From: Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC <pmarc2008@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Feb 21, 2010 at 5:03 PM
Subject: [PMARC] Dalits Media Watch - News Updates 21.02.10
To: Dalits Media Watch <PMARC@dgroups.org>
Dalits Media Watch
News Updates 21.02.10
RTI Act not being implemented: Aruna Roy - Express Buzz
Residential schoolboy dies of 'pneumonia' - Express Buzz
Four injured in group clash - PTI
http://www.ptinews.com/news/528638_Four-injured-in-group-clash
JD(U) MLA woos dalits with bar dancers - Jai Bihar
http://jaibihar.com/jdu-mla-woos-mahadalits-with-bar-dancers/201017326.html
Express Buzz
RTI Act not being implemented: Aruna Roy
BANGALORE: "In the present political climate, it is becoming increasingly difficult to take informed choices," said Magsaysay award winner and leading RTI activist Aruna Roy on Saturday.
At the 2nd Asia Pacific Conference of Community Radio Broadcasters at United Theological College, Aruna Roy said, "Our home minister asks the civil society to take an informed choice on Operation Green Hunt, however, when the freedom of entry to these places are restricted, how is it possible to take an informed choice?" she asked.
Roy said that when there is large-scale displacement and extermination of people, there is bound to be suspicion on the Centre's actions.
She said, "The home minister fails to understand that there are people who are neither part of the Naxals nor of Salwa Judum." Roy said that atrocities are being systematically committed against the Dalits in India, "but unfortunately they find little space in the media today." Roy said, "It is unfortunate that even though the RTI Act has been in place since 2005, it is still not being implemented fully." Section 4 of the act has not been implemented at all, she said.
Editor of Dalit Voice VT Rajshekar Shetty, said the Dalit community has never been able to be a part of this technology (community radio). He said it is untouchable, unthinkable and inaccessible for them.
Nikhil Dey of Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sanghatan said, "RTI Act is not about corruption but about questioning power." We also need to understand information in a much wider sense. "Information is also voice," he added.
The conference was attended by around 240 delegates from Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Cambodia and several other Asian countries.
'Welfare benefits not reaching beneficiaries'
High court Judge, Justice DV Shylendra Kumar, on Saturday said that the benefits of the various welfare schemes introduced by the state government and the Centre are not reaching the beneficiaries.
He was speaking at the workshop on 'Right to Information Act for the principals, lecturers and students of law colleges' at Nyaya Degula, as part of the legal literacy programme of the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority.
Kumar said that awareness should be created among law students about the RTI Act regarding how the provisions of the act can be used as a tool and as an effective machinery to fight corruption.
Express Buzz
Residential schoolboy dies of 'pneumonia'
BALANGIR: Tension prevailed on the SC/ST Development School campus, a Welfare Department-run residential school at Rampur near here today, after a student died of suspected pneumonia at the district headquarters hospital. Locals besieged the school and locked its gate but were soon dispersed by the officials.
Sources said Dhaneswar Deep, a Class-IV student, complained of fever and headache two days back. He was admitted to Loisingha PHC, where doctors referred him to Balangir headquarters hospital as his condition deteriorated.
However, he was brought dead to the hospital, said Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) PC Sahu.
Doctors initially suspected malaria but the test did not reveal any. ''We suspect that he might have had pneumonia but it was too late when he was brought to the hospital to diagnose the exact cause of fever,'' said the CDMO.
Complaints of poor hygienic environment of the school was reported earlier but no steps were allegedly taken. Two years back, two hostel residents died of snakebite while sleeping on the ground at night. The District Welfare Department, which runs the school, then suspended the hostel superintendent. Then villagers had complained that hostel environment was not conducive for the students.
District Welfare Officer (DWO) Abhimanyu Behera, who is responsible for monitoring functioning of the school, said Dhaneswar had fever for the last two days. ''We called his father when he first complained of fever and was taken to the PHC by the hostel staff and his father,'' said the DWO. He said that doctors also suspected sickle cell in the student.
PTI
Four injured in group clash
http://www.ptinews.com/news/528638_Four-injured-in-group-clash
STAFF WRITER 15:6 HRS IST
Kaushambi (UP), Feb 21 (PTI) Four persons sustained bullet injures when two groups clashed over a petty issue under Kokhraj police station of the district today, police said.
The incident took place when some Dalits were attacked by the members of a minority community over a trivial issue in Roop Naraynpur Sahravi village this morning, the police said.
Additional Superintendent of Police M P Verma said the situation was under control and police personnel in large numbers were deployed in the village to thwart any untoward incident.
A case in this connection has been registered, he said.
"Henceforth (Jan 26, 2010), for all intents and purposes, Jai Bihar will use Patliputra instead of Patna (e.g. Patna University will be called Patliputra University). We appeal to all to do the same. Your suggestions solicited at s@jaibihar.com." - Sanjeev Singh
Jai Bihar
JD(U) MLA woos dalits with bar dancers
http://jaibihar.com/jdu-mla-woos-mahadalits-with-bar-dancers/201017326.html
News Desk - February 21, 2010
PATLIPUTRA — A JD(U) MLA organized a show by bar dancers to keep his supporters entertained. JD(U) MLA Shyam Bahadur was caught in camera dancing along with bar dancers on Saturday night.
The vulgar show was organized for dalit voters who have gathered in Patliputra for a JD(U) backed Mahadalit rally on Sunday.
The incident of indecent dancing came as a major embarrassment for the JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is leading the Mahadalit rally today.
Shyam Bahadur on Sunday issued an unconditional apology after TV footage showed him dancing with bar girls on raunchy numbers. The legislator added that he will tender his resignation if asked to do so by the party.
The rally was already attracting controversy as the Opposition led by RJD chief Lalu Prasad slammed Assembly speaker Udai Narayan Choudhry for his political activities and going all out to muster support for the ruling JD(U) by organizing a Mahadalit rally. Choudhry is the chief organizer of today's Mahadalit rally and he toured the state to muster support for the rally
"The speaker's conduct in the matter is highly reprehensible and in stark contrast to the high standards of propriety set by former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee," senior RJD leader and deputy leader of the opposition in the Assembly, Shakeel Ahmed Khan said.
Khan said the strategy to highlight, what he termed as the "unbecoming conduct" of the speaker, would be finalized during a meeting of leaders of various parties to discuss floor coordination for the month-long budget session of the Bihar assembly beginning tomorrow.
- AGENCIES
--
.Arun Khote
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of "Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC")
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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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