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Tuesday 13 December 2011

Dalit boy shot dead over refusal to give bike

Dalit boy shot dead over refusal to give bike
Roranwali (Lambi), December 10
Over his refusal to give motorcycle, a Dalit boy was shot dead, while four others sustained splinter injuries at Roranwali village in the CM’s home constituency, Lambi, late last night.
The deceased has been identified as 23-year-old Gurlal Singh, who worked as a farm labourer with a landlord of his village. “As per the statements of injured persons, a few days ago one Pipal Singh had asked Gurlal to give him his motorcycle to chase a tractor which had hit him outside the village. While Gurlal refused, which ensued into a clash last night and claimed his life,” a police officer said. He further said that both the parties exchanged some heated arguments in the morning and later at night when Gurlal along with his friends was going to complain at Pipal Singh’s house, the latter’s son Gurmeet Singh started firing at them. — TNS
The Times Of India
Men accused of attacking dalit woman acquitted
TNN | Dec 11, 2011, 05.16AM IST
Bhiwani: A Bhiwani court has acquitted over six villagers who had allegedly attacked a scheduled caste woman for performing 'kuan poojan' (well worship) on the birth of her son in Surpura Kalan village in August.
Anita, a resident of Surpura Kalan, along with her family, had gone to the village common well for the worship on August 21. A DJ was playing music in a four-wheeler.
According to the FIR, more than six villagers told her that she would not be allowed to worship the well and "slapped" the complainant. "An accused, Narender, dragged me by feet and when my husband came, all of them ran away from the spot. They said if the well was worshiped, I would be done to death," Anita had told the police. In the case, all accused were arrested.
However, in the court, Anita said some villagers had objected to the DJ playing music and so they returned to their home. "Nobody caused any injury to me," she told the court.
Even in the cross-examinations, the witnesses said nothing adverse about the accused.
Zee News
Dalit student stabbed with beer bottle; dies
Last Updated: Sunday, December 11, 2011, 20:05
Meerut: A class XII student died after he was stabbed with a broken beer bottle by four persons in T P Nagar area of the city, police said on Sunday.
The incident took place last night when Umesh (17), a Dalit student, was returning to his home in Indira Colony after tuition.
According to the police, Meenu Yadav and Shubham along with two other accomplices allegedly stabbed a broken beer bottle in his neck and fled from the spot. Umesh was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead.
Initial investigation suggests that the victim had a tiff with the assailants over a girl with whom he was involved in a relationship, they said.
A case has been registered against the four persons including the two named accused. PTI
IBN Live
Separate ration for Dalits of Kurayur
MADURAI: “The only difference between what happened in Uthapuram and our village is that there is no wall here. All other discrimination is present,” said a pensive Mariappan, pointing to the road in the village that divides the Dalit colony from that of the Caste Hindu people.
From the archaic two-tumbler system and a separate ration shop, to the lack of access to the village temple, the Dalits of Kurayur in Thirumangalam taluk near here have been facing caste discrimination for years.
However, while the physical wall in Uthapuram had received much attention from the district administration, much of what is happening in this outwardly quaint village has gone unnoticed.
Despite being a reserved constituency in the last two panchayat elections, Dalits in the village say that they have not been able to bring in change. The discrimination starts from the food they eat, with the village having separate ration shops for the two castes.
“We have to get the rice from the one on our side of the village. There is another building inside whether they get it, though the cards are mixed among the two shops,” said one person, pointing to the building near the missionary-run school where only SC students study.
Then comes the dreaded two-tumbler system. When Express checked out a tea shop in the village, it came to light that the Dalits were served only in paper cups, whereas the Caste Hindus were served in the usual glasses.”We used to have separate tumblers in the early days. But the tea shops have now changed to paper cups as they do not want to attract attention,” said another person from the SC community.
Like many other villages in the district, the flashpoint in Kurayur also seems to be the place of worship. Dalits say that they have been barred from entering the Mariamman temple in the village, which is now undergoing renovation.
While they were allowed to worship the Ayyanar in the village during the festival, they could do it only during days when the Caste Hindus do not visit.
True Drive

