From: Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC <pmarc2008@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, May 10, 2010 at 4:52 PM
Subject: [PMARC] Dalits Media Watch - News Updates 10.05.10
To: Dalits Media Watch <PMARC@dgroups.org>
Dalits Media Watch
News Updates 10.05.10
Brutally attack on a journalist unfolded NREGA scam in Orissa - Indian express
http://www.orissadiary.com/Shownews.asp?id=18367
Senior city police officials booked under Atrocities Act - The Times of India
Peace returns to Mirchpur - The Tribune
Khap panchayat meeting turns into 'shanti sabha'
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100510/haryana.htm#2
Three booked - The Tribune
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100510/himachal.htm#12
'Mothers' in rural India continue to face discrimination - The Times of India
D is for Dalits and E is for the English Goddess - The Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5908486.cms
"I don't think corruption is a major threat to the judiciary" - The Hindu
http://beta.thehindu.com/opinion/interview/article425700.ece
Indian express
Brutally attack on a journalist unfolded NREGA scam in Orissa
http://www.orissadiary.com/Shownews.asp?id=18367
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Report by Akhand
Bhubaneswar: A local Journalist has brutally attack by some ruling party members including a Sarapanch in Puri District of Orissa. Biranjan Mallick, the Journalist working for a daily oriya language newspaper Khabar in Balanga area of the district have been attacked on 6th May day after a report published in the same newspaper regarding irregularities in NREGA works. The incident occurs in Suninda Viilage under Uchhupur GramPanchayat under Balanga Police limit.
The sarapanch (the elected president of Village Cluster) Asok kunar Dash and his supporters have got angry when they saw the vigilance team inquired about the NREGA scam in the village. Attackers have tied the journalist in a pillar and thrash on him indiscriminately. They have snach his mobile phone, Gold chain, camera etc. Some media persons went to the spot and rescue him. Balanga police has registered a case under SC/ST act and arrested three persons but the prime accused, the sarapanch still is not behind the bar. Now some unknown person threaten the journalist to harm him and his family. Biranjan is very much worried of his family members particularly for his nine years daughter.
He requested Police DG and Home secretary to consider his case and provided him the adequate security. Meanwhile Orissa Union of Journalist Condemn this attack. The President of OUJ prasanna Mohanty said, This is a brutal attack on fourth pillar of democracy. All accused must be arrested. Media Unity for Freedom of Press also express its great concern over the incident. It calls upon the authorities to take immediate penal action against the attackers for launching a brutal assault on journalists on duty and to compensate them for their loss and injury.
The Times of India
Senior city police officials booked under Atrocities Act
Soumittra S Bose, TNN, May 9, 2010, 05.03am IST
NAGPUR (Maharashtra): In a significant development, assistant commissioner of police of Lakadganj division and senior inspector of Lakadganj police station were booked under Scheduled Castes and Schedule Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act following the intervention of the state scheduled castes and scheduled tribe commission in the temple sex scandal case.
The senior cops were held responsible by the commission for dereliction of duty in not evoking the relevant sections of the Atrocities Act. A three member-team of CL Thool, member of state SC and ST commission, Sambhajirao Sarkunde, additional tribal commissioner and Sanjeev Gade, divisional social welfare officer were present at the Lakadganj police station on Saturday to convey the decision to the senior officer. Section 4 of the Act was slapped on the officers. The investigation of the temple sex scandal case has been handed over to the ACP Jeevraj Dabhade, attached to the crime branch. DIG Madhukar Gavit, additional commissioner of police, has been entrusted with the inquiry of the officer's negligent handling of the case. Senior inspector Kishor Supare was transferred to special branch.
His place was taken up by second PI from Kalamna. ACP HL Umberkar though has been retained. The commission, which caught the cops on the wrong foot for not documenting their communications, had opined that city police chief Praveen Dixit should immediately transfer the officers to ensure a fair enquiry against them. Dixit was also urged to place the officers in question under the suspension.
