Kerala Left admin, Sangh Parivar "come together" to oppose protest against anti-Dalit "caste wall" around temple

By A Representative
Is Kerala’s Left government, headed by CPI-M, taking the same stance as that of Sangh Parivar on the contentious issue of Kerala’s Nair Service Society (NSS) allegedly forcibly seeking to occupy a public ground surrounding the Vadayambadi Temple in Vadayambadi in Ernakulam district, Kerala, being opposed by the Dalit rights group Bhoo Avakasha Samara Munnani?
It would seem so, if information provided by the National National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), the apex body of tens of mass organizations of India, is any indication. “Fortifying their occupation, NSS has built a ‘caste wall’ in order to prevent the Dalits entering the temple”, NAPM has contended in a statement.
Pointing towards how the Left government administration is behaving, NAPM said, if the district collector "denied the permission to conduct a Dalit convention" to make its view opposing the 'caste wall' known early this month, threatening protesters for "any possible circumstances", Sangh Parivar "goons and other right-wing fundamentalists approached the protest site and created ruckus by manhandling and threatening the protesters”.
The NAPM statement particularly criticised the Kerala police for using "brutal force" against activists of the land rights movement, Dalit Bhoo Avakasha Samara Munnani, which wants the open ground to be made available for public, even as seeking "demolition of the ‘caste wall’."
It said, even when the convention was taking place peacefully, the police "broke-in, and activists, including Chairman of Samara Munnani, CS Murali (President of Kerala Dalit Masabha), Gomathi and Penpillai Orumai, were injured. Activists present at the protest site were dragged through the road and arrested.”
Pointing out that, on Ambedkar Jayanti last year, a similar wall erected by NSS was “pulled down by protesters”, NAPM said, “NSS then went on occupying the land producing fake land records and promptly built a huge arch entrance including a wall", adding, “The present protest programme, demanding the demolition of the wall, has been continuously facing threats from the government and police since its beginning."
Noting that there have been “successive attacks on the protest site and arrest of activists and even the media persons”, NAPM said, “During a similar incident on January 21, two journalists Abhilash Padacheri and Ananthu Rajagopal Asha, along with one of the leaders of the movement, Sasidharan, were arrested on false charges.” One activist, VK Joy, was also put into custody, and is "still behind the bars."
Calling the Kerala government’s attitude towards the protesters “anti-Dalit”, criticizing it for unleashing “police raj”, NAPM said, “The protesters are bing continuously harassed by the state officials in order to suppress the voice of dissent.”
“As of now, police seems to be silent and not ready to take any action against the perpetrators”, NAPM said, adding, “In contrast to the lawful duty entrusted upon a public servant, The SI of the concerned police station has been trying his best to suppress the movement with different means, including public caste defamation.”
“He is same person who led the force today to the arrests... Among the activists, Gomathi, has been badly injured during the police action and was denied the hospital facility. Dr PG Hari, who questioned this discrimination at the police station, had to face their rage and he was physically manhandled by the policemen.”
Those who have endorsed the statement include well-known social activists Medha Patkar, Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey, Shankar Singh, Prafulla Samantara, P Chennaiah, Binayak Sen, Kavita Srivastava,Gabriele Dietrich, Geetha Ramakrishnan, Sandeep Pandey, Sister Celia, Maj Gen (Retd) SGVombatkere, Arundhati Dhuru, Manesh Gupta, Vilayodi Venugopal, CR Neelakandan, Prof Kusumam NAPM, Anand Mazgaonkar, Krishnakant, and others.

Comments

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.

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu. He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

Celebrating 125 yr old legacy of healthcare work of missionaries

Vilas Shende, director, Mure Memorial Hospital By Moin Qazi* Central India has been one of the most fertile belts for several unique experiments undertaken by missionaries in the field of education and healthcare. The result is a network of several well-known schools, colleges and hospitals that have woven themselves into the social landscape of the region. They have also become a byword for quality and affordable services delivered to all sections of the society. These institutions are characterised by committed and compassionate staff driven by the selfless pursuit of improving the well-being of society. This is the reason why the region has nursed and nurtured so many eminent people who occupy high positions in varied fields across the country as well as beyond. One of the fruits of this legacy is a more than century old iconic hospital that nestles in the heart of Nagpur city. Named as Mure Memorial Hospital after a British warrior who lost his life in a war while defending his cou...

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Epic war against caste system is constitutional responsibility of elected government

Edited by well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan, the book, “Bhed-Bharat: An Account of Injustice and Atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-18)” (available in English and Gujarati*) is a selection of news articles on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-2018) published by Dalit Shakti Prakashan, Ahmedabad. Preface to the book, in which Macwan seeks to answer key questions on why the book is needed today: *** The thought of compiling a book on atrocities on Dalits and thus present an overall Indian picture had occurred to me a long time ago. Absence of such a comprehensive picture is a major reason for a weak social and political consciousness among Dalits as well as non-Dalits. But gradually the idea took a different form. I found that lay readers don’t understand numbers and don’t like to read well-researched articles. The best way to reach out to them was storytelling. As I started writing in Gujarati and sharing the idea of the book with my friends, it occurred to me that while...

Beyond the rhetoric: Gujarat’s 2047 promise and its hidden faultlines

By Rajiv Shah A few days ago, I met a veteran Gujarat-based economist, the author of several books offering a critical evaluation of the state’s economy, poverty, and gender discrimination . Also present was a retired Gujarat-cadre bureaucrat with an economics background, known for his popularity in the cities and districts where he served during his heyday.

Is India emulating west, 'using' anti-terror plank to justify state-supported violence?

Fahad Ahmad, Baljit Nagra* Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused India of being involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh leader, on Canadian soil. Narendra Modi’s right-wing Hindu nationalist Indian government is defiant and denies involvement. Indian officials have instead admonished Canada for being a “ safe haven ” for Sikh “terrorism,” a pejorative for Sikh self-determination .

NHRC seeks action report on contaminated water outbreak in Ahmedabad

By A Representative The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in New Delhi has issued notices to the Secretary of the Water Supply Department in Gandhinagar , the Ahmedabad District Collector and the Municipal Commissioner of Ahmedabad, seeking an action-taken report within four weeks on allegations of human rights violations arising from a major outbreak of waterborne diseases in Behrampura , Danilimda ward of Ahmedabad city.

Search This Blog