Fwd: [PMARC] Dalits Media Watch - News Updates 31.01.10

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From: Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC <pmarc2008@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Jan 31, 2010 at 4:00 PM
Subject: [PMARC] Dalits Media Watch - News Updates 31.01.10
To: Dalits Media Watch <PMARC@dgroups.org>

Dalits Media Watch

News Updates 31.01.10

Dalit girl working as domestic help dies - The Tribune

Parents demand probe

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100131/punjab.htm#1

Wall on road to Dalit colony demolished - The Hindu

http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/31/stories/2010013157880100.htm

Silent revolution: Rise in marriages of others to dalits - Times Of India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Silent-revolution-Rise-in-marriages-of-others-to-dalits/articleshow/5518307.cms

Kids in settlements denied basic rights: Study - Express Buzz

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Kids+in+settlements+denied+basic+rights:+Study&artid=InioP0Vi9/k=&SectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&MainSectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&SEO=&SectionName=rSY%7C6QYp3kQ=

Disgruntled Dalit legislators in BJP hold meeting - The Hindu

http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/31/stories/2010013159490400.htm

Scholarships for SC girl students - The Tribune

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100131/haryana.htm#7

The Tribune

Dalit girl working as domestic help dies

Parents demand probe

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100131/punjab.htm#1

Kulwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Moga, January 30

19-year-old Dalit girl, working as a domestic help in the house of an influential Jat Sikh family, died under mysterious circumstances here today.

The girl identified as Veerpal Kaur is the daughter of a Dalit labourer Darshan Singh, a resident of Takhtupura Lohara village of the Nihalsinghwala subdivision of this district.

However, the police as of now had not registered any criminal case against her "employers" probably under political pressure and had initiated inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC.

It is learnt the girl consumed some poisonous substance at about 6 am. The owner of the house, Chamkaur Singh, where she was working as a domestic help immediately took her to a nearby private clinic. The doctor after noticing signs of consuming poison referred her to the district hospital.

Eyewitnesses said when the girl was brought to the district hospital at about 7 am, she was crying loudly due to pain. She was admitted to the emergency ward of the hospital for treatment. She breathed her last at about 12 in the noon while under treatment.

During about five hours, when she was battling between life and death in the hospital, the police did not record her statement for reasons best known to it.

The senior medical officer, Gurmail Singh, while talking to The Tribune said a post-mortem examination of the body had been conducted, in which no external injury was visible. "However, we have taken a sample of her viscera that is being sent to the government laboratory at Kharar for chemical examination," he said.

Darshan Singh, the aggrieved father, and Naseeb Kaur, mother of the girl, who were present on the hospital premises while alleging that their teenaged daughter had died of consuming some poisonous substance, said she was either murdered or forced to commit suicide.

"I am very poor, you tell me what can I do, if the police is not doing anything in this case," cried the father of the deceased girl.

With tears in her eyes, the mother said, "If I knew, she will die, I would never have sent her to the house of an upper-caste family."

The parents have demanded an independent inquiry into their daughter's death from an agency other than the local police, which, they alleged, was working under political pressure to hush up the case.

The Hindu

Wall on road to Dalit colony demolished

http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/31/stories/2010013157880100.htm

V.S. Palaniappan

COIMBATORE: Revenue, police and the Coimbatore Corporation authorities demolished a wall that had denied 58 Dalit families of Periyar Nagar direct access to the arterial Kamarajar Road in the city.

The wall was allegedly built by caste Hindus across the 30-ft-wide Jeeva Road that was supposed to link the colony with Kamarajar Road.

The colony is located in Ward No.10 near the Employees' State Insurance Hospital to Kamarajar Road.

"The wall, built in 1990, was evidence of the prevalence of discrimination and untouchability," said U.K. Sivagnanam, district convenor of the Untouchability Eradication Front. He had petitioned the authorities on Friday, demanding the removal of the wall. According to Periyar Nagar residents, the government acquired land for their colony in 1989 and provided house site pattas to them. Caste Hindus living along the initial stretch of Jeeva Road had installed a Vinayakar idol in a small shed and built the wall behind it, exactly from where the colony began.The temple was used as a pretext for closing the road with a discriminatory attitude to prevent the Dalits from using Jeeva Road to reach Kamarajar Road through the area in which the caste Hindus resided, Mr. Sivagnanam alleged. The Dalits had used other routes to reach the main road for many years. But with more buildings coming up on open sites nearby, they were left with only a narrow street to reach the main road.

On Saturday morning, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi ordered the district administration to inquire into the issue and take immediate action.

Officials verified the records and confirmed that the temple and the wall encroached upon a scheme road. A group of women squatted in front of the earthmover in an attempt to prevent the demolition. As the earthmover began the demolition, the residents broke into a thunderous ovation. When the Corporation workers were removing the debris of the demolished wall, a group of Hindu outfit activists insisted that the temple should not be removed. This resulted in police mobilising more reinforcements.

