From: dilip mandal <dilipcmandal@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Sep 20, 2010 at 7:00 PM
Subject: Fwd: An interview on Caste Census
To:
pl read this iv.
From: anoop kumar <anoopkheri@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Sep 20, 2010 at 4:52 PM
Subject: An interview on Caste Census (New Post at Insight blog www.blog.insightyv.com)
To:
http://blog.insightyv.com/?p=1545
"People who oppose caste-census are less in numbers, but are powerful and they run this country"
An interview with Dilip Mandal
Dilip Mandal, a senior journalist and writer, is currently associated with Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi. He has been consistently writing on some of the most important socio-economic issues before our country, in newspapers and on internet. He has recently edited a book 'Caste Census: Parliament, Society and Media' (in Hindi).
Here he is interacting with Insight members – Gurinder Singh Azad, Anup Vimal, Noopur and Anoop Kumar – on the issue of caste census. This interview is also being published in Hindi here.
Please read the entire interview both in English and Hindi at our blog www.blog.insightyv.com
--
"Rosa sat so Martin could walk; Martin walked so Obama could run, Obama ran so your children can fly"
"People who oppose caste-census are less in numbers, but are powerful and they run this country"
An interview with Dilip Mandal
Dilip Mandal, a senior journalist and writer, is currently associated with Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi. He has been consistently writing on some of the most important socio-economic issues before our country, in newspapers and on internet. He has recently edited a book 'Caste Census: Parliament, Society and Media' (in Hindi).
Here he is interacting with Insight members – Gurinder Singh Azad, Anup Vimal, Noopur and Anoop Kumar – on the issue of caste census. This interview is also being published in Hindi here.
What is the need for holding caste-based census? Why this demand for counting people on the basis of their castes?
There are many reasons for holding caste-based census in our country. Even if we discount these reasons, then also the need remains as there are many caste-based government policies. Caste has been cited for more than 25 times in our Constitution.
The makers of our Constitution were aware that caste is not something that could be annihilated by mere Constitution and therefore they provided for caste-based specific policies to make some dent on caste-based hegemony of all those who have been deriving benefit from the age old caste system.
"जातिगत जनगणना का विरोध करने वालों की संख्या बहुत कम है, लेकिन वे बहुत शक्तिशाली हैं और इस देश को चलाते हैं"
दिलीप मंडल के साथ एक साक्षात्कार
दिलीप मंडल एक वरिष्ठ पत्रकार और लेखक हैं. वर्तमान में वे इंडियन इंस्टिट्यूट आफ मास कम्युनिकेशन (आई.आई.एम.सी.), नई दिल्ली के साथ जुड़े हुए हैं. वह महत्वपूर्ण सामाजिक और आर्थिक मुद्दों पर, अखबारों में तथा इन्टरनेट पर लगातार लिख रहे हैं. उन्होंने हाल ही में, एक पुस्तक 'जाति जनगणना : संसद, समाज और मीडिया' (हिंदी में) संपादित की है.
यहाँ वह जातिगत जनगणना के मुद्दे पर इनसाइट सदस्यों - गुरिंदर सिंह आजाद, अनूप विमल, नूपुर और अनूप कुमार के साथ बातचीत कर रहे हैं.
ह
में जातिगत जनगणना की ज़रुरत क्यों है ? जातियों के आधार पर लोगों की गिनती की इस मांग का क्या कारण है ?
हमारे देश में जातिगत जनगणना बहुत सारे कारणों से अनिवार्य है. अगर हम इन कारणों को छोड़ भी दें तब भी जातिगत जनगणना की ज़रुरत रहेगी क्योंकि हमारे यहाँ भारत सरकार द्वारा संचालित बहुत सारी जातिगत नीतियाँ हैं. हमारे सविधान में कम से कम 25 जगह जाति का ज़िक्र हुआ है.
हमारे सविधानकर्ता इस बात से सुचेत थे कि जाति जैसी चीज़ का खात्मा सविधान महज से नहीं किया जा सकता.यही वजह थी कि उनहोंने जातिगत नीतियाँ दीं ताकि वो लोग जो हज़ारों सालों से जाति आधारित नेतृत्व से फायदा उठाते आ रहे हैं, उन्हें प्रभावित किया जा सके. Read more… »
"Educated Urban Dalit Women: Opportunities and Challenges for Employment and Entrepreneurship"
Insight Study Circle
Invites you for a public discussion on
"Educated Urban Dalit Women: Opportunities and Challenges for Employment and Entrepreneurship"
Based on the recent study undertaken by Center for Social Equity and Inclusion (CSEI), New Delhi
Date – 19 September 2010 (Sunday)
Time – 2.30 PM to 5.30 PM
Venue - Room No 411, Indian Social Institute, Lodhi Road, Near Saibaba Mandir, New Delhi
Opportunities for Dalit and Adivasi Students for Higher Education in World's Premier Educational Institutions: A Report
Insight Study Circle Meeting held on 22 August 2010 (Sunday) at Indian Social Institute, Lodhi Road, New Delhi
Speakers
1. David Vumlallian Zou (from Manipur) teaches at History Department, Delhi University and did his doctorate from Queen's University, Belfast with full scholarship from Academic Planning Grant (Northern Ireland).
