Praveen Rashtrapal was different, he always stood for rights of marginalized

By Martin Macwan*
Praveen Rashtrapal is no more. A short political career of his life as a member of both the upper and lower house of the Parliament was remarkable. The media has not taken much notice of him on the occasion of his demise.
Every person in public life has some controversy and Praveenbhai had them too when he confronted sitting Judge of the Gujarat High Court, Justice Pardiwala for his observations on the ‘Reservation’ as also Hardik Patel on ‘Reservation’ for Patidars by suggesting ‘inter-caste marriages’ between Patidar and Dalits as a floor test for equality. Personally I have different views on both the matters.
However, my friendship with Praveen Rashtrapal has gone a long way and I have always admired him for his fearlessness and uprightness. During the UN world conference against Racism, even though when the National Congress Party to which be belonged to, was against the inclusion of ‘Caste’ on the final agenda of the UN conference, Praveen Rashtrapal stood in the favour of the issue with the community.
This is even when India under UPA I led by Dr. Man Mohan Singh sent a delegation of seven Member of Parliamentarians to the Durban conference including Mr. Sushilkumar Shinde to discourage the attention and discussion the subject of ‘Caste Discrimination’ was receiving world wide. Praveen Rashtrapal had addressed a large public meeting in Durban on the issue with many world leaders.
A prominent human rights activist was denied visa to India for her association with ‘Dalit’ as a human right issue. It was Praveen Rashtrapal who wrote a letter of recommendation for her to Government of India. He was sad and had often expressed it that people do not make much use of his position as a Member of Parliament for Public good. Praveen Rashtrapal was always present on stage whenever invited on any public issue affecting the rights of the marginalized communities.
I have come across in three and half decade public life career with many Dalit Politicians who for their political loyalty have acted against the interests of their own community and have gone to the extent of denying the prevalence of ‘Untouchability’ and ‘Manual Scavenging’ in Gujarat and India. Praveen Rashtrapal was different as he always stood for the rights of the marginalized.

---

*Founder, Navsarjan Trust

Comments

Gujarat Information Commission issues warning against misinterpretation of RTI orders

By A Representative The Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) has issued a press note clarifying that its orders limiting the number of Right to Information (RTI) applications for certain individuals apply only to those specific applicants. The GIC has warned that it will take disciplinary action against any public officials who misinterpret these orders to deny information to other citizens. The press note, signed by GIC Secretary Jaideep Dwivedi, states that the Right to Information Act, 2005, is a powerful tool for promoting transparency and accountability in public administration. However, the commission has observed that some applicants are misusing the act by filing an excessive number of applications, which disproportionately consumes the time and resources of Public Information Officers (PIOs), First Appellate Authorities (FAAs), and the commission itself. This misuse can cause delays for genuine applicants seeking justice. In response to this issue, and in acc...

On Teachers’ Day, remembering Mother Teresa as the teacher of compassion

By Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ It is Teachers’ Day once again! Significantly, the day also marks the Feast of St. Teresa of Calcutta (still lovingly called Mother Teresa). In 2012, the United Nations, as a fitting tribute to her, declared this day the International Day of Charity. A day pregnant with meaning—one that we must celebrate as meaningfully as possible.

Gujarat minority rights group seeks suspension of Botad police officials for brutal assault on minor

By A Representative A human rights group, the Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat, has written to the Director General of Police (DGP), Gandhinagar, demanding the immediate suspension and criminal action against police personnel of Botad police station for allegedly brutally assaulting a minor boy from the Muslim community.

Targeted eviction of Bengali-speaking Muslims across Assam districts alleged

By A Representative A delegation led by prominent academic and civil rights leader Sandeep Pandey visited three districts in Assam—Goalpara, Dhubri, and Lakhimpur—between 2 and 4 September 2025 to meet families affected by recent demolitions and evictions. The delegation reported widespread displacement of Bengali-speaking Muslim communities, many of whom possess valid citizenship documents including Aadhaar, voter ID, ration cards, PAN cards, and NRC certification.

'Govts must walk the talk on gender equality, right to health, human rights to deliver SDGs by 2030'

By A Representative With just 64 months left to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), global health and rights advocates have called upon governments to honour their commitments on gender equality and the human right to health. Speaking ahead of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), experts warned that rising anti-rights and anti-gender pushes are threatening hard-won progress on SDG-3 (health and wellbeing) and SDG-5 (gender equality).

Gandhiji quoted as saying his anti-untouchability view has little space for inter-dining with "lower" castes

By A Representative A senior activist close to Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar has defended top Booker prize winning novelist Arundhati Roy’s controversial utterance on Gandhiji that “his doctrine of nonviolence was based on an acceptance of the most brutal social hierarchy the world has ever known, the caste system.” Surprised at the police seeking video footage and transcript of Roy’s Mahatma Ayyankali memorial lecture at the Kerala University on July 17, Nandini K Oza in a recent blog quotes from available sources to “prove” that Gandhiji indeed believed in “removal of untouchability within the caste system.”

Is U.S. fast losing its financial and technological edge under Trump’s second tenure?

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra* The United States, along with its Western European allies, once promoted globalization as a democratic force that would deliver shared prosperity and balanced growth. That promise has unraveled. Globalization, instead of building an even world, has produced one defined by inequality, asymmetry of power, and new vulnerabilities. For decades, Washington successfully turned this system to its advantage. Today, however, under Trump’s second administration, America is attempting to exploit the weaknesses of others without acknowledging how exposed it has become itself.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

'MGNREGA crisis deepening': NSM demands fair wages and end to digital exclusions

By A Representative The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha (NSM), a coalition of independent unions of MGNREGA workers, has warned that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is facing a “severe crisis” due to persistent neglect and restrictive measures imposed by the Union Government.

Counterview

Search This Blog