'Not against temple'

The Dalits pointed out that they were not against the temple but only its location. Speaking to TheHindu, State convener of the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front P. Sampath welcomed the action taken by the officials and added that the temple could be relocated with the consent of both sides.

Times Of India

Silent revolution: Rise in marriages of others to dalits

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Silent-revolution-Rise-in-marriages-of-others-to-dalits/articleshow/5518307.cms

Subodh Ghildiyal & Swati Mathur, TNN, 31 January 2010, 12:56am IST

NEW DELHI: The figures may be more impressive than they appear at first glance going by the depth of the caste divide. India saw 4,750 inter-caste marriages involving dalits in 2008-09, the number being marginally lower at 4,205 in 2007-08. In 2006-07, this stood at 3,945.

Though absolute figures for 2010 are awaited, the estimates from states have put it at 5,862, showing that the upward trend has not slackened. These are no mean numbers, given how entrenched caste prejudice is in society where marriage still remains a largely insulated institution.

Experts may caution against premature celebrations and counsel deeper investigation. But the numbers point to a trend that is not just holding but also perhaps gathering momentum. Even the fact that the couples in these alliances have stepped forward to document their marriages speaks of the cast-iron social compartments loosening. After all, it was Bhimrao Ambedkar who advocated "intermixing of blood" as a way to reduced caste animosity.

The devil, however, may be in detail. Vivek Kumar, sociologist in JNU who tracks dalit trends, says, "The numbers are impressive for sure. But you have to scratch the surface to see how many such ties are between OBCs and SCs. Also, in SC-upper caste marriages, how many are women from upper castes."

The touch of caution seems in place. According to data, traditionally rigid societies are still holding out, while those with reform movements appear to have embraced the change.

The social justice ministry of Mukul Wasnik gives an incentive of Rs 50,000 to each such couple. The tally, however, only registers those who come forward to claim the incentive. Hopefully there are more.

Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra lead the chart, registering around 1,000 for three years. In 2010, Maharashtra promises to double its figures to 2,214.

Kerala and Karnataka have also registered good absolute numbers at 996 and 600, respectively, in 2009 and promise to repeat the show. Haryana, for all its `khap panchayats' and honour killings, seems to do well with 94 marriages in 2009, 129 in 2008 and an estimated 80 in 2010. The same applies to MP with 199 in 2009, 117 in 2008 and 95 in 2007.

In sharp contrast, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Punjab and West Bengal seem unaffected by the winds of change.

While holding out hope for a casteless future, the data also underlines a frozen social reality. Experts say Gujarat and Uttarakhand are known to be strong hierarchical societies and absence of marriages between SCs and non-SCs may reflect a political attitude.

Pradeep Tamta, MP from Almora reserved seat in Uttarakhand, said, "Even if there are mixed marriages, government does not want to be seen as incentivising or promoting them. It is politically fraught."

This may be true for Gujarat too. Experts say it is impossible that mixed marriages don't happen. "Maybe, people are scared of the publicity for fear of a caste backlash," said Vivek Kumar.

Importantly, the high rate of inter-caste marriages in South may still not include upper castes as part of this change. The 1911 caste census of Madras Presidency put upper castes at 2%, which may mean that most marriages are among OBCs (largely Most Backwards) and SCs.

Real `castelessness' is still a long way off. Experts say that "hypergamy" (male from Dwija castes) has religious sanction while "hypogamy" (woman from upper caste) would mean the real breaking away from stratification.

Bengal, on the other hand, is the unknown entity vis-a-vis inter-caste tieups. The communist system, with no belief in caste, records no figures. But this bit of progressive culture could be hiding a disturbingly static society.

Express Buzz

Kids in settlements denied basic rights: Study

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Kids+in+settlements+denied+basic+rights:+Study&artid=InioP0Vi9/k=&SectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&MainSectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&SEO=&SectionName=rSY%7C6QYp3kQ=

C Shivakumar

Last Updated : 31 Jan 2010 06:40:00 AM IST

CHENNAI: A large number of children in three relocated settlements in the city have been denied rights to pre-school education, adequate nutrition and healthcare, claims a study. It pointed out that only nine Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) were functioning against the 98 required for a population of about 80,000 people.

The study, conducted in three massive settlements in Kannagi Nagar, Semmenchery and Tondiarpet by an NGO Forum for securing Land and Livelihood Rights of the Coastal Communities (FLLRC) and supported by ActionAid, found out that the ICDS had not reached out to all children in the settlements. The the Ministry of Women and Child Development prescribes that one ICDS centre should be set up for every 400 to 800 person.

