09.05.2025.UT NEWS.A collection of SC.ST.Buddhist,Adivasi,reservation atrocity news of India.by Team Sivaji.9444917060.asivaji1962@gmail.com
Indian Govt’s Blockade of The Wire and Social Media Accounts Sparks Outrage from News Collectives, Opposition
New Delhi – The Indian government’s decision to block access to The Wire, a prominent independent news portal, and the abrupt withholding of X accounts of independent media organizations – Maktoob Media, The Kashmiriyat, and Free Press Kashmir – have drawn widespread condemnation from journalists, media organizations, and opposition leaders.
The moves, which include the government’s orders to block over 8,000 accounts on X, including those of international news organizations, are being criticized as a direct assault on press freedom and constitutional rights. The blockade of The Wire was reportedly ordered by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under the IT Act, 2000, while the X accounts were withheld on May 8 without official communication, intensifying concerns about censorship amid heightened media scrutiny following Operation Sindoor.
The Kashmiriyat and Free Press Kashmir, both Kashmir-based outlets, have been actively reporting on tensions between India and Pakistan, while Maktoob Media, based in Kerala, focuses on human rights and minority issues.
On May 9, The Wire announced that its website had been blocked by several Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in India, citing orders from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. One ISP confirmed the block was enforced under the IT Act, 2000, though no public disclosure of the order has been provided. The Wire, known for its investigative journalism, condemned the restriction as a violation of freedom of the press.
Senior journalist Urmilesh decried the blockade, stating, “The prestigious news portal The Wire, globally renowned for its independent and courageous journalism, has been banned in India. This decision is utterly undemocratic, unilateral, and an attack on the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression.”
DIGIPUB, a coalition of digital news publishers condemned the censorship, stating, “If the Indian government has indeed blocked access to The Wire, it is a blatant attack on press freedom. Silencing independent media doesn’t protect democracy—it weakens it.” The organization demanded the immediate reversal of the block and transparency regarding the government’s orders, emphasizing that “a free media is the best antidote to misinformation and fake news.”
D. Raja’s Letter to Information Minister
D. Raja, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI), wrote to Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw, expressing concern over media coverage post-Operation Sindoor. Raja criticized certain television news channels for airing “inflammatory and misleading content,” accusing them of communalizing the issue and spreading unverified claims without official confirmation. He argued that such coverage undermines responsible journalism and threatens national unity.
Raja also highlighted the blockade of The Wire, stating, “At the same time, access to responsible news portals like TheWire.in has been blocked.” He urged the Ministry to act against channels promoting communal hatred, restore access to platforms like The Wire, and provide fact-based briefings in coordination with the Ministries of Defence, Home Affairs, and External Affairs to counter misinformation. “Truth is being sacrificed under noise, prejudice, and sensationalism,” Raja wrote. “The airwaves must not become battlegrounds of distortion when the nation needs calm and clarity.”
General Secretary CPI(M) and Ex Member of parliament in Rajya Sabha MA Baby also condemned the censorship of The Wire. " When media outlets that are continuously peddling fake news on #OperationSindoor are being allowed to run uninterrupted, credible news portals are being blocked. Such attacks on the freedom of the press are not acceptable," he wrote in an x post.
Dr Jitendra Meena, spokesperson of Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) shared a post on X stating, " The Indian government has closed thousands of accounts on X without giving any reason. Earlier the YouTube channel was closed. The account of our friend Ashwini Soni (Ramraajya) is also one of them. Is the government imposing censorship under the guise of war? Is the government preparing to suppress the voice of the opposition?"
The Chennai Press Club also strongly condemned the actions by the Government of India to block access to the websites and social media accounts of independent media organisations, including The Wire, Maktoob Media. "These actions, taken without prior notice or transparent explanation, amount to a grave infringement on the constitutional guarantee of press freedom and a worrying sign of escalating censorship" a statement read.
At a time when the public urgently needs access to accurate, diverse, and independent information-particularly amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan-such arbitrary blocks set a dangerous precedent and suppress voices committed to public interest journalism.