Thool said that the senior officers, who didn't belong to SC or ST, were at fault for ignoring the Atrocities Act that was duly applicable here. "We had studied the case papers, statements and reports of the medical examinations before expressing the opinions. A visit to the temple also suggested that there were enough reasons to believe that the offence could have taken place on the premises," said Thool. "The officers ignored the fact that the youth (Tulsidas Sonu Kumre) had mentioned in the FIR that he was an Adivasi and member of Gond community. Any offence against the SC and ST members attracts the Act," said Thool.
He also said that Dixit's report also suggest that the officers erred in not handling the case as they should have been. "The probe was handled by a probationer and no legal advice was taken from the public prosecutors," he said. On April 5, Kumre had approached Lakadganj police with a complaint of sexual assault by accused Pramod Dinkodwar, who was attached to a temple at Quetta Colony as a cook. The cops had arrested Dinkodwar on April 15. Currently, Dinkodwar is out on bail. Meanwhile, Kumre passed away at his residence on May 1. The cops had slapped the Act recently after the controversy had snowballed.
Peace returns to Mirchpur
Khap panchayat meeting turns into 'shanti sabha'
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100510/haryana.htm#2
Tribune News Service
Hisar (Haryana): May 9
Violence-affected Dalits and upper caste villagers of Mirchpur village in this district today sunk all their differences and vowed to maintain peace and harmony in the village. The village witnessed a violent clash between Dalits and other villagers on April 21 in which two persons lost their lives after their house was set afire.
Upper caste leaders of the area had decided several days ago to convene a khap panchayat in the village today to discuss the issue.
However, the Dalit families returned to the village three days ago. Hence, in the changed circumstances, the khap panchayat meeting today wast converted into a "shanti sabha".
Members of the Balmiki panchayat, too, attended this meeting, which was presided over by 12 khap panchayat chief Rajbir Dhanda. Leaders of both communities hugged one another on stage and vowed to sink all differences and to maintain lasting peace in the village.
Leaders of the upper castes assured the Dalit community of complete security in the village in the future.
As a gesture of goodwill, the panchayat expressed grief over the death of Tara Chand and his disabled teenaged daughter Suman in the violence and prayed for peace of their souls.
Dhanda said coordination committees would be appointed to facilitate communication between different communities in the village with the aim to foment ties.
These panels would also ensure that all differences in the future were resolved through talks and not through violent means, he added.
Three booked
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100510/himachal.htm#12
Our Correspondent
Nurpur (Himachal Pradesh): May 9
Following complaint of Mahashu Ram, son of Tiharu Ram of Jonta, the police today registered a case under Section 3 (1 and 10) of the Scheduled Caste Atrocity Act, 341 and 34 of the IPC and Protection of Civil Right Act, 1955, against Surjeet, Baljeet and Madho Ram of the same village for allegedly using caste-based language and humiliating him.
According to the police, the complainant has also alleged that the accused did not allow him to take water from a village bauali (natural water resource) from where upper caste villagers used to take water.
DSP Hari Ram said he was investigating the case himself. Meanwhile, the villagers against whom the case was registered claimed that they had only asked the members of the Dalit community for not taking bath or washing clothes in the bauali and had not stopped them for taking water from it.
The Times of India
'Mothers' in rural India continue to face discrimination
TNN, May 9, 2010, 10.24pm IST
VARANASI (Uttar Pradesh): Though Mother's Day is celebrated across the world to honour mothers and motherhood, a number of women (mothers) in rural areas and urban slums are bound to face hardships and neglect.
Even after decades of independence, rural women continue to be in a state of neglect in Naugarh block of Chandauli district. Gender bias, lack of education, excessive responsibility, lack of recognition, conservative attitude of society and lack of awareness are major problems they face.
