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Dalits News -24-12-2005
Revive democracy in Dalit
panchayats'
Staff Reporter
MADURAI: The Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Association has
proposed to observe a day's fast on December 25 here, calling for
steps to revive democracy in the reserved panchayats of Pappapatti,
Keeripatti, Nattarmangalam and Kottakachiyendal.
Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, the State president of the
association, Arunan, blamed the political parties in Tamil Nadu
for not taking a clear stand favouring Dalits to govern these
reserved local bodies for one full decade. "Without fulfilling
this obligation, the Government should not take steps to
de-reserve these panchayats.
Nor should it permit non-Dalits to contest," he said. (THE HINDU
-24-12-2005)
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TAHDCO ready to provide all assistance to SC and ST
Staff Reporter
NAGAPATTINAM : The Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar Housing and Development
Corporation is ready to provide all assistance for the development
of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe people in the Cauvery delta
region of Nagapattinam district where Adi Dravidars are
concentrated, said V. Saroja, chairperson of TAHDCO, here on
Thursday.
Talking to media persons after reviewing the progress of TAHDCO
welfare schemes in the district with J.Radhakrishnan, Nagapattinam
Collector, Dr. Saroja said that all schemes through TAHDCO were
being implemented in the district effectively.
She pointed out that TAHDCO was ready to provide all assistance to
the SC and ST community and pointed out that Rs.58.45 crore was
given as funds to the women Self Help Groups belonging to SC and
ST community with a subsidy of Rs.18.45 crores in the State.
Dr. Saroja pointed out that under the self-employment programme
Rs.15.25 lakhs was provided to the SC and ST youths in the
district and pointed out that 6,599 SC and ST persons were given a
total assistance of Rs.4.49 crores for agriculture operations.
Answering a question, the TAHDCO chairperson said that 975
autorickshaws were given to SC and ST youths in the State this
year and more and more assistance would be given to them for their
development.
Mr Radhakrishnan, Collector, explained the implementation of the
welfare activities through the TAHDCO in the district. (THE HINDU
-24-12-2005)
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Be aware of child rights, officials told
Staff Reporter
Two incidents of inhuman treatment meted out to schoolchildren
angers District Collector
• MEO and mandal resource person of Veldurthy mandal pulled up
• MEO of Devandakonda feigns ignorance about child marriage
• Kurnool district at the bottom of the human development index
KURNOOL: Collector Vikas Raj has called upon education officers
and headmasters to impart humane education rather than producing
mere literates.
Addressing a meeting of headmasters here on Friday, he placed
before the meeting two episodes of inhuman treatment meted out to
children in the district recently.
Daniel, a boy, was chained to prevent his running away from school
at Veldurthy. In another incident, a seventh standard girl was
married to a 40-year-old Government employee. The Collector asked
the Mandal Education Officers and headmasters whether the episodes
did not merit their attention.
He pulled up the Mandal Education Officer and Mandal Resource
Person of Veldurthy mandal for failing to educate the NGOs
properly. He wondered whether the Government network was so weak
as to allow NGOs who had no basic knowledge of child rights into
the system.
The MEO of Devandakonda where the child marriage took place
feigned ignorance about the incident (THE HINDU 24-12-2005)
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CPI (M) demands funds for backward districts
Special Correspondent
Srikakulam: The CPI(M) which had been organising padayatras in all
districts to interact with people will prepare reports and seek
allocation of funds from the Budget commensurate with the
backwardness of the district from the State Government failing
which the party would paralyse the proceedings in the Assembly,
CPI(M) State secretary B.V.Raghavulu said.
Addressing a public meeting at municipal grounds here on Friday in
connection with the concluding day of the 22-day padayatra in
Srikakulam district, Mr. Raghavulu pointed out that allotment of
just Rs. 200 crores to the backward district Srikakulam as against
Rs. 2,000 crores to district like East Godavari and West Godavari
would lead to lopsided development. The most backward district
should get top priority in release of funds, he said. CPI (M)
district unit secretary Choudary Tejeswara Rao presided over the
meeting.
