Maoists threaten iron ore mining in Bastar Region of India

IANS reported that the growing activities of Maoists in Bastar in Chhattisgarh are threatening iron ore mining in a sprawling forested region that accounts for a fifth of all iron ore deposits in India.

Businessmen and politicians fear that the authorities might end up ceding control of Bastar's ore reserves in five to seven years if the dominance of the area by the insurgents is not checked urgently.

Mr Manish Kunjam former legislator of the Konta assembly constituency told IANS that "Maoists have been expanding their influence in Bastar since they first stepped into the region in the early 1980s. They have a monopoly in the interiors of Bastar. The day when they decide to stop mining in Bastar, they will do it easily as they enjoy the support of the tribal population.”

Mr Kunjam president of the All India Adivasi Mahasabha, an umbrella grouping of tribal organizations, pointed out that Bastar's locals were left out of the development story for decades. He said that "Now they are being driven out from their soil, jungles, to make way for industries such as TATA Steel's 5 million tonne per annum steel project in Bastar district and Essar Steel's 3.2 million tonne per annum plant in Dantewada. Their democratic protests are not heard. Now their anger is resulting into sympathy with Maoists.”

Mr Anil Nachrani president of the Chhattisgarh Sponge Iron Association said that "The future of Indian industry is based on the growth of the steel industry. The situation in Bastar is alarming. The government can't take it lightly; otherwise the country will suffer heavily. The situation will be more critical in the coming years in Bastar. Maoists can't be eliminated. I suggest that the government should try its best to solve the problem through dialogues rather than at gunpoint.”

Admitting that the Maoists were terrorizing mining companies, Mr Vishwaranjan director general of Police told IANS that "Maoists are trying to scare off miners in Bastar's interiors, mainly in areas where private companies are excavating iron ore. But the Maoists will not succeed. Police are well aware of the threat to iron ore mining in Bastar. Police presence around the mining facilities will be strengthened heavily. We are expecting more paramilitary battalions."

TATA Steel and Essar Steel are set to mine iron ore in the region to feed their upcoming integrated steel plants in the tribal dominated Bastar. The Bhilai Steel Plant of the Steel Authority of India Ltdis also set to extract iron ore in Bastar. But the worst sufferer will be the National Mineral Development Corp, which produces roughly 80% of its 27 million tonne annual iron ore output from Bailadila reserves in Dantewada.

READ MORE - Maoists threaten iron ore mining in Bastar Region of India

Survey shows decline in Tribal Migration of Gujjars

Srinagar: Heavy loss of precious lives and properties, lack of basic education, health and communication facilities and resections on nomadic movement in upper reaches of Himalayan region are causing a devastating impact on tribal life and economy of Gujjars resulting in recurrent declines in tribal migrations in the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

Reports reaching Press Bureau of India said that the findings came to the fore in a latest survey conducted by Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation, a National Organization working on Gujjars of Indian States.

Dr. Javaid Rahi, National Secretary of Tribal Foundation said that more than 37 percent of Gujjars who are migratory by tradition have relinquished their nomadic lifestyle during last 20 years of turmoil in the State, adding that there is a great apprehension that the tribal migration will become a history of the past in next few decades.

The survey revealed that in absence of Disaster Management Polices for Tribals of Northern states of India-the community suffers a heavy loss of lives and livestock due to landslide, forest fire, snow and hail storm, man-animal conflict every year and due to these natural calamities the percentage of migratory groups nomadic Gujjars are fastly going down too, he said.

According to survey, the main  reason of declining in Tribal movement is the killing of hundreds of nomadic Gujjars on upper reaches, during the turmoil.

Another reason is the restrictions imposed by the Security agencies and militants on tribal migration in border and strategic areas, Dr. Rahi added. He said that the restrictions are causing shadow over the fate of centuries old tradition of seasonal migration.

Pertinently, on Thursday state�€™s Rural Development Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar had informed the legislative assembly, which is currently in session that except Kargil no other region has been kept out of bounds for the nomadic Gujjars.

Sagar said that several complaints were received that security agencies have restricted the movement of nomadic Gujjars along the upper reaches in north Kashmir.

According to the study after closure of Forests in Jammu and Kashmir since 1996 for nomadic communities thousands of Gujjars relinquished the nomadic life style and turned into migratory labourers.

The Gujjars and Bakarwals nomadic groups are spread throughout the northern part of the Himalayan Range and they are facing a number of hardships in day to day life, due to non availabilities basic amenities on upper reaches, Dr. Rahi said.

The lack of education and health facilities, communications are also pressing hard the nomadic communities to give up their nomadic life styles and compelled them to opt for new professions, the survey said.

The survey further revealed that Gujjars who lead a lonely and tough life in the high-altitude meadows of the Himalayas and the Pir-Panjal are gradually settling down permanently in plain area.

The survey said the besides Jammu and Kashmir state, the nomadic Gujjars of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pardesh are also facing identical problems.

The survey suggested that government should formulate a plan to protect their nomadic identity by providing them education, health and communication facilities during their migration at upper reaches.

The survey further suggested that government should on priority formulate a disaster management policy for tribal and nomadic communities and the orders restricting the movement of Gujjars must be revoked immediately.

READ MORE - Survey shows decline in Tribal Migration of Gujjars

Dalit headmaster beaten for refusing to pay money

Patna, Aug 28 : A Dalit headmaster was allegedly abused, humiliated and beaten after he refused to pay money demanded by an infleuntial man in a Bihar village, police said Thursday.

Madheswar Ram, headmaster of a government primary school in Mehi village in Aurangabad district, was attacked when he refused to give Rs.50,000 to villager Ayodhya Yadav.