"We urge the Government of India and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to immediately revoke these bans and restore access to the affected media platforms. Democratic discourse cannot thrive in an environment where critical and alternative narratives are silenced", M.Suresh Vedhanayagam, the press club President said in the statement.
+ + + + Home NewsTamil Nadu Class 12 exam results: 100% pass in 5 govt schools in Tiruvallur; 1 Adi Dravidar boy scores 441 One among them is the
https://www.dtnext.in/news/tamilnadu/class-12-exam-results-100-pass-in-5-govt-schools-in-tiruvallur-1-adi-dravidar-boy-scores-441-832982
பெங்களூர்/குற்றம்/பா
https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/crime/down-with-discrimination/articleshow/120972354.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
Women and SC/ST reservation fixed for local body chairperson posts
Three of the Corporations, 44 municipalities, seven district panchayats, 77 block panchayats and 471 grama panchayats will be headed by women
Published - May 07, 2025 07:44 pm IST - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
Ahead of the upcoming local body elections, expected to be held later this year, the Local Self-Government department has issued an order fixing the number of local body chairperson positions reserved for women and Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) members. Three of the Corporations, 44 municipalities, 471 grama panchayats, seven district panchayats and 77 block panchayats will be headed by women.
As part of the rotation policy, the Mayor posts in Kochi, Kannur and Thrissur Corporations will be reserved for women in the upcoming term. Out of the six municipal chairperson posts reserved for SCs, three will be reserved for SC women. One municipal chairperson post will be reserved for Scheduled Tribe category. Out of the 92 grama panchayat president posts reserved for SCs, 46 will be reserved for SC women, while 8 out of the 16 such posts reserved for ST category will be reserved for ST women. Eight out of the 15 block panchayat president posts reserved for SCs will be reserved for SC women.
How do states differ in enumerating castes?
NEW DELHI: Reservation, one of the unique characteristics of the Constitution, has been implemented after rounds of debates. Instead of using any one-size-fits-all option, policymakers have accommodated state-wise specifications. The states listed castes which faced untouchability in their SC lists. These lists were amalgamated to create the Union list. In the process, some castes which faced untouchability figured in only some state lists.
However, the listing of OBCs is different. The Union and state governments maintain different lists. As a result, a caste that is considered as OBC in one state may not be considered same in other states or even in the Central list. State-level variations are prevalent in reservations. North-Eastern states have a higher share of ST reservations because of their demography. Similarly, states like UP have a very low ST quota because of the less tribal population. However, it has a slightly higher SC quota.
In recent years, sub-categorisation of existing categories has become a hot topic. Notably, some states have started implementing sub-categorisation. On August 1, 2024, a seven-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, with a majority verdict of 6:1, upheld the validity of sub-classifications within the SC/ST categories.
Lates... Read more at: https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/india/all-barber-shops-in-a-village-shut-down-as-dalits-seek-haircuts-discrimination-continues-in-karnataka-qinvbi2m.
Striving for Social Justice: How Would the Caste Census Be Effective?
IN the run-up to the 2024 elections, Rahul Gandhi in particular talked of the need for a caste census. This was supported by many opposition leaders. Congress-ruled states and NDA-ruled Bihar also carried out the census. The issue was one of the major planks of the opposition’s slight revival in the polls after being in the dumps for long.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi opposed the caste census tooth and nail, terming it part of the Urban Naxal philosophy. The BJP’s parent organisation, the RSS, called it a ploy to divide Hindu society. In this background, the Modi Cabinet recently decided to include caste as part of the forthcoming census. As such, the census, which was due in 2021, has been pushed forward. There are many guesses as to why the BJP has decided to get this done.
There is a view that this is being done keeping the forthcoming elections in Bihar in mind. As such, the timeline for this caste census and conversion of the findings into policy has not been outlined. The most likely reason may be the electoral compulsions in Bihar and other future elections. It is clear that the plank of Rahul Gandhi in particular has been the caste census and lifting of the ceiling of 50% on reservations. This got a positive response from substantial sections of the electorate and so RSS-BJP were forced to venture into social justice despite their staunch opposition to it.
