Ambedkar Action Alert: Dalits Media Watch News Updates 17.01.11 Dalit land grab: Tamil Nadu Govt takes Action

Chennai: Pachiammal's family has been fighting in court for what has been their land for two generations. They received the two-acre plot from the government, back in 1885, under the Panchami Scheme.

The scheme was brought in by the British during their rule over the Madras Presidency to empower Schedule Caste landless farmers.

Some years ago, it was forcibly taken over by a rich landlord who claims their dead parents owed him money.

"We never borrowed any money from them. But they have taken our land saying we owe them a lot," said Pachiammal, farm labourer.

Velusamy's father had sold the family's Panchami land.

As per law, Panchami lands cannot be sold or transferred: They have to stay with the Dalit families they were assigned to, to guard them against poverty.

Velusamy has now retrieved it in a long and arduous court battle.

"My parents lacked awareness. They had borrowed some money. Later, the moneylender forced them to sell the land as repayment," said Velusamy, a property broker.

A result of thousands of such illegal encroachments and sales, of the 20 lakh acres that were given to Tamil Nadu's Dalits under the Panchami Scheme, only about 1 lakh acres remain with them.

For years, Dalit activists have been asking the government to intervene in the recovery. Now given it's an election year, the Tamil Nadu government has suddenly woken up to the issue and announced a committee that will recommend how to restore the plots to original owners.

The government can restore all these lands by a single order. This is a needless exercise," said Jeeva, Director, Society for Integrated Rural Development.

The lack of political will has meant that land ownership among Dalits in Tamil Nadu on the ground has not improved in a whole century.

The Hindu

PIL seeks reservation for Dalits in allotment of shops

http://www.hindu.com/2011/01/17/stories/2011011763830600.htm

Mohamed Imranullah S.

Under a water tank at Chathiram bus stand in Tiruchi

MADURAI: The Tiruchi District Secretary of Puthiya Tamilagam K. Sankar (30) has filed a public interest litigation petition in the Madras High Court Bench here seeking a direction to the Tiruchi Municipal Corporation Commissioner to provide reservation for people belonging to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes in the allotment of 40 newly constructed shops under a water tank at Chathiram bus stand.

A Division Bench comprising Justice N. Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice R. Subbiah on Monday directed the Corporation counsel to obtain instructions and adjourned the matter to Tuesday.

According to the petitioner, the Corporation had allotted one shop to a physically challenged person and planned to lease out the others through a tender-cum-auction scheduled to be conducted on Thursday.

"Our community people are still below the poverty line and we are in the end of society. We are financially weak and not in a position to compete with other people who are richer than us. Therefore, I sent a representation to the Commissioner on January 5 to reserve some of the shops for our community people on the line of reservation provided in education and employment," the petitioner's affidavit read.

The Hindu

Hindu SC certificates can't be denied to converts: court

http://www.hindu.com/2011/01/17/stories/2011011762660300.htm

Mohamed Imranullah S.

Quashes order passed by Pudukottai Tahsildar

Judges remit matter back to Tahsildar, direct him to reconsider request

G.O. issued by Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department cited

MADURAI: Tahsildars cannot deny Hindu Scheduled Caste community certificates to children born to Christian Scheduled Caste parents who had converted to Hinduism along with their children and were accepted by their community people, the Madras High Court Bench here has said.

A Division Bench of Justices N. Paul Vasanthakumar and R. Subbiah made the observation while quashing an order passed by the Pudukottai Tahsildar on August 17, 2010 refusing to grant Hindu SC certificate to a schoolgirl on the ground that she bore a Christian name earlier.

The judges remitted the matter back to the Tahsildar and directed him to reconsider the request made by the girl's father to issue her a Hindu SC community certificate, in the light of a Government Order issued by the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department on January 2, 2009.

The G.O. had categorically stated that children born to Christian SC parents (by birth) and later converted to Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism would be eligible for the Constitutional privileges conferred on people belonging to Hindu Scheduled Castes if they were accepted by the community.

The privilege was also conferred on children born to Hindu Scheduled Caste parents who had converted to Christianity and subsequently reconverted to their original religion.

The G.O. made it clear that Revenue authorities could issue Hindu SC certificates to such children.

In the present case, petitioner S. Sankar said that the Tahsildar had granted Hindu SC certificate to his son, S. Navin Raj, but refused a similar certificate to his daughter Sathya Salini on the ground that she bore a Christian name — Jenneth Mary — earlier.

Mr. Sankar claimed that his daughter's name was changed on conversion to Hinduism in the presence of Sri-la-Sri Arunagirinatha Sri Gnanasambanda Desika Paramacharya Swamigal (Madurai Adheenam) who had also issued a conversion certificate on November 6, 2009.

Indian Express

Mirchpur dharna continues; rail traffic disrupted

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mirchpur-dharna-continues;-rail-traffic-disrupted/738149/0

Posted: Sun Jan 16 2011, 15:08 hrs Jind:

The indefinite sit-in on railway tracks by residents of Mirchpur village seeking fresh probe into the killing of two dalits in April last year, continued for the second successive day on Sunday, disrupting the railway traffic on the Jind-Jakhal section of the Delhi-Ferozepur route.

