Report on the Seminar
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Dalits and Globalization
organised by GSVS
and NCDHR
Babu Mangoo Ram Mugowalia, who was also an NRI at
one point of time and was in the forefront of the Ghaddar movement and later on
became the founder father of the famous Ad Dharm movement in Punjab, started his
struggle for the emancipation of the Dalits by establishing his own school where
Dalit children were provided free education in a caste free environment at
his own village itself. Dr. Ronki Ram
Chandigarh (Ambedkartimes.com News
Bureau):- Gramin Shikshan Vikas Sanghathan (GSVS) and National Campaign
on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) organized seminar on Bharat Rattan Baba Sahib Dr.
B. R. Ambedkar, Dalits and Globalization at Muktsar (Punjab), Sunday December 9,
2007. In the morning session of the seminar issues relating to the problems of
rural education, especially among the Dalits, and how to solve them
constructively were taken up seriously. Mr. Vishwanath Meshram of Calgary
(Canada) initiated the discussion with his opening detailed inaugural note on
the current state of affairs of Dalit/rural education in the state and in
general. He also related his experiences of the rural education in Maharashtra
and the present situation over there. He asked the participants, mostly from the
school and college education field, to pinpoint the main causes of neglect and
how they can be covered up. What has gone wrong with the rural education system
and how that can be rectified? The inaugural address was followed by a long
discussion. Mr. Basant Singh Raju, former teacher, touched upon various crucial
aspects of the problem. He said that the govt. is often remains indifferent to
the rural education. Students belonging to the upper castes complete their
syllabus much in time, whereas Dalit students’ study starts two to four months
after the actual session begins. It was so because that won’t get books (to be
supplied by the govt welfare department) at the beginning of the academic
session. He also underlined that most of the teachers in village schools
belonged to the Dalit community. They were also an exploited lot. Vacant posts
are not filled for years. It is suggested to fill these posts on ad hock basis.
Mr. R. Bharti another schoolteacher also touched upon various similar issues. He
said though books from the welfare dept. would be available in time, but it is
the teachers who deliberately delayed in to bring them. Master Harbans Singh
Dish held parents and teachers also responsible for the sorry state of affairs
in rural education. He said 25% students dropped from first to fifth class.
Those who reached up to 8th standard majority of them pass the examination by
cheating because there is pressure to pass every one who sits for 5th class
examination. Principal Jagroop Singh Roop told that is lack of assertion, which
is the main reason behind the poor performance of the Dalit community students.
Mr. Surinder Singh talked about the stereotyped teaching techniques. Mr. Sham
Lal, Principal of a senior secondary school in the region, suggested to adopt
poor students as a way to improve the lot of the students belonging to Dalit
community. Principal Mool Chand discussed in detail many more aspects of the
deteriorating rural education. He emphasised on the need of making Dalits
self-sufficient in order to provide good education to the children. Mr. Sukhdev
Ram exhorted the NRI Dalit brothers to come forward to help their community
build their own education system independent of the prevailing one that would
also facilitate in building the self-esteem of the community. He also talked
about establishing village level Dalit committees to look after the education of
the children of the community. Other prominent speakers were Mr. Mohan Lal
Phillauria, Mr. Rajesh Kumar and Mr. Ram Prasad Bhoriwal.
The second session started after the community lunch. This
session was devoted to summing up and formulating suggestions as what is to be
done to improve the state-of-affair of the rural education. Mr. Roshan Chumber
of Calgary, who was also one of the organisers of the seminar, laid stress on
confining to the main focus of the meet and to be specific on what we want to
do. He said NRI’s help would definitely be there, but more in terms of time and
manpower we have to depend our community fellow back home in Punjab. Mr.
Meshram, the main brain behind the seminar spoke at length summarising the
discussion and elaborating on what to be done. At this level many other
participants also gave the opinions: infrastructures need to be provided at the
village schools, enough recruitments are to made, parents should spare more
time, since majority of the Dalit students come from poor families they do not
find right type of environment to study at home, so there should be some
community centres in each locality in the villages to provide them conducive
environment for the study etc. etc. Prof. Gurnam Singh Muktsar assured his full
support and praised the efforts of the organisers.
