February 29, 2019 Justice. Liberty. Fraternity. Equality www.dalitpost.com Poor risk land loss during digitization ’s national land record modernisation programme seeks to re-survey lands, verify and upgrade records, and put the information online by 2021...... Post - page 8 Dalit oppression the most in has lost her way... - page 4

Fight against CAA, NRC, NPR to intensify” - page 6 Ever since the Yogi government was formed in Uttar Pradesh, the morale of criminals and feudal forces has gone up tremendously due to protection from the government... Elgar Parishad COVID-19 to spur ’s sister Bhima Koregaon urban planning rethink to join Azad’s party separate Ideologies of Gandhi, Godse cannot co-exist - page 7 -page 13 -page 14 -page 15

Evolution from a Why rapes will not stop in bad Muslim to a India despite the hangings... Not just a good one: Really? gender gap: It’s a power gap... - page 9

- Saeed Naqvi -page 11 - Pink Virani -page 12 Much, Much More Inside! For free private circulation Atrocities... Dalit POST www.dalitpost.com February 29, 2019 2 Family fighting for justice as caste prejudices threaten to foil the case... November 30th, 2019 to District The ADM report categorical- accuse her of being pawn in the Magistrate Amit Kishore. His ly states that prima facie there is hands of the powerful communi- report acknowledged Social De- an absolute negligence on part of ties. Chhotu’s father accuses both velopment Foundation’s request the police. the chowki in charge as well as for the inquiry. Based on his Even after the ADM Rakesh the doctor who performed Post inquiry after meeting villagers Kumar’s report indicating police Mortem were bribed to destroy as well as parents and wife of inaction and his suspicion on lo- the cases. He fears that the wit- Chhotu Mushahar, ADM not- cal police inspector for ignoring nesses might be allured as they ed that Chhotu died because of the pleas for FIR, there has not are too poor and police delay in terrible beating by rods, stones been any action against the said filing and investigating the case and bricks by RikeshSaini, s/o police in charge of the Chowki. will hurt it. So far he is thorough- Ram Ratan and Lav Mishra s/o Police did not want to file the ly disappointed as he has not re- Chandra Pal Mishra. Chhotu got FIR under the SC-ST Prevention ceived a single rupee of compen- injured and then was pushed into of Atrocities Act 1989 (amend- sation from the government. the river where he died of drown- ed 2015) but they had no option Till today, Chotu Mushahar’s ing. after the ADM Rakesh Kumar’s family who are an absolutely It was a well-known fact that report but resisted at all level that landless family and living in one Chhotu and for that matter, most they can’t file a case under 302 room kuchha house allotted to of the Mushahars know swim- but under 304. Finally, they filed Yogendra Mushahar, have not got ming as fishing is a life line for FIR on December 5th, 2019 near- any compensation. Authorities them. Perhaps he died because he ly after 40 days of the incident. promised but nothing happened. was injured and hence could not The FIR filed under SC-ST Act Even under the SC-ST Prevention swim. He could have survived if section 3(2)V and section 304 of of Atrocities Act, the victim fam- he was not pushed into the riv- IPC 1860. ily are supposed to get compen- - V B Rawat the report within an hour with er. ADM report noted that the Actually the main accused in sation to support the basic needs his ‘finding’ that the body does information of Chhotu’s disap- the case is belong to the Brah- of the family. Under the law the Chhotu Mushahar, 30, was found not have any injury mark and the min community as well as Saini( compensation must be paid with- murdered because of some dis- death occurred due to drowning, OBC) community but there is a in the seven days of the incident pute over a fish by the two per- thus indicating categorically that “There is a lack of well-known fact that police tried happen but in this case we can sons of the Udaipura village in it does not consider any foul play action on part of to protect them. They are roam- still think that the date of filing district Deoria in Uttar Pradesh, or murder of Chhotu, instead, he police officer as they ing in the village and are said to of FIR, which is December 5th, on October 28th, 2019. His dead died himself. Frankly speaking, failed to respond be in touch with the police. 2019 but so far not a single penny, body was found floating at the most of the time, when a Musha- Chhotu Mushahar’s parents has been transferred. It is sad that river chhoti Gandak in village har or any other Dalit is mur- to the various told me that they are receiving for every small thing, the officials Raman Chhapara which is about dered, the cases are rarely filed complains by Chhotu threat from the family of Lav are being reminded of their du- a kilometer from his home. The and blame is on the individual Mushahar’s family” Mishra and their sympathizers ties. The details of Bank account, accused Lav Mishra and Rikesh only. The cause of death which that if he goes to jail, he will defi- aadhar card and other things have Saini allegedly beat him merci- is often ‘accepted’ by people is nitely teach them a lesson after already been furnished to the lessly on the bank of river Gandak ‘drinking’ or some old ghost of pearance was given to the local he is released. Chhotu’s parents authorities. The officials need to where they had asked him to get river responsible for the death. police Thana but police did not have withdrawn their grandchil- explain why the delay and except river fish for them but as Chho- In the case of Chhotu, initially, it register the FIR. The Panchnama dren from the school out of fear. for the ADM Rakesh Kumar, no tu could not get enough catch he was spread that he was drunk but of the dead body of Chhotu was They are pained and agonized. other official ever bothered to did not give anything and in the the post mortem report too does not carried out in the presence His father Yogendra Prasad, is a visit the family and assure them process got killed leaving behind not indicate anything. of Chhotu’s family, said ADM’s rarity among the Mushahar com- justice. The family face threat as his parents, wife Rinku and three I had written the initial report finding. Instead police took over munity who qualified interme- the accused and their families children. after meeting the family and vis- the body, misbehaved with the diate and was working outside. continue to threaten them and Irony is that Rinku is preg- iting the village Udaipura which wife of Chhotu and got the Post Even Chhotu used to do paint- environment in the village is nant again and the family live in falls under Thana Kotwali, Deo- Mortem of the dead body with- ing work in Chennai but he was still of fear. As his mother cries a one room house that Yogendra ria district. A more detailed re- out engaging or taking into con- called by his father a few months for justice, Yogendra Mushahars Mushahar got. Chhotu’s father port of mine was also published fidence the family members. back as his father felt that both says he is tired of going pillar to was away in Sikandarabad ( in Hindi by many online portals. The report further opined af- Secundarabad and Chennai were post, it is Chhotu’s wife Rinku, Telangana) for work and rushed For last one and a half decade, ter speaking to the Police Chowki far away for them and hence they with three kids and one more to back to his home when he was in- this organization has worked for in charge Jeetendra Kumar Ti- had decided to move to Ranchi. arrive, who is staring at an un- formed about the death of his son. the uplift of Mushahar communi- wari that there is a lack of action Both had thought that they would certain future. She was actually The body of Chhotu was re- ty and mobilized them. Its coor- on part of police officer as they be working together and was eas- married to Chhotu’s elder broth- covered on October 29th in the dinator Sangeeta Kushwaha was failed to respond to the various ier for them to be at their home. er who died and the family felt morning in the river as people trying to help the community complains by Chhotu Musha- Chhotu was the only earning the need of keeping her in the failed to trace the body in the from the day one. She accompa- har’s family. How can police member other than his father. family and got her married to night and continued their effort nied them to all the relevant offi- not file FIR and take the matter The Mushaharbast has isolat- Chhotu. Sadly for her, Chhotu in the morning too but it came up cials but nothing moved. Finally, seriously when all the people, ed huts. The caste system works too has now died and the fami- around 8 pm. The people found district Magistrate Amit Kishore family members of the dead and so powerful that no other com- ly too has lost everything. They injuries in the body and bleeding ordered an inquiry by Additional villagers are openly suggesting munity persons ever visited to don’t have any other except than on head and blood oozing out of District Magistrate Rakesh Ku- that Chhotu Mushahar was beat- their home. The village Sarpanch the children of Chhotu. We hope his mouth and ear. The police mar visited the village Udaipura en up? The ADM report put the is a woman belonging to that the family will remain close came in and soon did a ‘panchna- and conducted his inquiry meet- chowki in charge of the Karndi community who are the most vis- together and official will provide ma’ of the body and took it to the ing the victim’s family as well police station district Deoria un- ible and numerically powerful her necessary support so that she District Hospital Deoria for the as other villagers. ADM Rakesh der suspicion but it looks no ac- among the but she too did can live a dignified life and take Post-Mortem. The doctor gave Kumar submitted his report on tion has been taken against him. not bother too much. Villagers care of her family. Cover story... Dalit POST www.dalitpost.com February 29, 2019 3 Uttar Pradesh leads nationally in Dalit oppression total crimes of 1569 at the national er than other states but still much level,. This is also a sign of insecu- lower. In this way, 45% of Crimes rity of Dalits. against Dalits in Uttar Pradesh - Criminal Intimidation of Dal- end in acquittal which is a matter its – Uttar Pradesh has this rate at of grave concern. 2.5 whereas the national rate is on- It is clear from the above dis- ly 1.6. It is worth considering that cussion that rate of crimes against out of 3223 total crimes commit- Dalits in Uttar Pradesh in the year ted at the national level, there were 2018, such as murder, atrocities, 1037 crimes in Uttar Pradesh alone Grievous Hurt, riots etc. was much which is 32% of the total crime. It higher than the rate of crimes at symbolizes the unsafe condition of national level. Crimes against Dalits in U.P. Dalit women such as outrage of - Other IPC Crimes – The rate modesty, kidnapping for murder, of Oher IPC crimes against Dalits rape and abduction are much more in Uttar Pradesh is 9.6 whereas at than crimes at the national level. It the national level this rate is only shows how vulnerable are Dalit 5.3. It is noteworthy that out of women in U.P. under BJP rule. The crime report released by the committed in Uttar Pradesh 285 is - S R Darapuri 10,835 total crimes at the national In Uttar Pradesh, the rate of con- National Crime Bureau (NCRB) 22.05 percent of the 1283 crime at level, 3986 crimes occurred in Ut- viction in courts in crimes against last year” Crime in India – 2018” the national level, which is a matter tar Pradesh alone which is 37% of Dalits is also very low. Therefore, it has been released with a delay of of concern. “Ever since the Yogi the total crime. It is also a symbol is clear that the Yogi government’s about one year in which crime and - Outrage Modesty of Dalit government was of the pathetic condition of Dalits claim to reduce crime in Uttar atrocity figures against Scheduled women– The national rate of this formed in Uttar in Uttar Pradesh. Pradesh is hollow especially in the Castes have been released along crime is 0.5 whereas for Uttar Pradesh, the morale - Crimes under SC / ST Pre- context of Dalits and Dalits / Dalit with other crimes. With these fig- Pradesh it is 1.3 which is very high. vention of Atrocities Act – In Ut- women are not safe at all. ures, on the one hand, the rate of Uttar Pradesh crime at 557 is 59% of criminals and tar Pradesh the rate of these crimes In fact, ever since the Yogi crime / oppression against these of the nationwide crime 944 which feudal forces has gone is 5.7 whereas at the national level government was formed in Uttar sections in Uttar Pradesh is seen shows how vulnerable Dalit wom- up tremendously due this rate is only 2.1. It is lamenta- Pradesh, the morale of criminals to increase continuously like be- en are in Uttar Pradesh. to protection from ble that out of 4322 total crimes and feudal forces has gone up tre- fore (10,426 in 2016, 11,444 in - Assault on Dalit women and the government” at the national level, 2399 crimes mendously due to protection from 2017 and 11,924 in 2018) while on girls with intent to outrage her occurred in Uttar Pradesh alone the government. In this govern- the other hand the rate of crime modesty – Uttar Pradesh has this which is 56% of the total crime i.e. ment, people like those who killed against Dalits ( Crime per one lac rate at 1.7 while the national rate is – Out of total 13 crimes commit- more than half of the total crime in the police inspector and accused of population) is much higher than the 1.5. The crime committed in Uttar ted at the national level under this the country. rape like Chinmayanand are wel- national rate. This is 28.8% which Pradesh is 711 which is 22.69% of title, 12 occurred in Uttar Pradesh - Intentionally insult or Intim- comed on release from jail. The is higher than the national rate of the 3133 crimes at national level, alone, which is 92.30% of crime idation with Intent to Insult – In arrest of the murderer BJP MLA 21.3%. Crime against Dalits in Ut- which is a symbol of insecurity of at national level. It is really very Uttar Pradesh, the rate is 2.8 while takes place only after heavy public tar Pradesh in 2018 is 27.9 percent Dalit women. lamentable. at the national level the rate is only pressure. Daylight robbery takes of the total crime in the country. - Assault on Adult Dalit wom- - Kidnapping and Abduction 1.1. It is noteworthy that 1184 crimes place in the capital city of Luc- This rate is more than 21.1% of the en with the intent to outrage her of Dalit women to compel her for which occurred in U.P. are 51.68% know. Overall, the government’s Dalits in the national population. modesty – Crime rate of Uttar marriage – Uttar Pradesh has this of total crimes 2291 at national lev- fear seems to be over. Nowhere On the contrary, the Yogi govern- Pradesh is 1.6 while at the national rate at 0.9 while the national rate is el. It is a matter of grave concern. does the rule of law prevail. The ment claims to reduce crime in the level it is 1.4. In contrast to the 2759 only 0.2. It is noteworthy that out - Other Offences- The crime government itself has waged a war state while the rate of crime against total crimes at the national level, of total 494 crimes at the national rate for U.P. is 2.9 as compared against ordinary citizens. Dalits seems to be defying it. Uttar Pradesh alone has 643 cases, level, 381 crimes occurred in Uttar with 0.9 at the national level. It is One of the reasons for increas- The above situation becomes which is 23.30% of it. This figure Pradesh alone, which shows how painful to note that out of a total ing atrocities on Dalits is that May- clearer from the following crime- also shows the insecurity of Dalit vulnerable Dalit women are in Ut- crime of 1880 at national level awati, who claims to be the leader wise crime against Dalits in the women in Uttar Pradesh. tar Pradesh. 