monuments have its own political trajectory Dalits have to erase the existing ones and creates their own as such these symbols of history rewrites history re-writing history is part of the struggle
having said that i must say that if Mayavati can do that wonder of ANNIHILATING the values of brahminsm from which arise all the anomalies of our society,over night, that would be the best thing India can witness since 50000 years or so. On Fri, Jan 16, 2009 at 3:07 PM, Anil Tharayath Varghese < [email protected]> wrote: > > Once again on Mayawati.............. > > India: Monuments Will Not Save The Dalits > Monday, 12 January 2009, 11:42 am > Press Release: Asian Human Rights Commission > > INDIA: Monuments Will Not Save The Dalits > > The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is a political party that has contested > elections harnessing the Dalit votes. The BSP's woman leader, Ms. > Mayawati, a dalit herself, has been claiming that her party and the > Uttar Pradesh state government she leads, is actively involved in > trying to meliorate the living condition of the Dalit community. > > The BSP, that claims to be working for 'revolutionary social and > economic movement of change with a view to realise … the supreme > principles of universal justice, liberty, equality and fraternity > enunciated in the Constitution of India' however has achieved nothing > much in this front. The BSP, like most of their counter parts in the > country, is not interested in the welfare of the ordinary people, but > is preoccupied with the welfare of the people who control the party. > Uttar Pradesh, with an estimated 243,286 sq. kilometre land area, > occupies 1/3rd of the highly fertile Gangetic plain. Yet, it is one of > the most backward states of India and is the most populated state in > the country with an estimated 190 million people. The backwardness of > the state owes much to its elected representatives. 100 out of the 403 > seats in the state assembly are occupied by individuals having > criminal antecedents, ranging from charges of corruption, murder, rape > and robbery, to name a few. The Chief Minister, Ms. Mayawati herself, > is accused of corruption involving 40 million USD, in the infamous Taj > Corridor case. > > The state underperforms on various fronts below the national average. > For example, the literacy rate is 57.36 percent for the state as > opposed to the higher national average of 65.4 percent. India's > population stabilisation solely rests upon two states, Uttar Pradesh > and Bihar. Yet, Uttar Pradesh has a population growth rate of 25.8 > percent against the national average of 23.8 percent. Even according > to the state government, in terms of social development indicators > like medical facilities, teacher-student ratio in primary schools, > death rate, infant mortality rate, literacy, per capita income, > electrification of villages and per capita power consumption, the > state currently lag behind other parts of the country. Nothing > tangible was achieved in the state to change the status quo after the > forming of the current government in May 2007. > > What is visible however is the omnipresence of statues and decorations > in the urban areas, particularly within the cities, where huge statues > of Mayawati are erected. Whenever there was criticism against the > Chief Minister or a member of the government, stiff resentment was the > response, claiming that these are rumours spread by the upper caste or > the opposition. > > It is however true that the current administration will have a tough > way forward if at all the government is serious in addressing the > people's need. The bureaucracy of the state has a few decades of > corruption, nepotism and criminality as their practice and experience > to shed off. Experiences and practices that are rooted within the > system will take time to be removed. Of particular importance is the > widespread practise of corruption. Every aspect of public life in the > state is under the influence of corruption. The BSP like many other > political parties in the country is known to demand 'donations' from > the rich and the poor alike. Those who pay higher amounts of such > donations expect to receive favours from the government. > > Corruption percolates from the top to the lowest levels of the > administration. For example, it is common for the government licensees > like the Public Food Distribution System (PDS) agents to sell food > grains in the black-market. The food grains supplied to the PDS shops > by the government to be distributed for the poor, in these conditions > never reach the intended population. The effect of this form of > corruption is devastating particularly in rural areas where the poor > live. The state police, an agency mandated to take actions against > this is equally or even worse in terms of corruption. It is public > knowledge that recruitment and promotion in the state police, > particularly for the lower and middle ranks, are made after paying > huge amounts in bribes. It is equally known that the officers, > majority of them, soon start making good of the bribe they paid by > demanding and accepting bribes. > > Similar state of apathy exists in state-run health centers. Government > hospitals are understaffed and ill-equipped. In rural areas, public > health service centers, commonly referred to as PHCs, remain closed > mostly throughout the year, denying health services to the poor > villagers. Schools are also equally understaffed. Several government > schools remain closed or as good as non-functional, since the school > buildings are no more safe to house the children. > > The poor in the villages mostly face the brunt of this administrative > neglect. The state has a predominantly rural population, of which an > estimated 11 percent is unaccounted due to caste prejudices and errors > in the census data. The state is home for malnutrition, starvation, > deaths from starvation, high rates of mortality and the prevalence of > malnutrition-induced deceases. A high percentage of those who face > this harsh reality in life are the members of the Dalit community. > > Almost 90 percent of the Dalits work as landless agricultural > labourers. Yet, when the central government initiated discussions for > a national land reforms policy and a law, the BSP was in the forefront > to oppose the move. A national land reforms law with statutory > limitations on individual and collective land holdings will help to > improve the living condition of the poor. States like Kerala in India > where such policies are in force since long, has proved that land > reforms will not only reduce poverty, but has also the potential to > end caste based discrimination. > > It is in this backdrop that Mayawati and the state government she > leads is preparing for a state-wide celebration of Mayawati's 53rd > birthday. Billions of Indian Rupees, estimated to be about 975 million > USD, is projected to be spent for building monuments by the state > administration in the coming years. The question is, would these > monuments be later remembered for the glory of a Dalit leader or is to > remain as the ghosts of her reckless administration? > > > -- " The so called caste-hindus are bitterly opposed to the depressed class using a public tank not because they really believe that the water will be thereby spoiled or will evaporate but because they are afraid of losing their superiority of caste and of equality being established between the former and the latter. We are resorting to this satyagraha not becasue we believe that the water of this particular tank has any exceptional qualities, but to establish our natural rights as citizens and human beings." - Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Mahad Satyagraha Conference, December 25th , 1927 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
