09.02.2024.The Indian Untouchables,news collected by Sivaji.Dr Ambedkar Ambulance Association.Chennai.26.
'Cannot Be Selective': Supreme Court On Granting Of Sub-Quota To SC, ST By States
A seven-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said that while conferring reservation benefits on the most backward classes, the State cannot exclude others.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court, examining whether states can sub-classify the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for the grant of a quota within a quota, said on Thursday that the state governments cannot be selective in granting reservation benefits to backward classes as it will lead to a dangerous trend of appeasement.
A seven-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said that while conferring reservation benefits on the most backward classes, the State cannot exclude others.
"If there are a host of backward classes, can the State pick out only two for example? Those who are excluded can always challenge their classification under Article 14 on the ground that we fulfil all criteria of backwardness. But the State can also rebut, saying we can classify a caste by looking at the extent of backwardness. It can say that we want to confer reservation to the most backward.
"But while conferring benefits on the most backward, you cannot exclude others. This will become a dangerous trend of appeasement. Some state governments will pick out a few castes while others will pick another set of castes. The idea is not for popular politics to play out in this. We will have to tailor it by laying down the criteria," the bench, also comprising justices B R Gavai, Vikram Nath, Bela M Trivedi, Pankaj Mithal, Manoj Misra and Satish Chandra Mishra, said.
The court, which reserved its judgment after hearing the submissions of the Centre, states and others, said it is the role of the State to give reservation and remove social backwardness and while doing that, if it wants to remove the inequalities being faced by a class, it can do it.
It said sub-categorisation will aid in others within that caste to come up, otherwise only one segment will continue to get the benefits.
Appearing in the court on behalf of one of the parties, senior advocate Manoj Swarup mentioned about the heterogeneity within castes.
The top court had said on Wednesday that all SCs and STs might not be homogenous in terms of their sociological, economic, education and social status.
"There is heterogeneity in terms of past occupation.... Social status and other indicators may be different for different castes inside the Scheduled Castes. So the degree of social and economic backwardness may vary from from one person or caste to another," the bench had said.
On Tuesday, the top court had said it would examine the validity of its 2004 judgment that held that the states do not have the power to further sub-classify the SCs and STs for the grant of quotas.
It had made it clear that it will not get into the arguments related to the quantifiable data that led the Punjab government to provide for a 50-per cent quota within an already existing quota.
Of the 23 petitions, the lead one has been filed by the Punjab government, challenging a 2010 verdict of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The high court had struck down section 4(5) of the Punjab Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes (Reservation in Services) Act, 2006 that provided a 50-per cent quota and the first preference to the "Valmiki" and "Mazhabi Sikh" castes in public jobs within the SC quota.
It had held the provision as unconstitutional on the ground that it violated the 2004 judgment of the apex court in the Chinnaiah case.
The Chinnaiah judgment had held that any "sub-classification" of the SCs would violate Article 14 (right to equality) of the Constitution.
The 2004 verdict had stated that only Parliament and not state legislatures can exclude castes deemed to be SCs from the Presidential List under Article 341 of the Constitution.
The top court is examining questions that whether a sub-classification inside the SC and ST categories could be allowed like in the case of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and if the assemblies are competent to introduce laws empowering the states to undertake the exercise.
Assailing the high court's verdict, the Punjab government approached the top court in 2011 and contended that the apex court's 2004 judgment was not applicable to it.
Taking up the Punjab government's plea, a five-judge bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra (since retired), on August 27, 2020, differed with the Chinnaiah judgment and referred it for adjudication by a larger bench of seven judges or more for an authoritative pronouncement.
In the higher education institutions funded by the Centre, 22.5 per cent of the available seats are reserved for SCs and 7.5 per cent for ST students.
The same yardstick is applied in the case of public employment as well.
In Punjab and Haryana, there is no ST population.
- India News / Govt backs subclassification within SC/ST quota, SC told
Govt backs subclassification within SC/ST quota, SC told
The Centre backed the idea of earmarking most backward categories within SC/STs to enable the states to frame appropriate policies on subclassification
Arguing before the Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, the Centre backed the idea of earmarking most backward categories within SC/STs to enable the states to frame appropriate policies on subclassification and rationalisation of reserved seats.