A study conducted in some selected villages of Naugarh block by a professor of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) revealed that only nine out of 303 women of these villages were literate, but not enough to be able to read. The study was conducted on socio-personal characteristics of women from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes conducted by Prof Indira Bishnoi of Mahila Maha Vidyalaya, BHU, and Shivani Srivastava.
"The fundamental issues concerning women and their socio-personal characteristics are illiteracy, traditional beliefs, poor transport facilities, small land holdings, over work, mental stress, pregnancy and typical agro-ecological situations," Bishnoi told TOI. She said out of 111, six villages including Aurawant, Semar, Nunwat, Musahar, Shahpur and Karmbandh were selected randomly for the study. About 50 per cent area of Naugarh block belongs to SC and ST communities like Kharwar, Chamar, Mushar, who live in close vicinity to the forest areas of Naugarh and Chakiya blocks.
In Aurawantand village, 30 per cent men and only one woman were found literate up to eighth standard. There was only one primary school run by an NGO and children had to go to Naugharh for further studies. The analysis of the socio-economic condition indicated that 40 per cent of their income came from the forest, 40 per cent from agriculture and 20 per cent from animal husbandry and labour. The forest provides tendu patta, piyar (chiraungi) seeds and mohua fruit, which contribute to a major part of their income. Due to gradual deforestation, women have to walk long distances for fuel wood collection.
According to the report, there was one primary school and an anganwadi centre in Nunwat village dominated by Kharwar caste. The village had no source of irrigation except rain. The women in the area were subjected to early marriages and early child bearing. The first pregnancy often occurred before 18 years of age. The average age of marriage among girls was 13 years. As far as literacy was concerned, 98 per cent women were found illiterate.
The situation was more or less similar in other villages. In Muahar village, all inhabitants belonged to the Musahar caste. The main occupations of the village included making leaf plates, honey collection and agricultural labour. The natives of Semar village had to go to Chakiya, 53-km away, for shopping or medical purposes. There was one primary school, one well and a handpump in the village. Women used to take baths and wash their clothes near the well in the open. There were no literate women in the village. Karmabandh village about 3-km from Naugarh market was properly linked by road and had two primary schools. However, girls up to the age of 15 years were literate up to primary level.
Social backwardness and gender discrimination are the main hindrances to the upliftment of women in the area, Prof Bishnoi said adding women realised that they were being discriminated against, but lacked the will and the courage to fight for their rights. The report said the area was deprived of proper schooling facilities. Though efforts have been made by NGOs to provide basic and primary education, the results are not very encouraging. Women participation in agricultural activities, household activities and collecting forest produce is commendable, but even so, the right to take major decisions rests with the men. It was suggested that women should be provided with formal education so that they could not become victims of their ignorance and backwardness.
The Times of India
D is for Dalits and E is for the English Goddess
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5908486.cms
D Shyam Babu, May 9, 2010, 02.58am IST
"Had Ambedkar not learned English, he would not have gone abroad," said Eash Kumar Gangania, "and had he not gone abroad, he would not have become Babasaheb for us."
Gangania, a teacher from Delhi, was speaking to 1,500 dalits in Bankagaon, a nondescript village near Lakhimpur Khiri in UP. The crowd was rapt as Gangania added that it all happened "because Ambedkar learned English," finally ending with a powerful and surprising message: "If you learn English, you too can scale the heights Babasaheb did."
Gangania's speech came on a special occasion — April 30, the day Bankagaon's dalits pledged to learn the English language as well as worship it as a goddess. It was the day they laid the foundations of a temple dedicated to "English, the Dalit Goddess".
One of those listening to Gangania was Chandra Bhan Prasad, a self-taught Dalit social psychologist who thought up the idea of worshipping English as a goddess. "Nobody is selling hope," he laments, recalling how he has celebrated October 25 as English Day for the last five years. October 25 is the birthday of Lord Macaulay whom Prasad calls the "Father of Indian modernity".