Jalayagnam criticised
Mr. Raghavulu criticised the `Jalayagnam' of the Government
asserting that it would help only districts flush with assured
irrigation. Referring to the execution of 26 major projects with
Rs.46,000 crores, he said rehabilitation of people was primary.
"The Government had released huge sums as mobilisation advance to
contractors before commencement of any work, but why is it not
releasing funds for the rehabilitation of the displaced before
commencement of work," he asked.
Poser to TDP
He also criticised Minister for Revenue and Relief Dharmana
Prasada Rao for laying the foundation of Parapuram balancing
reservoir after giving an assurance to the agitating oustees at
Heeraman dalam that he would not do the same. It amounted to
cheating them, he said. The CPI(M) leader wondered why the TDP had
been keeping quiet over the issue.
Speaking to newsmen at the Press Club later, Mr. Raghavulu, a
member of party's Polit Bureau, charged the UPA Government with
departing from the Common Minimum Programme. Disinvestment,
foreign policy, women's reservation are some areas where the UPA
was straying from the CMP. (THE HINDU -24-12-2005)
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Kerala may enact law to ensure reservation
Special Correspondent
104th Amendment to the Constitution passed by Parliament
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala may enact a law to overcome the problem
thrown up by the exclusion of minority institutions from the 104th
Amendment to the Constitution passed by Parliament for providing
reservation for the socially and educationally backward classes
and the scheduled communities in private unaided educational
institutions.
This was indicated by Education Minister E. T. Mohammed Basheer at
a function organised by the Government for the release of the CD `Nammude
Malayalam' here on Friday.
The Minister welcomed the amendment to the Constitution. He said
that there were clear guidelines in the Constitution for ensuring
the progress of the backward sections and the minorities. The
amendment would enable the translation of them into reality.
He contended that minority educational institutions too had the
moral responsibility to reserve seats for minorities, backward
sections and scheduled communities. The provision for it had not
been included in the constitutional amendment. In spite of it, the
amendment had several good features.
He said that the Government would take immediate steps for
enacting a law along the lines of the constitutional amendment. It
was necessary for removing the uncertainty over the admissions to
the self-financing colleges in Kerala in the light of the
Supreme Court judgment.
Mr. Basheer expressed relief at the restoration of reservation
weakened by the Supreme Court judgment through the constitutional
amendment. He said that the State Government would examine whether
the Centre should resort to legislation again to remove the
confusion over the admissions to self-financing colleges or
whether it was enough if steps were taken at the State level to
solve the problem.
Mr. Basheer said the Government would discuss the issue with
experts and take a decision.
He stated that the Government was confident of completing the
admission process as it was done last time even if it was possible
to distribute the prospectus for professional courses only by the
second week of January.
He released the CD as Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who was to
have done it, could to return to the State capital from New Delhi
only much after the function. (THE HINDU 24-12-2005)
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Anti-goonda law, a threat to human rights'
Special Correspondent
Experts warn against potential for misuse
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The dangers of equipping the police with
powers that can be easily misused under the Felonious Activities
(Prevention) Bill, or the `anti-goonda law,' were stressed by the
participants in a discussion organised by Human Rights Law Network
and Vigil India at the Press Club on Friday.
Head of Department of Law, University of Kerala, N.K. Jayakumar
said the law, brought in through an ordinance, gave unlimited
powers to the executive to detain anyone for months without
judicial review and posed a grave threat to human rights. Though
the Constitution sanctioned preventive custody, it was resorted to
only during times of national exigencies such as war or internal
strife.
Dr. Jayakumar said the new law had a high potential for misuse and
hardly any safeguards for the citizen. Offences relating to liquor
and drugs; forest offences; theft; land-grabbing and immoral
activity were targeted by the new law. Under the Cr.P.C., court
intervention was required to punish the guilty, whereas under the
goonda law, the "feeling" of the Police Commissioner, SP or
Collector was enough.