"I was abused and beaten," Madheswar Ram said. He named Yadav as the main accused.

Madheswar Ram told police that the school was given Rs.230,000 for construction of a building. But Yadav demanded a part of the money which he refused to pay.

READ MORE - Dalit headmaster beaten for refusing to pay money

Dalit woman's gang-rape; constable's son among four picked up

Allahabad: Four youths, including a constable?s son, were picked up by the police here today for interrogation in connection with the gangrape and murder of a young dalit woman on the outskirts of the city two days ago.

"We have picked up four youths for interrogation in connection with the brutal sexual assault and subsequent killing of 22-year-old Rita, whose body was found lying near a railway track in Dhoomanganj police station area last night", police spokesman Mrityunjay Kumar Mishra said.

He, however, declined to disclose the identity of those picked up for interrogation, saying, "It would not be appropriate to divulge names at this stage. The young men have not been formally arrested but only picked up on the basis of the feedback we got from the victim?s family members and neighbours."

A resident of Mahilagarh village under Dhoomanganj police station area, Rita had gone missing on Monday night. Her body, with hardly any clothes on and full of bruises and wounds, was recovered from near a railway crossing nearly 24 hours later.

The post-mortem report confirmed that she was strangulated after being sexually assaulted by "3-4 persons".

Meanwhile, heavy deployment of forces has been made in and around the victim?s village where the people are reportedly angry over the incident that took place at a time when pro-Dalit BSP was in power in Uttar Pradesh.

READ MORE - Dalit woman's gang-rape; constable's son among four picked up

Fear of backlash drives Dalits to government office in Dhada

Ahmedabad As Dalit families continue to take refuge at Deesa Mamlatdar’s office in Banaskantha district fearing upper caste reprisal, District Collector R J Patel visited the affected Dhada village on Wednesday and took stock of the situation.

The trouble started on July 31 when a 21-year-old Dalit youth was run over by a tractor belonging to an upper caste villager near Dhada. The police had registered a case of “accidental death”, but the Dalits in the area protested, claiming it was a murder.

Patel said they were trying to convince the Dalit families — who are demanding protection by the State Reserve Police (SRP) — to return home.

He admitted it is “difficult to offer protection”, but was confident that the Dalits would return to their villages “soon, maybe tomorrow or the day after that”. He said the matter “will be investigated”, adding that the main issue now is that “the children have not been attending school”.

A protest rally by the Dalits had turned violent on Monday, after which 37 of them were arrested. Since the protests gained momentum, about 28 Dalit families (154 people, including pregnant women and children) had evacuated their villages, as they feared persecution by upper caste Thakors. They took refuge at Mamlatdar M R Parmar’s office.

Parmar said on Tuesday that he

had appealed to those camping outside his office to return home and that necessary action would be taken against the offenders, but they refused to budge.

Banaskantha Superintendent of

Police H G Patel, meanwhile, blamed NGOs from outside of inciting violence on Monday. He said the rally turned violent because “outside NGOs had instigated the Dalit groups”.

The SP also claimed that the victim’s father had lodged a complaint with the police, following which the accused was arrested and a case of “culpable homicide” registered against him. Then, “four or five NGOs from

outside, whose sole motive is to create unrest, instigated the people, saying

it was murder and not an accident”, Patel added. He further said they were ready to provide SRP protection to the villagers, but no such request was placed before them yet.

Activists, meanwhile, claimed that the police was late in registering the case. According to Varsha Ganguly, director of Behavioral Science Centre, Ahmedabad, which works for Dalits in the district, the tractor had run 10 metres off-road, chasing the youth and mowing him down when bushes blocked his path.

She said there were two eyewitnesses to the crime.

READ MORE - Fear of backlash drives Dalits to government office in Dhada

Andhra assembly appeals for SC status to Dalit Christians

Hyderabad, Aug 26 The Andhra Pradesh assembly Tuesday adopted a resolution urging the central government to take steps to grant Scheduled Caste (SC) status to Dalit Christians or SC members who convert to Christianity.

The resolution moved by Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy appealed to the centre to bring an amendment to the Constitution to confer SC status on Dalit Christians.

The ruling Congress, main opposition Telugu Desam Party, Praja Rajyam, Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India-Marxist all supported the resolution.

The only exceptions were the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Lok Satta.

The chief minister said there was a need for SC status to Dalit Christians as they continue to face the same discrimination as Dalits. He assured the house that the government was positively inclined towards providing the same status to Dalit Muslims.

MIM demanded that Dalits who have converted to Islam should also be given SC status.

Lok Satta president Jayaprakash Narayan opposed the move saying the Supreme Court had passed orders opposing such a status to converts. He said the move would hit the interests of SCs as the existing 15 percent reservation would have to be divided between SCs and Dalit Christians.

BJP leader Kishan Reddy opposed the move saying this would lure SCs to convert to Christianity and promote missionary activities.

Christian leaders in the state have welcomed the resolution. They said an amendment to the Constitutional Order of 1950 would be sufficient to meet their long pending demand.

Father Anthoni Raj Thumma, executive secretary of the AP Federation of Churches, said the Constitutional order was amended twice in the past to extend SC status benefits to Dalit Sikhs and Dalit Buddhists.

READ MORE - Andhra assembly appeals for SC status to Dalit Christians

Involve tribals in forest management: Study

PUNE: Unless viewed from the perspective of Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP), forest management and governance will prove to be detrimental to the forests and the life of tribal communities that share a symbiotic relationship with the forests. It is therefore, necessary to involve tribal people in the designing of forest management plans.