Caste discrimination continues in Tamil Nadu

Posted by Ayyappa Prasad on December 11, 2011
Madurai, Dec 11 (TruthDive): Just as the inquiry commission that investigated the police firing in Paramakudi found that men in uniform who had a bias towards the Dalits opened fire without provocation comes the news that caste discrimination is very much prevalent but in a new form.
The Dalits of Kurayur in Thirumangalam taluk near here have been facing caste discrimination for years. The presence of a physical wall in Uthamapuram had resulted in getting attention from the district administration and media, but what is happening there is very much evident in Kurayur.
There are two ration shops; the one near the missionary school patronised by the Scheduled Caste students is where the Dalits have to buy even though their cards are registered with the shop on the side of the village where upper castes stay.
Though much fan fare was made about the two tumbler system being abolished, it is very much prevalent in this village but with a difference. Dalits are given tea in paper cups while others are served in glasses.
Mariamman temple is out-of-bounds for Dalits while during the temple festival they can enter the Ayyanar temple and that too only at specified time when the upper castes do not come.
Writer Poomani aka Poo Manika Vasakam, winner of the Vishnupuram award this year commenting on his bagging the honour says “I don’t know where the word Dalit appeared. I have been writing about the poor and marginalised sections of society well before the word appeared. The term is derogatory because many critics use it as a concession to writers belonging to lower castes. There is no concession in Literature.”
Currently, he is working on his magnum opus Anjadi which tells about the gradual change in caste relations in South Tamil Nadu in the last 200 years. “The rights of the poor are sold using the Dalit tag by some organisations and pocketing the money,” remarked Poomani.
The Hindu

End caste-based rituals

Special Correspondent
Caste-based ‘guru pujai' often result in clashes and breakdown of law and order. It is high time that such rituals are not permitted, said Thiyagu, general secretary of the Tamizh Desiya Viduthalai Iyakkam.
Addressing a meeting on ‘Paramakudi firing -- lessons from bloodshed' organised by the Samooga Sinthanai Uyirpiyakkam here on Friday, Mr. Thiyagu, who led a committee to Paramakudi where Dalits were killed in police firing, described the incidents and asked the propriety of the police in opening fire on Dalits at Paramakudi.
He said that the ‘guru pujai' rituals involving caste-based barriers, should be avoided.
Police should exercise restraint in handling critical situations as in the case of Paramakudi, he said.
Antony Kruz, former head of Tamil Department, St. Joseph's College, M. Selvaraj, organiser of the Uyirpiyakkam spoke.
The Times Of India
Ambedkar memorial: CM calls on PM
Sandeep Ashar, TNN | Dec 11, 2011, 04.32AM IST
MUMBAI: Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Friday Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Delhi and sought his assistance in resolving issues related to Vidharbha farmers and the use of Indu mill land for Dr B R Ambedkar memorial. Both the issues have become a political hot potato for the Democratic-Front government in the state, especially in view of elections to various municipalities.
Protests over demands for using the Indu mill land, which belongs to the central-run National Textile Corporation, for the memorial have been escalating. While the state units of the Congress and the NCP have endorsed the demand, the DF government has so far not succeeded in negotiations with the NTC for handing over of the land.
With fears that any further delay in this regard would impact voting base of the parties among backward class communities, Chavan has sought Singh's urgent intervention in this regard. Representatives of the Republican Sena forcibly took possession of the mill on December 6 and have been camping inside the mill campus in protest ever since.
Previous efforts made by senior Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, to successfully complete negotiations between NTC and the state government have failed to yield results. NTC is insisting on commensurate returns for handing over of the land.
The CM also sought Singh's intervention for financial assistance to cotton, soyabean and paddy farmers who have been asking for higher support price. Chavan said that a decision in this regard would be announced during the winter session, which gets underway in Nagpur on December 12.
The DF government is expected to come under rough weather from the opposition over the farmers demand. The state had earlier decided to send an all-party state delegation to meet Singh over the farmers concerns.

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