1189 crimes were committed in of Dalits, is silent on the attacks of year 2018: – - Kidnapping and Abduction of - Rape of adult Dalit women – U.P. alone which forms 63.24% this government, not only because - Crime including SC / ST Act Dalit Women – Uttar Pradesh has Uttar Pradesh has this rate at 1.1 of national crime. It speaks very of fear of the CBI and because of IPC – Uttar Pradesh has this rate this rate at 1.3 while the national rate while the national rate is 1.0. The loudly about the pitiable condition her corrupt politics, but she has also at 22.6 whereas the national rate is is only 0.5. It is noteworthy that out 438 crimes committed in Uttar of Dalits in U.P. prohibited her workers from hold- only 19.0. Crime in Uttar Pradesh of a total of 944 such crimes at the Pradesh are 21% of the total crimes - Total of SC / ST Act Crime ing demonstrations or agitating, is 9434, 23.5% of the crime at national level, 557 cases occurred in 2086 committed at the national lev- with or without IPC – In Uttar as has been revealed during the the national level 40077, which is Uttar Pradesh alone which is 59% el. By the way, the crime of rape Pradesh the rate of crime under incident of killing of 10 Tribals by much higher than the national rate. of the total crime at national level. It has also increased against women this title is 28.3 whereas at the na- feudal lords in Sonbhadra last year. - Murder – The crime rate shows how insecure are Dalit wom- of general castes in Uttar Pradesh. tional level rate is only 21.1. The For this reason, for the life, honour of Uttar Pradesh is 0.6 while the en in Uttar Pradesh. - Attempt to Rape – Under this crimes11833 in Uttar Pradesh are and security of common citizens national crime rate is 0.4. Out of - Abduction of Dalit women – title, 48 out of 132 crimes commit- 27% of 44399 crimes at the nation- including Dalits, we have launched 821 cases at the national level, 239 The crime rate for Uttar Pradesh is ted in the entire country occurred al level. It is clear from this that the a “Save Democracy Campaign” occurred in Uttar Pradesh alone, 0.4 while the national rate is only only in Uttar Pradesh, which is 36% rate of crime of Atrocities is very so that every attack by the feudal which is 29.11% of the crime com- 0.1. In Uttar Pradesh, the number of the total crime. It is also a symbol high in Uttar Pradesh. forces under this government and mitted at the national level. This is of crimes is 158, which is 52.14% of insecurity of Dalit women. - Court conviction rate in its protection can be countered and a worrying situation. of 303 crimes at national level. It - Riots against Dalits – For Ut- crimes against Dalits – In the year a safe Uttar Pradesh is built. In the - Grievous Hurt – Crime rate of is again a matter of grave concern. tar Pradesh this rate is 1.2 while the 2018, the rate of conviction in present circumstances, Babasaheb’s Uttar Pradesh is 0.7 as compared to - Kidnapping and Abduction of national rate is only 0.7. In Uttar the crime against Dalits in Uttar slogan “Educate, Agitate and organ- the national rate of 0.6. The crime Dalit women with intent to murder Pradesh, 509 which is 32% of the Pradesh was 55%, which is high- ize” becomes even more relevant. News magazine... Dalit POST www.dalitpost.com February 29, 2019 4 Mayawati has lost her way... C Virus share in power.” it suitable will come close to us”. Binge fear buying On the question that On meeting with Yogi gov- how he would find a foot- ernment’s former minister Om of facemasks hold in view of large polit- Prakash Rajbhar, he said that Ra- ical base of the BSP, Chan- jbhar is not a controversial person. Because of the corona posable gowns and shoe covers. drashekhar said, “We are He is a big backward leader. He Just a few days back, the ban virus epidemic, India’s on the export of some personal not looking for an alterna- raises voice in favour of the back- domestic markets, tive. Look at the crores of wards in the Assembly. He also protection equipment was set Muslims, Dalits, members supported us when I was in jail. We including wholesale aside, except for N95 masks. of backward community talked about how to stop the BJP and retail, are nearly Some industry estimates and will take all necessary steps to 80 to 90 per cent dry range the combined market size of these personal pro- Bhim Army chief Chandrashek- prevent the BJP from coming back with shortage of face tection equipment products har Azad has taunted Bahujan Sa- to power. “One will have to work masks. There has from Rs 2,500-3,500 crore. maj Party chief Mayawati saying When asked why he had sev- for the larger interest According to Manoj Raja- that she has lost her way. He also eral run-ins with the police, Chan- also been an upward wat, Director of Orthosut Bio- said that one will have to work for of the society to bring drashekhar said: “Ask this ques- revision of prices.” medical & Engineering Com- the larger interest of the society about equality. Only tion to the police. Have I broken pany, “Because of the corona to bring about equality. Only the any law? Am I not a citizen of this -Rohit Vaid the speeches cannot virus epidemic, India’s domestic speeches cannot improve the con- country? There is no freedom of improve the condition As the debate rages on the effec- markets, including wholesale dition of the Dalits, their participa- speech in the Yogi government. of the Dalits” tiveness of ‘face masks’ in curb- and retail, are nearly 80 to 90 tion in power must increase. This is happening at the behest of ing the spread of corona virus, In- per cent dry with shortage of In an interview with IANS, the government. We are just oppos- dia’s manufacturing industry has face masks. There has also been Chandrashekhar said: “Members and minorities. We have to protect ing it”. gone into overdrive to produce an upward revision of prices.” of minority community, Dalits and their interests. We have a large or- Talking about the CAA, NRC more such personal protection Similarly, Edelweiss Securi- backward classes are being target- ganisation in the state. Our Bharat and the NPR, he said: “We will equipment to leverage the grow- ties’ Economist Madhavi Arora ed in the country. Their rights are Bandh was also successful”. not stage protest because the gov- ing domestic and global market. said: “Amid still-evolving cases being taken away. Our workers On the question that with ernment does not want it. Any Industry experts cite the of corona virus, the demand for want that they too should get equal which party he will forge an al- law which is wrong in our view phenomenon of binge fear buy- safety masks is going to increase. share in political power. Keeping liance in 2022 after forming his will be opposed. This is a secu- this in mind, we are going to form party on March 15, Chandrashek- lar country. The CAA will divide a new political party. Their (Dalits) har said: “When we are forming the country. If there is anything issues will have to be raised. Mere our party then we don’t need to go against the Indian Constitution, speeches will not work for Bahu- seeking alliance with anyone. Our we will raise our voice. Laws will jan society, one has to raise voice party will be formed on the basis of not be allowed to be made on the in their favour. They should get a some principles. Whoever will find basis of religion”. Couple in UP seeks police help band and our new-born son. We have approached the police, but they did not provide any protec- tion.” Her husband said, “I respect all ing, as people rush to medical “Global markets are already religions and we decided to lead a stores to get their hands on ei- seeing tremendous up-tick in de- life together as we love each oth- ther N95 or a simple surgical mand which is slowly spiraling er. However, we have been facing face mask to protect themselves in Indian markets as well. If the threats since the day of our wed- from the threat of corona virus. government does open the mar- ding. We request the government “Indian manufacturers are ket for exports, the price impact as well as the local administration trying their best to produce back home would be felt too.” to provide us security. If anything more N95 and surgical face However, the binge face mask happens to any of us, the govern- masks, but with the government buying might ultimately not lead ment and police will be responsible relaxing export norms, there to any tangible results in curb- In what seems to be a repeat of for it.” might be scarcity in India in the ing the spread of corona virus. last year’s inter-caste love story in- “If anything Both did not disclose their coming time,” Abhay Pandey, “Face masks do not provide volving BJP MLA’s daughter and happens to any of identity in the video. National President, All Food foolproof protection from co- a Dalit man, an interfaith couple Meanwhile, Aonla Station and Drug Licence Holder Foun- rona virus, which is the reason from Uttar Pradesh’s Aonla town us, the government House Officer Sunil Kumar refuted dation (AFDLHF), told IANS. why CDC has not advised wear- has now taken to the social media and police will be the allegations and said that action “In the international mar- ing face masks. However, face to seek police protection. responsible for it” was taken under section 107/116 of ket, the wholesale going rate of masks are providing a sort of The couple claimed that the CrPC (pre-emptive action to pre- such face masks has climbed psychological comfort to the peo- woman’s family was threatening vent breach of peace) against the to $8-10. This makes exports ple who are travelling,” Arvind to kill them and also their eight- The couple have shot the video family of the woman. far more remunerative for man- Kumar, Founder Trustee, Lung day-old son. at an undisclosed location and up- “Ever since they got married, ufacturers than supply to the Care Foundation, told IANS. The couple, in their early twen- loaded it on the social media. the couple had been living out- domestic market,” he added. “Face masks definitely re- ties, alleged that even though they The woman said: “I married a side the village. Only the man’s Pandey recently urged the duce infected persons’ ability had approached the local police man from a different community mother and brother live here. If government to tighten export to spread the virus in the envi- seeking protection, no action was on my own last year. I am quite the couple comes to the village norms and build a national re- ronment. However, only N95 taken against the woman’s family happy with my marriage. Howev- and seeks protection, we will be serve of personal protection masks provide some protection due to which they have been living er, my relatives are unhappy and providing the same to them,” he items such as bouffant surgical to healthy individuals against in fear ever since. are threatening to kill me, my hus- added. caps, face masks, gloves, dis- the virus,” Kumar added. Current affairs... Dalit POST www.dalitpost.com February 29, 2019 5 “Labeling dissent as anti-national Another institution strikes at heart of democracy” over-stepping its brief “An essential aspect of every outcome is not the result of The Unique Identifica- democracy is freedom of merely numbers but of a shared tion Authority of India expression, the commit- consensus,” added Chandrachud. (UIDAI) has clarified ment to deliberation that Chandrachud said that that it issued notices to incorporates the diverse “blanket labeling” of dissent as 127 people in Hyder- views of all its stakehold- anti-national or anti-democrat- abad to substantiate ers, including of those who ic strikes at the “heart” of the their claims for get- do not support the law. country’s commitment to protect ting Aadhaar cards, The fine balance between constitutional values and pro- though the notices the majoritarian and lib- mote deliberative democracy. clearly asked them to Supreme Court judge Justice D.Y. “The blanket labeling of dis- prove their citizenship. Chandrachud decried “blanket la- “Government can sent as anti-national or anti-dem- With reports of Aadhaar Deputy Director and Inquiry belling of dissent” as “anti-nation- ocratic strikes at the heart of our card holders receiving notic- Officer, with all necessary doc- al”, saying an essential aspect of de- never claim a commitment to protect constitu- es creating panic among res- uments in original to prove “all mocracy is freedom of expression. monopoly over the tional values and the promotion of idents, UIDAI clarified that your claims of citizenship and Justice Chandrachud was values and identities deliberative democracy,” he said. the notices were issued to 127 if you are not an Indian na- addressing the Gujarat National that define our Protecting dissent is “but a re- people after its regional office tional, to prove that you have Law University on the topic ‘The minder that while a democratically in Hyderabad received reports entered the territory of India hues that make India: From plu- plural society” elected government offers us a le- from the Telangana police that legally and your stay is valid”. rality to Pluralism’, a topic that gitimate tool for development and they obtained Aadhaar on false Reacting to media re- is a part of the 15th Justice P.D. eral democratic governance is social coordination, they can never pretences. Preliminary enquiry ports, UIDAI’s head of- Desai memorial lecture series. marked by constitutional princi- claim a monopoly over the values found them to be illegal immi- fice in clarified that His views come at a time ples wedded to the rule of law, the and identities that define our plural grants who were not qualified Aadhaar card has nothing when the passage of the Citizen- guarantee of individual freedom society”, Justice Chandrachud said. to obtain Aadhaar number. to do with the citizenship. ship Amendment Act (CAA) and ensuring freedom from dis- Political outcomes, he said, However, the notices clear- “Aadhaar is not a docu- and the proposed National Reg- crimination,” Chandrachud said. must be justified not by reference ly asked them to appear before ment of citizenship and UID- ister of Citizens (NRC), have “A democracy wedded to the to self-interest but to reason and the the inquiry officer on February AI has been mandated under ignited a bitter nationwide de- ideas of reason and deliberation ability to convince one another as 20 along with “necessary doc- the Aadhaar Act to ascertain bate, especially involving the ensures that minority opinions are to why a proposed course of action uments in original to prove all residency of a person in In- minority section of the society. not strangulated and ensures that is beneficial,” Chandrachud said. your claims of citizenship”. dia for 182 days prior to ap- Mohammed Sattar Khan, plying for Aadhaar,” UIDAI. an auto-rickshaw driver, is However, it also cited Rs 170,000 cr Covid-19 relief package among those issued notices by Supreme Court’s order that the UIDAI. They were asked to Aadhaar should not be is- for weaker sections appear