This recommendation was a part of a recently-released study conducted by the Maharashtra NTFP forum, a collective of seven organisations spread across the state, working for tribal rights, conservation and regeneration of forests and forest-based livelihoods.

Broadly speaking, NTFP are considered to be any commodity obtained from forests, including nuts, seeds, berries, medicinal plants, fuelwood, foliage, peat and fodder.

Organisations like Maharashtra Arogya Mandal (Pune), Lok Panchayat (Ahmednagar), ECONET (Pune), Gramin Samasya Mukti Trust (Yavatmal), Lok Paryay (Aurangabad), Navi Ummed (Nanded) and Srujan (Yavatmal), were a part of the study. ECONET facilitates the collective and is involved in extending human and institution development, legal and advocacy support.

The baseline study conducted in 14 districts of Maharashtra- Raigad, Thane, Nandurbar, Ratnagiri, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Pune, Satara, Aurangabad, Latur, Amravati, Kinwat-Nanded, Yavatmal and Gadchiroli - covered 1,400 families in 70 typical tribal villages.

Village-level data was gathered to explore the overall situation and the percentage of communities dependent on NTFPs for their food, fodder, rituals and medical needs. Some of the families studied were the nomadic pastoralists and communities with life stock, keeping in mind grass/fodder as one of the main NTFPs.

Krisha Srinivasan, director, law and advocacy programme, ECONET, said NTFPs are the backbone of tribal existence as their culture, food and health security is dependent on them. He drew attention towards the challenge of addressing the alarming rate of alienation of tribal land under the garb of development projects like mining, dams, Special Economic Zones etc.

Executive trustee of ECONET Anuradha Krisha said, "The study could be utilised to claim community forest rights under the Scheduled Tribe and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights Act, 2006) as it captures the interdependence of the tribals-forest relationship."

Social researcher and writer Milind Bokil, underlined the dire need to save forests and other natural wealth from the hands of political leadership and bureaucracy and restore them to the safe hands of tribal communities. "This will result in the democratisation of natural wealth," he remarked.

READ MORE - Involve tribals in forest management: Study

Gujjar body moves court against 8 mobile companies

Srinagar, August 24 : Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation (TRCF) an organization of tribes has filed a suit in Consumer Court against eight cellular companies accusing them of providing poor quality services in tribal areas, consumer fraud, false advertising and deceptive trade practices by "misrepresenting Gojri” in their package for costumer care in regional languages. 
According to National Secretary of Tribal Foundation, Dr Javaid Rahi ignorance of Gojri language by mobile service providers in costumer care compelled them for initiating legal proceedings against the companies. Besides, he complained that the mobile services in tribal areas are almost defunct.
“And it is our right to seek legal action in the matter as out of 32 lakh mobile and wireless connections in the State, one third of the total consumers are Gojri speaking, but they are ignored in providing quality service and computerized answers in Gojri,” Rahi said.
“Despite number of requests, the companies failed to provide ring tune services in Gojri,” he added.
The companies include Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL), Airtel, Aircel,Vodafone, Relaince, Idea, Spice  Communication and TaTa Indicom.
The organization had earlier sent legal notice to these mobile companies asking them to provide quality service in tribal areas and include Gojri in costumer care computerized service within 21 days enabling the tribal population of the State to listen to computerized announcements, answers against their queries in Gojri.
“But they had failed to do so,” Rahi said, adding, “Now we have moved court for justice.”
The cellular companies are providing computerized costumer care services and ring tunes in regional languages like Kashmiri, Dogri and Ladakhi.
Rahi said, “We will go to any extent to sue them in the court of law for their discriminatory attitude towards tribals and seek justice for Gujjars at any cast.”
The lawsuit, filed by TRCF, further charges that the said service providers failed to provide an error free service to costumers  of  tribal areas and border belts of Poonch Rajouri, Baramulla Kupwara.
“We have also lodged a written complaint to Telecom Regulatory Authorities under Union Ministry of Telecom, Government of India against the companies for failing to provide quality service in tribal areas and the matter is pending with the Ministry,” Rahi said.

READ MORE - Gujjar body moves court against 8 mobile companies

States way behind Centre's tribal land deeds deadline

New Delhi, Aug 24  The UPA government's ambitious plan to distribute land deeds among tribals and other forest dwellers by the year end may hit a road block with many states not taking even preparatory measures in this direction.

According to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, only eight states have begun implementing the Scheduled Tribes and Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2007 by starting the process of distributing land deeds among the bonafide tribals and other forest dwellers.

The states which have started the process are Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Tripura where some tribals and forest dwellers have received land deeds after proper verification and approval at different levels, sources in the ministry said.

READ MORE - States way behind Centre's tribal land deeds deadline

Tribal Elder Shot Dead in Bajaur

Malik Ameer Khan was killed and his two guards were injured when gunmen opened fire at them in the main market.—Photo by AP

KHAR: A pro-government tribal elder was killed and his two guards were injured when gunmen opened fire at them in Bajaur Agency on Saturday.
Malik Ameer Khan was in the main market of the town when he came under attack. He suffered serious injuries and was taken to the agency headquarters hospital where he died.  The gunmen escaped despite the presence of security personnel in the area.
As the news of Mr Khan’s murder spread, a large number of his supporters gathered at the hospital. Several suspects were taken into custody under the Frontier Crimes Regulation.
Our Correspondent in Ghalanai adds: Two troops were injured in a gunbattle with militants in Yakaghund area of the Mohmand tribal region on Saturday.
Security forces were carrying out a search operation in the area, once considered a stronghold of militants, when they came under fire.