It can be unhesitatingly said that the foundation of RSS was laid mainly to oppose the rising awareness of Dalits for social justice, particularly after the efforts of Jyotiba Phule and later by Bhimrao Ambedkar, the pioneers of social justice in the last two centuries. As Dalit awareness started taking root, upper castes started feeling uncomfortable and came up with the concept of the Hindu nation. It goes without saying that the Manusmriti was the core principle guiding their social values.
The second Sarsanghchalak of RSS, MS Golwalkar, eulogised the laws of Manu as being most ancient and needed to be emulated in the present times. As Gandhi, particularly after 1932, began his yeoman efforts to work against caste system, going from village to village ensuring that Dalits can enter public places, temples and benefit from water sources, the RSS kept totally aloof from any such effort and kept training its swayamsevaks and pracharaks in the values of caste and gender hierarchy.
Savarkar, whom RSS regards greatly, did make some efforts against the caste system, but they were hardly deep-seated and in due course were eclipsed by his politics of loyalty to British rule. While opposing the Indian Constitution, he articulated that the Manusmriti is the law today. In opposing the Constitution, RSS mouthpiece Organizer said there is hardly anything Indian in the Indian Constitution, as it ignores the great values of their holy tome, the Manusmiriti.
Its major base initially was the upper caste Brahmin-Baniya in particular. Other upper castes rooted in values of caste and gender hierarchy also backed the RSS.
In due course as electoral compulsions dawned upon the Hindutva forces, they consciously worked for co-opting Dailts, Advasis and OBC into their vortex. They floated ‘Samajik Samrasta Manch’ (Social Harmony Forum) to work among Dalits to win them over from the politics of Hindu Nationalism. They praised different jatis, castes, as great contributors to the Hindu Samaj. Their publication of books in history and the ‘greatness’ of various jatis was a statement to cajole the low castes into their net. Hindu Charmakar Jati, Hindu Valmiki Jati and Hindu Khatik Jati were three major volumes that were released by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who stated that all castes were equal.
They also identified icons from these castes and presented them as great heroes of Hindu society and gave an anti-Muslim slant to them. Raja Suhel Dev is an example of this strategy, where the man from the Parsi community was projected to woo Dalits. Eating with them was undertaken and this fed into the process of Sanskritisation, gradually winning sections of Dalits as their foot soldiers.
Various other strategies like campaigning among Dalits that the BJP is the only party not appeasing Muslims, who are the enemies of Hindu society. They started being drawn to RSS shakhas and many of them were given some important positions. A section of Dalit leaders was wooed with power and resources, like Ram Vilas Paswan and Ramdas Athawale.
The testing time for RSS-BJP and social justice was the implementation of the Mandal Commission. The upper caste responded to this in a very hostile manner, to the extent of self-immolation by one of them. RSS-BJP knew that opposing it openly would be detrimental to their electoral interests. So, they did not verbally oppose it but drew a bigger line in response to Mandal in the form of Kamandal. They intensified the Babri demolition campaign with full gusto and succeeded in polarising the upper caste. This opened the path to electoral power for them and the electoral support for this sectarian politics zoomed up quickly.
This time around it will be interesting to see how they will handle the caste census to circumvent the interests of the upper castes. The upper castes are aghast at the idea of a caste census by the party of their choice, the party that has been nurturing their interests. One knows that RSS is deeply entrenched in the social and political system of the country. It is already said that the OBC census should not be used for political purposes. It is capable of devising new language to halt the march of social justice while paying lip service to the caste census.
It is time for all political parties that have a deeper commitment to the Indian Constitution to come on the same platform to stand with the agenda of social justice. Honest implementation of the results of the caste census needs to be taken up on a priority basis for having a just and humane society.
————
Ram Puniyani is an eminent author, activist and a former professor at IIT Mumbai. The views expressed here are personal and Clarion India does not necessarily share or subscribe.
End.
Comments
Post a Comment