before the inquiry officer sued to illegal immigrants. The Centre has announced the while another set will include food Furthermore, 20 crore women at a function hall in Balapur The authority postponed the first instalment of a fiscal relief security-related measures. ‘Jan Dhan’ account holders will get in the old city of Hyderabad. personal hearing to May to give package, worth Rs 170,000 crore, In a step by step announce- Rs 500 per month for the next three They were directed to ap- these people more time to col- to protect the weaker sections of the ment, the Minister said that the months. pear before Amita Bindroo, lect their original documents. society from the economic fallout Centre will provide Rs 50 lakh In yet another relief measure, of Covid-19. medical insurance per person for the government would bear the en- Finance Minister Nirmala essential service personnel such as tire 24 per cent EPF contribution SC order detrimental Sitharaman said the PM Garib sanitation and Asha workers, par- of employer and employees for the Kalyan Yojana will benefit migrant amedics, nurses and doctors who next three months. to SC/ST interest... workers, rural poor and women. are putting themselves at risk by This support will be for em- Bhim Army chief Chandrashek- face of the record. It will provide relief via extend- treating Covid-19 patients. ployees of establishments that em- har Azad has filed a review plea “The impugned judgment ing some of the existing schemes On the food package compo- ploy upto 100 employees and wag- in the Supreme Court challeng- has not only diluted constitu- of the government focused around nent of the scheme, she said 80 es of 90 per cent of their employees ing its recent verdict stating tional provisions and has at- the farmers and poorer sections of crore beneficiaries will receive ad- is less than Rs 15,000 per month. states are not bound to provide tempted to interpret provisions the society. ditional 5 kg of rice or wheat free of For the organised sector, EPFO reservation in promotion in pub- of the Constitution in a manner However, this might not be the cost for three months in addition to regulations will be amended so lic employment and also quota is that is contradictory to the law final relief package, as Sitharaman 1 kg of pulses per household. that workers can draw up to 75 per not a fundamental right. laid down by two Constitution clarified to a question that the cur- Under the cash transfer part, cent of their contingency expend- Azad said this judgment will benches of this court, which rent package is only for the “poor- the Minister said that it will large- iture non-refundable advance or act as a tool in the hands of the is against the settled law and est of the poor” and the weaker ly be based on DBT through which three months of wages in advance oppressors to further oppress against judicial propriety”, said sections of the society. farmers, migrant workers, widows, whichever is less. and exploit the SC, ST, OBC the petition. “Today’s measures are intended pensioners amongst others will be Moreover, about 3.5 crore reg- and the economically weaker Azad contended this judg- at reaching out to the poorest of the provided relief. istered building and construction sections, causing further mar- ment will eventually defeat the poor, with food and money in hands, For farmers, the first instal- workers would be provided as- ginalization within society. endeavor to bring equality be- so that they do not face difficulties in ment of Rs 6,000 per year given sistance and support from the Rs “The impugned judgment tween the citizens by the fram- buying essential supplies and meet- under PM Kisan Yojana will be 31,000 crore welfare funds. has given the states a free hand ers of the Constitution. ing essential needs,” she said. given at the beginning of the year The Centre has also requested to completely ignore the criteria Earlier, the Supreme Court There were high expectations itself. So Rs 2,000 will be provid- the state governments to utilise the of inadequacy of representation held that states are not bound to that the government will announce ed into the accounts of farmers, a funds which are available under of SC, ST in public service”, provide reservation in promotion certain economic relief measures move that will immediately benefit the district mineral fund for sup- said Azad. in public employment or to col- for the industry. 8.69 crore farmers. plementing and augmenting all The petition filed through lect quantifiable data in respect On the relief scheme, Sithara- The MNREGA wages have kinds of medical testing activities, advocate Mehmood Pracha of representation of Scheduled man said that one set of measures also been increased from present screening activities, and also other contended this judgment suffers Caste and Scheduled Tribe com- will work via direct cash transfer, Rs 182 per day to Rs 202. requirements, from an error apparent on the munities in public services. Current affairs... Dalit POST www.dalitpost.com February 29, 2019 6 Fight against CAA, NRC Prickly issues around to intensify Ram temple... been done to enslave us. We will take our fight out to the roads.” Azad asserted that they will make such a strong party that no one will be able to buy them. “We won’t let the country down.” He also said the fight against the CAA and the NRC will inten- sify now and they will not let the implementation of NRC happen in the country. Targeting Prime Minister Nar- endra Modi, he said this govern- ment belongs to the capitalists, and Bhim Army chief Chandrashek- that “people sitting in NITI Aayog A group of Muslim residents in considering the fact that the en- har entered the political fray on, “Azad asserted that are harassing the people”. Ayodhya has sent a letter to the tire area has been differently announced his new party, which they will make such Azad said mothers of this temple trust saying that con- treated with since 1948 when would be the “voice of Dalits, a strong party that country have blessed him. “Moth- struction of the Ram temple on forcibly an idol of Lord Ram backward classes and the poor”. no one will be able to ers of Rohith Vemula and Junaid the graves of Muslims will be a was placed inside the mosque At the launch function at Basai have also sent their blessings and violation of ‘Sanatan Dharma’. and when, in 1992, the mosque village in Sector-70, Noida, Azad buy them. “We won’t said that don’t cheat us. I would said the party would be known as let the country down” like to say that Chandrashekhar Muslims were killed in the riots of 1885 and the Azad Samaj Party (ASP) and Azad will die before cheating,” they were buried in an existing graveyard would have a blue-colored flag. He Azad said: “It is a historic day as he said. around the mosque...... even thereafter, also took an oath on the Constitu- today is the birth anniversary of A total of 94 people from vari- tion on the occasion. founder Kan- ous political parties joined the ASP. this land was used as a graveyard A large number of Bhim Ar- shi Ram. This will be a memorable Chandrashekhar met Om my supporters and workers were day and I promise that our flag will Prakash Rajbhar, President of the The letter has been sent by was demolished,” it added. present during the announcement. fly high in Delhi. Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party M.R. Shamshad, the advocate Shamshad, who represented Sources said that 28 ex-MLAs and “This party will become the (SBSP), at his guest house and the who represented the Muslim side Iqbal Ansari, one of the Muslim six former MPs also attended the voice of Dalits, backward classes two decided to contest the 2022 in the Ayodhya title dispute case. litigants in the title dispute case, event and took the oath. However, and the poor. We will raise their Assembly elections as part of a The letter, which was sent on said he wrote the letter on behalf it was not officially confirmed. voice as questions are being raised larger alliance called Bhagidari February 15, said a graveyard ex- of multiple Ayodhya residents. Addressing the gathering, on our citizenship. Preparations are Sankalp Morcha. ists around the demolished Babri Meanwhile, the All-India Masjid and that Muslims, who Babri Masjid Action Com- lost their lives in the 1885 riots mittee will move the Supreme in Ayodhya, were buried there. Court seeking rubble of the Need to review welfare schemes The letter further said: “As demolished Babri mosque fare schemes but their extent needs sidising” food grains while “not per recorded facts, 75 Muslims in Ayodhya, said AIBMAC to be determined, he pointed out. subsidising” milk or vegetables, were killed in the riots of 1885 convener Zafaryab Jilani. Asked for specifics, he said: as was prevalent, created distor- and they were buried in an ex- “According to the Shariat, “Today, to say that two third of tion in the pattern of consumption. isting graveyard around the a mosque’s debris cannot be the Indian population be cov- In his book “Backstage: The mosque. Even thereafter, this used in any other construc- ered by providing, maybe, half Story behind India’s High Growth land was used as a graveyard.” tion. The apex court has not of their food grain needs every Years”, Ahluwalia questioned the Talking to local reporters, given any direction on the month... or less than half, at less stock of food grains maintained by Shamshad explained: “The fact is mosque’s debris,” he said. than 10 per cent of the market the Centre and its alleged refusal that about five acre of this 67-acre “The pillars, stones and to part with some to ease inflation. land is a graveyard. When the other wreckage of the demol- “The first thing He said that he stood by what- acquisition had taken place in ished mosque should be handed the Finance ever he had written in his book, 1993, after the demolition of the over to Muslims. We will soon adding that stockpiling of food Babri mosque, the plan was to file a petition for this,” he said. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, a former Ministry under grains in the NDA era is “far more”. build a temple, mosque, library Deputy Chairman of the now- de- the stewardship of As for the Indian econo- -- everything within this 67 acre.” funct Planning Commission, said Nirmala Sitharaman my’s slowdown, the former top He said that the government Dalit Post printed by that many welfare schemes of the should do is to policy-maker said that the first has completely ignored the claim Elegant Offset Printers, Im- government needed to be reviewed acknowledge that thing the Finance Ministry un- of Muslims in 67-acre land. pressions Building, 3360/4, to assess their reach and efficacy. der the stewardship of Nirmala The letter also refers to the Gondhalli Galli, Belgaum “We need to review many there’s a problem” Sitharaman should do is to ac- Ismail Faruqui verdict of 1994, 590001 for proprietor and welfare schemes we have put knowledge that there’s a problem. which had said that the ‘disput- publisher Oliver D’Souza, in place supposedly to help the price, just doesn’t make any sense.” He pointed to the 5-trillion-dol- ed structure was surrounded Sri Radha Apartments, Flat poor, but which don’t have the So what’s the solution? “I lar economy, doubling of farmer’s by a graveyard on three sides’. 201, Plot 2076, Sector 9, Ra- effect that they should,” Ahlu- mean, we have suggested in many income, and other “impractical” “With all humility and re- ni Chenamma Road, MM walia said while talking to IANS. documents that our country has goals of the government in the cur- spect to Lord Ram, I request Extn Belgaum -590016 Kar- Be it the earlier United Progres- moved to the cash-transfer sys- rent economic scheme of things. you not to use the land of about nataka State. All rights re- sive Alliance or the present Nation- tem. You identify the poor, give The government should “go 4-5 acres in which the graves served. News agency cred- al Democratic Alliance, all gov- them some cash to help them buy beyond declaration of intent” of Muslims are there, around its: IANS. Provisional Title. ernments and all political parties of whatever they need,” he explained. and act, Ahluwalia asserted. the demolished mosque. The Editor: Oliver D’Souza significance go gaga over the wel- He said that “massively sub- - Agencies graves may not be visible today States... Dalit POST www.dalitpost.com February 29, 2019 7 Ideologies of Gandhi, Godse Contempt plea in SC on temple cannot co-exist restoration paign from February 20 to reach ordered reconstruction of out to the people of his native state. the Guru Ravidas temple “My relationship with Nitish demolished by DDA and Kumar has never been a political directed the government one; he always treated me as a son. to constitute a committee Those who know us will vouch for of devotees to build the this. I also consider him a father temple within six weeks. figure,” Kishor said at a press con- However, four months ference in Patna, his first after ex- have elapsed and no com- pulsion from JD-U on January 29. mittee has been formed Kishor was accused of ques- yet. tioning the JD-U stand on the Former Lok Sabha MP Ashok “The committee of devotees controversial CAA and NRC. Tanwar has moved the Supreme as mandated by the judgment in Kishor also accused the Court seeking contempt proceed- the Guru Ravidas temple matter Political strategist and politician JD-U chief of making an “ide- ings against the Delhi Develop- is nowhere in sight. This in it- Prashant Kishor hit out at Bihar “JD-U leaders feel ological compromise” to stay ment Authority Vice Chairman self is patent discrimination and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar say- staying with BJP will in an alliance with the BJP. and Delhi Chief Secretary for shows the neglect of the Gov- ing that his party JD-U was align- “Many JD-U leaders feel failing to implement the top ernment towards the Scheduled ing with those “going soft on Ma- help the party... CM that staying in an alliance with court’s 2019 directive for the res- Caste, most of whom are ardent hatma Gandhi’s killer”, adding that believes that in an the BJP will help the party. And toration of idols and reconstruc- believers in Guru Ravidas”, said the ideologies of the Father of the alliance there are the Chief Minister believes that tion of the Guru Ravidas temple the petition. Nation and his assassin Nathuram times when you have in an alliance there are times at Tughlaqabad, Delhi. The top court in November Godse cannot go hand in hand. when you have to compromise.” The petition referred to the passed another order clarifying “There has been a lot of dis- to compromise” He revealed that his ideo- Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth that a permanent structure should cussion between me and Nitish ji logical differences with Nitish Kshetra Trust formed by the be constructed. on the party ideology. He has his me, Gandhiji and Godse can- Kumar first emerged during the Centre in the aftermath of the “The idol of Guru Ravidas is own thought process and I have not go hand in hand,” he added. 