READ MORE - Tribal Elder Shot Dead in Bajaur

Mango kernel soup kills four tribals in Koraput

KORAPUT: A 12-year-old tribal girl and three others died of suspected food poisoning after consuming soup made of mango kernel at a remote hamlet in Koraput district.

Sub-collector (Koraput) Rajesh Patil, who visited Bhalupadar in Narayanpatna block on Saturday, said, "Preliminary medical reports indicate that the villagers had eaten inedible food. They had not only consumed soup made up of mango kernel, which was probably affected by bacteria, but also ate some wild mushrooms. This may have killed them."

Though the incident took place on Wednesday, the matter came to light only on Friday when district officials visited Bhalupadar to take stock of the situation. The deceased have been identified as Daharau Huika (32), his wife Sambari Huika (25), Diudu Sirika (50) and her granddaughter, Kamalu Sirika (12).

"Soon after consuming the soup, they fell ill and started vomiting. After vomiting three to four times, they died," one of the villagers told the officials. Panicked over the deaths, villagers on Friday destroyed mango kernels which they had stocked in their homes.

Officials said the tribals at Bhalupadar were often forced to consume mango kernels and forest products because government aid rarely reached the remote hamlet. One has to trek around five km on hilly terrain to reach the hamlet, which is nestled amidst a dense forest.

"We regularly send the villagers their quota of the Rs 2 per kg rice sanctioned by the government. But due to the inaccessibility of the place, they are unable to get other benefits," the sub-collector said. "Since only eight families reside at the hamlet, we are trying to convince them to settle down at the foothills. They can then easily avail other benefits such as housing and employment," he added.

READ MORE - Mango kernel soup kills four tribals in Koraput

Tribal film at Asia festival

Ranchi, Aug. 20: It’s a fight for tribal rights on celluloid. A voice, that will now be heard across Asia.

Justice Delayed, a film by Sri Prakash, is the only film from Jharkhand to be selected for a screening at CMS Vatavaran 2009, Asia’s premier wildlife and environment film festival to be held in Delhi this October.

Sri Prakash, an activist filmmaker, said his film is for the cause of tribal rights in India. Focusing on the Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006, it highlights the historical injustices against tribals that have taken place across the country. Primarily shot in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, it also tells Jharkhand’s story.

“I have tried to show how migrant tribals from Jharkhand are evicted from their lands and are forced to work as labourers in Railseema, Telangana and coastal Andhra. The film also tries to draw a comparison on the implementation of FRA in Jharkhand and other parts of India. Through interviews of activists, government officials and intellectuals, it shows how the Act is changing the lives of tribal communities,” he added.

Sri Prakash has several films on tribal issues to his credit. He has made this film with assistance from the University of Manchester and Centre for Economic and Social Studies, Hyderabad.

READ MORE - Tribal film at Asia festival

Chindwada tribals celebrate Bhujaliya festival

Chindwara (MP), Aug. 12 : A festival showcasing the tribal art and culture called, Bhujaliya, was organised in Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh.
The festival is celebrated for three days in the culminating days of monsoons.
A procession highlighting tribal art and culture is taken out during the festival.
Artisans dressed as warriors and tribal dancers perform at the procession.
Bhujaliya festival is attached to our country's culture and heritage. I have been participating in this festival since the last 50 years. Many tribal dances and acts of tribal culture are performed here, said Arvind Rajput, Chairman, Bhujaliya Committee.
The festival also sets an example of communal harmony as people from different religions participate in the festival.
Members of Muslim community greet the procession when it reaches Muslim dominated areas.
The major highlight of this festival in Chhindwara is that people from every religion celebrate this festival. This is an example of communal harmony. I feel that many Indian districts should follow Chhindwara. Definitely, if such type of festivals are celebrated then there will be fast development of our state and country, Nikunj Srivastava, Collector, Chhindwara.
Green shoots of wheat sown in earthen pots are submitted to water during the festivities. This is done with a view to having the ensuing crop in abundance.
Madhya Pradesh is home to almost 40 percent of tribal population in India.

READ MORE - Chindwada tribals celebrate Bhujaliya festival

Tribals protest plan to deploy troops

IMPHAL: Tribals, who dominate the five hill districts of Manipur, have protested against the government’s plan to deploy the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) troops and police commandos to check militancy.

Tribal student organisations and civil groups, who had only been issuing press releases, organised a protest demonstration on Tuesday. Sit-in protests were also staged in the hill districts. The protesters submitted memoranda to the Collectors.

The leaders said that peace had been prevailing in the districts after the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isaac-Muivah), the Naga militant outfit that has considerable following in Naga-dominated areas, and the Kuki tribal outfits signed a ceasefire.

They feared that the IRB troops and the police commandos would indulge in excesses such as staging fake encounters.

However, government circles say that the signatories to the ceasefire had been extorting illegal taxes and resorting to violence, a clear violation of the rules of the ceasefire.

READ MORE - Tribals protest plan to deploy troops

HC nod to allow forest rights to tribals in Orissa

Cuttack, Aug 12 : The Orissa Government's bid to stop Naxals from wooing tribals got a boost when the High Court today allowed it to distribute forest rights and forest lands to the traditional dwellers of forests.

Subject to certain conditions, the HC vacated an interim stay imposed by it about a year ago on implementation of Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.

"With the vacation of the stay, the state government can now go ahead with its proposal to distribute record of rights (pattas) to the forest dwellers which would go a long way in tackling the Naxal menace in the state," said state Advocate General Ashok Mohanty.