As the bench, which also included justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath, Bela M Trivedi, Pankaj Mithal, Manoj Misra and Satish Chandra Sharma, heard a clutch of petitions on the permissibility of subclassification within the SC/ST reservation on the second consecutive day, the Centre made it clear that its arguments on subclassification must not be construed as an opposition to quota benefits for the marginalised communities.
“These submissions are limited only to the question referred to this Hon’ble Bench i.e. permissibility of subclassification and may not be treated as any dilution of the reservation policy of the central government and the government continues to subscribe to its obligations of granting reservation as a means of achieving equality by such affirmative actions,” solicitor general (SG) Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, told the court.
His submissions added that reservation was a measure of affirmative action to bring equality to those who have suffered hundreds of years of discrimination.
The Centre’s statement in the top court came on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking in Parliament, accused India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru of opposing reservation for SC/ST and OBCs in government jobs. Addressing the Rajya Sabha, Modi read out a letter by Nehru to chief ministers in which the late Congress leader suggested that quota in public jobs could lead to inefficiency. Modi added that if the government recruited and promoted the marginalised classes at that time, they would have been uplifted.
On Tuesday, the bench had observed that the Constitution does not postulate that people belonging to the marginalised groups are inefficient while those from other groups are competent, adding reservation for SC/STs and other backward classes (OBCs) is consistent with the need to maintain efficiency in administration.
In the apex court, SG Mehta on Wednesday commenced his submissions by conveying the Centre’s resolve to continue with the reservation policy. “Let me make it clear at the outset that for reservation as a policy, the central government is committed. My submissions are only on the aspect of subclassification,” he said.
Mehta’s written submissions pointed out that subclassification within SC/STs will enable targeted policymaking by the State, rationalising affirmative actions and enabling their implementation for desired results.
“This shall have to be done without compromising the need for reservations and by merely changing the focus towards more backward amongst backwards and without changing the constitutional method even while carrying out subclassification,” he said.
Mehta supported a review of the 2004 judgment by a five-judge bench in EV Chinnaiah Vs State of Andhra Pradesh, which held that subclassification was not permissible because SC/STs form homogenous classes.
“This bundling together of SC/STs by Chinnaiah, which disempowers the State to frame appropriate policy by subclassifying the zone of reservation appropriately, diminishes the constitutional guarantee of equality of opportunity...enabling of subclassification would ensure that benefits are extended to persons more in need of the said benefits by carefully apportioning the reserved quota within the reserved class,” stated Mehta’s submissions.
Mehta, however, clarified that if subclassification was allowed, states could only identify the groups and that such subclassification would only be given effect through a parliamentary legislation, following an approval of the President.
Attorney general (AG) R Venkataramani also argued in favour of reconsidering the 2004 judgment, saying SC/STs cannot be treated as a homogeneous class and that each subgroup deserves a distinguished constitutional treatment. The state governments of Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Telangana have also supported subclassification in the case. The Andhra Pradesh government, however, said that it supports the 2004 judgment and has done away with all subclassifications within the reserved category.
Article of faithAt one point of the hearing, the bench called it an “article of faith” that the Constitution chose not to put restrictions based on educational qualification, gender or assets for contesting elections, adding that the framers of the Constitution were “visionary”.
“We must recognise that our Constitution has not prescribed restrictions relating to property, education or gender. This was an article of faith,” said CJI Chandrachud.
Addressing a proposition that there are no minimum educational qualifications prescribed under the Constitution for a citizen to run for a public office, the bench offered a rationale, applauding the constitutional scheme.
“It was a very visionary provision because ours was one of the first Constitutions which did not make your right to contest election or right to hold an electoral office conditional on your gender property or educational qualification,” it observed.
Although the bench acknowledged the necessity of education for creating a qualified workforce from among the marginalised communities, it appreciated that the Constitution did not disqualify people from democratic processes on account of lack of education or some other factors such as gender or property.
The court will continue hearing the case on Thursday when it is expected to reserve it for judgment.
The matter was referred to the larger bench by a five-judge bench in 2020, observing that the 2004 judgment in the Chinnaiah case may require a reconsideration.
The 2004 judgment by the apex court became the basis for the Punjab & Haryana high court to quash a 1975 notification of the Punjab Government, dividing its existing 25% reservation for SCs into two categories. Half of these seats were to be offered to Balmikis and Mazhabi Sikhs while the rest were for the remaining groups within the SC category. This notification was nixed by the high court in 2006.