2019 Lok Sabha polls. “We had Supreme Court order in the Ay- yet to be restored at the site. In mine. There have been differ- Kishor, who runs a consul- a standoff on two points. It’s not odhya case, saying it has 15 trus- addition, none of the directions of ences between him and me -- the tancy firm Indian Political Action new, it started during the Lok tees, who are all Hindus, and only this court passed in its final or- ideologies of Godse and Gandhi Committee (I-PAC) and rebel lead- Sabha elections,” Kishor said. one from the Dalit community. ders dated 21.10.2019 (modified cannot stay together. You have to er Pavan Varma were thrown out After the success of the 2014 “Similarly, a committee of by Order dt. 25.11.2019) has been say which side you are on,” said by the Nitish Kumar’s JD-U after Lok Sabha polls and the Bihar polls devotees to be formed for the con- implemented”, said the petition. Kishor, who was expelled from its senior leadership was locked in in 2015, Kishor was a hot property struction of Guru Ravidas temple The petition contended that the Janata Dal-United last month. an ugly war of words with the duo. which every political party vouched should exclusively have persons the delay in construction of Guru “Nitishji always told us that The 43-year-old strategist, who for. And the results of elections in who are ardent followers of Guru Ravidas temple is causing a lot of the party can never leave the helped Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Punjab in 2017, Andhra Pradesh Ravidas”, said the petition. anguish and hurt among millions ideals of Gandhiji. But now, the Kejriwal in strategising in the run- in 2019, West Bengal by-polls in The petition contended that of people, not only in India but party is with those who are soft up to the Assembly elections, will 2019, and now Delhi in 2020 have the top court on October 2019 across the world. on Gandhi’s killer Godse. For launch his “Baat Bihar Ki” cam- further in-creased his demand. Telangana adopts resolution U’Khand abolishes against CAA, NPR, NRC quota in promotion Uttarakhand government retary had called the striking The Telangana Assembly has of India. NPR which will lead to a nation- has abolished reservation in employees for talks. unanimously adopted a resolution “Therefore, this is nothing less wide NRC,” it said. promotion in the state gov- During the meeting, the against Citizenship Amendment than an attempt to fundamentally It pointed out that for the first ernment jobs. The Trivendra Chief Secretary agreed to lift Act (CAA), National Population alter and undermine the non-reli- time in India, the CAA introduced Rawat-government took the the ban on promotions. Register (NPR) and National Reg- gious nature of Indian citizenship,” religious test to acquire Indian citi- major decision on completion Chief Minister’s Secretary ister of Citizens (NRC), terming it reads the resolution. zenship while also providing for an of three years of its tenure. Radhika Jha interacted with as an attempt to alter non-religious It noted that there have been accelerated path to citizenship for Following the state gov- the employees. She assured nature of Indian citizenship. concerted attempts to tinker with non-Muslim citizens of Afghani- ernment’s order, the employ- that the order to remove the The resolution urged the Cen- the inclusive and non-religious na- stan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. ees from the General-OBC ban in promotions would be tre to amend CAA by removing all ture of Indian citizenship through Referring to NPR, the process categories ended their strike. issued with immediate effect. references to any religion or to any CAA, NPR and NRC. of which is set to be rolled out from The state government also Besides, leaves will be foreign country. “Besides violating principles of April 1, the resolution noted that issued orders regarding de- granted to the striking employ- The House also expressed its equality, non-discrimination, secu- there are apprehensions among partmental promotion com- ees for the period of the strike. concern over the proposed im- larism, this concerted attempt will all sections of citizenry, especially mittee (DPC). The state government’s plementation of NPR and NRC, also endanger the lives of vulnerable the economically weaker sections The government employ- order said that as per the Su- which may result in exclusion of groups who do not possess adequate and illiterate persons that they will ees from General-OBC cat- preme Court’s decision, the large number of people. documentary proof of citizenship. be required to show documentary egory in the state had been government has abolished the It referred to statements by Moreover, there are serious ques- proof of citizenship as well as of staging a protest, demanding promotion ban dated Septem- ministers of government of India tions as to the legality and constitu- their parents. the implementation of the Su- ber 11, 2019. Besides, the state as well as government of Assam tionality of CAA, NPR and NRC.” “It is also feared that the dis- preme Court’s decision on the government order dated Sep- that the CAA is to be used in order “The parliamentary enactment proportionate impact will be felt issue. tember 5, 2012 banning reser- to protect non-Muslims who may of CAA has created grave appre- most by Dalits, Adivasis, back- The strike severely affect- vation in promotions has also have been excluded from the NRC hensions among various sections ward classes and linguistic as well ed the work in government come into effect. Further action in Assam, and in future, in the rest of society that it is a prelude to the as religious minorities.” offices. The state Chief Sec- will be taken as per the order. Roving eye... Dalit POST www.dalitpost.com February 29, 2019 8 Rescued from sex slavery, Poor risk land loss denied home by corona virus during digitization there were no pending applications for travel permits. Should a travel permit expire before restrictions are lifted, another application can be made, the official said. Roopa was among the six left in limbo, her ordeal in the sex trade compounded first by bureaucracy and now by coronavirus. As countries close borders to tackle the epidemic, anti-traf- ficking campaigners are calling for travel permits such as hers to remain valid once the restrictions end. -Soli Srivastava Living in a shelter, Roopa said A push to digitise land records at the sidelines of a land confer- (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - she was devastated by the fresh in India to establish ownership ence. Six Bangladeshi women rescued “They were rescued delay and was desperate to see her and minimise conflicts has “Technology has the potential from four years of forced prosti- from a brothel 10 family. raised concerns over privacy for to be empowering, but it is pos- tution in India were stuck in lim- months ago, and “If this hadn’t happened, I poorer communities and could sible that it will empower those bo as coronavirus prevented their would have met my daughter next make them more vulnerable to who are already empowered long-awaited return home. were due to travel week. She is seven now. I really evictions, legal and technology more than those who are current- Their ordeal, following years on March 26 when don’t know what she likes,” said experts said. ly disempowered,” she said. of enforced prostitution, prompt- the virus halted Roopa, who used her first name to India’s national land record Digitisation of land records is ed calls for a relaxation in tangled free movement” protect her identify. modernisation programme seeks an important step toward greater bureaucracy so trafficking victims “I speak to my mother back to re-survey lands, verify and up- transparency and efficiency, said can head home to their families. home, but my daughter stopped grade records, and put the infor- Amy Coughenor, chief executive “Coronavirus has only added They were rescued from a talking to me two months ago as mation online by 2021. of Cadasta Foundation, a Wash- to the whole process of repatria- brothel 10 months ago, and were she thought I was always lying to Authorities have said this will ington, D.C.-based non-profit that tion,” said Tariqul Islam of Justice due to travel on March 26 when her about returning home,” the enable them to monitor land sales develops tools to document land. and Care, a charity that reinte- the virus halted free movement. 25-year-old told the Thomson Reu- more easily, increase tax revenue “But having digital records grates victims in Bangladesh. The charity said any plans for a ters Foundation by phone. and reduce corruption. doesn’t take away the need to ac- “If India and Bangladesh had March homecoming were now off. Roopa was initially promised But with some states not hav- curately and fairly document land a standard operating procedure for Four people in India have died a servant’s job in India, like thou- ing surveyed their lands in more in the first place, ensuring equita- repatriation, these girls would have since coronavirus first hit China, sands of Bangladeshis trafficked to than a century, digitising of ex- ble access to those who have been been home within six months,” spreading worldwide and killing India each year, many of whom are isting records could be “counter- left out of land systems,” she said. Islam told the Thomson Reuters some 219,000 people. sold into prostitution or domestic productive”, said Namita Wahi, With digitisation comes an Foundation by phone. The women, aged 25 to 30, servitude. a fellow at the Centre for Policy increased burden on such peo- The six women were tricked have travel permits that expire at Travel permits to Bangladesh Research, a think tank in New ple to prove their ownership and into leaving their hometown of the end of March, and India has are valid for three months and sur- Delhi. safeguard their land, said Usha Jessore in neighbouring Bangla- suspended all trains and bus ser- vivors also need a certificate from In addition, there are data Ramanathan, an independent desh four years ago, then forced vices to Bangladesh to April 15. local government, among many privacy issues with making land legal researcher who has studied to work in Mumbai’s thriving red- The Bangladesh Deputy High time-consuming procedures in the records easily accessible, she told India’s digital identification sys- light district. Commission office in Mumbai said repatriation process. the Thomson Reuters Foundation tem.

1.3 billion people with weak pub- dozen people who had travelled The poor flee to villages to dodge COVID-19 lic health care - especially in the by train in the last few days had state of Maharashtra they typically do not pay rent and countryside. tested positive for COVID-19. -- home to Mumbai, food is cheaper. India has about 120 million “Passengers are advised to the country’s largest “Work has stopped. I’ll go migrant labourers, according to avoid non-essential travel for the city and economic back and work on the farm,” said labour rights group Aajiveeka. safety of fellow citizens,” the min- powerhouse. So far, Rakesh Kumar Gupta, 40, who “This really is the beginning istry added. India has registered sells mosquito nets and was head- of community spread, assuming India’s Health Ministry did not four deaths due to the ing back to his family house in the there haven’t been forerunners,” immediately respond to requests virus. northern state of Uttar Pradesh. said Dr. Rajib Dasgupta, a pro- for comment. Prime Minister Hundreds of people, many fessor of community health at the The virus is underlining the Narendra Modi has young men wearing masks and Jawaharlal Nehru University in difficult trade-offs countries must -Shilpa Jamkhandikar & urged Indians to stay lugging backpacks, jostled in long New Delhi. make when trying to contain the Prashant Waydande at home to fight the outbreak. queues to board trains at Mumbai’s The Indian Railways spokes- pandemic, with many fearing that Maharashtra state authorities Lokmanya Tilak Terminus station. man said they were screening pas- India’s poorest people will be se- Thousands of poor city migrants ordered the closure of all shops India’s state-run railway opera- sengers and had trained workers verely hit. whose livelihoods have collapsed and offices, apart from those pro- tor laid on 17 special train services on board in case of emergencies. “Some people will die of the due to India’s coronavirus meas- viding essential services, until to ferry people out of the Mumbai But anxious travellers were cram- virus. The rest of us will die of ures headed back to their villages, March 31. area to eastern and northern India, ming into overcrowded trains, hunger,” said taxi driver Sanjay raising fears that the exodus could For Indians who drive rick- spokesman Shivaji Sutar said. according to a Reuters witness, Sharma on an empty Mumbai carry the virus to the countryside. shaws or run food stalls, the eco- Health specialists say large- likely increasing the chances of street, adding he would travel to About one fifth of India’s 271 nomic shock of such control meas- scale population shifts to rural infection. the northern state of Himachal confirmed coronavirus cases ures has been huge, pushing them areas could hasten the spread of Highlighting the risk, the Min- Pradesh, where his family owns a has been reported in the western to leave for family homes where coronavirus in India, a country of istry of Railways tweeted that a small apple orchard. Women... Dalit POST www.dalitpost.com February 29, 2019 9 Women entrepreneurship key No woman in Delhi's to creating more jobs new cabinet es today. In many cases, women are named as owners for financial and administrative reasons with no ac- tive role to play, which overstates true entrepreneurship amongst women. Of all women-owned enter- prises, a majority are single person enterprises, with the largest group represented by rural non-farm home-based business owners at 38 per cent, followed by urban Congress leader Alka Lamba re- woman was sworn in as minister. Women in entrepreneurship can self-employed women solopre- cently tweeted that Delhi’s wom- There are at least eight wom- generate transformational employ- “An unprecedented neurs at 31 per cent, who usually en department has been assigned en in the Aam Aadmi Party who ment in India and generate 150-170 opportunity to change work from home. to a male instead of a female in won the recently concluded Delhi million jobs, which is more than 25 According to the study, the the newly constituted Delhi As- assembly election. They are: Raj per cent of the new jobs required the economic and other dominant segments include sembly. She urged women of Kumari Dhillon won from Hari for the entire working age popula- social trajectory of rural agripreneurs who are farm- Delhi to demand permanent jobs Nagar constituency , Atishi won tion by 2030, a new report said. India and its women based business owners at 18 per in Delhi Transport Corporation from Kalkaji, Rakhi Birla from A joint report by Bain & Com- for generations cent and small business owners and not just a free DTC bus ride. Mangolpuri, Bhavna Gaur from pany and Google titled “Women to come” at 14 per cent - split across urban Lamba tweeted: “#Delhi Palam, Dhanwati Chandela from Entrepreneurship in India - Power- (6 per cent) and rural (8 per cent) - Government’s #Women’s Minis- Rajouri Garden, Bandana Ku- ing the economy with her”, under- amongst women in India is a com- employing less than 10 employees try is also given to a #Man Minis- mari from Shalimar Bagh, Preeti lines the need to accelerate efforts plex effort, but it provides an un- and contributing most to employ- ter. My best wishes to the women Tomar from Tri Nagar, Pramila to grow women entrepreneurs in precedented opportunity to change ment generation. of Delhi, stay safe, stay healthy. Tokas from R.K. Puram. India in both quantity and quality the