READ MORE - HC nod to allow forest rights to tribals in Orissa

Dalit law enforcers in taluks are clueless

BANGALORE: There's a law to tackle untouchability, but that hasn't helped much in eradicating the social stigma even in urban spaces. Reasons: Lack of proper enforcement and pro-active officers on the field.

A three-day capacity-building workshop on `Dalit rights and the laws' that started on Tuesday is trying to change this through discussions and legal awareness as well as training social welfare officers in taluks. The workshop at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) has been organized by the Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy (CSSEIP).

"Forget enforcement, not many officers on the job are themselves unaware of the law, which makes them less confident in enforcement,'' KVR Tagore, retired ADGP, directorate for civil right enforcement cell, pointed out.

Social welfare secretary E Venkataiah was equally forceful and lashed out against department officers for lacking knowledge and sincerity. "It's sad. Even more than 60 years after independence, we still need a workshop to educate officials. Many of them restrict themselves to their own area of work. They are a big zero when it comes understanding of related laws, for instance the Prevention of Atrocities (POA) Act.''

The inaugural session was a mixed bag of shouting problems and fixing long-term solutions. "Whatever welfare schemes implemented at district and state levels must be periodically reviewed at the monthly meetings of Karnataka development programmes. The performance of enforcing officials in the departments of social welfare, police and revenue should also be appraised,'' urban development department principal secretary D Thangaraj suggested.

Minister reacts to TOI report: Social welfare minister D Sudhakar reacted to the recent TOI reports on untouchability, which highlighted the findings of CSSEIP research studies. "The department will initiate appropriate action based on the final report. We need to make a start somewhere.''

READ MORE - Dalit law enforcers in taluks are clueless

In The Land of Mayawathi Dalits are Still Untouchables

By A.M. Jams Heed Basha

Times of India Made Startling Revelations on Untouchablity Still Practiced in Uttar Pradesh.

It was shocking, bizarre and unbelievable that it could happen in the very state where the champion of Dalits is the Chief Minister. Yes, it is real in Uttar Pradesh. The Times of India carried a full story under the caption "Untouchability still alive in India - Dalits have little access to Temples, kids made to sit separately in schools," last week.

What was intriguing was despite Mahatma's effort to remove untouchability, constitutional safeguards against untouchability and social awareness, these did not deter the upper caste people in Uttar Pradesh from doing away with the practice of untouchability. The news item carried a photograph in which an upper caste man pours water for a Dalit to drink in an Uttar Pradesh village. It was a disgusting sight and inhuman, unacceptable to any man of honour. What was his fault? He was Dalit, of course.

I really appreciate the effort taken by the Time research team to fan out in 8 states including Uttar Pradesh for a reality check and brought to notice of the authorities that after more than 60 years of independence, in the country of Mahatma, a Champion of Dalits, untouchability is still alive and thriving. This makes a mockery of the social change ushered into society not long ago.

The report says, "Dalits are still segregated with little access to temples, water sources and upper caste areas". It was equally most unfortunate that in the birth place of social reformist Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Radhanagar in Hoogly, they still have a separate crematorium for Brahmins and non-Brahmins. The Times of India has also reported that in a bizarre case in Warangal district, the Dalits were forced to draw water from their well where a dog fell and died. There could be nothing more inhuman that shows excessive segregation in a society, than this. Politicians want Dalit votes but they care little about casteism and such inhuman practices that are happening in the 21st century.

Festivals are the time when people forget old rivalries and embrace each other to enjoy the occasion. But festivities also have their flip side. Dalits were served food separately in their own plates and tumblers, which they were asked to bring to participate in a mass feeding.

In Uttar Pradesh, where the champion of Dalits holds the highest office of Chief Minister, every village has a chammar toli, a place segregated for Dalits. Also, Dalit children are made to sit separately in schools. Even where the post of President of a Village has been reserved for a Dalit, no one had the guts to contest the elections. The Presidency is still lying vacant, for example, in Malasa village in Kanpur Dehat, fearing a backlash from Thakurs.

Even Rajasthan is not free from casteism. Even today, the newcomers to villages are screened for Dalits and they cannot pass through the Upper caste houses wearing chappels and headgear. It was also reported that segregation was at its bizarre best in Rajpur tehsil, 60 km from Kanpur, where Thakurs withdrew their children from a school after a Dalit cook was employed to prepare mid-day meals.

The above are some of the incidences of casteism and practices of discrimination against Dalits still in vogue in independent India.

It has another side too. In Tamilnadu and Punjab, the Dalits have asserted themselves, leaving uppercaste people gasping. Education among the Dalits and their position in government and politics would have brought the differences. Even among the uppercaste people, they began to feel the need to remove the age-old inhuman practices of untouchability and a law is in place to protect the rights of Dalits.

Despite individual assertions of rights, the society as a whole needs to be re-educated through concerted programmes. Government and NGOs have a role to play. In Uttar Pradesh where such incidences were reported, the Mayawathi government would have to take action to see that Dalits are treated with dignity, love and compassion like any other human being. They are equally part of humanity as they are not from alien lands. Jai Hind.

READ MORE - In The Land of Mayawathi Dalits are Still Untouchables

Dalit Christian Issue to Be Settled Soon’

Mangalore, Aug 11: Union minister for law and justice M Veerappa Moily on Tuesday August 11 at the Bishop House here assured that Dalit Christian issue will soon be settled with the implementation of report of Justice Ranganatha Mishra commission. The report is already with the union government, he said. 
Speaking after receiving felicitation by Bishop of Mangalore Aloysius Paul D’ Souza on behalf of Mangalore diocesan, Moily said that he aims at justice for all emphasizing that his tenure will be noted as era of judicial reforms with major amendments. Everyone has a constitutional right to have a peaceful existence. There is a need for people to co-exist without fighting in the name of community or religion, which means there arises a need to make due amendments to law and properly administer justice.

