From: Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC <pmarc2008@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Mar 5, 2010 at 2:43 PM
Subject: [PMARC] Dalits Media Watch - News Updates 05.03.10
To: Dalits Media Watch <PMARC@dgroups.org>
Dalits Media Watch
News Updates 05.03.10
Parliamentarians for quota in pvt sector for SC, ST - PTI
http://www.ptinews.com/news/548491_Parliamentarians-for-quota-in-pvt-sector-for-SC--ST
Govt open to OBC quota on lines of SC/ST reservation - PTI
http://www.ptinews.com/news/547125_Govt-open-to-OBC-quota-on-lines-of-SC-ST-reservation
Opposition flays diversion of SC/ST funds - The Hindu
http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Hindu/400x60/0
Poverty stampede crushes 63 - The Telegraph
- 37 kids among victims trampled to death in rush for ashram food and gifts in UP
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100305/jsp/frontpage/story_12180618jsp
Sachar, Mishra committee reports be implemented in Madhya Pradesh - DNA
India's Untouchable Millionaire - Weird Asia News
http://www.weirdasianews.com/2010/03/04/indias-untouchable-millionaire/
PTI
Parliamentarians for quota in pvt sector for SC, ST
http://www.ptinews.com/news/548491_Parliamentarians-for-quota-in-pvt-sector-for-SC--ST
STAFF WRITER 23:12 HRS IST
New Delhi, Mar 4 (PTI) Several Parliamentarians today supported the demand of providing reservation to members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the private sector but said proper education is the key to the progress of the two groups.
"There is need to intensify the movement to get reservation in private sector (jobs)," CPI (M) politburo member Brinda Karat said supporting the demand.
Karat said there was no development in the issue even as the government said it constituted a committee for this and several consultations were held with India Inc., who agreed affirmative action. However, nothing concrete has emerged from this, she lamented.
Speaking about the law enacted for the protection of SC and ST, she said it appeared good but "when we go deep, we find several loopholes in them.
PTI
Govt open to OBC quota on lines of SC/ST reservation
http://www.ptinews.com/news/547125_Govt-open-to-OBC-quota-on-lines-of-SC-ST-reservation
STAFF WRITER 14:45 HRS IST
New Delhi, Mar 4 (PTI) In a bid to bring on board parties which are opposing the Women's Reservation Bill in its present form, Government today said it was open to evolving a national consensus for granting reservation to the OBCs on the lines provided to SCs and STs.
"Reservation is provided to SCs and STs in Lok Sabha with constitutional amendment but no such reservation exists for OBCs.... Unless that happens we cannot do it in case of Women Reservation...that's a different arena," Law Minister M Veerappa Moily told reporters outside Parliament.
He added that the parties, which are opposing the Bill and are demanding quota within quota, can extend their support to the Bill and then think of the "larger canvas for providing reservation to OBCs in both Houses (Lok Sabha and State Assemblies)".
The Hindu
Opposition flays diversion of SC/ST funds
http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Hindu/400x60/0
Special Correspondent
HYDERABAD: Members of the Telugu Desam, CPI, CPI(M) and BJP staged walkout in the Assembly on Thursday protesting against the government's failure to spend funds earmarked for the welfare of SCs and STs and diverting the money for other purposes.
Chief Minister K. Rosaiah was placed in a tight spot as the issue was raised by a Congress member D. L. Ravinder Reddy, during Question Hour, while Opposition leaders tried to pin him down on this front too. Leader of the Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu (TDP) blamed the government for not spending even 32 per cent of the funds meant for SC/ST welfare in the current fiscal. The money was used for projects like the Krishnapatnam Port, Outer Ring Road, Musi clean-up, development of parks adjoining Hussainsagar lake and other works.
The Telegraph
Poverty stampede crushes 63
- 37 kids among victims trampled to death in rush for ashram food and gifts in UP
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100305/jsp/frontpage/story_12180618jsp
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Lucknow, March 4: At least 63 backward caste villagers, more than half of them children, were crushed to death in a stampede around noon when the gate of an ashram collapsed, unable to withstand the pressure of people making a dash for free food and small gifts.
Many of the victims were Dalits, whose welfare has been the USP of chief minister Mayavati, herself a Dalit. The poverty-driven tragedy unfolded in a crucible where a political race is on to woo Dalits.
Brij Lal, the additional director-general of police, Uttar Pradesh, said among the dead so far, 37 were children while 26 women fell trying to rescue the kids.
Over 10,000 people, most of them from poor, backward caste families, had gathered outside the ashram at Kunda in Pratapgarh district, around 185km east of Lucknow, for a bhandara (a community religious feast).
Pratapgarh is on the border of Rae Bareli and Amethi Lok Sabha constituencies, currently represented by Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul.
Rahul has been trying to woo Dalits by visiting backward caste villages in his constituency, sharing meals with them and even on occasions spending the night on their charpoys. Of late, youths from Pratapgarh had been tilting to the Congress, swayed by the pro-Dalit campaign of Rahul and Sonia.
Today's rush for a free meal is, however, a grim reminder of the plight of Dalits in Uttar Pradesh, 42 per cent of whom live below the poverty line and are landless.
The much-publicised bhandara had been organised by Baba Kripaluji, who runs the ashram, to mark his wife's death anniversary. For the past few days, ashram authorities had been making announcements in villages about today's event where apart from free food, gifts like saris, utensils and clothes for the poor were to be distributed.
The ashram, funded by a trust based in North America, is located on a 6-hectare plot in Kunda, also the empire of strongman Raghuraj Pratap Singh or Raja Bhaiyya.
