Dalit minor girl raped in Gwalior
The incident took place at Mayur market area of the district on June 4, this year. However, the survivor told cops she was threatened by the accused not to file a complaint.
Accused Ashish Sharma, resident of New Indra Nagar has been booked under section 376 (rape) of IPC besides other relevant sections of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (prevention of atrocities) Act and Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act.
Thatipur police station in charge Vijay Tomar said, "The accused fled after girl's complaint. As per the complaint, he raped her in June when she was alone at her house."
.Arun Khote
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of “Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC”)
Pl visit on FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/
..............................
Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics and intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC.
Dalits Media Watch
News Updates 13.07.14
Dalit minor girl raped in Gwalior- The Times Of India
Caste Hindu beats up Dalit Boy With Brick- The New Indian Express
High incidences of rape in India, reflect the values of society- Vancouverdesi
I don’t even possess a driving licence, says accused Tilak Raj- Hindustan Times
YSRCP ZP member arrested on polling day- The Hindu
Budget allocation for SCs too small: CPI(M)- The Hindu
Slum-dwellers evicted by railway officials- The Hindu
Ramabai Nagar: 17 Years, 11 deaths, 26 injured and Justice is still awaiting- Two Circle
The Times Of India
Dalit minor girl raped in Gwalior
BHOPAL: A dalit minor girl was raped in Gwalior district by her neighbour last month. Police registered a case and started investigations after the survivor filled a complaint on Friday. The accused is yet to be arrested.
The incident took place at Mayur market area of the district on June 4, this year. However, the survivor told cops she was threatened by the accused not to file a complaint.
Accused Ashish Sharma, resident of New Indra Nagar has been booked under section 376 (rape) of IPC besides other relevant sections of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (prevention of atrocities) Act and Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act.
Thatipur police station in charge Vijay Tomar said, "The accused fled after girl's complaint. As per the complaint, he raped her in June when she was alone at her house."
The New Indian Express
Caste Hindu beats up Dalit Boy With Brick
THOOTHUKUDI: A caste Hindu man was booked for allegedly assaulting a 17-year-old Dalit boy with brick over a parking row, at Kayathar near here on Friday.
Sources said Ashokaraja, a Dalit resident of Kayathar, had parked his bicycle in front of the house of Ayyannar, a caste Hindu, in South Colony, Indira Nagar, before entering his relative’s house.
Ayyannar allegedly picked a quarrel with Ashokaraja and abused him using his caste name. He beat up Ashokaraja with brick. Ashokaraja sustained grievous injuries in the attack and was rushed to the Tirunelveli government hospital.
Based on a compliant from Ashokaraja, the Kayathar Police booked a case under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Ordinance, 2014, against Ayyannar and launched an investigation.
Sources said Ashokaraja used to regularly park his bicycle at a spot before entering his relative’s house to deliver food. There had been no fight over the issue between the two, sources claimed.
Meanwhile, preliminary inquiries revealed that Ayyannar had earlier been booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in 2011 as well.
Vancouverdesi
High incidences of rape in India, reflect the values of society
India is one of the oldest democracies in the world, and has all the laws in place that in an ideal world should overcome the blatant disregard for basic human rights for women. According to BBC News UK (2013), a woman is raped every 21 minutes in India and most incidences are never heard nor spoken about. Why is the Indian community not willing to speak about sexual violence?
I will point out, in December 2012 the the gang rape of Jyoti Singh Pandey made headlines around the world. Where, according to India Today (2013), six men savagely beat and raped this young middle class student of 23 years of age. They physically raped her to the point of death, they caused her internal organs to rupture and she succumbed to death. Thousands of young women, men, mothers, fathers and children gathered around the India Gate and Raisina Hill, in protest for heavier sentences to the six men who had raped this young woman to death. Women in Banglore and Kolkota also rallied together for harsher punishments against rapists. These protesters were demanding justice for rape victims, protesting for stricter laws against rape and harsher punishments.
However, what many people do not realize is that the laws in India are based on colonial times, they were adopted from the British rule. Many of the laws and punishments are more severe than they are in Canada. The Indian Penal Code (IPC) has laws in place to eradicate crimes against women. For example, legislation within the IPC section 376 against rape, section 509 and 294 against sexual harassment or eve-teasing. The Indian Constitution of India 1949, also states equality for men and women regardless of class, race or creed. The sentence for the men in the Jyoti Singh Pandey case was severe, four of the men were sentenced to death by hanging, one of the accused had allegedly hung himself in prison, and the juvenile was given the maximum sentence of three years. Thus compared to Canadian law this punishment for rape was quite severe.