The dalits' new appreciation of English highlights the new class divide in modern India — between a minority of the English-speaking elite and others. For dalits, the medium is the message. Prasad says Indians have figured out that English is the password that can open the doors to a better life. A case in point is Kamal Kumar, a postgraduate dalit who enthusiastically participated in the temple's foundation-laying ceremony. In a mix of Hindi and English, Kumar narrated how he became fluent in English. Basically, his postgraduate studies in Noida's urban environment exposed him to students from English-medium schools.
But, once back in his village, Kumar found himself becoming less fluent because no one else spoke English. Today, he runs a school with 450 students. They are taught in Hindi and Kumar rues the fact that he cannot afford to run an English-medium school. Teachers who know English are hard to get and demand higher wages.
India has been discussing the virtues of English or the "vernacular" as a medium of instruction from the mid-19th century. In 1835, Lord Macaulay tilted the balance in favour of English with his Minute on Indian Education. It was a formidable defence of the cause but so tactless that his rant against Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit and other vernacular languages upsets Indians even today.
In Prasad's mind there is no debate about the role of English. He calls English-speaking Indians Macaulay's children and sees English as a tool to emancipate the dalits. "The State and society cannot emancipate all dalits from backwardness and poverty. The dalits themselves should shape their own future," he says.
It is a praiseworthy enterprise especially in one crucial respect: Till now, every effort and demand to do with dalit welfare has expected 'others' to act. The others could be the state, society or the media. Now, it's up to the dalits to demand English and sooner than later they will get it, while elites may continue to debate the question — mostly in English. For, the message of the English Goddess is simple: "Come to me, I will empower you."
That is why the temple ceremony was an all-dalit affair. The premises of a dalit-run school are being used for the temple. The first donation — Rs 2 lakh — has come from Milind Kamble, chairman of the Pune-based Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
As more dalit parents insist on imparting English to their children, the market will do the rest. At some point, the supply of English teachers is bound to meet demand, helping educators like Kamal Kumar offer English-medium education. However, two questions remain unanswered. One is the colonial taint of English. The lone foreigner at the temple event, Sussex university professor Marcus Wood, offers an answer. The British empire was responsible for the standardization of English, which paved the way for its emergence as a global language, "but now English does not belong to the English anymore". The dalits' quest for English is their attempt to find a voice. It has all the ingredients of an epic struggle. This goddess may not join the Hindu pantheon of 330 million but it could usher in an era of cultural rejuvenation for dalits.
(The author is a Fellow of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies, New Delhi. The views expressed are personal)
The Hindu
"I don't think corruption is a major threat to the judiciary"
http://beta.thehindu.com/opinion/interview/article425700.ece
J. Venkatesan
Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan lays down office on May 11 after three years and four months at the helm of the nation's judiciary. He spoke to The Hindu on his achievements, failures and hope of having contributed to strengthening the foundation of the judiciary. Excerpts:
Are you satisfied with your overall performance? Do you feel much more could have been done?
Nearly three and a half years as Chief Justice of India. It is a tough job in a big country like India: handling judicial work and administrative work, appointment of judges, legal education, and communication with the various High Courts. I hope I have done reasonably well in improving the infrastructure in the judiciary, though it is an ongoing thing. I can say that the number of judges in the High Courts has increased, judicial officers were appointed in many states. For the first time, government has come out with Rs.5,000 crore for the development of infrastructure in the judiciary; it is not a small amount. Basics for improvement have been laid down. It is a big institution and it will take time to get results. 1,800 judges got judicial training from the National Judicial Academy, legal education has been streamlined. Over all, I feel I have achieved something in my tenure.
There is an allegation that you got a close relative appointed as Judge in the Kerala High Court.
