Dalits in News
23.12.2005
90 p.c. of TAHDCO beneficiaries are women
Special Correspondent
Focus on scheme of giving farm land to SC/ST people
Thanjavur : Ninety per cent of beneficiaries of the Tamil Nadu Adi
Dravida Housing and Development Corporation (TAHDCO) are women,
said V. Saroja, chairperson of the TAHDCO here on Wednesday.
She told presspersons that provision of agriculture land to
Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe people was the first of its
kind in the country and it was unique in Tamil Nadu.
The scheme was aimed at improving the economic and social status
of Adi Dravidas. It was planned to provide agriculture land to
8000 Adi Dravidas and 1000 tribal women in the State. Financial
assistance was provided by the TAHDCO and banks. Out of the unit
cost of Rs. two lakhs for purchasing land, Rs. one lakh was
provided by the TAHDCO as subsidy and the rest as loan by banks.
For registering the land, 75 per cent of the registration cost was
given as subsidy by the TAHDCO. Priority would be given to
providing electric connection to pumpsets so that the
beneficiaries could take up cultivation. Dr. Saroja said that
facilities were provided for cattle rearing also along with
cultivation of land. The beneficiaries were encouraged to take up
cultivation of horticultural crops, medicinal plants etc.
Another important scheme of the TAHDCO was the improvement of
sanitation workers' lot. There were 35,000 sanitation workers in
the State. `Subamathi' SHGs are formed to help the sanitation
workers.
In Thanjavur district there are 1000 sanitary workers in Thanjavur,
Kumbakonam, Pattukottai munuicipalities and three town panchayats.
Twentyeight self-help groups have been formed for these workers
and revolving fund has been released to 26 groups.
Dr. Saroja said that she visited Kadakadappai village in Thanjavur
district for surprise inspection. All 13 TAHDCO beneficiaries, who
purchased milch animals, were eking out their livelihood by
selling milk.
Earlier she reviewed the implementation of TAHDCO schemes in the
district, along with M. Veera Shanmugha Moni, Collector. (THE
HINDU 23-12-2005)
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Tribals in two mandals in the grip of fear
Staff Reporter
Government - CPI(M) standoff casts shadow over functioning of
offices
ELURU: The Adivasis in the agency of West Godavari district are
getting sandwiched in a crossfire between the official machinery
and the CPI(M) in the wake of attacks on revenue and police
personnel at Jangareddygudem and Buttayagudem.
Tribal habitations in Buttayagudem and Jeelugumilli mandals are
under the grip of fear following apprehensions over police raids
as a sequel to the attacks. The stand-off cast a shadow over the
government offices in the agency. About 20 adivasis from six
tribal habitations who suffered injuries in a baton charge by the
police at Buttayagudem on Tuesday are not able to venture out of
their villages for medical treatment fearing arrests by the
police. Four of them sustained head injuries and six persons had
their hands and legs fractured, according to information.
Meanwhile, the tribal habitations are in for deprival of
government services in the light of a call by the Revenue
Employees Association to its members to abandon their work places
in the remote agency. ((THE HINDU 23-12-2005)
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Welfare programme for weaker sections shortly
Special Correspondent
Government according top priority to BCs, says YSR
HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has said that the
State Government would come out with a major welfare programme for
the weaker sections in a week.
It would be something which nobody could imagine, he said in a
public meeting at Gandhi Bhavan here on Thursday after former MLA,
J. Chitharanjan Das, assumed charge as the chairman of the Other
Backward Classes cell of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC).
Dr. Reddy challenged the Telugu Desam to identify a single welfare
programme for the BCs during its ten-year rule. Yet, party
president N. Chandrababu Naidu criticised the Government as though
it was anti-BCs.
Stating that his Government was according top priority to the BCs
during its 18-month rule, he said a scrutiny of the social
composition of his Cabinet and appointment of chairpersons of
Corporations would show how much they were benefited. They not
only got a lion's share of Ministerial berths but were allotted
key portfolios.
APCC president K. Keshava Rao said no other party had a BC leader
as him at the helm of affairs for their State units. It was
Congress alone which vested responsibility with BCs in key posts.
Mr. Chitharanjan Das, former MLA, D. Nagender and others spoke.
((THE HINDU 23-12-2005)
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Kalachakra arrangements in full swing at Amaravathi
Special Correspondent
1.5 lakh monks and pilgrims from different countries are expected
to turn up for the major Buddhist event
HYDERABAD: Arrangements are in full swing for the Buddhist event
of Kalacharka at Amaravathi from January 5 to 16 for which nearly
1.5 lakh monks and pilgrims from different counties like Japan,
China, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Thailand and Korea are expected
to turn up.