Dr. Ronki Ram, the chief guest on the occasion, gave his
concluding remarks. He congratulated the organisers for their efforts to
highlight the problems of the rural education how it affects the Dalit students
the most. He stressed upon the need of effective networking among the various
Dalit organisations and activists to revive the already much deteriorated system
by taking up the matter with the right authorities and also at the community
level. He said that it is a very positive trend that Dalit NRI brothers have
started showing concern towards education. No community can rise without
receiving education. He also reiterated on the fact that we do not need
education as such; we need right type of education to become conscious of our
rights and to stand on our feet. He reminded how Babu Mangoo Ram Mugowalia, who
was also an NRI at one point of time and was in the forefront of the Ghaddar
movement and later on became the founder father of the famous Ad Dharm movement
in Punjab, started his struggle for the emancipation of the Dalits by
establishing his own school where Dalit children were provided free education in
a caste free environment at his own village itself.
Mr. Sushil Bharti coordinator conducted the discussion and Mr.
Raresh Kumar, Secretary NCDHR; Punjab gave the vote of thanks.
Posted on www.ambedkartimes.com (December 20,
2007) |
Buddhamarga in Wolverhampton
By
Ven. S.M. Sujano
On 2nd September 2007, Punjab Buddhist Society UK has organized dhamma talk programme on ‘How to apply Buddhist meditation in daily life’. This is a part of ‘Buddhamarga’
regular dhamma discussion session at the centre. This talk was given by
Ven. Sayadaw Jnanapurnik Mahasthavir, Aggamahasaddhamma jotikadhaja
vipassanachariya from Nepal.
The programme was started by the lighting the candles in front of
the Buddha by Cllr. D. D. Ahir, society’s senior adviser. All the
participants observed five precepts from ven. Sayadaw. Ven. Sujan, a
resident monk on behalf of society welcomed all the participants and
give short background of the buddhamarga session and hand over ven.
Sayadaw to deliver his massage to all.
The talk was started with the importance and value of being born
as human being in this world. Having such precious life, one should not
forget owns’ target to achieve ultimate happiness by training mind not
to associating with harming other, adulteries, intoxication etc. one
who established in morality, could develop mental peace and clam. In
daily life we are facing many different difficulties and tangled with
it. The more we try to release, tangled more due lack of understanding
of mental condition.
Ven. Sayadaw gave clear vision of over coming from these
difficulties by understanding the nature of mind by observing and
developing awareness. Awareness on each and every object that one is
getting from senses. Just observing as they truly are and letting it
go. Further, to develop this awareness, one has to fully understand the
concept of Eight Fold Noble Path and try to establish on it. Shortly,
Eight Noble Path is known as ‘the Middle Path’, which is Right
understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right
livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness and Right concentration.
The eight Fold Noble path can be categorised into three principles;
morality, concentration and wisdom. Clear understanding on these three
principles is the guidance for developing or applying the dhamma in
daily life.
Ven sayadaw has discussed more on Sila or precepts, which is the
foundation for developing concentration or meditation. Meditation is
the practice of awareness or process of paying attention and focusing
your awareness. Awareness will help you to gain or recovery your
energy. It will help you to relax, understand the nature of changing
phenomenan and understand the life as they truly are. However, he
pointed out strongly that with our strong dedication and commitment,
meditation won’t help and won’t work at all. Practice and practice will
help to deal with daily life difficulties.
One hour’s talk was greatly appreciated and responded by the
audience. Audience were eagerly joined the question & answer
session. Audience were multi-nationals; British, Indian British,
Indian, Nepalese, Bangladesi etc. After the Q/A session ven. Sujan
invited everyone to participate ‘buddhamarga’ dhamma
discussion programme on every third Sunday of the month in evening time
and thanked to all the participants. At the end of the programme ven.
Chander Bodhi, a chief monk of the centre and patron/president of
Punjab Buddhist Society UK gave a vote of thanks to all for
participating at the function and inviting all the members to join next
programme and ven. Sangha gave blessings. The programme was ended by
light refreshment. Every participants were enjoyed the talk and full of
joy and happy in the taste of dhamma. They also gave wonderful feed
back for organizing such activity every month. Further, members have
suggested publishing this talk on CD or as a booklet. If anyone would
like to voluntarily join on this project or would like to support
please contact to ven. Chander Bodhi at the centre.