Later, the Punjab government passed the Punjab Scheduled Caste and Backward Classes (Reservation in Services) Act, 2006. It introduced “first preference” reservation for the Balmikis and Mazhabi Sikhs, laying down that 50% of reserved seats would be offered first to these two communities before all other SC groups. But in 2010, the high court struck down this provision of the act based on the decision in the Chinnaiah case, leading to an appeal by the state government in the top court.
Finally, in 2020, a five-judge bench referred the matter to a larger bench, noting that the 2004 judgment by the coordinate bench requires to be revisited. While doing so, this bench said: “Reservation was not contemplated for all the time by the framers of the Constitution. On the one hand, there is no exclusion of those who have come up, on the other hand, if subclassification is denied, it would defeat the right to equality by treating unequal as equal.”
Preferential treatment by States of most backward is not tinkering with Presidential list: Supreme Court
The Bench is examining the question whether States can sub-classify particularly backward groups within the Scheduled Caste category and extend them first preference in quota benefits
February 08, 2024 11:22 pm | Updated 11:22 pm IST - NEW DELHI
The Supreme Court is examining the question whether States can sub-classify particularly backward groups within the Scheduled Caste category and extend them first preference in quota benefits. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu
The Supreme Court on Thursday said individual States’ decision to provide preferential allotment of reservation benefits to the most backward groups or “the untouchables among the untouchables” will not amount to tinkering with the power of the Parliament to include or exclude Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes from the Presidential list.
Articles 341 and 342 empower the President to draw up a list of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, respectively. The inclusion or exclusion of any caste, race, or tribe from the Presidential list is done by the Parliament through legislation.
Zindabad Saathiyon!
In December 2023, hundreds of contractual sewer workers under the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) were removed from their jobs without any prior notice. These workers were also not given salary for the months of October and November and were suddenly removed from their job. Concerning this issue, a public hearing was jointly organized on 28th December 2023 by Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM) and other organizations where many sewer workers presented their testimonies to jury members.
The Public hearing was attended by more than 300 workers from all across Delhi who had been working for DJB since the last 10-15 years as contractual sewer workers. Seventeen workers from Pitampura, Malviya Nagar, R. K. Puram, Eidgah, Yamuna Vihar, Jagatpuri, Kalkaji, Tughlakabad and many other parts of Delhi gave their testimonies to the jury members. These workers were removed in December without any notice or payment of previous salary. The workers also shared that mostly they were paid their salary through cash by the supervisor without any receipt or voucher and that their monthly wages were also often below the minimum wage.
The Jury members took cognisance of the testimonies of sewer workers and gave a six-pointer recommendation that laid emphasis on reinstatement of all contractual workers and payment of their pending wages and dues like Provident funds, social security benefits, gratuity, etc. The Jury Members of the Public Hearing were Sanjay Gehlot, Chairman, Delhi Commission for Safai Karamcharis; Colin Gonsalves, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court; Advocate Harnam Singh, Chairperson, Monitoring Committee, Delhi High Court; Hannan Mollah, Vice President, All India Kisan Sabha; former Member of Parliament; Indu Prakash Singh, Member, State-level Shelter Monitoring Committee (Supreme Court); Amitava Guha, National Secretary, CITU; National Co-Convener Jan Swasthya Abhiyan; Sarita Bhoi, Assistant Professor, Delhi University; author of Dignity and Rights of the Sewerage and Allied Workers; Dithhi Bhattacharya, Director, Centre for Workers Management; Anil Varghese, Social Worker; Meena Kotwal, Founding Editor, The Mooknayak.
We have attached the report of the Public Hearing which contains the testimonies of the workers as well as the recommendations by the jury members. Please refer to the report to cover the urgent issue of removal of sewer workers.
In solidarity
Sanjeev Kumar
Secretary
Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM)
--
Convener
National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM)
Mobile: (+91) 99587 97409 | Phone: +91 1143305316
Email: sanjeevdanda@gmail.com | dashaktimanch@gmail.com
Several candidates from SC/ST category have been “deliberately declared not suitable” due to “biased assessment” of selection panels at AIIMS Delhi, a report by the Parliamentary Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, which was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, said.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare data submitted to the panel, in 2018, 16 senior faculty posts went vacant in AIIMS Delhi as the selection committee found “candidates not suitable” in the SC/ST and OBC category. In 2022, another 12 such posts went vacant.
