadi centre in their hamlet and also for their land. However these facilities are not immediately provided. On their demands investigation report is submitted. The live example of the torture done by the landlord upper caste people is Ms. Meena Nat and Lawdhar Nat. Mr. Baccha Singh continuously abuse Ms. Kalawati by using filthy word and he also threat to destroy her dignity. In the name of essential needs only one hand pump is placed in this hamlet. As there is no proper drainage system near the hand pump dirty water collect surrounding the hand pumps which is not hygienic for health and denial of Right to Health under Article 21 and 17 of Indian constitution Nats are getting food from Kuwar PDS shop Mr. Kailash Dubey weigh five kg less ration after protest and meeting he deliver the remaining ration to them. Owing to continuous corruption PDS shop is transferred to four villages. Village head Mr. Rajendra Sonkar, Secretary Mr. Ram Raj and Lekpal Mr. Nand Lal of Kuwar village belongs to schedule caste but they are not attentive towards the problem of the villagers. Shopkeeper (who belong to backward caste) in the market report to the investigation officers conditions of Nut are good than why they are telling lie. However reality is Nat women also beg clothes to cover themselves. Chamela Nat 65 years old is eligible for old age pension. The pension is distributed to the aged persons in the state by the government so that they receive some financial help in the absence of any pension from former employment. This pension distribution is a venue of high degree of corruption. However she did not get benefit of it. On 8th May, 2008 Savitri Bai Phule Women Forum a sister concern of People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights sent letter to District Magistrate of Varanasi and on same day Nat women's Mrs. Chamela , Ms. Meena and Kalawati Nat. www.dalitwomen.blogspot.comhttp://www.mynews.in/fullstory.aspx?storyid=5818# -- Dr. Lenin (Ashoka Fellow) Mobile:+91-9935599333 Please visit: http://www.universalrights.net/heroes/display.php3?id=101 www.pvchr.org www.youtube.com/pvchrindia www.pvchr.blogspot.com www.sapf.blogspot.com www.antiwto.blogspot.com www.rtfcup.blogspot.com www.dalitwomen.blogspot.com www.lenin-shruti.blogspot.com http://www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=51624734 My final words of advice to you are educate, agitate and organize; have faith in yourself. With justice on our side I do not see how we can loose our battle.. The battle to me is a matter of joy. The battle is in the fullest sense spiritual. There is nothing material or social in it. For ours is a battle not for wealth or for power. It is battle for freedom. It is the battle of reclamation of human personality…. Dr. B.R.Ambedkar --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