economic and social trajectory Finally, there are the scalers, who Once again women stand at the Atishi played a crucial role to solve employment challenges in of India and its women for genera- employ more than 10 people and ac- doors of men to get their rights. in revolutionising education and the country. tions to come,” Chawla added. count for less than one per cent. No more free ticket on the bus... reforming government schools. “In spite of India’s economic “This will drive tremendous In total, these women entrepre- ask for confirmed job in DTC.” The AAP praised her incessantly progress in the last decade, wom- job creation and also deliver trans- neurs provide direct employment As Kejriwal 3.0 cabinet swore for her efforts. Preeti Tomar, who en’s participation in the labor force formational social and personal to an estimated 22 to 27 million in for the third term at Delhi’s is a first-time MLA, replaced her has declined and is expected to be outcomes for women,” she added. people today. Ram Leela ground, everyone husband from Tri Nagar seat af- under pressure due to labor trends, The report identified six domi- The report projects an opportu- wondered why there was no ter discrepancies in his candida- technological disruption and con- nant segments of women entrepre- nity to accelerate both quantity and woman in the new cabinet de- ture and won. straining social barriers,” said lead neurs and estimates India to have quality of entrepreneurship to cre- spite the fact that the party has no Rakhi Birla was able to or- author Megha Chawla, Partner, 13.5-15.7 million women-owned ate over 30 million women-owned dearth of deserving candidates. ganise most Dalit votes from Bain & Company. enterprises, representing approxi- enterprises out of which 12 million Kejriwal decided to repeat the Mangolpuri area for the party. “Unlocking entrepreneurship mately 20 per cent of all enterpris- can generate employment. entire cabinet of 2015. As in his She held a ministerial portfolio previous tenure, this time too no in AAP’s first term in 2013. Not just a gender gap: It’s a power gap Bombs hurled near Shaheen Bagh Trust, Mahila Shramajeebi World Economic Forum (WEF) Petrol bombs were Manch, Odisha and Odisha has recently released Gender Gap hurled at barricades Shramajeebee Manch here Index-2019 that shows India has placed a few meters in Bhubaneswar. slipped to 112th position. The coun- away from the Sha- Women in India repre- try is ranked in the bottom five on heen Bagh protesters, sent 29 percent of the labor health and economic fronts. Delhi police. force, down from 35 percent An Oxfam report on inequal- No one was injured in 2004. More than half of ity published in January revealed and a preliminary in- the work done by them is that in the workplace, women still quiry revealed that the unpaid, and almost all of it receive 34% less wages than their bombs were not meant is informal and unprotected. men for the same work. to attack the protesters. Twenty five years after the Beijing Women are not well represent- Women in India spend around “Petrol Bomb was hurled on cals used in the bottles that were Declaration and Platform for Ac- ed in most sectors. Though they five hours a day on unpaid care barricades away from the pro- thrown at the barricades. tion set out a clear path on how to comprise almost 40 percent of ag- work while men devote a mere half testers, we have recovered some “We are still confirming if achieve gender equality, the world ricultural labor, they control only 9 an hour on average. bottles used in the case and are their was petrol or some other has witnessed remarkable progress. percent of land in India. Women are In India, women make up on- investigating on it,” Additional chemical in bottles, exact infor- However, the Report of the UN also shut out of the formal financial ly 14.4 per cent of the parliament DCP, Kumar Gyanesh said. mation will be shared some,” a Secretary-General on the Beijing system. More than half of India’s (122nd position among 153 coun- “Two people were seen on a Joint Commissioner of Police Declaration and Platform for Ac- women don’t have cell phones, and tries) and 23 per cent of the cabinet bike near the barricades, we are rank officer told IANS. tion points out that violence against 80 percent don’t use them to con- (69th position). checking the CCTV footages for Meanwhile, in a bid to con- women and girls remains pervasive. nect them to the internet. If as many According to NCRB, in 2018, detailed investigation,” Gyanesh tain the spread of COVID-19, And, this is not just a gender gap but women as men had phones, it could close to 3.78 lakh crimes against added. the elderly women protesters a power gap, said the delegates who create US$17 billion in revenue for women were recorded in 2018, up Senior police officials have decided to continue their sit-in were assembled to celebrate Inter- phone companies in the next 5 from 3.59 lakh in 2017. Domestic also added that they are investi- against the amended citizenship national Women’s Day 2020 which years, according to UN India Busi- violence against women is the top gating if the bottles had crude oil law with all the precautionary was organized by Atmashakti ness Forum report. gender-related crime. in it or their some other chemi- measures. Dalit POST www.dalitpost.com February 29, 2019 10 Editorial Another midnight conspiracy Lessons that Amrutha He has guts, he is forthright, he is yet another midnight conspiracy. honest. This is how, Jatan Singh, the The Union Law Minister taught society Vice-President of the Delhi High defended the action as a routine On Septem- -Kancha Ilaiah He was said to have loved his Court Bar Association described procedure as the SC collegium, on ber 14, 2018 Pe- daughter immensely. Hence he Justice D S Murlidhar of the Delhi February 12, had decided to transfer rumalla Pranay, a made all kinds of businesses to High court. Former Justice of the him, much against the wishes of the Dalit young man “ Amrutha’s leave wealth for his only daughter. Delhi Huigh Court called him one of Delhi HC bar association. But the of 24 was hacked commitment to her But when his daughter got married the finest legal minds in the country. fact is, that going by precedence, to death in Miry- dead husband and to a boy whom also she loved im- Justice Murlidhar is the also the law ministry takes a minimum alaguda, Telanaga in front of his his family is great mensely he went to the extent of one who convicted Congressman of 4-6 weeks to forward any judge’s pregnant wife Amrutha. Amrutha getting him murdered. Jagdish Tytler for instigating mobs transfer proposal to the President. In belongs to Arya Vaishy family and example of moral life” But his own daughter sent a dif- that killed many Sikhs in Delhi in this case, it happened in two weeks, got married to him in defiance of ferent moral message to the society. 1984 after assasination of former that too at midnight, after passing an her father, Maruthirao. death, the more she hardened and Love of parents towards their chil- Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. order that hurts the rulers. No one is Amrutha is about 25 now and filed further cases for intimidation. dren does not mean that the parents A petition filed by former IAS fooledby theminsiter’s argument! only daughter of her rich parents. Though she immediately did have right to decide every aspect of officer and activist, Harsh Man- The fact that the bench that heard Her father has massive proper- not rush to her father’s body after their life. More than anything caste der, before the bench of the CJ the petition on the next day gave the ty that he enmassed trough real his death, she tried to see his body system should not decide the life, of the Delhi High Court, against police one month to act says it all. estate business and other means. with police protection at the cre- love and human values. hate speech by four BJP leaders In fact the content of the order According the police who sub- mation place. But her relatives did Maruthirao stood for a negative including a Union Minister, which itself displays the malivolence. The mitted an FIR his properties are not allow her to see his body. She value of human life but his daugh- was followed by targetted, pre- notification of transfer does not men- of worth 200 cr. As Miryalguda silently went back in the police van. ter in a very difficult process of her planned violence against Muslims tion the usual time-frame of 14 days is prosperous town on the bank of She was living with her Dalit- young life–losing her husband, in North-east Delhi, ended up for a judge to shift, which implied river Krishna, it is one of the most in-laws who also stood by her dur- going through delivery, pressures being heard by Justice Murlidhar the transfer was immediate. Giving viable business towns in Telangana ing this entire trauma. Three things from her father and constant watch because the CJ was on leave. him the 14 days would mean that and he used that environment for that Amrutha told the media after of media, with a life of police pro- In keeping with his constitui- he could continue hearing the case. wealth mobilization. her father’s suicide and cremation tection and her father’s suicide–all nal obligations, the judge asked the The transfer is another indi- In that murder case Amrutha’s surprised everybody who watched these are gush of tragedies and trau- Delhi police hard-hitting questions cation of the extent to which the father along with other accused her on the TV screens: 1) I would mas for a girl who has grown amidst about their acts of ommission and present rulers would blatantly go went to jail and got released upper caste wealth. commision in the rioting and in the to in order to save their skins after on bail few months back. Af- After her father’s death preceeding events that began with commiting crimes that rape and ter her husband’s murder this the media pestered her with the Delhi electoral campaign. He murder the young Amrutha is living with difficult questions. A calm passed orders asking the police to and ruin the nation while pursing Pranay’s father and mother in and composed Amrutha their own house in the same made the people who glued town. When her husband was to TVs to listen her surprise. At the end of it all, people like Justice Murlidhar murdered she was six month She displayed a mature, hu- who speak truth to power will be the heroes... pregnant and in fact he was mane anti-caste culture and hacked to death when wife, character. When one media ‘consciosuly’ look at the videos of an ephiphany called ‘Hindurashtra’. husband along with her moth- person asked her after all your inflamatory speeches and decide in What the rulers are not realising er- in- law went to get her father who got your husband 24 hours whether there was a prima as they commit crimes under the medically checked for pregnancy have liked him to be convicted in killed is gone, why do not you go facie case against them. He also told guise of governnace is that the whole related issues. my husband’s murder case but not to your mother who has not done it to consider the Lilawati judgement nation is watching the charade. The She delivered a baby boy, commit suicide. 2) I do not bother anything? She said “my in-laws while doing so, which sanctions New Delhi Assembly elections is now one year old. It is at this about his properties, which is both lost their young son for my sake. action against policemen who fail in which the BJP got throrughly juncture on March 6 (2020) night in the name of family members and In most difficult situation in my life to register a cognizable offence. trounced also indicates that voters Maruthirao committed suicide also in benami-names. She said I they stood by me and my son they Basically, the judge put the no more buy into the BJP’s com- leaving a note behind. He died in know my father owns lot of prop- are more important to me. If my Union government, which con- munal politics and disapprove it’s Arya Vaishya guest house in Hy- erty but that is not my interest. 3) mother loves me let her come and trols the law and order in Delhi, high-handedness and its commu- derabad. The suicide note said he When the media asked whether live with all of us”. in the dock in no uncertain terms. nal agenda. Delhi is historically a wants his daughter to go back to she would rejoin her mother, after After her husband was killed in The police have to register a FIR political barometer for the rest of his home and live with her mother. her father who is the main accused that massive pressure she went on against the BJP four, which would the country. The BJP has now been After her father’s suicide the died. She said “I am right now with saying to the media “how can caste require their arrest as the offenc- trounced in six back-to-back elec- stories that media told about Am- my family–my son, my mother-in- decide human beings are good or es are non-bailable. Alternately, it tions. The party knows its time is up. rutha’s commitment to the cause law and my father-in-law–if my bad”. In all my struggle I found could refuse to do so and the con- But the rulers will not give of justice consists a filmy story. mother comes here we will look humanism in my husband’s family. cerned officials would land in jail up their criminal conduct, partic- Her father, even according to his after her. But I will not go to my They know that my father was try- as the case is indeed prima facie. ualry after having committed so lawyer who was handling the case father’s home”. ing to do all kinds of worst things Ironically, three of the four many crimes for which they will from her father’s side, made all Amrutha’s commitment to her against them. But they treated me speeches were made during the be held accountable by a subse- efforts to get back his daughter to dead husband and his family is far better than my family treated Delhi Assembly elections and it was quent government. Raised and him and withdraw the case. But great example of moral life. Her fa- me in very difficult times. They the EC’s job to file FIR’s against the sustained on communalism, they Amrutha refused to move even an ther, perhaps, would not have killed are lower middle class Dalit fami- three. The judge was doing what the will only increase their commu- inch from her stand to get justice Pranay if only he were not to be a ly. My father is very rich and com- EC, which is reduced to a stooge nalism leading to their political for her husband’s murder and want- Dalit. If he were to be of any other mands power structures. But they of the government, failed to do. demise. And, at the end of it all, ed that Maruthirao, the real killer, caste may be he would have kept were prepared to lose everything But then we live in times people like Justice Murlidhar Shubhash Sharma from Bihar, them away but human untoucha- for their son and after his death where our constitution is openly who speak truth to power will her uncle Shravan, who was said bility around caste caused brutal for me. I found humanism here. violated and mocked by the rul- still be the heroes, while those to have aided the murder must murder of an young man and with Wealth or caste status do not have ers, and midnight conspiracies are who transferred him will be dis- get maximum punishment. The his suicide his wife also became no bearing on human love and af- standard operating procedure. The carded to the garbage of histo- more her father tried to see that helpless. His casteism destroyed