26.07.24.UT NEWS.CHENNAI.600026.
Please write all atrocities to National Human rights Commission net.hrcnet.nic.in
Deligating Responsibilities to others.
SC, ST students to protest against delay in disbursement of education grants
Published - July 26, 2024 10:17 pm IST - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
Removal of annual family income limit of ₹2.5 lakh as criterion to receive e-grants, hike in hostel allowances, and withdrawal of State government orders to provide educational allowances in a single instalment every year are some of the demands of the protesters
Students representing Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities will organise a mass agitation in the State capital on Saturday in protest against the delay in disbursing education grants (e-grants) and scholarships in the last two years.
Alleging the neglect of Dalit and Tribal students by both the Union and State governments, the protesters will launch their agitation in front of the Secretariat and march towards the Raj Bhavan at 11 a.m.
Will perform play
The protest is being spearheaded by Asur Act, a Dalit-Adivasi student theatre collective, and Adishakthi Summer School, supported by Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha. As part of the protest, Asur Act will perform its ‘Engale Oche’ (Our Voice) play at Manaveeyam Veedhi at 5 p.m on the same day.
The agitators have been demanding the removal of the annual family income limit of ₹2.5 lakh as criterion to receive e-grants, the timely disbursal of grants every month, clearance of e-grants dues, hike in hostel allowances, and the withdrawal of the State government orders to provide educational allowances in a single instalment every year.
The agitators alleged that the ceiling of ₹2.5 lakh as family income to avail the benefits of the Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme threatens to push several SC, ST higher education aspirants from the ambit of the scheme. Unfortunately, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, which claims to champion the cause of such sections, chose not to oppose the Centre’s move, they said.
Certificates withheld
Besides, the decision of the State government to make one-time payment of grants as opposed to the Centre’s guidelines of releasing its share in four instalments a year has left several students in the lurch. The policy mismatch has resulted in a mounting backlog of grants payable under e-grantz, the State government’s centralised distribution system for scholarship and grants, and has led to many beneficiaries facing their certificates withheld by institutions that are yet to receive payments from the government.
The students also flagged the inadequate academic allowances, including lump sum grant and monthly pocket money, that are not in tune with the prevailing cost of living.
Why does someone become Phoolan Devi or Dadua?
Today, posts related to Phoolan Devi went viral on social networks, especially Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. Some people described Phoolan Devi as a symbol of Indian womanhood, a brave woman who taught rapists a lesson, a heroine who answered the upper caste mentality in its own language, a social reformer who made her society aware, and one who realized the significance of everything from bullet to ballot.
Article- Dr. Anup Patel, National Spokesperson OBC Mahasabha
Similarly, a lot was written about Dadua three days ago. People described Dadua as the real Robin Hood of India, a sympathizer of the poor and the oppressed, a rebel who ruled the ravines for the longest time, and one who broke the pride of feudal castes.
While according to the law and mainstream media, both were notorious criminals, both fueled caste-dissension and were criminals who ran a jungle raj. After all, why are most people remembering these two people on social sites? Why do Dadua and Phoolan Devi enter the world of crime? Why do lakhs of people shed tears when they die? Who is responsible for this?
How do you remember Phoolan Devi? As a dreaded dacoit, as a person who took revenge on rapists, as a person who searched for love all her life, as an icon who changed the language and thoughts of Indian womanhood, as a person who shattered patriarchy and casteism, or as a political leader! Phoolan’s biography can be seen from all these perspectives. Phoolan was the most famous personality of her time, that is, more famous than today’s Modiji.
Many biographies of Phoolan have been written but the most authentic biography is India’s Bandit Queen by Mala Sen. Mala Sen took many interviews of Phoolan and has highlighted various aspects of her personal life in her book.