UPA government has been giving due importance to the minority communities of the nation and seen to it that their interest and right to living is not hurt, he said. Expressing pleasure on being felicitated Moily said, “I have always progressed in life due to the blessings of the elders. This felicitation is the celebration of trust between us and also has added to my responsibility. I accept the honour with all humility, he said.
On the occasion, Preeta Aroza, wife of Glen Patric Aroza, captain of a ship held up in Taiwan in the guise of investigation since the last four months, appealed to the minister to help her get her husband released.
Vicar of diocese Dennis Moras Prabhu, Bishop House spokesperson William Menezes and Congress leader Ivan D’Souza were present.

READ MORE - Dalit Christian Issue to Be Settled Soon’

Orissa to recruit 3,500 tribals to fight Maoist menace

Bhubaneswar, Aug 7 (IANS) The Orissa government Friday decided to recruit 3,500 young tribals as special police officers (SPO) to tackle the Maoist menace in the state.

“I had a review meeting relating to Maoist related violence. It has been decided that an additional 3,500 young tribals would be recruited in the police force,” Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said.

At present the state has about 2,100 SPOs.
“It has also been decided to set up a constable training centre with a capacity of 1,000 trainees. It will start functioning by this year end,” Patnaik said.

READ MORE - Orissa to recruit 3,500 tribals to fight Maoist menace

Halt Lalgarh operation, demand rights groups

They termed the operation as a ploy to isolate the tribals and pave the way for corporates to take control of the mineral-rich resources
Sadiq Naqvi Delhi Hardnews
"Everybody sees us as a market and not as a people," Arundhati Roy, author, said. She was speaking at a convention against the State's offensive at Lalgarh and adjoining areas held at Gandhi Peace Foundation on Thursday.
It was organised by the Lalgarh Movement Solidarity Committee, a group of various organisations and student groups
"Earlier, after the November landmine attack directed at West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee when he was returning after inaugurating a Jindal steel plant at Salboni, State tyranny has gained massive proportions. Police and CPM harmads allegedly created havoc in tribal area of Lalgarh in West Midnapore on the pretext of catching Maoists, who they believed have mingled with the tribals," said Amit Bhattacharyya of the Committee for Release of Political Prisoners.
Later, finding no other way of ending this oppression, the tribals of Lalgarh launched a resistance and formed the People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) headed by Chhatradhar Mahato. Police was not allowed to enter the area and local CPM leaders were hounded and their palatial houses razed to the ground. Seeing the disturbed situation of the area, a joint action was launched by the Centre and the state to flush out the Maoists and bring back the area under the control of the state government. Nearly 5,000 troops were deployed to challenge the guerrillas who were reportedly supporting the locals in their resistance.
The intellectuals expressed their worries about security forces taking control of jungles and destroying the unique culture and distinct identities of the different tribes inhabiting them. They termed it as a project to isolate the tribals and pave way for corporates to take control of the mineral-rich resources of the country.
"This is nothing new in the Brahmanical thought process. Tribals have never been allowed to be a part of the development process and have been considered uncivilised and unworthy of being a part of the modern society. Barriers of the language and culture have never allowed them any space," said Madan Kashyap, poet. He went on to add, "The CPM is not aloof of this thought process. Student leaders have taken control of the party leaving no space for the grassroots leaders working among the peasants. Consequently, the party has distanced itself from issues of the tribals and rural population."
Drawing attention towards the proposed post-monsoon offensive against the Maoists, Sumit Chakraborty, editor of Mainstream, termed Lalgarh Operation as an experiment to test waters as to how the Indian middle class takes it. "The government wants to check out how the middle class reacts to this onslaught." he said. He attacked the State's policies for being responsible for the spread of radical ideologies. Maoism is thriving in areas reeling under extreme poverty. Moreover, SEZs and other neo-industrial policies have led the population to part from their lands and houses leading to massive displacement of people. Most of the time, paltry compensation is paid in lieu of the land.
Retired professor KR Choudhary of the Visthapan Virodhi Jan Vikas Andolan termed the struggle of Lalgarh as one of the finest examples of resistance guided by revolutionary forces. "The tribal population has been subjected to untold miseries. They are the first victims of industrialisation and they will continue to fight for their rights." he said. "Singur, Nandigram and now Lalgarh - they show that the struggle of the people is a success," he elaborated.
Raj Kishore of the Revolutionary Democratic Front termed the struggle as a fight between the people's and the State's model of development.
While accepting the presence of Maoists in the region, Bhattacharya said, "Maoists were engaged in development activities like building roads and health centres for the locals. He said that nothing would have happened if the administration would have conceded the just demands of the locals."
Hardnews learnt that PCPA had put forward unique demands like the then superintendent of police of West Midnapore must apologise holding his ears and also policemen who assaulted women must be made to crawl on the ground with their noses rubbing the soil. Later, some more demands of development of the native Santhali language and protection of natural resources were added to the list. But, none of the demands were accepted by the authorities.
Bhattacharya accused Anuj Pandey, local CPM leader, of financing goons who killed members of the PCPA. He said something very sinister is going on in the Lalgarh area because nobody is allowed to enter the area. Even eminent social activists like Medha Patkar and Gopal Menon were detained by the police.
All the organisations demanded immediate halt of the Lalgarh operation, compensation to the affected people, commencement of dialogue with the locals and repeal of the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (amended), 2008.
Meanwhile, launching an attack on the neo-liberal market dynamics and the hysteria surrounding India as the new superpower Arundhati Roy said, "India has become a talking point in the capitalist societies. The big question for them is will India be able to save the ailing world economy in these tough times."
She questioned the source of funds for the election campaigns of the major political parties. "More than 90 per cent of the independent candidates lost the elections and 10 times more money than the US presidential elections was pumped in the Indian elections. She called for diverse forms of resistance to counter the oppression and said mining and related activities are responsible for most of the genocides in the world.