I never suggested the name of Mr. Ravikumar for judgeship. The [then] Advocate-General of Kerala suggested his name to the then Chief Justice H.L. Dattu. I never knew about this. I have served in the High Courts of Kerala, Gujarat and Madras. In fact, many of the Chief Justices have asked me to suggest some names. But I have never recommended any name — relatives or friends — for judgeship in any of these courts. I have so many bio data with me. I feel it is not proper. Even in the case of Mr. Ravikumar, when his name came to the collegium, I told Justice B.N. Agrawal and Justice Arijit Pasayat that they can do whatever they want. They can reject the name or defer the consideration. Why should I stop somebody else's judgeship? Why should I say that he should not be considered?
Is there any proposal from the Law Ministry for change in the Memorandum of Procedure of appointments to give more say to the executive in judges' appointments?
The collegium method was evolved from two Supreme Court judgments of 1993 and 1998. We only follow the procedure from these judgments. If the Centre wants to change the system, it must seek review of the judgments, whether on its own or through some other method.
The collegium system is based on judicial decision, not on statute. How can it be changed? Many people criticise us, including those judges responsible for creating the system. We can't change everything. We understand there are drawbacks to the system. The Chief Justice of the High Court is asked to select four or five persons from 6,000 lawyers for judgeship. On what basis can the selection be made? We understand there are practical problems. If you want a better candidate you need a better system. We welcome any change but we can't violate the directions in the two judgments. I am leaving the government's proposal to my successor to deal with it.
Do you feel the need for creating four supreme courts of appeal in four regions and a constitutional court in the capital?
We have to look for some changes in the system, as judges are overburdened. This year, the number of cases filed in the Supreme Court is expected to touch 84,000. Though the disposal rate is correspondingly high, it cannot continue for a long time. The present system can continue for another 10 years, and, thereafter, we must look for some change in the system. Jurisdiction can be curtailed; people should have a different forum that can be done region wise or subject wise.
Honour killings are taking place in many parts of the country. Do you feel that a separate law is necessary to deal with such crimes?
We have got sufficient number of laws. Even if there is a law, if things are done clandestinely, what can be done? What will you do if persons are ostracised by society. What is required is that society must change. Anyway, it is for Parliament to decide whether to come out with legislation or not.
Has the controversy over Justice P.D. Dinakaran finally settled?
It is an unfortunate thing. But I never interfered either in the [initial] inquiry or any other thing. The matter [removal proceedings] is now before a committee. I don't want to say anything.
Can the Justice Sirpurkar committee [investigating the grounds for impeachment of Justice Mr. Dinakaran] be expedited? Enquiry into allegations against Calcutta High Court Judge Soumitra Sen is also pending.
These things can be decided expeditiously by the committees concerned. I don't interfere in these things.
During your tenure did you ever feel that corruption is a major issue in the judiciary.
By and large, at least in the Supreme Court there is no corruption. At the High Court level, we receive some complaints without any details;but if we want to probe, they will not come forward. Regarding lower judiciary, in some of the states it is a problem. We can't say corruption is not there at all; some may be susceptible. But these are only minor aberrations. In Kerala I can say it [lower judiciary] is corruption free. But I don't think corruption is a major threat to the judiciary.
You are being portrayed as anti-Right to Information Act.
I am in favour of giving information. Certain information about Chief Justices discussed in the collegium cannot be given to the press. Then they will start discussing unfounded allegations against Chief Justices. It is not a desirable thing for our country. I said I had some reservations only on a very limited area. I only said that the office of the CJI is not a public authority under the Act. In all major countries of the world — England, Australia, America — the judiciary is absolutely exempted from RTI.
During my visits abroad, people say the Indian judiciary is highly respected. They say: we see justice system is working in India, people come to courts in India in large numbers. The system is working so well; it is visible.
As a Dalit who occupied the highest post in the judiciary, what do you have to say about suppression of Dalits.
Some incidents still occur in many parts. This is a social problem. It is still there, may be due to lack of education … so many factors are there. In the last 60 years, some change has taken place. But still, of those below the poverty line, more than 30 per cent are Dalits. Awareness must be created. For this, school education should be improved.
--.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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