Phoolan was born in 1963 in a boatman family in Ghura Purwa of Kanpur Dehat district. Boatmen are the profession of boatmen and they usually build their houses on the river banks. Boatmen belong to the most backward class among Hindus. Phoolan Devi’s family was very poor. The family’s livelihood was dependent on labour. Phoolan had a rebellious nature from the beginning. She showed rebellious attitude when she was 11 years old.
Phoolan’s cousin wanted to sell the ancestral land, Phoolan fought with her brother. Girls having a rebellious nature was fatal for the family. Phoolan’s cousin convinced Phoolan’s mother and got 11-year-old Phoolan married to 30-year-old Puttilal. Puttilal did not even wait for Phoolan’s gauna and raped her forcefully several times. Phoolan opposed Puttilal with all her might and finally left her husband and came to her maternal home and started earning her livelihood by working as a labourer. This was Phoolan’s first resistance against patriarchy.
Phoolan was earning her livelihood by working as a labourer. Once, a man who was building a house did not pay her the wages. Phoolan got so angry that she turned that man’s house into a heap of mud. That man belonged to the upper caste. Phoolan had become an eyesore for the rich people of the village. To crush Phoolan’s courage, the village bullies raped her in front of her parents. Phoolan was 15 years old at that time. Phoolan belonged to the Mallah caste and the Mallahs had no status in front of the dominant castes at that time. Although India had become independent, the Indian Constitution had been implemented, but in the Purva of Ghura, only the law of the upper castes prevailed.
Phoolan became disgusted with the society and family and she took the path of the ravines. Phoolan joined a gang of dacoits active in the Chambal valley. Phoolan was targeted due to gang war. Phoolan Devi was kidnapped and raped by Thakurs of Behmai village and left thinking she was dead. Phoolan then got the support of Vikram Mallah. Phoolan married Vikram Mallah. Both of them formed their own gang and the gruesome Behmai incident happened in 1981.
Phoolan had identified two rapists, Phoolan brought them with her to Behmai village and identified other people involved in the gang-rape. Phoolan lined up 22 Thakurs and shot them. There cannot be a more horrific revenge of a woman for her rape. However, in an interview given to Mala Sen, Phoolan had denied her role in the Behmai massacre. Famous feminist lawyer Indira Jaisingh, who looked into Phoolan’s case, had said-
“Every day many women are raped in India. There is no official data on whether they kill their rapists or the caste-panchayat kills those women in the name of caste-pride.” He kills her. I think Phoolan had risen above the atrocities that had happened to her. Phoolan had never forgotten her past. The way Phoolan had challenged the arrogance of the upper castes and the male chauvinistic structure, she knew that life would not be so easy, she had always demanded high level police protection.”
After the Behmai massacre, Phoolan’s name had started being discussed in the country and abroad and a female dacoit had gained dominance in the ravines of Chambal. But the police had also started tightening its grip on Phoolan. Meanwhile, Phoolan’s husband Vikram Malah was killed in a police encounter. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was aware of the atrocities done to Phoolan and her hatred towards the society. Indira Gandhi asked Phoolan to surrender. In 1983, Phoolan surrendered before Arjun Singh, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and a supporter of social justice. In return for surrender, Phoolan put forth conditions before Arjun Singh which were accepted. The conditions were:
Her companions should not be given death penalty. Phoolan’s next condition was that all the people of her gang should not be given a sentence of more than 8 years. But Phoolan Devi had to remain in jail for 11 years without trial and the Samajwadi government that came in 1994 released Phoolan from jail. Phoolan was the leader of her gang and like a leader, she also took care of the people of her gang.
After being released, Phoolan formed Eklavya Sena to unite her society. Phoolan soon became an icon of her society. Meanwhile, Phoolan shared the stage with many socialist leaders of the country and expressed her views towards the upliftment of the backward society. But she started politics under the banner of Samajwadi Party. Phoolan was elected to the Lok Sabha from Mirzapur in 1996 and was elected MP twice in a row.