fection. This message of Amrutha midnight transfer of the judge is ry. No matter how long it takes. she should reconcile with Pranay’s his family and himself. remains forever and ever. Comment... Dalit POST www.dalitpost.com February 29, 2019 11 Evolution from a good Muslim “Denying interim bail to a bad one: Really? to Teltumbde and In Nandita Das’ film, of all religious are the same”, but Lord Krishna) or Mohsin Kakor- Manto, the great sto- some he respected, even befriend- vi’s “Samte Kashi se chala janibe Navlakha is alarming” ry writer, who loved ed for their scholarship and conver- Mathura badal” “jab talak Brij Bombay beyond dis- sation. I remember sitting through mein Kanhaiya hai yeh Khulne traction, finds him- many a theological discourse, with ka nahin” (The clouds are mov- self under pressure from family, Maulana Nasir-ul-Millat holding ing ecstatically from Kashi to in the midst of the post Partition court; among the participants was Mathura and the sky will remain carnage, to leave for Lahore. Shy- one Mr Gurtu, a Kashmiri Pandit. covered with the beautiful clouds am, film star and friend remarks, A moulvi of little distinction as long as there is Krishna in “You are not such a Muslim that was hired ostensibly to brush Braj). These lines were written by you have to leave for Pakistan.” up my arithmetic but actually to the Muslim poet to celebrate the “Enough of a Muslim to be put me through my first paces in birthday of Prophet Mohammad? killed, in a riot,” retorts Manto. The ‘namaz’. His efforts at proselyti- In the region I was raised in, irony is that Manto was an athe- zation were supplemented by my ‘Sohar’ was a song sung dur- ist. Circumstances had imposed mother’s; she augmented our mea- ing a woman’s confinement. My on his name an identity he was ger library with biographies of the mother’s favourite sohar was “Al- otherwise not comfortable with. lah Mian, hamre bhaiya ka diyo Haven’t some of us experi- Nandlal” (Oh my Allah, give my enced this identity superimpo- “It is upon the lower brother a son like Lord Krishna). Mumbai Rises to Save Democ- its control at a time when the sition on the basis of our names? middle-class that What does all this nostal- racy (MRSD) has said that it is Home department in the new- A few days ago a former Foreign clergy dominated gia have to do with “contem- deeply disappointed with the ly formed Maha Vikas Aghadi Secretary took my breath away: parties feed and porary realities”, a friend asks. Supreme Court’s rejection of government in Maharashtra he addressed me in tones that which forms the Well, I guess I am no pandit but the plea by Anand Teltumbde had announced a review of would have flattered the Sheikh I do know a bit about “contempo- and Gautam Navlakha seeking the case, setting up of a Spe- of a Muslim seminary. In such central nervous rary realities”. I know how Partition anticipatory bail in the cases cial Investigating Team (SIT) extreme circumstances would system of the sort ruptured the fabric, bits of which registered against them in re- and dropping of the false cases you blame me if I am tempted to of fundamentalism I still keep with me. I also know lation to the violence at Bhima against the activists. reintroduce myself. “Look that is on show” about the status reversal experi- Koregaon on 1st January 2018. While full-blown attempts not me at all.” In fact, what I wrote enced by the Muslims in independ- Their arrest is imminent in next are being made by the govern- after the Moradabad riots of 1982, -Saeed Naqvi ent India, particularly with the de- three weeks. Nine other activ- ment to incriminate the eleven is what I am, give or take an cline of the feudal order. It was ists and intellectuals who have intellectuals in a fabricated inflection or two. Prior to that the self-confident Muslim elite been accused in this case and case, the investigation into the date, no journalist had ever tak- which found it easy to extend charged with sections of the role of Hindutva brigade led by en that approach to the theme. patronage to the beautiful as- draconian Unlawful Activities Milind Ekbote and Manohar Pardon me for repeating what I pects of Hindu culture: after all, Prevention Act (UAPA) have Bhide in carrying out planned wrote 38 years ago. It may help Krishna Leela was preserved in been imprisoned since 2018. organised attacks on Dalits at to beat the current amnesia. its entirely in the Kathak style The top court’s order to de- Bhima Koregaon has come to “Whenever events like evolved in the Muslim courts. ny interim bail is alarming given a standstill. The state govern- Moradabad take place some With the decay of the feudal that the case against the activists ment’s failure to set up a SIT of my friends turn to me with order, the lower middle class, is based on very thin evidence. shows that the real perpetrators sympathy which generally always given to religiosity Moreover, the cyber forensic of violence are being shielded leaves me cold because I guess I prophets and the great Imams. gained upward mobility. It is upon analysis by credible investiga- from prosecution. am a minority in my own com- There was a quaint little this class that the clergy dominat- tive journalists and technical These developments in the munity for reasons more than one. mosque in the compound of our ed parties feed and which forms experts discredit the evidence case and now the rejection of My credentials as a good house in the village, Mustafabad, the central nervous system of the used by Pune police to incrim- pre-arrest bail to two of the Muslim are quite as suspect as near Rae Bareli. Since we visited sort of fundamentalism on show. I inate the activists. The analysis stalwarts of the democratic Ghalib’s were. “I am half a Mus- the village only during school holi- also know of a certain pan-Islam- reveals that the letters which rights movement in the coun- lim”, he said when, in the course days, marriages, deaths and births, ic sentiment among the Muslims were allegedly recovered from try on the grounds of what is of a litigation, a magistrate asked it was not difficult to maintain a and I guess that the RSS does not the hard disk of Rona Wilson, not just flimsy but manipulated him to declare his religion. “I certain discipline and be seen in the like it. All this and more I have one of the nine activists accused evidence shows the desperation drink but I do not eat pork.” mosque, at reasonable frequency, been aware of for quite some time. in the case, and used by the police of the government to repress However, my children gen- often only to please grandfather. It must, therefore, be a con- to link the accused to a banned democratic voices and spread erally describe themselves as We were groomed into believ- siderable intellectual failure on political party are most likely a sense of fear amongst those Muslims while filling up school ing that Islam was the most dy- my part that in spite of all this to have been planted in the disk who oppose the anti-people admission forms, although I won- namic of religions but we found it I am unable to disengage my- through use of malware which al- policies and actions of the Hin- der why such questions should equally easy to accept that it was self from the folks who moulded lowed remote access to Wilson’s dutva Fascist regime. MRSD ever be asked. Before you hastily Islam’s interaction with a greater me in my formative years. The computer. This clearly indicates extends its solidarity to the trace my attitude to my anglicized civilization that resulted in Dara credo they lived by is no longer manipulation of evidence and the eleven activists who have been education let me dispel the no- Shikoh, Rahim, Kabir, Amir part of the contemporary ethos. fabricated nature of the case. relentless defenders of human tion straightaway. Yes, I did have Khusro, Raskhan, Nazir Akbara- Call it private grief, call it The government is spar- rights and people’s movements my schooling in an Anglo-Indian badi, Ghalib, and Anis. Nowhere in indifference, or both, but I find ing few chances for truth to in this country and who now institution of sorts in , the Muslim world is there a monu- it, increasingly difficult to have emerge in this case. In January stand wrongly accused in this but the home in which I grew up ment, like the Taj or Fatehpur Sikri. a readymade response to Mo- 2020, more than a year after the conspiracy case. We also reit- was a deeply religious one even Folks these days are ignorant radabad, Jamshedpur or Aligarh. chargesheets were filed by the erate our resolve to continue to though the likes of the Imam cur- of the 18th century poet Nazir And when friends turn to me with Pune police, the Union Home struggle for their release and rently in the news would not have Akbarabadi’s poem “kya kya lik- sympathy when such madness ministry got the case suddenly for the pursuit of truth about been allowed within miles of it. hoon main Krishna Kanhaiya Ka erupts, I feel a sort of numbness transferred to the National In- the violence unleashed on the My grandfather, like Dryden, baal pan” (How should I write and have a strange feeling that they vestigation Agency (NIA) and peaceful Dalit-Bahujan masses always maintained that “Priests about the beautiful childhood of are addressing the wrong person.” thus brought the case under at Bhima Koregaon. Analysis... Dalit POST www.dalitpost.com February 29, 2019 12 Why rapes will not stop in India despite the hangings ings, castrations. When alleged gang-rapists are shot dead, pre-tri- al, they congratulate the police. Most known political parties have been in power by now: at cen- tral and state levels, in the lead or in alliances. They know -- they know very well -- that the frame around just-punishment, especially capital punishment, is collapsing. They Sanitary workers know they are responsible. They Four hangings as splints for a frac- - Pinki Virani know they are doing nothing nor ‘most unprotected’ turing land. In caste-inequity nor- do they intend to, to work on the mative India -- where mythology under-trials, some convicted solutions -- all of which are surpris- against coronavirus is becoming history, politically-in- of less-than-”heinous” get bail; ingly simple. Instead, see how they convenient histories being pathol- they vanish, some repeat-rape. pretend to care for women’s safety. ogized, “anti-national” students Political totalitarianism also ap- Politicians as indirect perpe- baton-whipped, minorities being propriates the police. A police cov- trators: this writer -- pro-capital demonized, rights selectively de- er-up of an eight-year-old’s gang- punishment for specific crimes nied: all, viscerally-approved by rape-murder saw a politically-fos- -- realised how little they care for majoritarianism -- its as if these tered far-right group protesting child-victims and grieving families hangings will provide catharsis. subsequent arrests. There are only when she researched death-penalty India -- along with countries 151 policepersons per 100,000 for accountability[6]. Political pardons comprising more than half the 1.3 billion Indians (mandated ratio had been granted to, among oth- world’s population -- permits is 222:100,000). The math in that ers, a long-dead person, and a re- death-penalties for “rarest of rare” gap -- a visible and non-partisan peat-rapist who with the jail-guard crimes. Rapes are hardly un-rare, raped-murdered the jailor’s daugh- rape-murder increasingly rarest-of. ter. Plus, the time taken by govern- The hangings, after following “The political parties ments to move a mercy-petition file due judicial and presidential-par- know very well that can take up to a decade. Anti-pe- don processes, were scheduled the frame around nalists may note: an inordinate de- Manav Garima, a grassroots to fight nutritional deficiencies; for January, then February, then just-punishment, lay in death-punishment is equally voluntary organization, which special checkup of those who suf- early-March. Now, Indians col- germane to the leeway of clemen- works for the amelioration of the fer from cough, cold and fever; lectively await the next fortnight. especially capital cy. No law can ensure public safety sanitary workers of Gujarat, has masks, gloves and other equip- The four are convicts of the punishment, is if it’s not applied fairly, firmly, fast. raised the alarm that the corona ment for hygienically carrying on 2012 “Nirbhaya” case: a surreal collapsing” If the lack of law-and-order virus pandemic may harm those cleaning operations, and so on. normalization of rapes when a vic- abets rapists, India’s hyper-pa- involved in different types of Asking Rupani to urgently tim -- gang-raped, vaginally-bru- triarchal society is accessory. cleaning work on streets, in gut- tell all the municipal commission- talised with an iron rod, killed is police presence might reduce rapes Always about the brute-power ters and canals, collecting garbage ers, heads of municipalities and renamed “one who feels no fear”. -- is also ignored by India’s elected. that the muscularity of mon- from individual households and panchayats to take steps to protect Any victim, including this writ- Predictably, a thirty-one per ey can buy, casual misogyny is societies, cleaning public toilets, sanitary workers, Vaghela said, er, could tell them of their folly: cent spurt in rape-murder cases rampant. Money plus education and disposing of dead animals. not just those working with the fear is felt foremost and forever. in 2018 over 2017. Frighteningly, doesn’t minus misogyny: if she In a letter to Gujarat chief government, but those employed Lack of fear isn’t to be deified in 25,000 child-pornography up- is not a wife-mother, she is the minister Vijay Rupani, copy of by the private hospitals, residenc- sexual assault; it adds onus up- loads-shares in five months of “other”. An audio-recording has on the assaulted to fight a physi- computer-generated child-images intent-to-rape ruminations by rich Steps to fight the disease, these do not cal-utmost to prove non-consent. and actual children. Rape “con- teen-boys in an upmarket-school address the problems of sanitary workers... Despite continuous media-cov- tent” being spawned, in real-time, debating class-mate “gang-bang”, erage, this case is nevertheless tak- through real-life, un-reported chil- with-without rods, on a “rape-abil- which has been sent to the state es, hotels, commercial complex- ing seven-plus years; the average dren. Forty per cent of girl-chil- ity” index. Their parents dismiss chief secretary, the state home es, etc. should also be covered. is much higher. The conviction dren, twenty-five per cent of it as “banter”. In a hostel, 66 col- secretary, the state social and “Unorganized, these sections are rates are abysmal: for the 39 rapes boy-children are sexually abused lege-girls are stripped for men- justice empowerment secretary, particularly more vulnerable”, he reported every hour, one in four is in India, half at home or by adults strual checks, periods-isolation the state urban development sec- underlined. Considered a caste- convicted. Governments change, whom they trust (cutting across is “tradition” as she is “unclean”. retary , and the director general based occupation, most sanitary none visibly improve the judicial caste-class lines). Strong laws The macho-male bastion of Hin- of police, Parsottam Vaghela, workers belong to the most op- system. Such sloth condones the are graveyards of good intentions di (Bollywood) films also convinc- the NGO director, said, while pressed