The ashram can be accessed through four huge arched gates, which lead to the Ramhanki temple. The authorities decided to open only one gate at noon.
"When the gate facing the eastern side of the temple on the main road opened suddenly at 12, the people, who had been waiting for long, began to stream in," said R.N. Tripathi, an officer of Kunda police station.
Such was the rush that one side of the arch-structure caved in, sparking panic as the people ran helter-skelter. Some people were crushed to death under the gate, while others tripped and came under the feet of the rushing crowd as they tried to escape through a narrow corridor. More than 200 people were injured.
"The children fell first and the women in their attempt to save them fell on them," said Shiv, who was among the crowd. "The crowd just trampled on whoever fell on the ground." Other eyewitnesses said many of those killed had fallen into a borewell near the gate.
Lal, the additional director-general of police, said a probe had been ordered. "Most of the victims are women and children as they could not run to save their lives," he said.
Sita Devi Paswan, a woman who fractured her leg and had bruises in her hands, said they had run out of patience. "We had been waiting for three hours since 9am. I was waiting behind 500 people. When the gates opened, the people were trying to push in and enter as quickly as possible. There was a sound of a crash and people began running," said Paswan, who is admitted in the district hospital at Pratapgarh.
Baba Kripaluji Maharaj has gone underground fearing a backlash. Many in Pratapgarh today raked up the ashram's controversial past. In 2000, over 30 foreign sadhvis had suddenly left the ashram and returned to their countries, abandoning their work for the poor.
DNA
Sachar, Mishra committee reports be implemented in Madhya Pradesh
PTI
Friday, March 5, 2010 12:21 IST
Bhopal: Prominent political and non-political leaders of the city have demanded the implementation of reports by Rajendra Sachar and the Rangnath Mishra committees that were tabled in Parliament last year.
The demand was made at a meeting of Muslim leaders held here last night at the residence of senior Congress leader, Syed Sajid Ali under the banner of Joint Committee of Muslim Organisations for Empowerment (JCMOE).
Speaking on the occasion, Sajid said that the JCMOE had been formed with the coming together of a number of Muslim organisations including Jamiat-Ul-Ulema Hind, Jamaate-e-Islami Hind and All-India Milli council.
Madhya Pradesh Convener of Joint Muslim Action Committee for Reservation (JMACR), a state wing of (JCMOE) Sajid Siddiqui said that the organisation has launched a movement and will come out on the road for the implementation of Sachar Committee and Rangnath Mishra Committee reports for the upliftment of the minority communities in the country.
Siddiqui said that it was a good sign for the benefit of minorities that leaders of various faiths had come together to demand implementation of the two reports.
The Sachar Committee report suggests adoption of suitable mechanisms to ensure equity and equality of opportunity to Muslims in residential, work and educational spaces whereas The Ranganath Mishra Commission recommends 15% reservation for Muslims in education & employment and inclusion of Muslim and Christian Dalits in SC List.
Prominent speakers on the occasion were Mohd Idrees Khan, M M Bukhari both Congress, Mohd Mahir (Muslim Vikas Parishad), Anwar Safi, (Jamaat-e-Islami Hind), Prof. Mateen, Dr Zaheer Ahmad and Dr Muzaffar Shah.
Weird Asia News
India's Untouchable Millionaire
http://www.weirdasianews.com/2010/03/04/indias-untouchable-millionaire/
Heard of Hari Pippal, a member of the untouchable caste who captured the hearts of the public? He was born into the lower caste where he struggled through menial jobs before he overcame all adversities to become a self-made millionaire.
Pippal's success is all the more extraordinary because of the limitations imposed by the caste system.
According to this century-old system, groups of people were divided into castes in a hierarchy where the top most castes received greater prestige than the lower ones.
Originally, this stratification was based on the occupation of a person. However, over time, it consolidated into a means of determining a person's social status.
At the same time, the caste system also became hereditary.
Folks who prescribed to this system also did not believe in social mobility of classes and it is for this reason that Pippal's story stands out.
Pippal's caste, the Dalits or scheduled caste as they are commonly referred to today, occupied the lowest ring and was commonly associated with roadsweepers and toilet cleaners.
His early life is testimony to the hardship suffered by members of this caste. For example, during the childhood years, he recalls sleeping on the street.
And, as a teenager, he had to undertake the laborious job of rickshaw driver in order to feed his family.
However, hard work and perseverance paid off for this enterprising businessman. Pippal now rubs shoulders with high-caste business as the owner of a big private hospital, a shoe factory, a motorbike dealership and a restaurant.
While this self-made man continues to be heralded as an inspiration to others, he is wary of being used as a token.
Pippal points out that India must make a lot more progress before the caste system (and the social stigma associated with lower levels) is eliminated.
He described the various ways in which his caste has continued to affect his work life as well as his personal life.
To begin with, he could not name his first startup company after himself as it would be snubbed by higher caste members.
Later on, as he became more successful, he built a hospital which was initially snubbed by doctors of different castes. These folks came flocking back once the place became renowned in the area.
There was also the sad incident involving Pippal's son and his fiancée. While the girl's high-caste family were happy about the union, many from their community were offended by it.
The engagement fell through when these members started threatening the life of the girl's family.
'Now I believe my children should marry within their caste. It's better that way,' was the words of Pippal after this incident.
Pippal supports programmes, be it educational endeavors or empowerment efforts, that will diminish this type discrimination.
He believes that these ventures would l help the lower castes overcome the initial hurdle, i.e. the poverty issues.
--
.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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