Short biography of Ven. Sayadaw Jnanapurnik Mahasthavir
Ven. Sayadaw Jnanapurnik was born in Nepal on Nov 21, 1939, and
renounced at the early age of 16. At the age of 23, he obtained a
degree in Buddhist teaching in Burma and has been teaching the Buddha
dhamma ever since.
A gifted linguist Ven. Sayadaw is reputed to know seven major
languages of the world. Thus, it was no surprise when he became Ven.
Mahasi Sayadaw, one of the famous Buddhist meditation teacher’s
interpreter in the early 70’s and in the course of his duty, he
traveled widely in the west teaching the dhamma and vipassana
meditation. Ven. Sayadaw is currently the chief abbot of Vishwa Shanti Vihara in Kathmandu.
p.s. special thanks to Ven. U Nagasena for bringing Ven. Sayadaw to
the centre and thanks to ven. Tejwant and Mr. Martin for the
preparation.
May all beings be happy and peace….
Posted on September, 07, 2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THIRTEENTH
PUNJABI
AMERICAN LITERATURE CONFERENCE ORGANIZED BY
PUNJABI SAHIT SABHA CALIFORNIA
U.S.A. (Regd.)
Sacramento:- The Punjabi Sahit Sabha California, USA (Regd.) is inviting
to all lovers of Punjabi Literature to attend 13th Punjabi
Literature Conference on Sunday, September 9th, 2007 at Lakshmi Narayana
Mandir’s community hall: 7495 Elder Creek Road Sacramento, California 95824 from 9:00
am to 6:00 pm. Dr. Jaspal Singh former literary columnist of The Tribune will
deliver a key note address on Postmodern Diaspora Punjabi American Literature
and a lively discussion shall follow thereafter. Your participation will be a
great contribution to the historic event. If you have any concerns, please feel
free to contact me anytime.
Dr. Amrik Singh
(916) 212-8550
President,
Punjabi Sahit Sabha California, USA (Regd.)
POSTED ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2007 : 06:52 PM
============================================================================
AJAY
SHRI CHANDRA
A
Dalit PhD student was Harrassed & pushed to commit Suicide by Faculties
Dr.Ajit Kumar & Dr.Raghavendra Gadkar at the Indian Institute of Science!?
A Brilliant and outstanding PhD Student committed suicide in the Biological science division of Indian Institute of Science???Bangalore, India they call this is the most prestigious and premiere institute for science and
basic research in India. If one has to do the due diligence to look at it and
analyze the status and quality of this institute, a shocking truth will emerge
that this is not true at all?. There is not much accomplished in this science
institute in decades, nor there is any world renowned scientist like C.V. Raman
or Raman jam came out of this institute in centuries now. It is rather a Brahmin Institute instead.
Brahmins will go to any extent ever if they have to kill people to keep
this national and public institute as their backyard playground, so do
other several
educational institutions in India.
We have not seen any useful research work done in
this institute for decades, where is the discovery of drug that helped
thousands or millions of patients in India? Where is the invention that emerged from IISc to
show the world that Indian science is top of the line? Where is the noble prize from this institute or any
other Indian institute to show the world that Indian's have done a great
science? Where is one outstanding output of this Institute
or any other Institute that proclaims as the top science university.......
...there would not be a single answer for any of these questions?
While such is the case, the amount of discrimination,
favoritism, skewed ness and manipulation by the brahmins in these institution
is beyond any words can describe, in one of the very recent incident, a
doctorate (PhD) student of a Dalit community by name AJAY
SHRI CHANDRA
CV IN
EXCELLENCE
SSLC: 88.83 per cent from Hyderabad
PUC: 94.14 per cent from a
Nalgonda college
BSc: 83 per cent from Nizam
college, Osmania varsity
IISc Entrance 2006: Among the
top 12 and was selected for the biology division
brilliant, brilliant and hardworking scholar was harassed
by his Mentor Dr. Ajit Kumar and one Dr. Raghavendra Gadkar (both from the Dept
of Biological Sciences, IISc, Bangalore), the young PhD scholar was humiliated and degraded
to an extent, the mental torture was beyond this boy's control to commit
suicide. This young man was literally robbed of his youth and talents by the
casteistic bastards of IISc, a emerging scholar is no more as has committed
suicide on August 27, 2007 in his hostel/dorm room.