While the event begins with rituals on January 5 with
participation by the Dalai Lama, Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara
Reddy, will join the gathering along with Ministers and others on
January 10 when a conference is being held on teachings of Acharya
Nagarjuna, said to be the founder-exponent of Mahayana school of
Buddhism.
The turnout is expected to swell on the last four days, which are
considered religiously significant when rituals for public welfare
will be taken up.
Amenities
Finance Minister K. Rosaiah, who heads the state committee on
Kalacharka, and Tourism Minister J. Geetha Reddy, told reporters
here on Thursday that the Government would strain every nerve to
make the prestigious a grand success. A sum of Rs 53 crores was
being spent to provide amenities to the pilgrims and monks,
contributed by the State Government and Busshokai Centre of
Kanazawa of Japan (through Norbulingka Institute of Dharmasala,
Himachal Pradesh).
Work on the various facilities at Amaravathi--tents, internal
roads, water/power supply, meditation centre and conference
hall--has reached a high pitch.
The banks of Krishna, the mahastupa containing the relics of the
Lord Buddha, and archaeological museum, both at Dhanyakatakam, and
the vicinity of Amaravati itself have been given a facelift.
The Ministers said that 4,000 toilets and 2,000 bathrooms are
under construction. About 180 acres of land had been taken on
lease from farmers to raise this temporary township. All internal
and approach roads have been widened and refurbished and special
steps taken to ensure drinking water and power supply.
He expressed helplessness about the exorbitant rents collected by
house-owners, and the accommodation to the floating population.
Dalai Lama visit
The Dalai Lama will arrive here on January 2.
Dr. Geetha Reddy said that the Buddhist pontiff, on the same day,
would inaugurate the Buddhist enclosure in the State Museum in
Public Gardens containing the casket of Buddha relic (obtained
from Bhavikonda). He would visit Nagarjuna Konda in the middle of
Nagarjunasagar reservoir the next day.
The Dalai Lama would then proceed straight to Amaravathi to
formally launch the Kalachakra rituals and would continue his
presence at the place till the closure of the event on January 16.
Security arrangements
Dr. Geetha Reddy and Mr. Rosaiah said the Government had made
elaborate security arrangements for him in view of "threat
perceptions from different angles". The Director-General of Police
was constantly reviewing the security measures. Special attention
is being given to Nagarjuna Konda in view of the Naxalite activity
there. (THE HINDU 23-12-2005)
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Teach human rights in schools, says Shivaraj Patil
Staff Correspondent
`People should be aware of the importance of human rights and
prevent violations'
HAMPI: Shivaraj Patil, member of National Human Rights Commission
and former Supreme Court judge, has underlined the need to include
human rights in the curriculum from primary school to the
university level.
"This is essential to make people aware of the importance and
necessity of promoting human rights and prevent violations," he
said at the 14th "Nudihabba" (convocation) of Kannada University
here on Thursday.
Banning nuclear weapons, poisonous gases and biological warfare
may not be able to prevent wars. There is a need to remove the
root cause, which can be done by creating awareness and stressing
on education. Hence the role of universities is onerous in this
regard, he noted.
He said terrorism, drug trafficking and violence is a scar on
human civilisation seriously affecting the life and dignity of
individuals. The first step towards meeting the challenges and
putting an end to human rights violations is to remove hatred and
violenceMr. Patil said it is the duty of the universities to
instil in students the quality of compassion and service that will
enable them to treat their fellow beings in a truly democratic
spirit. He said the glory, greatness, utility and quality of any
institution depends on the people associated with it. He also said
that evil forces such as caste, crime and corruption have affected
good governance resulting in violation of human rights.
Mr. Patil said national integration, secularism, patriotism,
justice, equality and service should become a way of life and not
mere words. He felt that it is time to amend systems that have
negative effects on society and encourage and enforce those that
advance the noble ideals enshrined in the Preamble of the
Constitution.
Concluding his convocation address, Mr. Patil said that
educational institutions have to play a dynamic role in
highlighting ethical and moral values and virtues in all their
students to make the world a better place. (THE HINDU 23-12-2005)
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Despite reservations, Elders pass quota Bill
Pioneer News Service/ New Delhi
Only two voices raised in opposition --- After Lok Sabha, the
Upper House gave its nod to the controversial 104th Constitution
amendment Bill, providing reservation to SCs/ STs and Other
Backward Classes in unaided private educational institutions, on
Thursday.
Even though only two MPs opposed it, the debate brought into sharp
focus the conflict between the heart and mind of the members who
favoured its passage during voting.
The Bill was passed with 172 votes in favour and two against it,
after a BJP-sponsored amendment was defeated. Rajya Sabha members
Chandan Mitra and Sharad Joshi voted against the Bill.