READ MORE - Halt Lalgarh operation, demand rights groups

Tribals in Baripada get ready for festival of cultivation

BARIPADA, Aug 5 : The tribal calendar is dotted with various rituals that are performed in a bid to ensure peace and prosperity. The Karam festival, or 'the festival of cultivation', is one such ritual which will be kicking off tomorrow.
Tribals in several part of the district will celebrate the festival in a traditional manner. As well as wishing for a successful harvest, Karam has become an occasion for sisters to wish their brothers a successful life.

According to Mr Sailandu Mohanta, a senior citizen, the importance of Karam festival has grown over the years because people are at leisure to celebrate it, after a period of hard work transplanting paddy and other crops. It is generally celebrated from Rakhi Purnima at the end of the month of Sravana. Karam also provides an occasion to convey the principal of Karma as propounded in the Bhagbat Gita, he added.
"This mood of revelry continues till Dashera and Diwali," observed Mr Mohanta.

As per the traditional practice, tribals, accompanied by music and dance, enter the nearby forest area and collect a branch from the Karam tree. Almost every member of the tribe knows how to identify the species. They also believe that the two branches of the trees stand for Karma and Dharma. Then they offer Puja and the branches are worshipped. Then dancing and merry making begins.

According to Mr Balabhadra Mohanta of Sindurgoura village under Shymakhunta area of the district, the festival is being celebrated not only in the state but also in different parts of West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand.

READ MORE - Tribals in Baripada get ready for festival of cultivation

Chengara stir will be spread if not solved, landless tribals’ stir enters third year

A protest by nearly 5,000 tribals demanding land at a rubber estate near here completes two years Tuesday. The group heading the strike has slammed the Left-led Kerala government for not resolving the issue.
The landless tribals have been staying in tents pitched in the Kumbazha rubber estate of Harrisons Malayalam Ltd (HML) in Chengara, about 120 km from Thiruvananthapuram, since Aug 4, 2007 to mark their protest.
Led by the Sadhu Jana Vimocha Samyukta Vedi (SJVSV) headed by Laha Gopalan, the protesters have been demanding land from the government. Gopalan lashed out at the Left government, especially the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), which he termed as a party that had no regard for the poor.
‘The CPI-M has proved beyond doubt that they have no concern for the downtrodden. Otherwise, would they have allowed this genuine strike to enter the third year. They have let us down very badly,’ said Gopalan.
On the other hand, around 170 families of plantation workers, who have lost their livelihood due to the tribals occupying the estate, are opposing them and staging another protest at the entry point of the estate.
Leader of opposition Oommen Chandy, who is to partake in a meeting near the venue of the protests Tuesday, said the state government has failed to settle this dispute.
‘We have time and again said that we are prepared to cooperate with the government but they are silent. We are very clear that the government should find out who among the protesters don’t have land and they should be given land. The ball is in the government’s court,’ Chandy told IANS.
State Minister for Backward and Scheduled Communities A.K. Balan said the tribals cannot be given the land they have encroached upon as it is not government land.
‘The state chief secretary has now been served a contempt of court notice for failing to evacuate the protesters. We just cannot use force to evacuate them because then it could turn ugly… But we are confident that we will find a way out soon,’ Balan said.
‘Certainly those who are protesting have a rightful demand and we are not ignoring them. There are genuine problems we are facing in finding suitable land to be given to them. The government along with the help of the opposition will find a solution to this problem soon,’ the minister added.
KOLLAM: The Chengara Land Agitation Solidarity Committee has said that the agitation will be spread throughout the state unless the issue is settled immediately. Solidarity Committee patron and state president of Kerala Dalit Federation P.Ramabhadran said that a conference to be held in Pathanamthitta on August 4 to mark the second anniversary of the Chengara agitation would chalk out the state-wide agitational programmes.
Inaugurating the Kollam district convention of the Chengara Solidarity Committee, Ramabhadran said that despite the concerted campaign by the CPM and the government led by it against the agitation, it was gaining momentum.
The CPM had levelled many allegations against the agitation,including it being an American-sponsored one, and even tried to establish that the agitators were having links with Maoists-Naxalites and the terrorists, he said. In spite of all the repressive methods employed to suppress the agitation such as charging false cases, denying food, medicines and even education to the children, the agitators are very much determined to continue the agitation, he said
.He said that the monopoly of the CPM on the Dalit and landless people’s movements has been shattered and the CPM has been exposed as a party supporting the causes of the Harrisons Plantations company.

READ MORE - Chengara stir will be spread if not solved, landless tribals’ stir enters third year

Kerala landless tribals’ stir enters third year

Pathanamthitta (Kerala), Aug 3 A protest by nearly 5,000 tribals demanding land at a rubber estate near here completes two years Tuesday. The group heading the strike has slammed the Left-led Kerala government for not resolving the issue.
The landless tribals have been staying in tents pitched in the Kumbazha rubber estate of Harrisons Malayalam Ltd (HML) in Chengara, about 120 km from Thiruvananthapuram, since Aug 4, 2007 to mark their protest.
Led by the Sadhu Jana Vimocha Samyukta Vedi (SJVSV) headed by Laha Gopalan, the protesters have been demanding land from the government. Gopalan lashed out at the Left government, especially the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), which he termed as a party that had no regard for the poor.

