From: Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC <pmarc2008@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Feb 8, 2010 at 4:28 PM
Subject: [PMARC] Dalits Media Watch - News Updates 08.02.10
To: Dalits Media Watch <PMARC@dgroups.org>
Dalits Media Watch
News Updates 08.02.10
held for assaulting Dalit women cooks - Express Buzz
Plea to check attacks on Dalits - The Hindu
http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/08/stories/2010020856570400.htm
State data on atrocities against SC/ST has discrepancies: Wasnik- Indian Express
| 'Jobs to dalits is pvt sector's social duty' - Business Standard |
| Personnel Dept's letter angers SC bodies - The Tribune |
Express Buzz
held for assaulting Dalit women cooks
Last Updated : 08 Feb 2010 01:22:58 PM IST
KENDRAPARA: A Member of the village education committee in Sanamarichapli village here, Niranjan Pradhan, was arrested yesterday for allegedly assaulting and forcibly detaining two Dalit women when they refused to quit from their jobs as cooks in Maa Sidha Marichandi Nodal School on January 19. He was produced in JMFC, Pattamundei, which denied bail and remanded him to judicial custody.
Ketaki Sethi, one of the Dalit women, had filed an FIR against Niranjan, said Maheswar Sethi, the Officer-in- Charge of Rajnagar police station.
Cooking mid-day meals at the school was stopped three weeks back after students belonging to upper caste refused to eat meals cooked by the two Dalit women. They were instigated by some upper caste persons of the village including Pradhan.
The authorities had entrusted Ma Ambika SHG to provide mid-day meals to students and the SHG appointed two upper caste women for the purpose. But on January 19, the SHG replaced upper caste women cooks and entrusted two Dalit women - Ketaki Sethi and Sebati Sethi - for the work. This was, however, not accepted by the upper caste men who assaulted and locked the two women in the kitchen for an hour before the headmaster rescued them.
Headmaster Rabindra Nayak said he was being forced by the upper caste villagers to disengage the two women. "But I pleaded my helplessness as it was the decision of the higher authorities," he said.
The village has a population of 700 people of which about one-third are Dalits.
An administrative inquiry was initiated.
The situation has worsened to an extent that now both the Dalit and upper caste communities of the village and its nearby areas are at loggerheads over the issue. Sources said the upper caster people have threatened to withdraw their wards from the school if upper caste cooks are not appointed to prepare the mid-day meals.
District Collector Sishirkanta Panda said that police action would be initiated against those opposing appointment of the Dalit women as cooks in the school.
The Hindu
Plea to check attacks on Dalits
http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/08/stories/2010020856570400.htm
HYDERABAD: Society Against Caste Discrimination general secretary John Wesley on Sunday sought stringent action against persons belonging to higher castes for attacking Dalits in Mahabubnagar district by initiating action under the SC, ST (Atrocities) Prevention Act and extend financial assistance to the victims. He also submitted a representation to Home Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy in this regard. – Special Correspondent
Indian Express
State data on atrocities against SC/ST has discrepancies: Wasnik
Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Mukul Wasnik said on Saturday that discrepancies have been found in the records maintained by the Gujarat government and the Central government related to atrocities registered against the members of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes(ST) in the state.
After his meeting with the state officials in Gandhinagar on Saturday, the minister said while addressing mediapersons that the Central government would crosscheck the data with the state government.
He added: "We have observed that figures of atrocities registered against the SC/ST persons in the state vary with our records. We are doing a tally with the government and finding out the reasons behind it."
Contrasting the Gujarat government's claim of having no manual scavengers in the state, the Union Minister said scavengers from Gujarat were rehabilitated through various self-employment programmes. Wasnik revealed that nearly 149 manual scavengers out of 8,740 (as per the state government data) are yet to be rehabilitated under the scheme.
Wasnik told The Sunday Express that as the instances of manhole workers' deaths were reported in the state, the Centre has asked the state government to provide social security to workers.
He said: "A Central committee has also spoken to Mallikarjun Kharge, the Minister of Labour and Employment, to look into the death of manhole workers. As for manual scavenging, the state needs to look into the matter deeply."
Wasnik, who is also a member of the special committee set up by the Centre to work on the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 and the Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989, came up with some solutions to the problems faced by sanitation workers in Gujarat.
He said the state government has been asked to update workers' details including their number, education, work profile, income and death on the social justice and empowerment department's website.
According to Wasnik, the Central government is working to start a toll-free number for the workers of the backward communities to address their problems. The government would also introduce subjects of civil rights and atrocities against backward communities for public service examinations and train the workers on the laws related to them.
The committee members including Wasnik and Additional Secretary of Social Justice and Empowerment Sangita Gairola appealed to the state government to sensitise policemen and civil servants towards the atrocities against the backward class workers.
Business Standard
|
'Jobs to dalits is pvt sector's social duty' |
|
Q&A: Mukul Wasnik, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment |
| Sreelatha Menon / New Delhi February 7, 2010, 0:47 IST |
Positives like dalit music and literature should be promoted while reservations for the community can continue, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Mukul Wasnik, tells Sreelatha Menon
Are you satisfied with what industry has done so far on affirmative action for dalits?
In the last few years, a dialogue has been started and industry bodies like Assocham, Ficci and CII have adopted a code of conduct for their members for providing jobs to dalits. A group of officers headed by the secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, is looking into the matter.
But dalit groups say all this has not translated into action on the ground.
These goals can be monitored and one level of the government is looking at them.
What do you personally feel about quotas for dalits in the private sector?
