NATIONAL CAMPAIGN ON DALIT HUMAN RIGHTS is an Advocacy Platform committed for Dalit Human Rights at the Grass root, National and International levels. Dalits In News aims at sensitizing Civil societies, HR Mechanisms and providing updates of HR violations on Dalits for their Intervention.
NATIONAL CAMPAIGN ON DALIT HUMAN RIGHTS NCDHR Dalits In News March 06, 2007 Backlog recruitment: Unemployed dalit engineers threaten suicide- New Indpress <http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEK20070306014408&Page=K&Title= Southern+News+-+Karnataka&Topic=0> http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEK20070306014408&Page=K&Title=S outhern+News+-+Karnataka&Topic=0 Efforts to empower Dalits being thwarted, say Left parties- The Hindu http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/05/stories/2007030515910600.htm Saalwan remains peaceful- The Tribune <http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Tribune/400x60/0> http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Tribune/400x60/0 'Indian languages carry the legacy of caste'- Rediff.com <http://in.rediff.com/news/2007/mar/05inter.htm> http://in.rediff.com/news/2007/mar/05inter.htm New Indpress Backlog recruitment: Unemployed dalit engineers threaten suicide <http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEK20070306014408&Page=K&Title= Southern+News+-+Karnataka&Topic=0> http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEK20070306014408&Page=K&Title=S outhern+News+-+Karnataka&Topic=0 Tuesday March 6 2007 12:05 IST GULBARGA: The unemployed engineers of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities have threatened to commit suicide in front of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on March 11 during his night halt in a village in Chittapur taluk of the district. Apparently taking a cue from the Industrial Training Centre candidates' attempt to commit suicide at a function attended by President A P J Kalam at Srinivas Saradagi on February 25, the dalit engineers, enraged over the failure of the government to hold backlog recruitment, have decided to follow suit. Karnataka State SC/ST Unemployed Engineers' Struggle Committee State president Udayakumar Khelgikar alleged that Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had been giving false assurances with regard to conducting backlog recruitment. He said that on July 16 during his visit to Gulbarga, Kumaraswamy had met the fasting engineers promising them that a decision would be taken on the issue within a week forcing them to withdraw their fast. But even after seven months, no decision has been taken. Again on December 16 before garlanding the Ambedkar statue in Bangalore, both Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister Yediyurappa had assured the conduct of recruitment within a week. Accordingly the Backlog Sub-Committee meeting was also held on December 18. It was told that all those who had gone to the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT) will be recruited. But even after three months, no action has been taken. Khelgikar said that the DyCM and the Social Welfare Minister have been blaming the Public Works Minister H D Revanna for not taking steps towards holding backlog recruitment. He alleged that Revanna was interested in holding a general recruitment process and was reluctant to hold the former. Terming it as an 'anti-dalit' policy of the government, the committee has threatened to launch a statewide agitation. They have now decided to commit suicide in the presence of Chief Minister Kumaraswamy during his next visit here. He cautioned that the responsibility of consequences resulting therein should be borne by the government. The Tribune Saalwan remains peaceful http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Tribune/400x60/0 Vishal Joshi Tribune News Service Karnal, March 5 The situation remained calm and peaceful for the second consecutive day at Saalwan village in the district where the miscreants of the same village had ransacked scores of houses of Dalits on Thursday. Today the family members and relatives of the deceased farmer, Mahipal Singh Rana, had observed a condolence meeting at the village. The ceremony was held amidst tight police security. An official spokesman for the administration today informed The Tribune that the process to shape the "effective peace committees" were on by the administration to maintain the atmosphere of harmony in the village. The proposed committee would have 11 members each from both communities. Meanwhile, the Rajput community leader today stated that several names from their community were falsely included in the case and demanded to exclude such names. It is learnt that the administration had ensured to conduct a fair investigation. Top police and district officers were present on the occasion to ensure peaceful atmosphere in the village. Though the Dalit mahapanchayat had announced to observe a Haryana bandh but the call failed to show any impact in the district. The district administration had made elaborated police arrangements and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the district. Meanwhile, the body of a Dalit youth, Sonu, was cremated peacefully in the village yesterday. He had reportedly died after falling in a drain in a drunken stage. The Hindu Efforts to empower Dalits being thwarted, say Left parties http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/05/stories/2007030515910600.htm S. Dorairaj "Murder of Dalit panchayat chiefs betrays caste oppression" _____ Seeks the support of all parties Untouchability prevalent in villages _____ CHENNAI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) in the State have expressed serious concern at "attempts by vested interests among casteist social groups to defeat efforts to empower Dalits at the grass-roots level." In the wake of the murder of two Dalit panchayat presidents in Tirunelveli district in the last four months and reports of various obstacles to the smooth functioning of panchayats headed by Dalits, the two parties have called