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

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.

Incarceration of Prof Saibaba 'revives' the question: What is crime, who is criminal?

By Kunal Pant* In 2016, a Supreme Court Judge asked the state of Maharashtra, “Do you want to extract a pound of flesh?” The statement was directed against the state for contesting the bail plea of Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba. Saibaba was arrested in 2014, a justification for which was to prevent him from committing what the police called “anti-national activities.”

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.

Why Indo-Pak relations have been on 'knife’s edge' , hostilities may remain for long

By Utkarsh Bajpai* The past few decades have seen strides being made in all aspects of life – from sticks and stones to weaponry. The extreme case of this phenomenon has been nuclear weapons. The menace caused by nuclear weapons in the past is unforgettable. Images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from 1945 come to mind, after the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Modi’s Israel visit strengthened Pakistan’s hand in US–Iran truce: Ex-Indian diplomat

By Jag Jivan M. K. Bhadrakumar , a career diplomat with three decades of service in postings across the former Soviet Union, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Germany, and Turkey, has warned that the current truce in the US–Iran war is “fragile and ridden with contradictions.” Writing in his blog India Punchline , Bhadrakumar argues that while Pakistan has emerged as a surprising broker of dialogue, the durability of the ceasefire remains uncertain.

Lata Mangeshkar, a Dalit from Devdasi family, 'refused to sing a song' about Ambedkar

By Pramod Ranjan* An artist is known and respected for her art. But she is equally, or even more so known and respected for her social concerns. An artist's social concerns or in other words, her worldview, give a direction and purpose to her art. History remembers only such artists whose social concerns are deep, reasoned and of durable importance. Lata Mangeshkar (28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was a celebrated playback singer of the Hindi film industry. She was the uncrowned queen of Indian music for over seven decades. Her popularity was unmatched. Her songs were heard and admired not only in India but also in Pakistan, Bangladesh and many other South Asian countries. In this article, we will focus on her social concerns. Lata lived for 92 long years. Music ran in her blood. Her father also belonged to the world of music. Her two sisters, Asha Bhonsle and Usha Mangeshkar, are well-known singers. Lata might have been born in Indore but the blood of a famous Devdasi family...

'Batteries now cheap enough for solar to meet India's 90% demand': Expert quotes Ember study

By A Representative Shankar Sharma, Power & Climate Policy Analyst, has urged India’s top policymakers to reconsider the financial and ecological implications of the country’s energy transition strategy in light of recent global developments. In a letter dated April 10, 2026, addressed to the Union Ministers of Finance, Power, New & Renewable Energy, Environment, Forest & Climate Change, and the Vice Chair of NITI Aayog, with a copy to the Prime Minister, Sharma highlighted concerns over India’s ambitious plans for coal gasification and the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR).

Labour unrest in Manesar trigger tensions: Recently enacted labour codes blamed

By A Representative A civil rights coalition has expressed concern over recent developments in the industrial hub of Manesar in Haryana, where a series of labour actions and police responses have drawn attention. A statement, released by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), said it stood in solidarity with workers in IMT Manesar and other parts of the country, while also alleging instances of police excess during ongoing unrest.

Search This Blog