The inadequate representation, the panel said, deprives people from SC and ST category to be part of the decision making process. “The Committee are of the considered view that members from SC/ST community should be mandatorily included in the selection committee in order to provide representation and to participate in policies being framed to enhance the prospects of SC/ST employees in AIIMS,” the report said.
To allow better representation, the panel recommended an amendment in the AIIMS Act to include members from SC and ST community in the selection board.
The panel also said reservation in super speciality courses was also not being extended to the marginalised community.
Helping get a SC ‘Mehter’ caste candidate secure MBBS admission in 1985 most happy moment of my career, says SC Dalit Judge
Recounting a personal experience of appearing as an advocate for a ‘Mehter’ community candidate seeking admission to MMS course, Justice BR Gavai said that “In Maharashtra till 1985, even 35 years after independence, not a single candidate from the Mehter caste had secured admission to MBBS course despite the policy of reservation for Scheduled Caste candidates.”
Written By: Ashok Bagriya | Edited By: Nitish K Singh
New Delhi: Backing Punjab law that makes sub-classification of castes within the Scheduled Caste communities to combat inter-caste inequalities, Justice BR Gavai, a Dalit judge himself and part of the seven-judge bench constituted to hear a challenge to the law, shared his personal experience from the bench on Thursday.
Justice Gavai shared his personal experience
Recounting a personal experience of appearing as an advocate for a ‘Mehter’ community candidate seeking admission to an MBBS course, Justice BR Gavai said that “In Maharashtra till 1985, even 35 years after independence, not a single candidate from the Mehter caste had secured admission to MBBS course despite the policy of reservation for Scheduled Caste candidates.”
Justice Gavai remarked that this had happened because other SC castes had taken the benefits of reservations and the most backward of the castes like Mehters and Bhangis, (scavengers) communities had not got the benefit of reservations.
“The case was done pro bono by me and the boy later not just got admission to MBBS course but went on to secure a government job. This is one of the most happiest moment in my career,” said Justice Gavai.
Seven-judge constitution bench is hearing a matter regarding validity of sub-classifications among SCs, STs
Justice Gavai’s remarks came in the backdrop of a submission being made that under the constitution, no sub-classification of Scheduled Castes to give them more benefit was not permissible in law.
A constitution bench comprising of 7 judges, which includes justice Gavai, said that any affirmative action for social, economic representational welfare of the most backward of the Scheduled Castes was permissible by the states as it would amount to perpetuating inequality among the castes.
Punjab Govt defends its law on sub-classification of SCs
The issue before the Supreme Court is a law framed by the state of Punjab which makes sub-classification of Scheduled Castes like the Mazhabi Sikhs and Valmikis and gives them preferential reservation within the Scheduled Caste quota. The Punjab law provides that fifty per cent of the vacancies of the quota reserved for Scheduled Castes in employment shall be offered to Balmikis and Mazhbi Sikhs.
The Supreme Court bench comprises of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath, Bela Trivedi, Pankaj Mithal, Manoj Misra and Satish Chandra Sharma.
Punjab government has defended the law on the ground that the law was an inclusive move by the government to help the most downtrodden of the SCs.
Court sentenced in two cases in Lucknow Life imprisonment to the person who raped Dalit widow; Husband and mother-in-law sentenced to 10 years for dowry death.
Court sentenced in two cases in Lucknow: Life imprisonment to the person who raped a Dalit widow; 10 years rigorous imprisonment to husband and mother-in-law on dowry death charges
Court Sentenced In Two Cases In Lucknow Life Imprisonment To The Person Who Raped Dalit Widow; Husband And Mother in law Sentenced To 10 Years For Dowry Death
The court has sentenced in two separate cases in the capital Lucknow. The accused, who raped a widow in her house in Kakori area, has been sentenced to life imprisonment and the victim will be compensated. On the other hand, the court has given punishment in a dowry case in Krishna Nagar area of Lucknow.
Courtesy : Divya Bharat.
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लखनऊ में दो मामलों में कोर्ट ने सुनाई सजा, दलित विधवा से रेप करने वाले को उम्रकैद; दहेज हत्या में पति व सास को 10 साल की सजा।
लखनऊ में दो मामलों में कोर्ट ने सुनाई सजा: दलित विधवा से दुष्कर्म करने वाले को उम्रकैद; दहेज हत्या के आरोप में पति व सास को 10 वर्ष का सश्रम कारावास
लखनऊ में दो मामलों में कोर्ट ने दलित विधवा से दुष्कर्म करने वाले को आजीवन कारावास की सजा सुनाई; दहेज हत्या के आरोप में पति और सास को 10 साल की सजा
साभार : दिव्य भारत
Drop in allocation: Union govt’s apathy towards Kerala Dalits a cause of concern
Prakashan Puthiyetti
As per the details in a document tabled in the parliament by the social justice ministry, it can be inferred that the money allotted via Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojna (PM-AJAY) to Kerala for uplifting its scheduled caste communities from the clutches of poverty has been on the decline since a few years.