The question then becomes despite the laws and constitution of India guaranteeing the rights of women, why are women still being raped every 21 minutes?
Although, there is no simple answer there are a few factors that can help us understand: the state needs to implement strict guidelines with policing, medical doctors who are examining cases, judges who are trying rape cases, to take sexual assault seriously and to start educating young children at a grass roots level on equality. Presently, India is going through a shift, with more women becoming educated and in the work force, they are demanding equality. However, this demand is primarily in the upper and middle class sector as they are more reflected within the educational system and work force.
The state and the society in India is not upholding the very law it claims to have. Further, factors such as class, caste and religion must all be considered. I believe the Jyoti Pandey case is monumental in grabbing the attention of the world to show what is happening to many women in India. However, there are many cases of women from lower-castes that are not being heard of or considered.
According to the All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch (AIDMAM) society, Dalit are considered the lowest caste in India. In many villages they are considered ‘untouchables’ , however when a young girl reaches puberty, she is made available to the village priest and upper caste men as a sexual partner when required. Thus, not so ‘untouchable’ afterall, this appauling system that many Dalit women are forced into is called ‘Devadasi.’ The National Crime Record Bureau (2009) notes that approximately four Dalit women are raped daily. Thus, being a woman, being from a lower caste, and depending on your socio-economic status will determine how much attention you will receive from the public and from the very state ‘systems’ you rely on.
According to Human Rights Watch, on May 7, 2012 three young girls escaped an orphange as they were being raped and forced to have sex with strangers for money. These girls and many others were being brutally raped for years, yet this was not publicized in the media, because they were orphans.
In 2012, Human Rights Watch interviewed a father named Ahmed, who describes his ordeal when he went to the police to report that his daughter had been raped. Ahmed and his son were both assaulted by four officer’s and were told not to repeat this to anyone. Neha, a 16 year old girl, who comes from a low-caste family describes her ordeal when she went to the police to report her being raped. She states the officers simply told her she must have asked for it and she should keep quiet.
The laws and punishment do not need to change in India, it is society that needs to change. As Menon-Sen & Kumar (2001) state “Efficient policing, stringent punishments and legal measures would reduce the incidents of crime against women but it cannot eliminate this malaise unless and until the mindset of the society is changed and women stop playing second fiddle to men.”
The laws of a country do not reflect the values of a country, it is the upholding of these laws that do. Until the people believe these laws are of value, they will never be enforced.
Hindustan Times
I don’t even possess a driving licence, says accused Tilak Raj
In a resumed hearing of the Jyoti murder case, Tilak Raj, who allegedly drove a truck over Jyoti on the night of murder, told the court on Friday, that he did not even hold a driving licence.
The recording of statements of the accused under Section 313 of Code of Criminal Procedure has been under process in the case and five of the accused have recorded their statements so far. Jyoti, a Dalit girl of Bhunga village in Hoshiarpur, was found dead with her head smashed on a road in Sector 21, Panchkula, on November 22, 2012.
While recording his statement, Tilak Raj said, “I am innocent. I have nothing to do with the crime committed in this case nor with the accused in this case. The evidence will reveal that the police has wrongly implicated me in the case. Firstly neither I am a driver nor do I own a driving licence.
Secondly, Amarjit, owner of the said truck has not stated that I was a driving the truck.” He had also told the court that the truck was in Baddi on the night of the murder.
He claimed that Dr Mamta Attri, who conducted the post mortem, had told the court that a heavy vehicle had passed over Jyoti but DSP Virender Sangwan, one of the investigating officers of the case, had said no such tyre of the vehicle had passed over the victim’s body.
He said, “…if the evidence shows that no such vehicle had passed over the body of Jyoti Rani, there was no reason for the assailants to carry the truck to the site with a predetermined plan,” and added, “…if the signs of truck tyres passing over the body of Jyoti Rani are not there the involvement of the driver of the truck in the crime is absolutely ruled out.” He also pointed out that the mobile tower location of a mobile number: 9882239372), which the police said was being used by Tilak, showed the tower location at 1:44 am to be Chandimandir toll plaza, from 1:48 am to 1:54 am in area of Naa and at 2am at Chamanvatika at Ambala.