2. Abhay Xaxa (from Chhattisgarh) is currently working with Indian Institute of Dalit Studies, New Delhi and did his Masters in Social Anthropology from University of Sussex, UK (2008) as one of the recipient of International Ford Fellowship Programme.
3. Bhawani Buswala (from Rajasthan) is currently in the country for his field research. He is pursuing his PhD in Anthropology from Brown University, Rhodes Island, USA on full university scholarship.
4. Rama Devi Hansraj (from Andhra Pradesh) completed her Post Graduation in Human Rights from University of London (2004) as one of the International Ford Fellow. She is currently based in Kolkata and is working with Catholic Relief Service.
Given below are the excerpts from the speeches from our panel of speakers followed by a brief interaction session with our audiences.
Rama Devi Hansraj
I did my MA from University of Hyderabad, Department of Mass Communication. I am the first generation educated person in my family. After completing my studies in Hyderabad, I worked with some small Human Rights groups in Andhra Pradesh.
Through that network I came to know about International Ford Foundation Fellowship programme that was meant exclusively for students from marginalised background. I applied and was selected after going through its rigorous selection process. With that fellowship, I did my Masters in University of London in Human Rights.
As I was part of Dalit students' movement in Hyderabad University, I was very conscious of caste discrimination that we all go through both subtle and direct. Perhaps that made me to opt for my study in the area of Human Rights.
Also I felt that articulation on the issues is a major problem. I have heard many Dalit women who were able to articulate and share their personal experiences in their vernacular language so well but doing so in English was a big challenge. They are being represented by people who are only good at articulating in English and so people coming from the grass root realities could never talk for themselves at a bigger platform like UN. These reasons led me to opt for a course in human rights.
What I liked about Ford Foundation was their entire interview process. The whole process was very comforting and gave us enough breathing space and to remain confident as applicants. They appointed one panel member to each applicant to interact at personal level. The one who was interviewing me, later, in the interview actually spoke on behalf of me which was very encouraging. This gave me lot of confidence and helped me face whatever question they asked. Read more… »
Insight Study Circle (22 August, Sunday)
Invites you for a public meeting
On
"Opportunities for Dalit and Adivasi Students for Higher Education in World's Premier Educational Institutions"
And to interact with our panel of Dalit and Adivasi Scholars
Date - 22 August 2010 (Sunday)
Time - 3 PM to 5.30 PM
Venue - Room No 303, Indian Social Institute, Lodhi Road, New Delhi
Speakers
David Vumlallian Zou (from Manipur) teaches at History Department, Delhi University and did his doctorate from Queen's University, Belfast with full scholarship from Academic Planning Grant (Northern Ireland).
Abhay Xaxa (from Chhattisgarh) is currently working with Indian Institute of Dalit Studies, New Delhi and did his Masters in Social Anthropology from University of Sussex, UK (2008) as one of the recipient of International Ford Fellowship Programme.
Rama Devi (from Andhra Pradesh) completed her Post Graduation in Human Rights from University of London (2004) as one of the International Ford Fellow. She is currently based in Kolkata and is working with Catholic Relief Service.
Bhawani Buswala (from Rajasthan) is currently in the country for his field research. He is pursuing his PhD in Anthropology from Brown University, Rhodes Island, USA on full university scholarship.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Insight Foundation is a group of students and young professionals committed towards working with Dalit and Adivasi students to make our education system more inclusive and to create various support systems for our students so that they are able to Read more… »
Celebrating the International Day of the World's Indigenous People
A report by Mayanglambam Merina Leimarenbi and Gurinder Singh Azad
Every year, August 9, is being celebrated, across the countries, as the International day of the World's Indigenous People. This day is celebrated to bring forward the struggles that are being waged by various indigenous groups for their socio-political and economic rights. It was on this day, August 9, 1982, that the first meeting of the United Nation's working group on indigenous population took place and brought forward the plight of indigenous people on the global platform. In India too, the day is celebrated by different Adivasi groups across the country and Insight foundation got the opportunity to participate in two events that were organised at Ranchi, Jharkhand. Below is a brief report on these two events.