While Rs 17.52 crores was allotted to the state via the scheme in 2017-18, it came down to a mere Rs 2.81 crores in 2023-24. No money whatsoever was provided during the pandemic in 2020.
Rajya Sabha MPs from Kerala have been consistently raising the issue regarding diminishing funds, however often receive lukewarm responses from the house. In fact, on most occasions, the replies list out stats contradicting the union government’s own data!
Courtesy : Mathrubhumi.
വിഹിതത്തിൽ കുറവ്: കേരളത്തിലെ ദളിതരോടുള്ള കേന്ദ്രസർക്കാരിൻ്റെ നിസ്സംഗത ആശങ്കയ്ക്ക് കാരണമാകുന്നു
ന്യൂഡൽഹി: കേന്ദ്ര സാമൂഹികനീതി ശാക്തീകരണ മന്ത്രാലയം കേരളത്തിന് അനുവദിച്ച ഫണ്ട് വർഷങ്ങളായി കുറയുന്നു.
പ്രകാശൻ പുതിയേട്ടി
സാമൂഹ്യനീതി മന്ത്രാലയം പാർലമെൻ്റിൽ അവതരിപ്പിച്ച രേഖയിലെ വിശദാംശങ്ങൾ അനുസരിച്ച്, ദാരിദ്ര്യത്തിൻ്റെ പിടിയിൽ നിന്ന് പട്ടികജാതി വിഭാഗങ്ങളെ ഉയർത്താൻ കേരളത്തിന് പ്രധാനമന്ത്രി അനുശുചിത് ജാതി അഭ്യുദയ് യോജന (പിഎം-അജയ്) വഴി അനുവദിച്ച പണം അനുമാനിക്കാം. ഏതാനും വർഷങ്ങളായി കുറഞ്ഞുവരികയാണ്.
2017-18ൽ പദ്ധതി വഴി 17.52 കോടി രൂപ സംസ്ഥാനത്തിന് അനുവദിച്ചിരുന്നെങ്കിൽ 2023-24ൽ അത് വെറും 2.81 കോടി രൂപയായി കുറഞ്ഞു. 2020-ലെ മഹാമാരിയുടെ സമയത്ത് പണമൊന്നും നൽകിയിട്ടില്ല.
കേരളത്തിൽ നിന്നുള്ള രാജ്യസഭാ എംപിമാർ ഫണ്ട് കുറയുന്നതുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട് നിരന്തരം പ്രശ്നങ്ങൾ ഉന്നയിക്കുന്നുണ്ട്, എന്നിരുന്നാലും പലപ്പോഴും മന്ദമായ പ്രതികരണങ്ങളാണ് സഭയിൽ നിന്ന് ലഭിക്കുന്നത്. വാസ്തവത്തിൽ, മിക്ക അവസരങ്ങളിലും, കേന്ദ്ര ഗവൺമെൻ്റിൻ്റെ സ്വന്തം ഡാറ്റയ്ക്ക് വിരുദ്ധമായ സ്ഥിതിവിവരക്കണക്കുകൾ മറുപടികൾ പട്ടികപ്പെടുത്തുന്നു!
കടപ്പാട് : മാതൃഭൂമി
...
Dalit man asphyxiated to death in TN, activists to take legal action.
Chennai, (IANS): Dalit activists have taken up the case of a 37-year-old Dalit man being asphyxiated to death while cleaning a septic tank in an apartment building at Kannabiraman street in Coimbatore.
Activist and leader of Dalit rights movement Meenakumari Sunil told IANS that manual scavenging is against the law.
“It is against law and we will take those who engaged the man for manual scavenging to the court,” Meenakumari said.
Mohanasundaralingam (37) was engaged in cleaning the sewage tank of an apartment in Kannabiraman Mill road near Sowripalayam in Coimbatore on Thursday.