Phoolan’s journey started from a dacoit of the ravines and reached the Parliament. Phoolan Devi was the most talked about personality in the parliament at that time. The eyes of cinema and literature also fell on MP Phoolan Devi. The world famous magazine ‘Time’ called Phoolan one of the best women of the century. The Indian media and intellectual world called Phoolan a blot on Indian society and politics, while the whole world saluted Phoolan’s courageous life.
Famous filmmaker Shekhar Kapoor decided to make a film on the biography of Phoolan Devi. Shekhar Kapoor adapted Mala Sen’s book, went to ground zero to gather information and his film Bandit Queen was released in 1996. Phoolan’s character was played by famous actress Seema Biswas in the film. The film was quite controversial. Phoolan herself opposed some of the filming of this film and also filed a case against the film in the court. Phoolan had objections to four filmings of the film. Shekhar Kapoor had promised that he would cut the scenes but after some time the film was released as it was.
Phoolan was not against the freedom of cinema. Phoolan had said in an interview to famous journalist and today’s big Congress leader Rajiv Shukla that she has no objection to the film, whatever has happened to me should be seen by the whole world. Just don’t show wrong scenes.
After becoming an MP, Phoolan married Ummed Singh. This was her third marriage. Her relationship with Ummed Singh was a mix of sweet and sour. Phoolan kept searching for love, emotions and feelings all her life, but she was disappointed.
The journey of the life of the Bandit Queen of the ravines ended in the corridors of Parliament. When MP Phoolan Devi was returning from Parliament on 25 July 2001, people who were already waiting in ambush near her house fired bullets at her. Phoolan died there. Sher Singh Rana took the responsibility of Phoolan’s murder. Rana talked about taking revenge for the Behmai massacre. But Phoolan’s death was also spectacular. Phoolan died as a public representative. Phoolan’s killer is out of jail on parole today and he is being accused of involvement in the recent Saharanpur riots. Rana being out is a mockery of the Indian legal system and justice system. It has been 23 years since Phoolan Devi was killed, but today Phoolan has become a symbol of women power.
A boatman’s daughter smashed patriarchy to smithereens with her courage and determination. Think for yourself what level of feminists those who are not remembering Phoolan today are!!
On the other hand, Shivkumar Patel alias Dadua became famous as the uncrowned king of Bundelkhand.
Dadua was born in 1955-56 in Devkali village of Chitrakoot district. The area of ??Bundelkhand has always been neglected. No matter which government was in power in Uttar Pradesh, the government never looked at Bundelkhand. There was no other means of livelihood except farming at that time. Shivkumar started helping his father in farming in his youth. Due to some dispute, he got into a fight with Jagannath, a resident of Raipur, a nearby village. Jagannath along with other people paraded Shivkumar’s father naked in the village. When Shiv Kumar came to know about this, he went straight to Jagannath’s house and shot him twice in the chest. From here Shiv Kumar Patel became ‘Dadua’.
Dadua made the jungles of Manikpur his base. At that time, bidi traders exploited the tribals a lot, while on the other hand, the rich people with crusher machines were exploiting the jungles and mountains of the tribals. Dadua emerged as the messiah of the tribals. Dadua looted bidi traders and crusher machine owners a lot and distributed the looted goods among the poor tribals. The tribals started worshiping him like a god.
Dadua had a very strong political understanding. Due to Dadua’s influence, about 500 village heads became his supporters. Dadua’s area of ??influence was from Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh to Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. Dadua had reduced the dominance of the upper castes in Bundelkhand to a great extent. In the early days, Dadua was a supporter of the Communist Party of India. After this, he was a supporter of the BSP. He used to support BSP’s Bahujan politics. Around 2002, there was a rift between him and BSP leaders of Bundelkhand. When BSP formed the government in 2007, Dadua was killed in a police encounter. It is said that Dadua used to make this announcement in entire Bundelkhand in support of BSP-
Vote will be cast for the elephant,
otherwise bullets will be fired at the chest.