Dalit sub-caste, Valmiki. rise of the criminal-politician: given the state of police-judiciary; es itself that rapes are a result of only the state government has taken Meanwhile, senior environ- the criminally-charged central- unsurprisingly, under-reporting their own silos. Routine, therefore, a “number of steps to fight the mentalist Mahesh Pandya of ly-elected has nearly doubled of rape (adult, child) is estimat- the sexual-objectification of female disease, these do not address the NGO Paryavaran Mitra, in a since 2004. Among state-elected ed at sixty-five per cent, more bodies for male viewing-pleasure problems of sanitary workers, letter to the secretary, Gujarat is a ruling-party legislator, his five among middle and upper classes. -- the woman is the “item” in the especially manual scavengers.” Pollution Control Board (GPCB), sons and nephew gang-raping a When India is international- “item-song” -- while dialogues and Expressing the apprehen- the state agency, has said that all young-widow over 45 days, then ly scorned as the “rape capital” lyrics don’t discourage the pruri- sion that sanitary workers can the proposed public hearings for forcing abortion. She is now a -- rape-and-burn-alive, gang- ent to think about sexual aggres- “quickly become victims of this obtaining environmental clear- statistic like the 1,10,000 pending rapes, candle-bottle-rod rapes, sion and violence as power-tools. dangerous epidemic because they ance for developmental projects rape-cases including child-rape relatives of raped-teens assas- Catharsis? For India’s women, are not protected in any way”, the should be cancelled in view of with five child-rapes reported per sinated -- politicians play to the for rape-victims, it’s the horror of letter demands their regular free the restrictions imposed in view hour. Meanwhile, rape-accused galleries. They call for lynch- continuum. medical checkup; free medicines of the corona virus epidemic. Special reports... Dalit POST www.dalitpost.com February 29, 2019 13 Elgar Parishad, ‘Inhuman torture’ for Bhima-Koregaon separate detained fisher folk 2018). it over to the NIA. Incidentally, Thackeray State Congress President and had been under the fire of Revenue Minister Balasaheb allies NCP-Congress af- Thorat attacked the Bharatiya Ja- ter the probe was handed nata Party and the Centre on the over to the National Inves- issue, saying the manner in which tigation Agency (NIA) last the case was handed over to the week. NIA is a matter of “doubts and Addressing the media concern”. for the third consecutive “The Centre is trying to brand day, Pawar concurred with people associated with progressive, Delays of several years by India submitted to complete the crucial Setting the stage for a long battle Dalit and Pro-Ambedkar move- and Pakistan in the Nationality Nationality Verification process with the Centre, the Maha Vikas “That day, (Hindutva) ments as ‘Naxals’. It is wrong to Verification process of the two to expedite their release from jail Aghadi alliance partnersday were leaders like Sambhaji take action against them just be- countries’ fisher folk arrested by and repatriation back home. catapulted onto the same page cause they spoke against the gov- each other, leads to prolonged “Many of the fisher folk have when they declared that the Elgar Bhide alias Bhide ernment. This is nothing but an jail stay on both sides, which ac- already completed their long jail Parishad and Bhima-Koregaon in- Guruji and Milind attempt to gag them,” Thorat said tivists have termed as ‘inhuman terms, but since India has failed cidents were ‘separate’ and vowed Ekbote spoiled the sharply. tor ture’. to verify their nationality, they to protect the interests of Dalits, He made it clear that the Con- atmosphere there” As per the latest information continue to languish in prisons rights activists and intellectuals. gress party would not support an- with the Pakistan India Peoples for several more years. Even after Intervening in the issue, Shiv yone who has crossed the limits Forum for Peace & Democracy India has confirmed the national- Sena President and Chief Minister Thackeray and said that the Elgar with ulterior intentions, but the (PIPFPD), as many as 207 Indi- ity of the 29 fisher folk, Pakistan Uddhav Thackeray said in Sind- Parishad had the participation of timing and manner in which the an fisher folk from Gujarat coast has not yet released or repatriated hudurg that the “two incidents are around 100 organisations where case has been handed over to the remain in custody of Pakistan, them,” rued Desai. different”, virtually endorsing ally many sang patriotic songs, recited NIA raises even more suspicions. and 99 Pakistani fishermen are The instances of Venod Mirji, Nationalist Congress Party Presi- poems and expressed their anguish Thorat pointed out in the past dent Sharad Pawar’s stance for the over the government, while in Bhi- Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pan- Despite having all documents, out of past three weeks. ma-Koregaon, some Hindu organi- sare and M. M. Kalburgi were also these 107, India has not yet confirmed the “These are separate topics. sations and activists were involved eliminated to silence their progres- I will not hand it to the Centre. I in the riots. sive thought and now the BJP gov- nationality of 78 of the Indian fishermen... want to make it clear there will be “In Bhima-Koregaon, the Ma- ernment is portraying intellectuals in custody of India. Suneel P. Lal, Rajo Vinod, Bachi- no injustice to my Dalit brothers,” harashtra police have said many as ‘urban Naxals’. The governments of both lal Ramsevak, Babu P. Lal and he asserted. things in the investigations. Peo- In a related development, Re- countries are required to grant others are shocking, said Vijayan. “The Ambedkarite fraternity ple have been coming there for publican Yuva Morcha (RYM) Consular Access (CA) within “Mirji’s jail term ended on is concerned with the Bhima Ko- decades and the locals have always President Rahul Dambale has de- three months after they are held, May 23, 2017, granted CA in Au- regaon riots. I have not given over cooperated with them. But that day manded that Thackeray’s consent PIPFPD activists said. gust that year, but his nationality the investigations into the clashes (Jan. 01, 2018), (Hindutva) leaders to transfer the Elgar Parishad case “Unfortunately, both coun- is still not verified and he remains to the Centre, nor will I do so in the like Sambhaji Bhide alias Bhide to NIA had angered secular and tries flout this agreement and fail in a Pakistani prison. future,” assured Thackeray. Guruji and Milind Ekbote spoiled Dalit groups besides disappointing to grant CA to the arrested fish- “Similarly with three others Terming as “unfortunate” the the atmosphere there,” Pawar said. the NCP-Congress. erfolk on both sides. While Paki- -- Suneel P. Lal, Ramsehwak and atrocities committed on the Dalit He accused the police of drag- “If the CM is truly concerned stan has granted CA to only 107, one Babu who completed their jail community members during the ging people from the Elgar Parish- about not tolerating injustice to the the figures of Pakistan verifying sentences on February 21, 2018 -- Bhima-Koregaon caste riots, the ad into the Bhima-Koregaon case Dalits, then he must immediately the nationality of its fishermen even granted CA after months, CM pointed out that the Centre though they had no connections constitute a Special Investigation are not made available,” PIPFPD but India has yet to confirm their has taken over the Elgar Parishad with it, reiterating that the Centre Team to probe afresh the Bhima-ri- activist Jatin Desai told IANS. nationality. So, all languish in jails case (Dec. 31, 2017) and not the should have consulted the Mahar- ots, and fast-track the probe by the Strangely, despite having there,” Vijayan said. Bhima-Koregaon matter (Jan. 01, ashtra government before handing judicial commission,” Dambale said. all documents, out of these 107, They added that this delay in India has not yet confirmed the verifying their nationalities by nationality of 78 of the Indian India has hurt the rights of the SP MLAs seek caste-based census fishermen, he added. fishermen and their families, and bled, Leader of the Opposition speak, the SP members created The swoop on fisher folk who tantamount to “inhuman torture” Ram Govind Chaudhary raised noisy scenes and raised slogans tsaryed into each other’s territiry at the least. the demand for caste-based census. against the government. is carried out in the Arabian Sea The PIPFPD has demanded He said that Other Backward UP Parliamentary Affairs on the southern coast of Pakistan that both countries must implement Castes (OBC) were being denied Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna by its Maritime Security Agency the 2008 agreement in toto and their rights and hence the fresh said neither the state government (MSA) and north-west coast of confirm the nationality of their ar- census to start from April should nor the Assembly has the power to India Coast Guard (ICG) respec- rested citizens within the specified also include caste census. He al- order a caste-based census. tively, across the International period of three months after CA, leged that the column for OBCs He alleged that the SP mem- Maritime Boundary Line. which is not difficult in the era of MLAs disrupted had been removed from the cen- bers were in no mood to work From India, the fisher folk Information Technology. proceedings in the Uttar Pradesh sus form. hence they were trying to raise nabbed hail mostly from Prime Pakistan must also recip- Assembly over their demand for a Chaudhary said the BJP state such an issue, which has no rele- Minister Narendra Modi’s home- rocate the Indian government caste-based census. government was denying the vance in the state. “We have full state, of Gujarat. by appointing the respective The SP members demonstrat- rights of the OBCs and claiming respect for the OBCs and always Citing official records, Desai members for the Joint Judicial ed in the well of the House raising themselves as the champion of the fought for their cause,” he said. said that India has the complete Committee on Prisoners, a slogans and the question hour was OBCs. The Speaker also said that the details of all its fishermen right mechanism instituted way back disrupted for about 50 minutes. When Speaker Hriday Narain Assembly has no power to order a down to their native villages, but in 2007, but rendered defunct As soon as the house assem- Dikshit refused to allow them to caste-based census. it is not clear why these are not since 2013-end. Moot points... Dalit POST www.dalitpost.com February 29, 2019 14 Coronavirus to spur urban planning rethink

- Rina Chandran to track the outbreak, disinfect hos- service providers delivered meals land available, in case temporary The coronavirus pandemic sweep- pitals and deliver supplies. “ Planners will have and offered counselling. medical facilities or housing need ing across the planet will force city Such technologies may become to consider impact Such decentralisation of ser- to be set up,” said Matthews. authorities and planners to more a fixture in cities to flag potential of widening wealth vices may become more common Alongside, authorities will also seriously consider factors such as problems for quicker response, said in cities, said Creighton Connolly, need to consider the issue of food population density, technology, Matthews. inequality, with a senior lecturer at the University security amidst lockdowns and food security and inadequate hous- Authorities are also likely to millions of homeless of Lincoln in England. closed borders, he said. ing, urban experts said. more closely monitor vector-borne and slum dwellers “Decentralisation of services “Food security is a huge issue The outbreak, termed COV- diseases such as dengue fever that at greater risk of and reducing density are ways to because cities don’t tend to produce ID-19, at the time of writing this, are shifting due to climate change, combat disease spread, though this their food,” he said. had infected about 200,000 peo- and impose limits on the types and contracting disease” is contrary to sustainable transport Singapore, which imports ple worldwide and killed roughly numbers of live animals in tradi- and climate-change related goals,” more than 90% of its food, is en- 8,000, according to a global tally tional markets, he said. “Historically, epidemics have he said. couraging more local production, kept by Johns Hopkins University. Coronaviruses are zoonotic acted as catalysts in transforming “Also, very dense cities like for example. In depth: Coronavirus and its diseases - meaning they are passed how diseases are handled, espe- Hong Kong and Singapore have Some cities may create stock- impact on people, cities, and econ- from animals to humans - and the cially in urban areas,” said Annie contained the virus better than piles, while others may try to pro- omy rapid pace of deforestation and ur- Wilkinson, a research fellow at the largely rural areas like Lombardy duce more food locally through In response, countries have banisation are major factors in the Institute of Development Studies, a and Veneto in Italy. Ultimately, urban farming or through intensive tightened border controls, imposed spread of these diseases in Asia, UK-based think tank. governance dimensions are more growing facilities using hydropon- travel bans, locked down cities and health experts say. “Community engagement is important than planning or design ics, Matthews said. stepped up surveillance using tech- Authorities in China said they key to effective epidemic control, approaches,” he said. “But the bottom line is most nology powered by artificial intel- would tighten supervision of tradi- be it delivering trusted messages, More than two-thirds of the cities rely on global supply lines for ligence (AI). tional markets in the cities. carrying out surveillance, or lim- global population is forecast to live food and are therefore vulnerable “It is likely that COVID-19 will This would not be the first time iting movement,” she said. in urban areas by 2050 - up from to disruptions.” prompt a rethink of urban design that an epidemic has led to changes In Singapore, which has among 56% today, according to the UN. Perhaps more importantly, and planning in the Asia-Pacific in city planning, research shows. the fastest ageing populations in the With cities battling worsening planners will have to consider the region,” said Tony Matthews, a The cholera outbreaks of the world, engaging with older people climate-change effects, planners impact of widening wealth ine- senior lecturer in urban and envi- 1830s led to better sanitation in was key as the coronavirus has a also have to balance competing quality, with millions of homeless ronmental planning at Australia’s London and elsewhere, while the higher mortality rate among seniors. demands for land. people and those living in slums at Griffith University. tuberculosis epidemic in New York Singapore’s ministry of health China hurriedly built 16 make- greater risk of contracting disease, “There will probably be con- in the early 20th century paved the worked with community partners shift hospitals in Wuhan, the city at said Wilkinson. sideration of desirable population way for improved public transit to ensure that essential servic- the centre of the coronavirus epi- “Achieving longer-term chang- density levels, a greater utilisation