While Mohanasundarlingam was supervising the cleaning, two of his accomplices, Raju and Guna went inside the sewage. Ramu fell inside the sewage tank and Mohanasundarlingam also entered the tank to save Ramu; while Ramu was pulled out to safety, Mohanasundarlingam collapsed and was immediately taken to the local hospital where he was declared brought dead.
Mohansundaralingam hails from Thiagi village in Ramanathapuram and the Dalit organisations in the area took up the cause of his death.
Meenakumari said that manual cleaning was abolished by law long back and added that those engaging people for this inhuman act must be brought to book.
She said that the activists including a group of advocates have met the family members of the deceased Mohanasundaralingam at Coimbatore General Hospital where his postmortem will be conducted on Friday and assured them that they would take legal recourse and stand with the family of the deceased person.
The Dalit rights activist told IANS that as per the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavangers and their Rehabilitation Act and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, those who have engaged the deceased and his accomplices for manual scavenging will face stringent legal action.
Courtesy : Daiji World.
An Epitome of Jeevan Saathi, Remembering Dr Ambedkar’s Wife Mata Ramabai
The Mooknayak revisits her sacrifices, struggles and encouragements she gave to Dr Ambedkar in his struggles.
Pratikshit Singh
“Behind every successful man, there is a woman.” The phrase has its roots in the idea that women often provide support, encouragement and inspiration to the men in their lives — she could be a mother, sister or wife.
Ramabai Bhimrao Ambedkar, the wife of Dr B.R. Ambedkar epitomised the saying. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s life was greatly influenced by her. She helped Dr Ambedkar a lot in getting higher education abroad. She played a crucial role in shaping him as an Indian jurist, economist, social reformer and political leader who headed the committee drafting the Constitution of India.
She also supported his efforts for social justice and reforms.
Born at Dabhol, a small village in Maharashtra, Ramabai is popularly known as ‘Ramai’ or ‘Mata Ramabai’. She is popularly known as “Ramai”. The nation, especially its oppressed, is today celebrating her birth anniversary. She was born on February 7, 1898 in a poor Dalit family.
She was born to the family of Bhiku Dhatre and Rukmini. Her father worked as a porter and was able to support his family with great difficulty. He earned livelihood by carrying baskets of fish from Dabhol port to the market.
Ramabai lost her parents very early. Her uncle took her and her siblings — Gorabai, Mirabai and Shankar — to Mumbai and brought them up. In 1906, Ramabai was married to Babasaheb Ambedkar at Byculla when the couple were nine and 15 respectively. She fondly called her husband “Saheb”, and the latter used to call her “Ramu”.
Mata Ramabai fully supported Dr Ambedkar’ss ambitions, and she also encouraged him to pursue higher education abroad. When Baba Saheb was abroad for studying, she faced many financial difficulties but never complained about it to ensure that he did not get distracted from his goals. She did not even let Baba Saheb know about the sufferings back home.
She made cow dung cakes and carried them on her head. She used it for cooking. She helped Dr Ambedkar obtain the world’s highest academic degrees, including a doctorate of science, abroad.
In a book titled Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, CB Khairmode mentions that Dr Ambedkar made his office his home — occasionally his place. Food was sent to him from home. The days when the lunchbox returned unopened, Ramabai also did not eat.
Ambedkar dedicated his book — Thoughts on Pakistan — as a token of appreciation to her “goodness of heart, her nobility of mind and her purity of character” for her unwavering support during the challenging times.
Noted Ambedkarite intellectual Mangesh Dahiwale says, “Mai faced dire situations when her existence was under threat. She was brave and courageous. She fought her own battle; and while doing so, she supported Babasaheb in his struggle. There are many instances in the life of Ramai that show what a remarkable person she was. Surrounded by suffering, deaths of her children and extreme poverty, she never gave up. She stood by Babasaheb rock-solid and emerged as a pillar of strength for him.”
Dr Ambedkar and Ramabai had a daughter (Indu) and four sons (Yashwant, Gangadhar, Ramesh and Rajratna), but four of them died. Only his eldest son, Yashwant, survived.
Ramabai died on May 26, 1935 after a prolonged illness.
Neena Gupta is the most popular actor to have played ramabai ambedkar, albeit in one of the most least known films on Ambedkar.
Neena Gupta is the most popular actor to have played ramabai ambedkar, albeit in one of the most least known films on Ambedkar.