IISc student commits suicide
A PhD student of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore
committed suicide due to "depression" by hanging himself in his
hostel room, a senior police official said on Monday.
Rediff, India, August 27, 2007
IISc student commits suicide
A suicide note addressed to Ajay's father was found in his room. "I am
sorry dad. The world is not for me. It is too much for me to take," stated
the note.
Pressure drives IISc student to suicide
DH News Service, Bangalore: Aug 28, 2007 Wilting under academic pressure, a 21-year-old IISc student allegedly committed
suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan at the students hostel in the
campus here in the wee hours of Monday.
Read
the full story from Atrocity news:
-That his guide, Dr. Ajit Kumar and Co-Guide, Dr. Raghavendra Gadkar
used to insult, abuse, humiliate and discriminate on the basis of caste. In one
course, Dr. Raghavendra awarded only a “D” grade which was undervalued
purposely to demoralise him.
-That he suffered depression and mental trauma of the treatment he was
prearranged. He was isolated and was completely ignored by fellow students and
professors.
-That the media reported his guide had asked some student to inquire regarding
Ajay’s whereabouts. When that student went to his room, the door was locked
from the inside. When he did not respond to several people’s attempt to wake
him up, the door was broken open with the help of security guards only to find him
hanging.
-That there was a 7 page suicide note found at the room he was hanging in which
had mysteriously disappeared police records.
-That the police had taken custody of the body to conduct post-mortem.
-That his parents were informed only after two days of the incident.
-That police had handed over the body along with only a two page suicide note.
-That Mr.Govind Raj, a non-teaching staff in the college (mobile no.
09945346077) and Prof.Jay Bhaskaran know all these facts.
Labels: Balarkrishnan,
Bangalore,
CJI, CJI
India, Dalit PhD student, dalits, Harraser Dr.Ajit Kumar, Humiliator Dr.Raghavendra Gadkar, IISc, IITs, Indian Institute of Science, suicide
http://upliftthem.blogspot.com/
Posted by Saint
at
9/03/2007 12:08:00 PM
http://ambedkartimes.com/ POSTED ON SEPTEMBER 04, 2007 08: 40 PM
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Entering Temple,
Boiling Dal Poured on Dalits
On 31st August at Shahpu, near Patna
in Bihar a group of Dalit boys were beaten up
mercilessly for playing in the temple premises by the upper caste people
calling it sacrilege.
The Upper Caste people later followed the
children into their huts and started assaulting their mothers. In the clash,
the Upper Caste people poured boiling Dal on two Dalit women and babies who
suffered burn injuries and are now in the hospital.
Dalit Sarpanches barred from
unfurling
The Tricolor Flag on Independence
Day
A Panchayat chief of Kaimur district was barred
from unfurling the Tricolor on Independence Day this year on15th August.
The incident reportedly took place in the
parliamentary constituency of none other than Union Minister for social justice
and empowerment Mira Kumar, Daughter of Babu Jagjiwan Ram.
Dimari Panchayat chief Sinhas Ram was assaulted
and chased by some members of the upper caste on August 15 when he and
Panchayat secretary also a Dalit, reached the Panchayat Bhavan to unfurl the
National Flag.
In another shocking incident of
"Untouchability" arising out of Caste factor, a Dalit woman, Lali
Devi, was prevented from cooking mid-day meal for school children at Rahtas.
When Lali went ahead for cooking, school
secretary Umashankar Tiwary, who represents upper caste and his associates,
reportedly dragged her out of the kitchen and assaulted her husband publicly.
POSTED ON SEPTEMBER 2,
2007
---------------------------------------------------------
Tension in Haryana town over youth's
murder
August 28, 2007
12:37
IST
Tension prevailed in Gohana Town of District Sonipat (Haryana) on Tuesday
after a large number of Balmikies took to the streets and clashed with police
to protest the murder of a youth belonging to their community.
The Balmikies set ablaze a police check-post and damaged several Haryana
Roadways buses at the Gohana bus stand last night.
Police had to resort to mild baton-charge to disperse Balmikies, who in turn
pelted stones at the police personnel leaving some of them injured.
Rakesh alias Lara was shot dead by three unidentified motorcycle-borne
youths when he along with another youth Vikki was going to meet one of their
friends in the town on Monday.