After this announcement of Dadua, the Dalit-backward class of Bundelkhand used to vote for BSP fearlessly. During Dadua’s time, Bundelkhand was considered a stronghold of BSP. But Dadua’s end came during the time of BSP government. Dadua lived in the ravines for about 30 years. In independent India, Dadua holds the record of living in the ravines for the longest time (even more than Veerappan). About 8 years ago, a grand temple of Dadua and his wife has been built. For some people of Bundelkhand she was a criminal, but for some people she is no less than a deity and is still being worshipped.
As time passes, people are remembering these two personalities in large numbers. What are the reasons that the general public’s faith in people who are criminals in the eyes of the law is increasing? Are the common man, the poor and the Dalits losing faith in law and order? Is democracy getting captured in the hands of the capitalists and the upper castes? Will Phoolan Devis and Daduas keep being born or will there be a change in our society, this question remains unanswered.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the personal views of the author. The Mooknayak is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, practicality or truth of any information given in this article. All the information in this article has been presented as is. Any information or facts given in this article or the views expressed are not those of The Mooknayak, and The Mooknayak is not responsible for them in any way.
Gujarat: Beaten for posting on social media wearing glasses and turban, now angry Dalit community will take out rally wearing the same!
Dalit community angry in protest against caste-based attack in Gujarat’s Himmatnagar.
Ahmedabad. On Thursday, youths of the Dalit community gathered outside the Sabarkantha Superintendent of Police (SP)’s office wearing sunglasses and safa (turban) and later at the district collectorate. They submitted a memorandum demanding a yatra (procession) through Saibapur village, where all Dalits will wear sunglasses and turbans as a protest.
The protest started after a 24-year-old Dalit man from Saibapur was allegedly attacked by members of the upper caste Darbar community, allegedly for posting his picture on Instagram wearing a safa and sunglasses.
According to the FIR lodged with the Himmatnagar rural police, Ajay Parmar was driving his autorickshaw from Saibapur to Himmatnagar on July 18. Near the Navanagar bus stand, two men from Darbar, Kripalsingh Rathore and Manusingh Rathore, forcibly stopped the rickshaw, snatched Parmar’s phone and hurled caste-based abuses.
They demanded to know why he posted the picture on Instagram and said only Darbar can wear safa and sunglasses. Ajay was then forced to apologise.
Ajay called his cousin Bhavesh Parmar and his father Ramesh Parmar for help. When they were returning, Rathore’s men along with Hitendrasingh Rathore and Shuklasingh Rathore stopped them again and attacked Ajay. When Ramesh intervened, he was slapped. He was saved when other villagers heard the victims’ cries for help and noticed him.
The Himmatnagar rural police have registered a case against Kripalsingh, Manusingh, Hitendrasingh and Shuklasingh under the Indian Justice Code, including charges of causing hurt, criminal intimidation, intentional insult with intent to breach the peace and provocation, as well as charges under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. All four have been arrested.
Dalit activist Kalpesh Parmar submitted a memorandum to the offices of the Sabarkantha collector and SP, demanding that a procession be taken out in the village in which all Dalits will wear safas and sunglasses.
Another activist Kaushik Parmar said, “The way a Dalit man was beaten up for posting a photo wearing a safa and sunglasses shows that casteist elements in the upper caste community think they can dictate to Dalits.”
Rajasthan: Deadly attack on Dalit family to grab land, community appeals to Chief Minister for justice
The community members have given a memorandum to the District Collector demanding immediate arrest of all 21 accused and providing proper medical treatment to the victims.
Geetha Sunil Pillai
Jodhpur- Farmer Tararam son Ruparam Chamar (Scheduled Caste) of village Mailana (Hanuman Sagar) Khedapa Tehsil Bawdi of the district and his family were attacked on July 19. The attacking accused threatened to kill them and tried to forcibly occupy their land.