“The CPI-M has proved beyond doubt that they have no concern for the downtrodden. Otherwise, would they have allowed this genuine strike to enter the third year. They have let us down very badly,” said Gopalan.
On the other hand, around 170 families of plantation workers, who have lost their livelihood due to the tribals occupying the estate, are opposing them and staging another protest at the entry point of the estate.

Leader of opposition Oommen Chandy, who is to partake in a meeting near the venue of the protests Tuesday, said the state government has failed to settle this dispute.

“We have time and again said that we are prepared to cooperate with the government but they are silent. We are very clear that the government should find out who among the protesters don’t have land and they should be given land. The ball is in the government’s court,” Chandy told IANS.

State Minister for Backward and Scheduled Communities A.K. Balan said the tribals cannot be given the land they have encroached upon as it is not government land.

“The state chief secretary has now been served a contempt of court notice for failing to evacuate the protesters. We just cannot use force to evacuate them because then it could turn ugly… But we are confident that we will find a way out soon,” Balan said.

“Certainly those who are protesting have a rightful demand and we are not ignoring them. There are genuine problems we are facing in finding suitable land to be given to them. The government along with the help of the opposition will find a solution to this problem soon,” the minister added.

READ MORE - Kerala landless tribals’ stir enters third year

Untouchabilty alive and kicking in India

Shobha John

More than 60 years after Independence, untouchability is alive and thriving in India’s hinterlands. Pockets of social change have been but mere drops in an ocean of casteism and prejudice. This was borne out in a survey by National Law School, Bangalore, which was reported recently. Following this, TOI correspondents did a reality check in eight states across India.

Dalits are still segregated with little access to temples, water sources and upper caste areas. And ironically, even in Radhanagar in Hooghly district, the birthplace of social reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy, there are separate crematoria for Brahmins and non-Brahmins. And in a bizarre case in Waganagere village in Gulbarga district of Karnataka, 120 Dalit households were forced to draw water from their well even after a dog fell in and died. During festivities, not only are they served food separately, but they have to bring their own plates and tumblers. Gulbarga, incidentally, has 126 cases registered under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989 and the Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955, the highest in Karnataka.

In UP, almost every village has a chamar toli, a place segregated for them. Dalit children are made to sit separately in schools. In Malasa village in Kanpur Dehat, though the post of gram pradhan was reserved for scheduled castes, it has been lying vacant as no Dalit has the courage to contest the election, fearing backlash from the dominant Thakurs. And when they do, as two Dalits did last year, their candidature was rejected because no one, not even Dalits, seconded them during the filing of nomination papers. Uniquely in UP, untouchability is practised by Dalits too.

In Rajasthan’s Dholeria Shashan village near Pali, newcomers are interrogated and if they are scheduled castes, entry is tough. They also cannot pass upper caste houses wearing footwear or headgear, says poet and writer Vinod Vithall.

Segregation is also blighting the next generation. In Rajpur tehsil, 60 km from Kanpur, Thakurs withdrew their children from a primary school after a Dalit cook was employed to prepare mid-day meals.
D Shyam Babu, senior fellow, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, says authorities often turn a blind eye to caste atrocities. Acts which protect the lower castes aren’t implemented either. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes in Chandigarh admitted that it receives 3-4 complaints daily. Ajmer district police reportedly has recorded 360 cases pertaining to SCs/STs over the last 18 months. In UP, over two dozen such cases were filed in the last six months.

But Dalits have now started asserting themselves. ‘‘In Tamil Nadu, upper castes are now at the receiving end after two decades of virulent clashes. In Punjab, thanks to the Green Revolution and prosperity, most Dalits have a good lifestyle,’’ says Balwinder Singh Sidhu, a government official, though there are pockets of discrimination.

Individuals have made a difference too. Tamil Nadu inspector general Pratheep V Philip has started a social justice tea party where the police provides tea to villagers and counsels them against discriminating Dalits. Two months back in Alwar, a Brahmin invited Dalits to his daughters wedding. In rural Bengal, says social scientist Amal Mukhopadhyay, inter-caste marriages too are taking place.

So will B R Ambedkar’s dream of an India where untouchables are not a sub-division of Hindus, but a separate and distinct element in the national life fructify?

(With inputs by Ashish Tripathi and Faiz Rehman Siddiqui, Lucknow; Ramaninder K Bhatia, Chandigarh; Deepender Deswal, Rohtak; Ajay Parmar and Kshitiz Gaur, Jaipur; Sanjeev Kumar Verma, Patna; Falguni Banerjee and Ashish Poddar in Kolkata; Prashanth G N, Bangalore and Radha Venkatesan, Chennai)

READ MORE - Untouchabilty alive and kicking in India

Dalit girl raped in Chinahat

Lucknow: A 17-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly raped by her three neighbours, also Dalits, in Chinahat area in Lucknow on late Saturday night.

According to the victim’s father, Shiv Narayan, his three neighbours — Sarvajeet, Pawan and Bechan —kidnapped his daughter from outside the house on Saturday and took her to their place and raped her.

The police have already registered a case against the accused.

Refuting Narayan’s claim, K P Singh, in-charge of the Chinahat police station, said the medical report of the girl did not support their claim of rape. “We are again sending her for further tests,” he said.

According to the police, Sarvajeet and Narayan had a fight a few days ago over a piece of land. Currently, the police is interrogating Sarvajeet.

READ MORE - Dalit girl raped in Chinahat