systems and housing regulations. es such as home-based care and demic, to handle the load. es in urban planning will depend of apps and smart data to track The Severe Acute Respirato- transportation continued to reach In Hong Kong, some public on improving the way we see, un- health trends, and many cities will ry Syndrome (SARS) outbreak seniors, a spokeswoman for the housing blocks were requisitioned derstand and address health and probably start to think about their in 2003, which hit cities such as ministry said. for quarantine facilities, while in living conditions in informal set- food security more closely,” he said. Hong Kong and Singapore, led More than 500 volunteers aim Italy authorities in Genoa are con- tlements,” she said. Countries including China, Singapore to upgrade its medical to visit about 27,000 seniors to keep verting a ferry to a hospital boat. “For many people living on the South Korea and Singapore are infrastructure and create systems them updated on the outbreak and “Planners may consider leav- margins, crisis is already the norm using robots, drones and big data to map the disease. address concerns, she said. Other ing small parcels of strategic urban and change is overdue.” - Trust.org Dalit politics... Dalit POST www.dalitpost.com February 29, 2019 15 Kanshi Ram’s sister to join UPCC caste politics Azad’s party emerges time in 2015, since then she has Knives are out for Ut- been working in Punjab. She also tar Pradesh Congress extended her support on various Committee (UPCC) occasions to leaders and parties President Ajay Kumar that she claimed are aligned with Lallu with a new sec- Kanshi Ram’s ideology. tion of party leaders “Chandrashekhar has been in- on a WhatsApp group viting her as a speaker in various “Shoshit Congress protests and public meeting of the Savarna Group” aim- Bhim Army and now with Azad ing to get him. floating his party, Sarwan Ji was the The group, led by best to lead us,” a senior functionary Konark Dixit, who headed the Interestingly, the 10 expelled in the Bhim Army and close associ- party’s IT cell earlier, has an- senior leaders had also accused ate of Chandrashekhar told IANS. nounced that it will soon stage a the state leadership of displaying The exact post for Kaur is not sit-in against the state leadership an anti-upper caste mindset when known but many in party say she to protest against his anti-upper they mainly expelled upper caste would be inducted as ‘Sanrakshak’ caste policies. leaders. Thirty-six years after Kanshi Ram - Rohan Agarwal (Patron) or ‘Sanyojak’ (Convenor) “This is a do-or-die situation A senior party functionary floated the Bahujan Samaj Party, to suit her seniority and also to pay for us. We want to stage a sit-in has said that some ‘vested inter- his sister Sarwan Kaur is set to join “He was a leader for her respect for her struggle during so that the party high command ests’ were raising such non-exist- Bhim Army chief Chandrashek- you but a brother these years. is appraised of the situation. The ent issues. har’s newly floated Azad Samaj for me. Mayawati Chandrashekhar was one of state leadership has been actively He said that protests would Party (ASP) in a major blow to the backstabbed him the most prominent faces of coun- pursuing anti-upper caste policy be acceptable if they were with- BSP-led by Mayawati. trywide protests against the citi- and his attitude reflects this. The in the limits of party discipline. Seen as an upcoming alterna- and destroyed zenship law, and he launched his party cannot be run by complete- UPCC president, Ajay Kumar tive to the Mayawati-led BSP, ASP his movement” political group, which he called the ly sidelining upper caste leaders Lallu who belongs to the OBC is expected to induct sister of BSP’s “Azad Samaj Party”. who have served the party for caste, was unavailable for com- founder Kanshi Ram as Patron of is not what it used to be. The launch took place on the years,” said Konark Dixit. ment. the party Kaur has been a vocal critic birth anniversary of BSP founder Mayawati’s BSP has lost of Mayawati. Kaur had even gone and Dalit icon Kanshi Ram. The back to back elections in its home ahead and accused Mayawati of Bhim Army, Azad said, will run Akhilesh confident of ground Uttar Pradesh. Many feel murdering her brother to hijack the parallel to the party and continue the Bahujan Samaj Party that was movement started by him. to fight for Dalit rights and enrol returning to power in 2020 founded on the birth anniversary “Kanshi Ram was a leader for new members. of Babasaheb B.R. Ambedkar on you but he was a brother for me. The party flag is a white band April 14, 1984, by Kanshi Ram, Mayawati backstabbed him and between two blue strips, with who named former schoolteacher, destroyed his movement. She mur- Azad Samaj Party written in the Mayawati, as his successor in 2001 dered him,” Kaur said for the first middle. LJP to make development an poll issue party was held here un- vices are in a bad shape. der the chairmanship of The LJP is a part of the Nation- LJP founder Ram Vilas al Democratic Alliance (NDA) at Paswan, which was at- the Centre and Bihar and has an- tended by other office nounced to contest the Assembly bearers including party elections in the state by staying in MPs and various issues the alliance itself, but the issues were discussed. raised by Chirag Paswan highlight He said that if the the failure of the state government. manifesto is released be- However, on the question asked, Samajwadi Party president it. The BJP has no work to show fore the Assembly elec- he said, “I am not highlighting the has said that and is trying to create a commu- Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) national tions, caste will not be an issue, but shortcomings of the state govern- his party would form the gov- nal divide,” he said. President Chirag Paswan has said the focus will be on development ment, but drawing attention to the ernment in Uttar Pradesh on its When the BJP’s communal that his party will contest the Bihar of the state. problems for the better develop- own strength in 2022. card does not yield results, the Assembly elections on the issue of Chirag Paswan is running ‘Bi- ment of Bihar”. Akhilesh Yadav, who was party resorts to caste card, he development. The Assembly elec- har First, Bihari First’ campaign in Claiming victory in the next in Fathepur to attend a wed- added. tions are due in Bihar later this the state, which will conclude on election, Chirag said: “There is no ding function, said that he had Akhilesh Yadav said that dur- year and the LJP is going to issue April 14 at Gandhi Maidan in Pat- doubt that after the 2020 elections, prepared the blueprint for 351 ing his regime, his government its manifesto long before the elec- na. He said that during this time he only the NDA government will be seats out of the 403 seats and had done so much work which tions are announced. will prepare a ‘Vision Document’, formed in Bihar and Nitish Kumar was working on the remaining was evident for all to see. The LJP President told a press which will cover the issues and will again become the next Chief seats. “We gave laptops but they conference here that the party’s problems that will facilitate the Minister. Under the Common “We will contest the elec- (BJP) are claiming to give toilets election manifesto ‘Vision Doc- development of the state. Minimum Program, the LJP ask tions on our own and form a that remain on paper,” he added. ument-2020’ will be released at a Questioning the issue of secu- government to implement its sug- government with a comfortable Akhilesh Yadav also reiter- rally to be held at Patna’s Gandhi rity in the state, the LJP President gestion prominently”. majority. People are complete- ated his opposition to CAA and Maidan on April 14, which is cur- said that in Bihar, number 100 does The LJP currently has only two ly disillusioned with the BJP NRC and said that it was wrong rently under preparation. not work in any district except Pat- MLAs in Bihar’s 243-member As- which has betrayed the faith to ask people to produce docu- He said that a meeting of the na, and education and health ser- sembly. that the people has reposed in ments to prove their citizenship. Wide Angle... www.dalitpost.com Dalit Post The only monthly of its kind February 29, 2019 16 78.5% against using hand sanitisers, SC moved against Gogoi’s RS appointment 88% against self-quarantine Human rights organ- ly 7.3 per cent felt using gloves ization Manushi’s helped. founder, Madhu Kish- At a time when the government war filed a PIL in the is repeatedly stressing on using Supreme Court chal- hand sanitisers, 78.5 per cent re- lenging the nomination spondents said that they don’t find it of former Chief Justice a valid proposition. Just 21 per cent of India Ranjan Gogoi said that they are using sanitisers. as a member of the Ra- However, appeals for basic jya Sabha. citizens of this country have in hygiene like washing hands more Kishwar contended in the it. “Any act which creates any frequently seems to have worked. petition that she feels deeply ag- adverse impression on the inde- 71.5% said they are following it. grieved at the appointment of pendence of judiciary like the Still, 28.5% of people said, they Justice Gogoi to the Rajya Sab- present one, wherein ex-CJI has are not. ha, as “it compromises the inde- been nominated to Rajya Sabha, While majority of Indians have tak- C-VOTER Gallup International The Janata Curfew may have pendence and credibility of our amounts to an assault on the in- en washing hands seriously in the Association Corona Tracker 1, an been a hit but a massive 72.8 per judiciary at the highest levels. dependence of judiciary,” she con- wake of the coronavirus outbreak, exclusive global poll on Covid-19. cent of the respondents still believe During his tenure as a judge of tended in the petition. a whopping 75.5 per cent dont think As many as 75.5 per cent Indi- that staying in-house or less social the Supreme Court, and especially She has also urged the apex that using masks would help. ans don’t find medical masks use- interaction is not a valid idea. Even after he became the Chief Justice court to pass a direction for ap- To make things worse, 78.5 ful, while 24.5 per cent feel it helps. worse, 88 per cent voted against of India, Justice Gogoi delivered plication of restrictions contained per cent Indians are not using A worrying 92.7 per cent respond- self-quarantine. But still, most several historic judgments, some in Section 8 of the Lokpal and hand sanitisers. The shocking ents said they aren’t convinced agreed that they have taken pre- of which had the potential to cre- Lokayukta Act, 2013 on ex-judg- revelations came from the IANS about using hand gloves. Mere- cautionary steps. ate widespread unrest”. es of the Supreme Court and high She has urged the Supreme courts. Syrian war enters Court to pass a direction to stay Kishwar said that the inde- Dalit musicians the notification and order of March pendence of the judiciary is an 10th year 16 by which the ex-CJI has been essential feature of the Consti- playing a new tune made a Rajya Sabha member. tution and polity. “It forms part “Neither are we scared, nor do we have been maltreated and mar- Kishwar insisted that Gogoi’s of the basic structure doctrine as worry / For Sant Guru Ravidass is ginalized. nomination as a Rajya Sabha enunciated by the SC in a whole our savior,” sings Ginni Mahi in a Yashica Dutt, author of the re- member by the President makes series of judgments. The rulings music video styled along the lines cently published memoir, Coming it a political appointment, and of the SC for appointments of of Punjabi-pop songs. She stands Out as Dalit, attributes the rise of therefore casts a shadow of doubt judges through the Collegium tall and fierce and looks directly these artists in part to social me- on the credibility of the judgments system minimizing the role of into the camera. “Not scared of dia. “It has taken the power out delivered under his headship of the executive is premised on the sacrifice, we are forever ready / of upper caste hands,” she said. The war in Syria has entered its the Supreme Court. necessity of maintaining inde- Because are more dan- “Who are the opinion makers, 10th year amid a ceasefire in Idlib, Kishwar said that the strength pendence of judiciary,” she said gerous than weapons,” she con- change and newsmakers? They the rebels last stronghold that has of the judiciary lies in the faith in the petition tinues, reclaiming ‘chamar,’ a slur were all upper caste.” So, is social been targeted by a government against Dalits, as a badge of honor. media an ally? “A platform can- offensive, which deteriorated the Meanwhile in south India, not be an ally or an enemy. But countrys worst humanitarian crisis. ‘Expression of Our Oppression’ The Casteless Collective, a band it is democratic and allows our One million Syrian children Sanjeev Kumar put together by Tamil film director voice to reach out to people. It has were born as refugees as their fam- Danda, one of the Pa.Ranjith, fuses the genres of rap, helped us organize. Dalit Twitter ilies fled the war, while another 4.8 organizers of the gana (Tamil folk music), and rock. exists, and it is powerful because million were born in Syria during recently held sec- The 19-member, almost all-male of Twitter,” she replied. the nine years of war, Efe news ond Dalit Liter- band writes and composes its Professor Gary Tartakov of quoted the Unicef as saying. ature Festival in own music under music director Iowa State University College of “The war in Syria marks yet New Delhi, tokld Tenma and sings about socio-eco- Design, says “Acceptance of your- another shameful milestone to- the Wire that apart nomic injustice, marginalization, self as an individual will enable day,” Unicef Executive Director from highlighting and other mistreatments that have songs to flow through,” he said. Henrietta Fore said. “Millions of the literature of troubled Dalits. “The world can be against you, children are entering their second and by Dalits and Through their music, these but you have the power to decide decade of life surrounded by war, the voices of other marginalised the discussion on ‘Dalit Com- artists protest the ways Dalits what you want to do.” violence, death and displacement. communities such as Adivasis, munity: Oppression, Struggle The need for peace has never been Muslims and women, issues and Constitutional Rights,’ social more pressing. related to LGBTQI+ commu- researcher Rajendra Ravi em- “Over 9,000 children killed or nities in India were discuses phasised that even in their daily injured in the conflict, according to “to discuss the socio-literary lives, people have to adopt in- verified data, with an average of one expression of their oppression”. digenous cultures and not to run child killed every 10 hours since He emphasised that the idea after Brahminical materialism. monitoring began,” she added. behind the fest is not just to discuss He talked about returning to The Syrian Observatory for atrocities “but also build solidari- coarse grains and coarse clothes, Human Rights, a UK-based NGO, ty and explore what can be done which the world is adopting to- said that 384,000 people have to make future better and what day and which was once con- been killed since the war began on role literature can play in this.” sidered the food and clothing March 15, 2011. The Wire reports that during of Dalits and backward people. For free private circulation