An amendment moved by senior BJP member Sushma Swaraj on removal
of the provision exempting institutions run by minorities from the
purview of the Bill, which she said, would defeat its purpose, was
dropped by voice vote.
The 172-2 verdict did not show the real nature of the opposition
to the Bill that cut across party and ideological lines. While
many members, who eventually voted for it, did not shy away from
expressing their apprehensions and reservation on the
ramifications of the amendment, those who did not get chance to
speak shared their anguish with their colleagues.
Figures do not weep or bleed. So the overwhelming nature of the
verdict will gloss over the sentiments of the House and India will
have in place a new legislation, which got the mandate but was
against the sentiments of the House.
Even though the Government has projected the amendment as one that
would benefit SC/ST/OBCs and the minority, the debate showed that
members had grasped the fact that it would defeat the very purpose
it is being legislated for.
In addition, the Bill would encourage brain-drain, stem the growth
of education, encourage profiteers to set up more and more
minority institutions and make access to education extremely
difficulty for the poor among the upper castes.
Making a forceful argument against the Bill, Mr Chandan Mitra
(Nominated) said that the Bill would not serve the purpose it is
being brought in for. By keeping the minority educational
institutions out of its ambit, the Government has shut their doors
for the projected beneficiaries, he said.
"It will neither benefit the SC/ST or the OBCs nor protect the
minorities," he said, adding that the entire debate had taken a
misleading direction. Mr Mitra said that in the North-east and
Kerala most of the educational institutions were being run by
minorities, hence the SC/ST/ or the OBCs would not get the desired
benefit.
Educational institutions not run by minority people would be
forced to shift shop to other States and start new institutions to
take benefit of linguistic exemption, he warned. Mr Mitra pointed
out that this Bill would also compel private educational
institutions to set up operations abroad. This would encourage
brain drain from India.
Moving the amendment, Ms Sushma Swaraj said the very soul of the
Bill would be killed and society would be divided if the minority
institutions were kept out of the purview of the Bill. Charging
the Government of using "minorityism" as a weapon against the BJP,
she said her party was not against reservation per se but wanted
"reservation without exception".
Ms Swaraj said the minority educational institutions "take all the
benefits and concessions from the Government but do not fulfill
their obligations towards society." "It will also give an escape
route to Hindus as organisations like Ramkrishna Mission, Arya
Samaj and Jains will demand minority status to run the educational
institutions. This will further divide society," she said.
Ms Swaraj alleged that in the all-party meeting on August 23,
there was a unanimous opinion that weaker sections should be
provided reservation in the educational institutions including
those run by minority communities. Yet the Government buckled
under the threat posed by an MIM leader, who warned of dire
consequences if such a Bill was moved.
She challenged HRD Minister Arjun Singh, who had asserted that no
such development had happened in the all-party meeting, to see the
recordings of the meeting once more to refresh his memory.
Opposing the amendment, Mr Singh said as the status of minorities
in higher education was very poor with only one per cent of them
getting higher education, the Bill had sought to exempt their
institutions.
The Bill was supported by most of the NDA constituents including
JD-U and others like ADMK and TDP with members suggesting that
this reservation should also be extended to the country's premier
institutions like IITs and IIMs.
CPI-M member Sitaram Yechury suggested that the Government should
move to bring all educational institutions under social control
and legislations should be enacted to this effect before the next
academic session. During the debate several members felt that the
legislation would hamper the growth of education in general as
only minority-run institutions would come up. Some of them also
felt that the fee regulation clause would act as a disincentive
for opening up quality educational institutions. SBP member Sharad
Joshi said the Bill, instead of helping the weaker sections, would
achieve the opposite. He, therefore, voted against the Bill. (THE
PIONEER 23-12-2005)
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Tribals group held for poaching
Agencies
Bhubaneswar, Dec 22 At least 253 people, mostly tribals, have been
arrested on charges of poaching in Orissa's Similipal National
Park, police said Thursday. Armed with bows and arrows, they
entered the prohibited areas of the 2,750 sq km reserve in groups
and were allegedly found hunting Wednesday evening, district
police chief SK Palsania said. 'This is the first time that such a
large number of poachers were arrested from the park, he said. The
green brigade formed recently to prevent poaching spotted them and
informed wildlife and police officials. Located at a distance of
about 270 km from here, the tiger reserve in the northern district
of Mayurbhanj is home to a variety of animals including sambhar
deer, langurs, barking and spotted deer, elephants and four-horned
antelopes. Officials seized 17 country-made guns and a large
number of bows and arrows from the poachers. (CENTRAL CHRONICLE-
23-12-05)