Skip to main content

Gujarat activists' note favours Xaviers NGO ad seeking upper caste sweeper, says it's perfectly constitutional

Prasad Chacko
By A Representative
The recent attack on a well-known NGO functioning within Ahmedabad's St Xavier's College campus, Human Development Research Centre (HDRC), allegedly by saffron youths in “protest” against the advertisement for a sweeper's post to be chosen preferably from among among dominant castes, is all set to acquire a fresh spin.
A daft "solidarity" note circulated for endorsement among fellow travelers by several senior Gujarat-based activists in favour of the HDRC and its director Prasad Chacko, who was the main target of attack by saffron supporters, has declared that the controversial advertisement “does not violate any law of the land”.
Those who have sought endorsement are senior of activists of well-known NGOs -- Jitendra Rathod, Nayan Patel, Geeta Oza, Hozefa Ujjaini, Brinda Pancholi, and Vijay Parmar. The signatories have not said whether they have sought support in individual capacity or as office bearers of their respective NGOs.
Seeking views on it the note "supports" the HDRC claim that the advertisement was not “intended to hurt anyone’s feelings, but to promote constitutional values and provisions ensuring access to equal opportunity for all; especially in the occupations being forced to specific communities based on their social and caste identity.”
The draft note, which is likely to be made public on July 11 after a wider endoresement, has sought support amidst continued threats by “many individuals and groups” to file complaint under section 153A of IPC against the HDRC and Chacko, with an application having already been submitted to the Gujarat University Police Station in this regards.
“In addition to that many have given notice for clarification and public apology to be given by the HDRC”, the draft note says.
Referring to the contents of the advertisement – which was put up on the notice board of the HDRC on April 6, nearly one-and-a-half months before the saffron attack actually took place – the note finds nothing wrong with the identification of castes for the selection of a sweeper, Brahmins, Rajputs, Patels, Banias, Jains, Pathan, Syed, Syrian Christian, etc.
The draft note stands in sharp contrast to the view expressed India's well-known Dalit rights activist Martin Macwan, who said in a recent blog that one cannot hope to talk of “annihilation of caste” (a phrase used by Dr DR Ambedkar) by naming castes the way the HDRC did. Macwan has been a key architect in India in the fight against manual scavenging and caste-based occupation.
Even as saying that “the names of communities highlighted in the bracket were as instances and not specifying that they seek people from those specific communities only”, the draft note insists, this was done actually to “promote the principles of equality guaranteed by the Constitution.”
“Appreciating” the initiative taken up by the HDRC and its director for bringing up the “most pertinent issue in public discourse and challenging the systemic practices of inequality upfront”, the draft note says, the activists would to “continue to support such initiatives in future.” However, the draft note regrets, there is an “absence of many human rights activists and groups” in this support, as a result of which “the most pertinent issue of human dignity, equality and rights” has turned into an “issue of caste-based discrimination.”
The draft note also regrets that even “secular individuals and organizations” failed to appreciate the actual framework of the advertisement. While they seemed to join hands to support the HDRC, largely “Dalit rights activists and organizations conglomerate came together”, it adds.
The draft note says, “It is sad that, apart from the so-called upper caste organizations, some of the marginalized and minority community organizations have imbibed this social evil of caste-based discrimination, especially of Muslim and Parsi community.”
This, the draft note says, “is evident from the fact that community leaders/ organizations from these communities have joined the protest and sent memorandum/ complaints to the HDRC directly or via different mediums”.

Comments

TRENDING

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor*  A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*  Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative   A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman*   The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.

Gender violence defies stringent laws: The need for robust social capital

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  The tragic death of Miss Soumyashree Bisi, a 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan College, Balasore, who reportedly self-immolated due to harassment, shocked the conscience of Odisha. Even before the public could process this horrifying event, another harrowing case emerged—a 15-year-old girl from Balanga, Puri, was allegedly set ablaze by miscreants. These incidents are not isolated; they highlight a disturbing pattern of rising gender-based violence across the state and the country.