Ramabai Bhimrao Ambedkar — First Movie on Ramai
Ramabai Bhimrao Ambedkar is a Marathi film directed by Prakash Jadhav is probably the first movie with Mata Ramabai as the titular character. It was released in 2011.
Actress Nisha Parulker played the role of Ramabai, Ganesh Jethe featured as Dr Ambedkar. Nisha is a well known Marathi actress. The film is available in Hindi on Youtube.
Another movie, titled ‘Ramabai’, featuring her life and struggles, was made in 2016 in the Kannada language. It was directed by M Ranganath. It was released on April 14, 2016 to mark Babasaheb’s 125th birthday.
Yagna Shetty played mata Ramabai’s role, while Siddaram Karnik played Ambedkar. Yagna Shetty is an eminent Kannada actress who is also working in Tamil and Telegu cinema. She won the Filmfare Award for her role in 2020.
‘Ramai’ is another Marathi film on Mata Ramabai. Its cast includes Vina Jamkar as Ramabai and Sagar Talashikar as Dr Ambedkar.
Other movies on the lives of the husband-wife duo are:
Directed by Jabbar Patel, ‘Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’ is a bilingual feature film (English-Hindi). It stars Mammootty in the title role. It tells the story of Dr Ambedkar, mainly for his contributions in the emancipation of the downtrodden and oppressed castes and in shaping the Constitution of India.
It won the National Film Awards for the best feature film in English, best actor (Mammootty) and best art direction (Nitin Chandrakant Desai) in 1999.
‘Dr Ambedkar’ is a Telugu film released on September 25, 1992. It was directed by Parpalli Bharat. Famous actress Neena Gupta had played the role Mata Ramabai Ambedkar in the movie. TV and film actor-producer Akash Khurana played the titular role of Dr Ambedkar in the movie.
Sharan Kumar Kabbur also directed ‘Dr BR Ambedkar’ in 2005. It is a Kannada film. Its caste includes Vishnukanth B.J. as Dr Ambedkar and national award winning actress-turned politician Tara as his first wife (Mata Ramabai).
All the movies have portrayed the character of Ramabai Ambedkar in a most poignant manner. The scene of her death always moves people to the verge of tears.
Her sacrifices have been recognised lately by the followers of Ambedkar. The recognition of Ramai often overshadows Savita Ambedkar (also called Savita Mai) — the second wife of Dr Ambedkar.
Interestingly, even Savita Mai recognised and appreciated Ramabai’s sacrifices. It is said that when someone approached Savita with the proposal to build a school in her name, she declined the request saying, “It would be better if it is named after Mata Ramabai”.
Courtesy : The Mooknayak.
UP Teacher Allegedly Uses Casteist Slur Against Student, Panchayat Resolves Matter
The victim, an 11-year-old boy in the 5th grade, bore visible marks of the beating on his face, prompting outrage in the community.
Satya Prakash Bharti
Sambhal- In Uttar Pradesh, a disturbing incident unfolded at a private school in Asmoli village, Sambhal district, where a teacher allegedly physically assaulted a Dalit student, using caste-related derogatory term. The victim, an 11-year-old boy in the 5th grade, bore visible marks of the beating on his face, prompting outrage in the community.
The incident sparked widespread outcry, with Bhim Army activists and concerned locals descending upon the school, demanding justice for the victim. The escalating situation prompted intervention from local law enforcement.
The incident took place in Padarathpur village, Asmoli police station area, where Deepanshu, son of Surendra, is enrolled as a student. Allegedly, suspicion arose against Deepanshu after saplings planted by the teacher on school premises were found uprooted. Subsequently, the teacher subjected Deepanshu to physical abuse and caste-based verbal harassment.
The presence of Bhim Army activists, along with concerned students and their families, amplified the urgency of the situation, prompting police intervention. District coordinator Adarsh Kumar Azad posted details of the incident on social media, prompting scrutiny from both the police and local administration.
Following prolonged deliberations, the teacher appeared before the panchayat and extended apologies to the victim’s family. The viral video of the teacher’s apology further fuelled public outcry.
Asmoli police station in-charge Harish Kumar confirmed that the matter was resolved amicably during the panchayat. However, he assured that further action would be initiated upon formal complaint receipt. Adarsh Kumar Azad, Bhim Army’s district convenor, reiterated the severity of the incident, emphasizing the use of caste-related language during the assault and the subsequent apology offered during the panchayat.
Courtesy : The Mooknayak
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