When these chambers adopt the steps that they have promised to, we will see how far they are able to go. As for me, I think it is a social obligation that the private sector has to fulfil. We will follow what they do. A large number of people aspire for a place in the private sector. I think it should be through persuasion. Industry has to adopt measures voluntarily.
You recently said you were disappointed with the manner in which industry had almost ignored the incentives the government provided it for giving jobs to the disabled.
I didn't say I was disappointed. A scheme was started to encourage employment of the disabled in the private sector. Under the scheme, employers' contribution to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) will be paid by the government for the first three years. We expected that industry would come forward and a large number of people would get jobs. But reports so far don't indicate that this scheme has been availed of in the manner we had expected. So, in the last session of Parliament, some questions were raised and I had a brief discussion with officials to find out the reasons.
Was it because of lack of awareness?
I don't think so. Former finance minister P Chidambaram had announced the scheme in the Budget and met a number of organisations. EPF and ESIC also publicised the scheme and wrote to their member companies. So, awareness is very much there. The deprived sections have huge aspirations and want to get their rightful place in the society in every field.
But the Congress has been in power most of the time. So, don't you think it is too late in the day to address this now?
I don't think so. This government was the first to enter into a dialogue with the private sector. Close to 45 million families have got employment through the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, which is largely benefiting SCs/STs.
There is criticism that the quota system has brought complacency among dalits and prevented excellence.
That is wrong. A large number of people have risen to the top due to reservations.
It is said that the same families have been benefiting from quotas. There is no plan to check this.
Reservations are aimed at giving a place to dalits not because of their economic backwardness but because they are victims of social stigma. So, the idea of a creamy layer is not acceptable. There is political empowerment through election of dalits in Parliament, Assembly, local bodies and panchayats, which leads to social and economic empowerment. Due to quotas, dalits are able to send representatives to Parliament and other elected bodies and this has given them a political voice that can be heard. We still hear cases of atrocities against dalits. So, the stigma continues.
The cases continue to be large in number. What is the reason?
Two years ago, 35,000 cases were filed under the Prevention of Atrocities Act, of which 30,000 concerned SCs and 5,000 tribals. This is the state of affairs. This is because of discrimination. This is due to a mindset and we have to change this.
What has the government done to provide jobs for SCs?
This government (the previous UPA government) carried a special drive to fill 60,000 vacancies left by the previous government.
Being called a dalit is still considered derogatory. Quotas harp on the stigma suffered by dalits. Why doesn't the government think of emphasising their positive legacies like dalit literature, music, folklore, even cuisine? There is hardly any programme for that. The private sector could contribute.
This is a good suggestion. We will discuss this and something should be worked out.
The government's policy for senior citizens does not address their need for cheap medicines and food. What are your plans?
We are in the process of reviewing existing policies and programmes. We will soon come out with a programme. We know it is urgently needed. The earlier policy yielded an Act for senior citizens, which was notified by 22 states. Tribunals are being constituted and in Kerala they have even started registering cases. Ten years have passed since the law and we will now review it. Today, if there are 75 million senior citizens, this figure will be 175 million by 2020. The category of people who are 80 and above is also increasing rapidly. Their needs will be different.
Do you propose to talk to the health ministry on the matter of subsidised medicines for conditions typical of the old? Many diseases remain undetected and there is no system of outreach to detect diseases in old among the poor.
We are reviewing our policy. We will take all suggestions . These things need to be addressed when we have a new policy.
You are in the process of overhauling the Disabilities Act. What is the purpose?
The final shape of the Act will be ready next week.We have tried to change the Disabilities Act, 1995, to match the UN Convention on Persons with Disabilities. Discussions are on and there will be a new Act soon.
You used to head the Youth Congress. What do you think about the changes that are being introduced by your successor, Rahul Gandhi.
I think if there is a system of nomination, it is bound to be questioned. But if a person is democratically elected, he is more powerful, which benefits the organisation. So, Rahul Gandhi has put the organisation in a democratic mould. Now, decisions of elected leaders will be much more acceptable. Those holding offices in the Youth Congress will have more authority. It will attract people from all sections of society, especially in this period of knowledge explosion and the spread of the media.
The government is not implementing the NGO (non-government organisation) policy or facilitating their role in development.
Our ministry may do something for capacity-building of NGOs soon. We are preparing a capsule and will reach out to NGOs. Some support can help draw out the best in them.
The Tribune
Personnel Dept's letter angers SC bodies
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100208/haryana.htm#2
Yoginder Gupta, Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 7
An advisory sent by the Union Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) to various ministries regarding filling of reserved posts by recruiting general category candidates has raised the hackles of organisations working for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes.
The DOPT had written to various ministries that though there was a general ban on dereservation of reserved vacancies in case of direct recruitment, in rare and exceptional cases where a post in Group "A" could not be allowed to remain vacant in public interest, the ministry concerned could dereserve it after consultation with the National Commission for the Scheduled Castes, the National Commission for the Scheduled Tribes or the National Commission for the Backward Classes, as the case might be. The DOPT also wrote that in case of promotion, if sufficient number of suitable SC/ST candidates were not available, the vacancies might be dereserved after sending a proposal in this regard to the DOPT and the respective commissions.
What has angered the SC organisations the most is the provision in the DOPT letter that if no reply was received from the DOPT or the respective commissions within two weeks to the proposal to dereserve a post, it should be presumed that they had no comments to offer and the ministry concerned might take a decision regarding dereservation of the post.
President of the Haryana Pradesh Chamar Sangharsh Samiti Gaje Singh Muwal has termed the DOPT letter as an "irresponsible act, aimed at defeating the constitutional provision for reservation for the oppressed classes."
--
.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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