“As such this electronic record cannot be relied in order to reach any conclusion,” he said. The crime could not be conducted in six minutes during which the tower location was of around the scene of crime, he added.
Paramjit, another accused, in his statement told the police that he did not know Tilak Raj. The police claims that it was he who called up Tilak Raj to bring the truck to run over Jyoti. He said, “There is no evidence on record to prove that I was holding this mobile number 9882157080. Rather this conversation between two mobiles 98821-57080 and 98822-39372 would show that these mobiles were not at one place and there was no occasion to commit the crime together. The mobile call and tower location evidence is quite shaky and cannot be trusted to reach the truth.” He also told the court that he would not lead defence evidence in the case. The case will come up for hearing on July 14.
The Hindu
YSRCP ZP member arrested on polling day
YSR Congress Party Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) member J. Venkata Ranga Reddy was arrested on Sunday, hours before the conduct of the Prakasam district Zilla Parishad indirect elections to the posts of Chairperson and Vice-chairperson.
On a complaint from a school teacher Gunturi Rani, the Markapur police nabbed the ZPTC member at Santamagaluru near Addanki when he was coming from Hyderabad along with other YSRCP ZPTC members, for the trial of strength.
The ZPTC member was booked under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) act for allegedly abusing the woman by her caste name following a land dispute with her at Darimadugu village on June 22, Markapur Rural SI M.Devakumar said.
Tension gripped Markapur town as YSRCP activists led by its MLA Janke Venkat Reddy staged a protest against the timing of the arrest. ''It's unfair to deny the YSRCP ZPTC member participation in the Zilla Parishad elections'', they said.
Condemning the arrest by the police allegedly under pressure from the ruling TDP, YSRCP District Convenor N. Balaji said the TDP had made the ZP elections a ''farce''. ''It is nothing but a mockery of democracy'', he added.
It was the YSRCP which got a majority winning 31 of the 56 ZPTC seats. However, on the eve of the Special meeting held on July five, three YSRCP ZPTC members switched over to the TDP. With this, both the parties are tied with 28 ZPTC seats each.
Security has been beefed up in the region and Section 144 is imposed in and around ZPTC meeting hall.
The Hindu
Budget allocation for SCs too small: CPI(M)
Funds meant for the SCs are being regularly diverted — including for flyovers and Commonwealth Games.
Pointing out that the budgetary allocation for the Scheduled Castes is far short of what is mandated under the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan (SCSP), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member K. Varadharajan has written to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley requesting that 16.6 per cent of the Plan outlay be set aside for Dalits.
According to Mr. Varadharajan, the SCSP mandates that a proportion of the total Plan outlays of the Centre and State governments, equivalent to the population proportion of SCs at the national and State levels , be set aside annually for their development. Census 2011 has pegged the population of Scheduled Castes at 16.6 per cent of the total population and Dalits should have been allocated Rs. 92,183.45 crore, the letter says. Instead, the allocation is just half of this at Rs. 48,638.31 crore.
Pointing out that the SCSP has been violated by successive governments and funds meant for the SCs were being regularly diverted — including for construction of flyovers and the Commonwealth Games — the Polit Bureau member stressed the need for a law providing statutory status to the SCSP. Besides, the CPI(M) wants the government to ensure that funds allocated for the SCs should neither lapse nor be diverted.
The SCSP was initiated some 35 years back to close the development gap between the SCs to ensure that adequate allocation was made for real needs and priorities.
The Hindu
Slum-dwellers evicted by railway officials
About 42 families become homeless in just 20 minutes.
Residents of a slum in MSM Colony, Gnanapuram, were evicted by Railway officials with the help of men from Railway Protection Force (RPF) on Saturday morning.
Early in the morning, the officials reached the site with a JCB and demolished the colony, even before the residents could realise what was happening.
About 42 families had been living in the slum, for two decades.
Most of them are from the SC/ST community and had been making a living either by begging at the railway station or selling small plastic items.
“There are about 20 senior citizens and over 40 children and we have become homeless within a span of 20 minutes,” said Kanaka Raju, a resident.
“With overcast skies and persistent rain, where do we go now with all the old people and children?