The UN General Assembly while deciding to observe 1995-2004 as the 'International Decade of World's Indigenous People', decided to observe August 9, every year as a International day to offer the world community an opportunity to reiterate the principles of respect for human rights enshrined in UN Charter and to find solutions to alleviate the plight of indigenous people. Read more… »
Miscarriage of Justice
Khairlanji, a Lodha Tribal girl Chuni Kotal and Lord Lytton
by A. K. Biswas
A Painting at a Dalit protest Against Khairlanji Massacre (source:www.ambedkar.org)
The judgment delivered by a Division Bench in quadruple murders of members of Bhotmange family, village Khairlanji, district Bhandara in Maharashtra left everyone with sensitive mind shocked and dismayed. Surekha Bhotmange and her 18-year old daughter and two sons, including one who was disabled — were brutally murdered by an upper caste mob on September 29, 2006.
The Bench concluded that the accused, who were sentenced to death by District and Sessions Court, Bhandara were not driven by hatred against the Bhotemange family members, who were scheduled castes. The High Court held that the accused took revenge!
This sounds like a joke widely prevalent in pre-independent India. The bureaucracy often termed starvation death as death due to malnutrition.
If someone takes someone's life (deliberately and not accidentally) then he forfeits the right to his life - J.S. Mill
Part I
Justice and fairness of treatment for the victims belonging to socially disadvantaged is practically non-existent in India. In denying justice, very sound and cogent reasons and arguments couched in ceremonial legalese are advanced on behalf of the aggressors to satisfy analytical quest.
However, the caste system, needless to note, prompts discrimination, which undoubtedly is the root cause for denial of justice to the dalits and adivasis.
The Kairlanji is the case in point.
POLITICIZING THE SHIT
Guest post by Ravi Chandran
The recent incident of Dalits smearing human excreta for saving their homes in a place called Savanur in Haveri district, Karnataka, one of the southern Indian states, has created diverse responses from civil society.
The most common response from the incident is that it is the 'worst' kind of protest anyone can do. Some people even may say 'SHIT' about the news!
After this news was carried by mainstream newspapers, the state government and the municipal authority have been questioned for allowing such practices (scavenging) in their state (Karnataka). Still the government has not been questioned on why they were thrown out of their homes, instead the anxieties of civil society seems to focus more on 'why they were allowed to pour human excreta on their body'! Read more… »
Dalit cooks expose divisive mindsets
By Sudeep K.S.
"It is usual to hear all those who feel moved by the deplorable condition of the Untouchables unburden themselves by uttering the cry "We must do something for the Untouchables". One seldom hears any of the persons interested in the problem saying 'Let us do something to change the Touchable Hindu.' " - Dr. Ambedkar
I first noticed it when Kuffir shared a report that appeared on India Today website. Titled "Dalit cooks divide UP schoolkids", the report by Piyush Srivastava explained how the introduction of Dalit cooks in schools led to a "bad situation" in Uttar Pradesh:
"Mid-day meals prepared by Dalit cooks has created such a bad situation in UP that upper caste students are leaving government schools in droves - so far the number is 1,000.."
When upper caste and OBC people refused to eat food that the dalits cooked, the report concluded that it is the induction of the Dalit cooks in schools that caused "increased casteism". Read more… »
A Public Dialogue on SC/ST/OBC Reservations
Insight Study Circle
Invites you for a Public Dialogue to discuss on
"Ways and strategies for proper implementation of SC/ST/OBC Reservation in Higher Education"
with a team of students and faculty members from Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
Date: 24/07/10 (Saturday)
Time: 2.30 – 5.30 PM
Venue: Room No: 303, Indian Social Institute (ISI), Lodi Road, New Delhi
Context -
Both Delhi University and JNU are the premier institutions of our country and recently have been in news for their obstinate and hostile attitude towards the implementation of SC/ST/OBC reservations both at the level of students' admissions as well as on the recruitment for the teaching posts.
On 5th August Delhi University is going to convert about 6,000 undergraduate seats reserved for OBCs into general category seats as the university is unable to find suitable candidates among the class that constitutes about half of the Indian population !!!
Not only OBC reservations, various colleges in Delhi University has had a long history of non-implementation of reservations for SC/ST students and denying them the opportunity of studying there on small pretexts and there have been regular complaints of caste based harassment of Dalit and Adivasi students by colleges' administration during the process of admission.
Then in JNU, the proponent of brahminical hegemony have been dishing out arguments ranging from 'SC/ST/OBC being genetically inferior' to 'Reservation in teaching posts will actually harm the disadvantage sections (read SC/ST/OBC) as it will result in exodus of well to do (read meritorious 'upper' castes) to foreign universities.
Which of these two statements sounds most ludicrous and racist? Amazed? These are the statements of well renowned scholars and academicians not your regular 'upper' caste.
In this context, it is very necessary for all of us to sit together, discuss and strategise over ways in which we can counter the casteist tendencies of those who have the control over the educational institutions in our country and denying us our constitutional rights.
Above all the time has come for us to question the 'merit' of the system itself, under which about 80% of the Indian population is 'non-meritorious' enough to be denied admissions in simple BA and MA courses.
--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/
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