In the case registered by the police, it was told that the accused, in collusion, under the leadership of Shivji Ram son Bhairaram of Godaaron Ki Dhani Mindeli, riding in two camper vehicles and three tractors armed with weapons, entered Tararam’s farm and attacked him with intent to kill. In this attack, Tararam’s family members Jagdish, Babulal, Kapil, Jimni, Pappu Ram, Shanti etc. suffered serious injuries. They also broke Jimni’s jewellery and took it away.
Papparam of the victim’s family said that on calling, the police came and the injured were taken to Bawdi Government Hospital from where they were referred to Mathuradas Mathur Hospital Jodhpur. After first aid, they were discharged but Jagdish and Babulal were admitted to the said hospital when the condition of the injured by the axe deteriorated.
Jodhpur District Rural Police Station Khedapa has started investigating the case under FIR number 163/2024 and Deputy Superintendent of Police Nagendra Kumar has been given the responsibility of the case.
The victims say that as per the recommendation of the MLC department, X-ray etc. tests are not being done and the victims were pressurized to get discharged from the hospital.
The victim’s family has alleged that the accused are deliberately trying to hush up the matter and there is also a lack of proper medical facilities.
The community members have given a memorandum to the District Collector demanding immediate arrest of all 21 accused and providing proper medical treatment to the victims. Also, strict action should be taken by investigating the atrocities being committed against the Dalit community.
MaMP: In the Barodia Nonagir Dalit murder case, ‘SP’ accused ASP, also demanded that former minister Bhupendra Singh be made an accused
SP state president Dr. Manoj Yadav said that there should be a CBI inquiry into this case. Because Sanjeev Kumar, who is the Additional SP there, is telling the mother of that family that you should improve yourself, compromise… otherwise your one child Vishnu who is left… he will also be killed.
Ankit Pachauri
Bhopal. In the Barodia Nonagir Dalit murder case of Sagar district, the Samajwadi Party has made serious allegations against the Additional SP of Sagar. The party officials have made allegations against the police administration and BJP leader MLA, former minister Bhupendra Singh in a press conference in the capital Bhopal on Thursday.
Samajwadi Party state president Dr. Manoj Yadav, former MLA Dr. Sunil, former Labor Minister of UP Badshah Singh, National President of Samajwadi Baba Saheb Ambedkar Vahini ML Bharti have held a press conference and demanded a CBI inquiry into this murder case. SP leaders said, “The only son left in the Dalit family, ASP of Sagar has threatened the victim’s family saying that even the one son left will not survive.”
State President of the party Dr. Manoj Yadav said that the incidents that happened in the Dalit family of Barodia- Naunagir village are very heinous crimes. Such incidents may not have happened in the country. A girl child of the same family is molested, and three consecutive murders are committed to settle the matter.
He said, Anjana Ahirwar’s death under suspicious circumstances points towards her murder. Because, she was the main witness. She has also released a video. Chief Minister had gone there and also given assurance. But nothing has happened there till now.
The SP state president said, “This case should be investigated by the CBI. Because Sanjeev Kumar, who is the Additional SP there, is telling the mother of that family that you should mend your ways, compromise… otherwise your one child Vishnu… he will also be killed. Our constitution does not give the administration the freedom to put pressure on the victim’s family in this way. We demand that first of all the victim’s family should get compensation of one crore rupees each and housing which is in the law for Dalits. We demand an immediate CBI investigation.”
‘BJP leader Bhupendra Singh should also be made an accused’
The SP state president Dr. Manoj Yadav said, the accused of this murder case are being protected by a senior BJP leader who has been the Home Minister. His relatives are involved in this, that is why he is protecting them and the accused’s family is being protected by him. Our demand is that he should also be made a criminal. Until then, that family will not get justice. He said, we demand from the government that Bhupendra Singh should also be made an accused. And the main accused Ankit Singh, who is a BJP official, against whom no FIR has been lodged yet. He is roaming freely, he should also be made an accused.