Experience showed that the powers for preventive detention had
always been misused, Dr. Jayakumar said. The Shah Commission
hearings following the Emergency revealed that signed, blank
arrest warrants had been issued to policemen. Though the new law
prescribed a six-month limit for detention, it allowed indefinite
extension of this term.
The detainee need not even be informed the reason for his arrest
under the goonda law. Though an advisory panel was there as a
remedy, it was an ad hoc body without a fixed tenure and was
therefore at the executive's mercy. "Anyone of us can become a
felon under the new law," Dr. Jayakumar added.
Though anti-goonda laws had been implemented in Uttar Pradesh,
Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, serious crime was still rampant in
these States. It was strange that political and cultural leaders
were keeping silent despite the introduction of a such a `black'
law that violated the most basic of civic rights - personal
liberty, he said, adding that there had been a build-up for some
time that a strong law was needed to tackle crime.
The former State Human Rights Commission member S. Balaraman said
the new law seemed to have been drafted in a hurry by the Oommen
Chandy Government to be used against political opponents. There
were no special safeguards against the detention of women and the
police were given powers to intervene in civil cases too.
Advocate Cherunniyoor Sasidharan Nair said there were ample
provisions under the IPC and Cr.P.C. for preventive custody,
furnishing of bond, exiling of an offender etc. The Cr.P.C. could
be used to book any hardened criminal if it was enforced. The only
difference was that it was subject to judicial review, whereas the
goonda law was not.
He said even under the Central Acts against anti-national crimes
such as smuggling and drug trafficking, only the Home Secretary of
a State could order preventive detention. But under the goonda
law, the Government could authorise any official to detain a
person. Veteran journalist and Vigil India representative B.R.P.
Bhaskar also spoke. (THE HINDU -24-12-2005)
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`New reservation Bill a disaster for Dalits'
Special Correspondent
Dalit-Adivasi bodies say it will lead to chaos in education sector
KOCHI: The new reservation Bill is a `disaster' for the Dalits in
the country, leaders of seven Dalit-Adivasi organisations said on
Friday.
At a news conference here, they said the exemption of minority
educational institutions from the purview of the Constitution
(104th) Amendment Bill providing for reservation for socially and
educationally backward classes in unaided private institutions was
a failure on the part of Parliament.
They said Parliament should have defined the status of minority
institutions, formulated a national policy and set guidelines to
be followed by the Sates.
Instead, the Bill has left it to the States to sort out the
minority status-related issues.
This would lead to an unending series of litigation and also chaos
in the educational sector, particularly in Kerala, M.
Geethanandan, general secretary of Rashtreeya Mahasabha said.
He alleged that most of the minority institutions were not run for
the benefit of the minorities.
He said in Kerala, majority of the private unaided educational
institutions were run by the minorities. As a fall out of the new
legislation, admission to 90 per cent of the seats in the merit
quota would be disputed. Dalits, Adivasis and other educationally
backward minorities would be affected badly.
To protest against the Bill and to press for the protection of the
right to education, Dalit-Adivasi organisations would launch an
agitation soon, Mr. Geethanandan said. (THE HINDU -24-12-2005)
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A rewarding experience for 70 tribal children
Staff Correspondent
Rotary programme brings Jenu Kurubas, Kadu Kurubas, Soligas, Yarva
Kurubas together
MYSORE: It is claimed to be the first-ever programme of its kind
in the State, and only second in the country. As many as 70
children representing different tribes such as Jenu Kuruba, Kadu
Kuruba, Soliga and Yarva Kuruba of Heggadadevankote Taluk in
Mysore district were in Mysore city for a programme that would
equip them to face the competition in an era that is getting
rapidly urbanised.
An initiative to bring these tribal students from Viveka Tribal
Centre for Learning to the city for a three-day Rotary Youth
Leadership Award 2005 recently was rewarding. The camp basically
aimed at improving the leadership qualities and bringing out the
talents inherent in these young students, and to showcase various
opportunities available to them in the world today.