Adamant on their demand, some members of the Jat community, including women, squatted on the railway tracks at Julani village near Jind railway station.

Police personnel have been deployed in strength to maintain peace in view of the dharna by members of the Jat community on both the railway tracks on a distance of about one km leading to the Jind Junction station.

The protesters, including a large number of women from Mirchpur and adjoining villages, raised slogans against the Central government.

Meanwhile, according to a report from Hissar, tension prevailed in Mirchpur village after the 98 accused of the upper community were sent from the district prison to Tihar Jail.

Following the direction of a Delhi court, the district police had on Saturday produced all the inmates before it, who sent them to Tihar Jail till the next hearing.

The railway traffic on the Delhi-Ferozepur section has been disrupted due to the dharna, the call for which was issued by a Jat Mahapanchayat of 42 khaps here recently, demanding a fresh probe into the Mirchpur incident, including booking of members of their community.

The protesters maintained that their dharna would be peaceful and they would not indulge in any violent activities such as uprooting of the railway track.

Railway sources said that trains have been been diverted via other routes, including Jakhal.

Though the Mirchpur village falls in Hisar district, the protesters have commenced their protest dharna in Jind district as their village is only 15 kms from here.

A Delhi court, on January 9, had directed the Haryana Government to move all the 98 accused from Hisar jail to a prison in the national capital following the transfer of their trial in the case relating to the attack on Dalits allegedly by members of the upper caste Jat community in Mirchpur village in April last year

The direction was made in view of the fact that the case related to the killing of 70-year-old Dalit Tara Chand and his 17-year-old polio-stricken daughter Suman, allegedly by a mob, was transferred to a special court in Delhi designated under the SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act by an order of the Supreme Court on December 9 last year.

The protesters have opposed the shifting of the trial of the case to a court at Rohini in New Delhi and lodging of the accused in a prison in the national capital and demanded that the probe should be held either at Rohtak or Hisar and the accused should be lodged in either of the two jails.

The trial was shifted to a Rohini court recently after the aggrieved party had approached the Supreme Court claiming that a fair trial was not possible within the state.

A dalit, Tara Chand and his polio-stricken daughter were killed when their house was set afire on April 21 last year in Mirchpur district after which 98 members of the Jat community were booked.

The Hindu

Dalit convention begins

http://www.hindu.com/2011/01/17/stories/2011011752950300.htm

Special Correspondent

MYSORE: Dalita Sahitya, Samskrutika Kala Saptaha, a massive weeklong convention on Dalit literature, culture, and art will commence on Monday in Chamarajanagar.

Venerated writer Devanur Mahadeva will preside over this convention being organised to focus on issues plaguing Dalits.

This is the second time a convention of this kind is being held in Chamarajanagar. The previous one was held in 2007.

Participation

Noted Dalit writers, cultural scholars and artistes from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra will participate in it.

According to Venkataramanaswamy, president of the reception committee of the convention, the former president of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat Chandrashekara Patil will inaugurate the conference at Devaiah Harave podium on the premises of Government Higher Primary School.

K.S. Bhagavan will inaugurate a seminar organised on Dalit literature on Tuesday at Sri Krishna Alanahalli podium and J. Somashekar, Director of the Ambedkar Chair, will preside.

Theatre director C. Basavalingaiah will inaugurate a session on theatre, art, literature and maxims. Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa will deliver the valedictory address on January 23.

The Hindustan Times

Govt plans health cover for all Indians

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/newdelhi/Govt-plans-health-cover-for-all-Indians/Article1-651307.aspx

Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times

New Delhi, January 17, 2011

Last Updated: 02:05 IST(17/1/2011)

A health insurance scheme that will cover every Indian is on the cards. A committee of experts appointed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and headed by K Srinath Reddy, chief of the Public Health Foundation of India, is working on a public-funded scheme, likely to be introduced in the 12th Five Year Plan, starting in 2012-13.

"We are looking at a scheme where people will pay premium depending on their income," said Planning Commission member secretary Sudha Pillai.

For instance, the government may pay the entire premium for those below the poverty line. For the better off, the government's contribution will diminish the higher the individual's income.

This scheme is likely to cover not only hospitalisation expenses, but also treatment undergone at listed hospitals. Most private health insurance schemes cover only hospitalisation. It will also provide cover for conditions private schemes frequently do not — like heart ailments and pregnancy.

The scheme also intends the Centre to pay a higher premium for women — across all sections.

There is already a health insurance scheme under the Rashtriya Swasth Bima Yojana for BPL families. Close to half of 6 crore BPL families are covered under this scheme. In the next step, all those enrolled in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme will be covered, followed by women enrolled in over 10 lakh angwanwadi centers around the country.

According to the National Sample Survey Office, an Indian spends 80 % of his health expenses on buying medicine. The high cost of treatment makes health services unaffordable to many.

Presently, over 90 % Indians are not covered by any public or private health insurance.

--
.Arun Khote
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of "Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC")

--
Palash Biswas
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