for serious efforts by the State Government to meet the challenges thrown at it by the oppressive forces. The CPI and CPI (M) have also appealed to all political parties to stand united in making a meaningful contribution to alter the situation. State CPI (M) secretary N.Varadarajan told The Hindu that a recent survey conducted by the party showed that untouchability prevailed in varied forms in about 75 per cent of the villages. In some areas, it was practised in its most cruel forms. The report would be placed before the State CPI (M) Committee at its meeting slated for April 7 and 8. The party would raise the issue in the Assembly, besides launching a series of awareness programmes, he said. Mr. Varadarajan and CPI Central Executive Committee member R. Nallakannu also referred to the final declaration of the convention of the "newly elected Dalit Local Government Representatives of Tamil Nadu" held in Madurai on February 24 and 25 that the State had to go a long way in implementing the 73rd Constitutional amendment in letter and spirit and the Dalit representatives were the worst victims. They said the gruesome murder of the presidents of Marudankinaru and Nakkalamuthanpatti panchayats in Tirunelveli betrayed the intensity of the caste oppression in rural areas. Both the victims were Arunthathiars, the worst affected among the Dalits. Their attempt to expose the "corrupt practices" of their predecessors was said to be the motive behind the murders, Mr.Varadarajan said. Official apathy The two leaders were of the view that "indifference" on the part of the local officials had contributed to the sorry state of affairs. The action taken by the authorities in the murder cases were dubbed an "eyewash," as many such cases did not proceed beyond the stage of filing of first information reports, Mr. Varadarajan said. The communist veterans stressed the need for ensuring that the panchayats headed by Dalits received government funds earmarked for them. The Dalit women panchayat chiefs bore the brunt of the ill treatment, they alleged. If vice-presidents of panchayats did not cooperate with Dalit presidents in the release of funds for taking up works, relevant law should be invoked to make alternative arrangements, Mr. Nallakannu said. Denying that he was levelling any charge against the Government, Mr. Varadarajan said the authorities concerned should view the attacks on the elected Dalit chiefs as a form of atrocity against the oppressed. He urged the Government to form all-party monitoring panels comprising elected representatives at district and taluk levels to instil confidence in Dalit panchayat chiefs, besides making officials to keep vigil. The Government should launch an awareness campaign through short films and folk arts to end the atrocities, he said. Rediff.com 'Indian languages carry the legacy of caste' http://in.rediff.com/news/2007/mar/05inter.htm Sheela Bhatt March 05, 2007 In an article on reservation for oppressed classes in the information technology sector, noted sociologist Gail Omvedt had quoted a Dalit boy as saying: 'In Pune they just assume that anyone working with computers is a Brahmin.' The hidden agony of being born in the former untouchable class is now coming into the open in the so-called resurgent India. Dalits, who number around 161 million and live on the margins of society, are passing through testing times. In a changing India, they don't want to be left behind as they have for thousands of years in the past. Their aspiration to get ahead is driving them to a variety of new ideas and actions. They are also, looking back to their messiah -- freedom fighter and Constitution expert Dr B R Babasaheb Ambedkar. New Delhi-based Chandra Bhan Prasad, 48, is a Dalit activist who writes a weekly column on Dalit issues in The Pioneer newspaper. Born in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, in a peasant's family, Prasad has done an M Phil from Jawaharlal Nehru University on technological acquisition in post-Mao China. Due to unavailability of resources he could not complete his Ph D in the Chinese history of science. Prasad picked up the gun in the early 1980s when he joined the Communist Party of India-Maoist Leninist with dreams of changing Indian society. "The Maoists are ambiguous, they can't win," he says. "They are not reflective on the issue of caste in India so I left the CPI-ML." Now, married but struggling without a regular income, Prasad keeps throwing up provocative ideas concerning Dalits in the national debate. His latest idea is the anti-thesis of the saying -- 'language is the cradle of civilisation.' Prasad thinks the ethnic languages of India are carrying forward -- generation after generation -- the prejudices and biases of casteist Indian minds. Prasad, in a passionately argued debate with Managing Editor Sheela Bhatt, claims that for the empowerment of Dalits, the knowledge of English is must, especially in a society where those who can speak English are riding up the social ladder faster than others. English, he says, is the new goddess! Prasad celebrated October 25, 2006, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Babbington_Macaulay> Thomas Macaulay's birthday as a day when the Dalit community in New Delhi unveiled Goddess English! Why do you want Dalits to abandon their mother tongues and take up English which is not their mother tongue? In Indian society nothing belongs to the Dalits. Anything that is Indian, mirrors the Indian culture, value system. It will certainly contain the strong flavour of caste and prejudice against untouchables. In Hindi, to greet somebody we say pranam. The person bows down and there is a kind of body coordination like the folding of hands and bowing down of the head when he or she says pranam. According to Indian tradition, Dalits don't have the right to receive pranam . Because the receiver of the pranam had the right to bless, so Dalits never received pranams. In response, the person responds with 'khush raho (be happy). Have Dalits ever blessed the upper castes? I want to emphasis the fact that