Former CM Digvijay Singh has also demanded a CBI inquiry
Recently, former CM Digvijay Singh had demanded a CBI inquiry in this matter. He had written a letter to Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav in this regard. After the citizen group fact finding report came out in the case of murder of Nitin Ahirwar of Barodia Nonagir village, uncle Rajendra Ahirwar and suspicious death of Anjana Ahirwar, questions have been raised on the action of the police and administration.
Digvijay Singh wrote in his letter sent to the Chief Minister that the citizen group of Madhya Pradesh has sent me a real investigation report. According to this report, information has been given about the incidents that have happened to the youth of the Dalit class and their families so far. He had demanded a CBI inquiry from the CM in this matter.
What was the whole matter?
In 2019, Anjana, a girl from a Dalit family of Barodia Naunagir village in Sagar district, had filed a molestation case against some people of the village. In this case, the accused, who were pressuring for a settlement, reached the house of this victim girl on 24 August. When there was no consensus on the talks of apology, the accused Vikram Singh Thakur, Komal Singh Thakur, Azad Singh Thakur and some others first vandalized the house of the Dalit. Then, while returning from there, the accused together brutally beat up the victim girl’s brother Nitin Ahirwar.
As soon as the mother got information about the assault on Nitin, she ran there and tried to save her son, the accused also beat the victim’s mother and took off her clothes and made her naked. Due to the beating, the Dalit youth was admitted to the local hospital in a distraught state. Due to his critical condition, Nitin was referred to Sagar District Hospital. But here the doctors declared him dead.
Madras High Court asks Stalin to visit tribal villages in Kalvarayan Hills
The Madras high court on Wednesday asked CM MK Stalin to visit the villages in Kallakurichi where last month’s hooch tragedy claimed 68 lives.
A division bench of Justices SM Subramaniam and C Kumarappan instructed the government to take stock of people’s complaints that the scheduled tribe population residing in the region is involved in the sale of spurious liquor due to poverty.
“Our request is that either the honourable chief minister or the sports minister Udhayanidhi Stalin can visit the hamlets along with the Adi Dravidar welfare minister (Kayalvizhi Selvaraj) and practically see the plight of these people,” Justice Subramaniam said.
The court said that only a visit from highest level government officials can ensure short term relief such as providing basic amenities of electricity, drinking water and long-term rehabilitation such as employment opportunities.
“The history of the region reveals that the State has completely neglected the region and the officials of revenue and forest department were not even bothered about them,” the court said. Advocate general PS Raman was directed to apprise the chief minister, sports minister Udhayanidhi, and Adi Dravidar welfare minister Kayalvizhi Selvaraj to visit the place.
“They have not exercised voting rights till 1996. We don’t know what the political parties were doing for so long and what the government was doing,” the bench said, adding the Kalvarayan Hills region was annexed with the Indian territory only after Emergency in 1976.
The court posted the matter to July 26 for the government to submit a status report on the present condition of villages surrounding the Kalvarayan hills.
The Kallakurichi hooch tragedy on June 19 eventually claimed 68 lives after locals in the region consumed illicit liquor laced with methanol.The CB-CID is currently investigating the incident in which less than a dozen accused have been arrested.
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Tamil Nadu
Dalit Community Pulls Up DMK For Silence Over BSP Leader's Murder
K Balakumar
Jul 24, 2024, 05:57 PM | Updated 05:55 PM IST
The carefully made-up mask that the DMK has been wearing is coming off at the seams. The ruling party in Tamil Nadu is facing a huge backlash over caste politics.
This week, the Dravidian party's Dalit leaders were called out by filmmaker Pa Ranjith for refusing to speak up on the issue of the murder of the state BSP leader K Armstrong.
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), the Dalit party that is part of the DMK alliance, also came in for a blast from many at the rally organised to pay homage to the slain Armstrong.
Emotions rang high at the rally as the Dalit leaders and workers couldn't hold back their views as what followed the brutal murder of Armstrong had hit them hard. The fact that a strong Dalit leader could be scythed to death in a public place itself was a terrible blow for them.