Participating in programmes that were wide ranging, these tribal
children went through sessions, which were filled with fun.
While a career guidance programme gave these children an insight
into what the future held for them, experts gave suggestions on
how to succeed in the Civil Services examination and other
competitive examinations. Besides, other programmes such as yoga,
swimming and other fun-related activities gave ample opportunities
to the children to showcase their talents.
According to Deepak Solanki of Rotary Mysore Mid Town, the
interaction with bank and the Fire Services officials threw up
interesting questions from the participants. If adventure sports
are fast picking up with the urbanites, the tribal children also
experienced them when they took part in rock climbing, rappelling
and parasailing. (THE HINDU -24-12-2005)
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'We don't need no reservation'
Sonia Sarkar/ New Delhi
Quota quotient of Doon schools under duress ---- The 104th
Constitution Amendment Bill has put elite schools located in
Dehradun in the dock. Equally confused are the new schools that
are coming up in this Himalayan belt. The implications of
reservations for schools has put them in a quandary.
Some said they were trying to build an alternative mechanism with
the help of professional bodies such as ASSOCHAM, CII and FICCI.
Others volunteered to appreciate the reservations if the
Government was ready to fund the children to be admitted under the
quota, or allowed raising the fees for the general category
students.
There are around 65 schools in Dehradun, including 45 affiliated
to the Council of Indian Schools Certificate Examination, while
the rest is affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education
(CBSE). Besides the prestigious Doon School, Welham's Rashtriya
Indian Military College and Oak Grove, there are also other
renowned schools like SelaQui World, Brightlands, Cambrian Hall,
Col. Brown's School, Riverdale, Pestle Weed College, Ram Mohun Roy
Academy and Pine Hall, which are going to be affected as they fall
under non-minority institutions.
Asked about his first reactions on the proposed quota, Om Pathak,
the chairman of the SelaQui World School said, "This is very
ridiculous and is not going to work." Explaining his stance, Mr
Pathak said, "The schools have many expenses to be met for their
upkeep and maintenance -- from the payment of electricity and
water bills to the salary payment of the teaching and non-teaching
staff members. The only source of generating fund is the tuition
fees. With all these quotas in place, its would be difficult to
run the institution."
Located between the Shivaliks and the main Himalayan range to the
north, Dehradun is considered as the best site for school
education since the British days. Even as the Uttaranchal
Government is making the best efforts to make it an "education
hub," parents from all over the country not only try to get their
wards admitted into Doon or Welham, but they leave no chance to
get a seat for their children in the upcoming schools of the town.
Of late, children of the NRIs have also started comprising a
sizeable portion of the school-going crowd of Dehradun. The annual
fees charged in the elite residential schools like Doon, Welham,
SelaQui World and others hover around Rs 1.5- 2 lakh, while the
day schools, including Cambrain Hall, Pestle Weed and others
charge around Rs 15,000-50,000 per annum, depending upon the
facilities provided in the school.
Even though there are no seats reserved for the poor in
Uttaranchal's schools, unlike in Delhi, the State Government from
time to time has provided directives to the private schools not to
increase the fees. The school principals therefore are perplexed
on how to cope with the expenses, once the caste-based quota gets
implemented. "This Bill is good as it is introduced with a view to
bring social change. But the Government should provide adequate
financial help to facilitate having such quota, or it should allow
the private schools to increase their fees," opined RC Singhal,
the principal of Cambrian Hall, Dehradun.
He further said, "If the Government fails to subsidise the rates,
we have to increase the fees. And it is very unfortunate that the
parents of the children of middle-class families have to bear the
cost." Schools, nevertheless, would not face defeat in front of
the Government and are all set to mobilise their strength taking
help from like-minded bodies. "Talks are on among the public
school principals and also with the education cell of professional
bodies like ASSOCHAM and FICCI to find a way out of this trap,"
said Mr Pathak. (THE PIONEER -24-12-2005)
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