Even the Supreme Court had issued directions to the Union government, stating that "efforts shall be made that all SC/ST hamlets/inhabitations in the country should have Aanganwadi centres as early as possible." Despite this, the ICDS scheme has not adequately reached the settlements comprising predominantly Dalit families displaced from slums and coastal hamlets of Chennai, the study said.

The improper implementation of the ICDS in the relocated settlements has denied the displaced children of marginalised and excluded families of their basic rights, it added.

"There are privately-run centres in these settlements and the State has to be blamed for shoving away its fundamental duty to private players, who are violating the prescribed norms," the study said. As per the norms prescribed by the government, pre-school children should be provided with hot meals at the ICDS centres, besides being given three eggs on a weekly basis, vegetables and greens. But, since there is no mechanism to monitor private centres, rules are being violated.

The Hindu

Disgruntled Dalit legislators in BJP hold meeting

http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/31/stories/2010013159490400.htm

Special Correspondent

They are unhappy with poor representation in the party

BANGALORE: Discontentment seems to be brewing in the Bharatiya Janata Party again with a section of Dalit legislators in the party holding a meeting here on Saturday night to prepare the ground to seek "proper representation" for them in various party positions.

Twelve Dalit legislators, including a Minister, are said to have met at the residence of a Dalit leader in Indiranagar.

Sources said that the legislators expressed their dissatisfaction over not providing representation to any Dalit leader in the 16-member coordination committee formed to improve coordination between the party and the Government.

They also expressed displeasure over meagre representation to Dalits in a newly formed committee of the party to look into issues related to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

The legislators alleged that representation to Dalits in the appointment of party's district unit presidents was not adequate.

They are said to be of the view that the schemes for the welfare of Dalits are not being properly implemented by the BJP Government.

Pointing out that the party had 42 Dalit legislators, some of the participants reportedly maintained that the party should have taken them into confidence during the election of its State unit president.

They decided to seek adequate representation to Dalits in the appointment of new office-bearers of the party.

They pointed out that of the three nominated MLC posts which are vacant, two were earlier held by Dalits. They reportedly decided to seek nomination of at least one Dalit as an MLC.

Sources in the party termed it only a preparatory meeting to set the stage ready to take up their demands with the party and the Government.

The Dalit legislators are expected to hold some more meetings before taking up their demands with the party organisation.

Meanwhile, the timing of the disgruntled Dalit legislators' meeting has aroused curiosity in the party circles as it was held a few hours after the newly appointed State unit president K.S. Eshwarappa took charge in the presence of party president Nithin Gadkari.

The meeting of the Dalit legislators is being described as an attempt to send a message to the party leadership.

The Tribune

Scholarships for SC girl students

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100131/haryana.htm#7

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 30

The state government has invited applications from the girl students belonging to the Scheduled Castes under the Anusuchit Jati Chattra Ucch Shiksha Protsahan Yojana. The last date of the submission of application forms will be February 23.

While giving this information today state Education and Social Welfare Minister Geeta Bhukkal said the girl students on admission to various courses/classes would be given scholarship according to their eligibility.

She said the students doing diploma in technical/professional courses after 10+2 like BCA, nursing, D-pharma, BEd and DEd, (JBT), etc. would be given Rs 7,000 and Rs 5,000, respectively, and the students doing graduation in commerce and science courses would be given Rs 9,000 and Rs 7,000, respectively.

Similarly, the students doing graduation in technical/professional courses like BE, BTech, IT, computer, mechanical, electronics, information and technology and electrical and students of BCA, CA, ICWA and CS would be given Rs 11,000 and Rs 9,000, respectively.

The students doing post graduation in science and commerce would be given Rs 12,000 and Rs 10,000, respectively, and the students doing post graduation in technical and profession courses like ME, MTech, MA, MD, etc. would be given Rs 14,000 and Rs 12,000, respectively.

She said to avail the benefit of this scheme the students should belong to the Scheduled Castes and should be bonafide resident of Haryana and the annual income of their parents/guardians should be between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 2.40 lakh. The students would be given the scholarship only once in a year and after securing promotion to the next higher class the scholarship would be renewed under the scheme.

She said the students, who availed scholarship under "Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for the Scheduled Castes students" or any other scheme run by the state government, would not be eligible to get benefit under this scheme.

She said the students, who had not applied earlier under this scheme, could apply through the concerned universities, colleges and institutions to the office of District Welfare Officer by February 23. Applications received after the stipulated date would not be entertained.

She said the application forms could be received free of cost from the office of District Welfare Officer and any information regarding the schemes related to the Scheduled Castes and the Backward Classes could be obtained from website of the department www.socialjusticehry.nic.in www.socialjusticehry.nic.in.

--
.Arun Khote
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of "Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC")
..................................................................
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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