how Indian languages -- be it Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil or Malayalam -- all of them carry the legacy of caste. But if you replace Hindi or Tamil by English you will greet by saying 'good morning.' The other person will respond saying 'good morning'. Both will look into the eyes and equality is established. There are too many caste-based abuses in India. People say chori-chamari na karna. (Don't steal like the chamars, who are the lowest caste amongst the Dalits). In the countryside these abuses are quite common, even now. "I'll make you a bhangi(sweeper caste)!" -- is quite often used as a threat. In Hindi films and television serials they have slightly modified these age-old abuses. They now say chori-chakari na karna. It hurts us. Analyse it with a little sensitivity. These abuses are meant for us only; it reflects the mindset of Indians. Indians don't eat pork because untouchables were eating it. Germans eat it, why can't we eat it? They are fine people also. Indian culture carries many such caste-based biases. What are the broader issues in favour of English? There are several cultural aspects. The knowledge of English by Dalits will hit at the backbone of the caste system. India's caste system relies on the twin principle of occupational purity and blood purity. You could not go out of your occupation. A cobbler's son would have to be a cobbler and a carpenter's son remained a carpenter for generations. Inter-caste marriages were strictly prohibited. For centuries Dalits could not marry outside their caste to maintain caste purity. But if a Dalit knows English then there is no way he will be climbing a toddy tree and end up doing a manual job. The English-speaking Dalit will not be made a sweeper or a cleaner of toilets. Good knowledge of English will emancipate him and give him leverage to liberate himself from traditional occupations. Once you are out of your traditional socio-circle you have a higher chance to marry in the non-Dalit family. That will break the bondage of 'blood purity' as well. There are some instances of Dalits who speak English, they dress well, have a good job and are married to Brahmins. In a recent television interview, Yogendra Yadav, the wellknown thinker on social issues, has effectively rebutted your argument. The caste system will not go away only because Dalits start speaking English. It will be more useful if the mindset of the upper caste changes. You are right. My movement for English will not immediately demolish the caste system. But it will be a great leap forward. Look at the way ordinary people are treated in India who know only Indian languages and the way English-speaking people are treated. When you speak English it so happens that you dress up differently. I get invited to parties and when I speak in English people talk differently and are even ready to listen to me. What I speak, if spoken in Hindi, doesn't make an impact at all. I am dismissed but if I say the same things in English, I am heard and applauded. Also, you may have noticed that English-speaking people tend to wear suits and matching shoes. Better dressing elevates your position and makes you heard. But it is also true that to move ahead in life you need confidence and talent more than anything else. Second, unless the upper castes change their mindset how are you going to get fair treatment, which is your real and final aim? In other words, the upper castes will give you equal status irrespective of the fact that you speak Hindi or Telugu or English if and when they realise their wrongs. The change in mindset will only help you, not your knowledge of English. And, if you have confidence in your talent or in yourself more can be achieved than otherwise. You have an example of Planning Commission Member Dr Bal Mungekar. He is a well-known economist who writes in English, speaks English. He didn't write his first book in Marathi, his mother tongue. If he was not English-speaking he would not have been made a member of the Planning Commission. But that would be true for even a Brahmin economist. For the same reason I am arguing that chances of Dalits moving ahead will be much less without knowing English. It may not be an entirely correct argument because Lalu Prasad Yadav, a leader of the Other Backward Classes, is powerful and successful because of his ethnicity. Rather, he knows English but never speaks it because he knows that to win an election in India he should speak Hindi. How do you explain that? He ridicules English-speaking people and is still surging ahead. You can't compare him to ordinary Dalits because he holds political office. Politics is a limited field. In democracy, you can win an election without the knowledge of English. How many can become MPs? We are talking about his confidence. But he is ridiculed too. J Jaylalithaa's strength is not her knowledge of English. You can't compare politics with what I am saying. Okay, take Sania Mirza. Her talent and tact has nothing to do with her knowledge of English. Films, sports and politics are different fields. I am talking of ordinary lives. These are fields offering opportunities to merely a few people. Whereas the knowledge of English can give opportunity to millions and millions of people. Not out of any complexes but with confidence we have celebrated Lord Macaulay's birthday on October 25, 2006. On that day, we have established English as the Dalits' goddess. People condemn him for making India bilingual but I consider Macaulay the father of Indian modernity. The bottom line is that since I have some knowledge of English I feel more confident than those other Dalits who can't speak English. Do you disagree that culture and identity is interlinked to languages? Yes, I agree. To be continued... ARUN KHOTE National Media Secretary NATIONAL CAMPAIGN ON DALIT HUMAN RIGHTS (NCDHR) Add: 8/1, South Patel Nagar, NEW DELHI- 110008 ( INDIA) Mobile : 91# 9350183802 Ph & Fax- 91#11-25842249, 91#11-25842250 E Mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website : www.dalits.org www.ncdhr.org