The authorities, either the railway or the GVMC have not shown any alternative site, where we can build our homes,” said Srinivas, another resident of the slum.
According to Sheetal Madan of Association of Regional Tribal Development, the residents were given voter ID cards just before the General Election by the district authorities and now after the election, they had completely disowned them.
J.V. Ratnam of People-Centric Development said that eviction of slums without notice and without providing an alternative housing arrangement was illegal as per Slum Areas (Improvement and Clearance) Act of 1956. “The corporation is supposed to spend 40 per cent of its fund for Urban Community Development.
We demand that the slum be re-built or they be given proper housing under JNNURM or RAY programme, immediately,” said Mr. Ratnam.
According to Kanaka Raju, the GVMC authorities had promised to talk to the Railway officials and extend their stay till some arrangement was made, but that had not happened.
They have been living there for two decades
They were said to have been given voter ID cards just before the General Election
Two Circle
Ramabai Nagar: 17 Years, 11 deaths, 26 injured and Justice is still awaiting
“That firing was something as if it was firing of India and Pakistan war” said Bhante Kashyap, reminiscently, one of the eye witnesses of Ramabai Nagar homicide of 1997, in the heartland locality of Mumbai, Ghatkopar East. Another narrator and also an eye witness of this arrogantly brutal massacre of Dalits in Ramabai Nagar, has depicted how thirteen years old boy had been shot dead by police’s bullet hitting his skull and splintered it in two pieces. Few more eye witnesses as well as victims, after seventeen years of the incidence have gathered courage to come up on the stage, provided by ‘Ramabai Nagar Hatyakand Sangharsh Samitee’ at their arranged conference at Ramabai Nagar, on the seventeenth anniversary of this incidence.
On the early morning hours of 11th July 1997, the predominantly Dalit locality of Mumbai, Ramabai Nagar, Ghatkopar East had witnessed the black day. The statute of Dr. Ambedkar was desecrated with garland of shoes and chappals. When peaceful protestors were gathered on the eastern express highway passing through Ramabai Nagar, the police arrived within fifteen minutes from nowhere.
Manohar Kadam, a sub- inspector of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) ordered the firing which had taken place into the locality that, despite the fact that protestors were on the road, had led to the killings of eleven local residents, left twenty-six people injured and each of one of the locality humiliated with undelivered justice even after seventeen years.
‘The Gundewar Commission report- the commission appointed to investigate the incidence- held Kadam responsible for "straightaway" opening fire without warning or even attempting to disperse the crowd through other means’. Manohar Kadam is still not arrested, despite being held guilty for firing and death of eleven innocent people, enjoying the pension of government for his public service.
Eleven families have lost someone among them; most of the people who died were in their early twenties or thirties. Those who were injured went on with their lives. One of them is Milind Pagare, injured by the blast of teargas shells (expired at the time of use), who then was around seventeen years of age, now at thirty-four, is protesting blindfold, seeking justice for victims and the arrest of Manohar Kadam on his occasional fasts.
On the other hand, along with social transitions, political discourse of and by Dalits have been taken a huge leap. The Shivsena and BJP coalition, who then was governing Maharashtra, is again formed the government, this time with full majority in the centre. Meanwhile atrocities against Dalits have been unabated and often go unnoticed with no heedful recognition either by state or media. Ironically, infamous killings of Dalits in ‘Laxmanpure Bathe’ and ‘Bathali Tola’ offer an illusion to people about justice, with the curious acquittal of perpetrators. Khairlanji massacre of Dalit family in 2006, again in Maharashtra, only cemented the illusion of justice in atrocity cases against Dalits. Today, in Ramabai Nagar, the memory of the incidence is fresh and equally haunting. Meanwhile justice to the victims seems lost into the chaos and fusion of political reconstruction and allies into the Ramabai Nagar itself.
The perpetrator of desecration of the statue has never been found. Manohar Kadam, who had been was given life sentence by session court was succeeded to acquired bail from high court and had never been into jail custody whose un-imprisonment is, as Anand Teltumbde recalls, a rude shock for Dalits of Ramabai Nagar who are still waiting for justice, moreover hoping for it through their Morchas, Dharanas, fasts and into their conferences of defending human rights and dignity.
News Monitor by Girish Pant
.Arun Khote
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of “Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC”)
Pl visit on FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/
..............................
Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics and intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC.
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