Subsequently, various stories about Armstrong were let loose, and this further made the Dalits feel alienated and targeted.
The day before the rally, in a strange video note, the VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan laid the rule that his partymen should not participate in it (rally). He didn't stop with that, he also dropped words to the effect that those who were participating in that rally were paid mercenaries.
This was a loaded and unfortunate suggestion and was aimed at his own Dalit brethren. Him going out of his way to support the DMK — whose record in safeguarding Dalit interests over the past three years has been found severely lacking — further queered the pitch.
Chennai Mayor and Adi Dravida Minister get called out
The cynosure at the rally was Ranjith who has emerged as a respected and reliable voice of the Dalits. He, typically, did not pull punches. Scathing the Dalit leaders in the Dravidian parties for not turning up to pay respect to Armstrong, Ranjith asked them whether their parties were precluding them from speaking.
Specifically naming DMK's Chennai Mayor R Priya, Ranjith pointed out: "You are Chennai’s Mayor not because of the DMK, but because of reservation (reserved seats).
To DMK minister Kayalvizhi Selvaraj, Ranjith said: "Please understand why you are the Minister for Adi Dravidar Welfare. Why are you all scared? Can you not speak in support of Dalits?”
On the attempts to paint Armstrong as a gangster, Ranjith said if the fighting efforts of the Dalits against oppression are deemed as criminal activity, then (pointing to the gathered people) "you are all criminals."
Ranjith also upped the ante and hit out at the foundation of Dravidian politics, by saying that the Dalits have been given a short shrift since the days of the Justice Party (the precursor to the Dravidian parties). This particular line of criticism seems to have rattled the Dravidian sections (the DMK).
For long the party and its megaphone have been vociferously claiming that it is the Dravidian movement that has been fighting for the uplift of the Dalits. Whenever Dalit leaders were bold to come down on the DMK, they were shouted out or cynically co-opted into their own ranks.
The Justice Party was no different
In the 1950s, Dalit leaders like MC Rajah had taken the pains to point out that the intermediary castes (non-Brahmin) which made up the Justice Party were not helping the Dalits in any manner.
"It has been clearly pointed out that so early in the history of the reforms in Southern India, the non-Brahman Caste Hindu Party in the local council, who posed as the guardians of the depressed classes, has been not only practically arresting the progress of a community which forms the backbone of the labouring population, but has also been crushing its hopes and aspirations," he wrote in his book The Oppressed Hindus (pdf).
But the Dravidian leaders quickly closed ranks and ensured that voices like Rajah's were kept muted. Other Dalit leaders who were more favourably inclined towards the Dravidian movements were platformed. This has been the trend all along.
Even as recently as the late 90s and early 2000s, leaders like VCK's Thirmuvalavan and his associate Ravikumar (a Lok Sabha MP) were critical of both the Dravidian movement and its totem EV Ramaswamy. But again, the party and its leaders were won over by political and possibly other means, and now VCK has become such an ally to the DMK that it does not mind antagonising its Dalit backers.
Thirumavalavan's video message to his cadre was loaded and upset the other Dalits, who hitherto had respect for him. Even a party like the Congress sent a representative to the rally for Armstrong.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee’s (TNCC) SC wing leader, MP Ranjan Kumar, who was at the rally, said the Congress would not be anyone’s slave. That a Dalit party like the VCK did not have the gumption to say as much is a big disappointment for Ranjith and others.
Dalits looking for a new platform
The mood among the Dalits now is to come up with a new organisation for themselves, which would fight for their rights and against systemic and structural inequalities without in any way compromising on political lines.
This line of thinking has come as a bolt to the DMK which had projected itself as a champion of the depressed classes. Having its bluff called out now, the DMK's online warriors are targeting Ranjith and others on social media. But the pushback to them has been firm and forthright.
Amidst these developments, the news that Kalanidhi Veerasamy, a DMK dynast politician and Lok Sabha MP from North Chennai — a locality believed to be dominated by Dalits — participated in an international convention of the Kamma community, has kicked up a storm.
At the convention held in Hyderabad, the son of Arcot Veerasamy (a man deemed as close to M Karunanidhi) spoke in glowing terms about the influence of Telugu people in TN politics.
His participation in a caste convention while the Dalits are up in arms in the state has come as a double whammy of trouble for the DMK.
Chennai- Villupuram MP Dr. Ravikumar has sharply criticized the Tamil Nadu government for depriving Scheduled Caste (SC) government officials of their promotion opportunities. His criticism comes in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling challenging the Tamil Nadu government's roster system used for reservations in promo
He highlighted a year-old petition he submitted to N. Kayalvizhi, Minister for Adi Dravidar Welfare on July 25 last year, urging the enactment of a special law to address the issue. This petition was a response to the Supreme Court's decision in a case filed by an Other Backward Classes (OBC) member against the roster system.
Dr. Ravikumar's petition had called for the introduction of emergency legislation similar to measures implemented in other Indian states to protect SC officials' promotion rights.
Despite this appeal, he argues that the Tamil Nadu government has yet to address the injustice effectively, leading to continued deprivation of promotion opportunities for SC government officers.
In the petition Dr Ravikumar had also mentioned the state government’s failure to address backlog vacancies reserved for SC and ST categories. The 2021 Governor's address had promised action to inventory and fill these backlog positions. However, as of June 30, 2022, significant vacancies remain unfilled in the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department, with 469 out of 616 reserved positions still vacant.
Additionally, 68 positions have been surrendered. The largest number of backlog vacancies were then found in the School Education and Higher Education Departments.
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The Tamil Nadu government’s decision to abandon the roster system for promotions, as mandated by the Supreme Court, has led to the demotion of thousands of SC and ST employees. This has raised concerns about the government’s commitment to protecting the career advancement opportunities of these officials.
Are Rebirth & Karma For Real?
Is rebirth for real - either as a human or in one of the other realms? This is the question most Westerners ask as soon as they become interested in Buddhism. Karma (Pali: Kamma) - the law of cause and effect - operates across multiple lifetimes, but where's the proof that there is any life other than the current one?
It's a complex subject and each tradition has its own explanation. It isn't uncommon for different teachers in the same tradition to have a different take on rebirth. One thing's for sure, there is no scientific proof of rebirth (yet). There are rational explanations, but they all rest on unprovable assumptions.
One way to approach the question of rebirth is suggested by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, who says, "You don't have to believe in rebirth, you just have to take it as a working hypothesis." Other teachers, such as Ajahn Summedho, have a similar view, that since we can never know what will happen after death, it makes sense to practise Dharma (Pali: Dhamma) and live this life in the best way possible.
Some well-known monks, Ajahn Brahm and P.A. Payutto among them, say that when meditators reach the third or fourth jhana (level of absorbtion) they are able to "read their past lives" as the Buddha did and experience the truth of rebirth. But this ability is by no means universal, even among meditation masters.
Another explanation championed by Buddhadasa, Thailand's most revered monk, is that rebirth in a series of physical bodies is "conventional talk" to make the subject understandable for the masses, but in "Dharma talk" what the Buddha really meant was that each life was the arising of the ego in the mind. So we experience "death" and "rebirth" (of the ego) many times each day.
Similarly, the six realms of existence all correspond to states of mind. In the same way, the cause and effect of karma can be observed in our own mental states - when we do good deeds it results in a wholesome mental state, when we do bad deeds, we experience unwholesome mental states.
This rational explanation of rebirth and karma doesn't necessarily exclude the traditional view. It augments it. What works for me is to take both of them as working hypotheses and practise accordingly. Recalling the Buddha's story about the man shot with a poisoned arrow, if we need to have every detail of the teaching proved to us at the outset, we'll be dead before we start practising.
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