Vikki told police that the assailants after shooting down Rakesh also fired
some shots in the air to scare away the people who tried to give them a chase.
Keeping in view the situation, District Magistrate D P S Nagpal has enforced
prohibitory orders and banned carrying of firearms within the town.
Sonipat's police chief, Navdeep Singh Virk told reporters here today that so
far three youths had been arrested in connection with last night's incident.
Virk said the situation in Gohana town was tense, but under control as
additional forces had been deployed to control the situation.
Rakesh was acquitted in the murder of Baljit Siwach, a financer of Garhwal
village. Siwach, who belonged to the pre-dominant Jat community, was murdered
on August 27, 2005.
After his murder, several Dalit houses in the Balmiki Colony of Gohana town
had been torched on August 31, 2005.
Gohana to Saalwan
Dalits faced with burning
issues
WHEN it comes to Dalits, history repeats itself
with a minor difference being in the detail but not in the fact that they
continue to be targets of castist oppression. The only difference in the
violence that was unleashed against Dalits at Gohana in Sonipat on August 31, 2005, and on March 1 at
Saalwan in Karnal district is the caste of their tormentors. At Saalwan, the
hordes that razed the houses and wrecked the belongings of Dalits were Rajputs,
whereas 19 months ago, at Gohana, the perpetrators of arson were Jats. That
such atrocities driven by a feudal mindset, which has only contempt for the
law, should occur with alarming frequency in Haryana exposes the prevalence of
a despicable social order, which ought to have been rooted out long ago.
The mob that forced its way into the houses of
Dalits to destroy and burn their belongings was said to have set out to avenge
the murder of a farmer who was reportedly killed by two Dalits. Doubtless,
murder is a heinous crime and the guilty, regardless of their caste, should be
brought to book. Historical injustice and centuries of oppression do not
justify Dalits — or members of any community, for that matter — taking the law
into their own hands. By the same token, there can be no recourse to mob rule
to avenge a crime.
The mobs, in retaliating against a murder, vented
their wrath against over 50 Dalit families only because they were Dalits. This
is an atrocity that should and could have been foreseen and prevented by the
administration, especially when it is known that such attacks are not uncommon
in Haryana. The state also boasts of caste panchayats “dispensing justice” in
blatant violation of the constitutional scheme and in defiance of all law.
Clearly, both the rule of law and the civil rights are endangered and the
administration is able to do little to safeguard the lives and property of
Dalits. In 2002, five Dalits were lynched in Jhajjar merely because of rumours
that they had killed and skinned cows. The government should get rid of these
castist black holes that are a blot on the country.
By Virender Singh Gill
POSTED ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2007
|
GOHANA BURNING AGAIN!
MURDER OF A DALIT LEADER IN GOHANA
POLICE LATHI CHARGED OVER PROTESTING DALITS
S. L. Virdi Advocate
On Monday evening, a large number of
angry Dalits clashed with the police, set ablaze a police chownki, damaged
Haryana Roadways buses and jammed the link road traffic in Gohana Town of District
Sonipat (Haryana). 20 people were hurt in the action including 8 police men.
Trouble started when a Dalit youth
Rakesh Alias Lara was shot dead here last night by three men came on a motor
cycle.
The violence this morning was again
sparked when the police brought the body of a murdered Dalit youth in a truck
from the Rohtak PGIMS. A large number of Dalits protesters came out in streets
in Gohana.
It is pertinent to mention here that
Rakesh was acquitted in the murder of Baljit Siwach a Jat Financer of nearby
Garhwal village on August 27, 2005
near the Balmiki Basti in Gohana, on misbehaving a Dalit woman.
How dared the Dalits? In retaliation
against the Baljit's murder, a mob of twelve villagers, gathered for Maha
Panchayat at Gohana on August 31, 2005,
first looted the houses and set on fire the Balmiki Basti in which 50 houses of
the Dalits were damaged and ruined.
Under the pressure, the State
government ordered a CBI inquiry into the murder and torching of Dalit houses
in Gohana Balmiki Basti.
The police arrested Ramesh with six other Dalit youths
following the murder of Baljit Siwach, Rakesh and other three youths were,
however, acquitted by the CBI special court on November 26, 2006 due to the lack of evidence. The
incident took place due to revenge and for teaching a lesson to the Dalits.
Dalit organizations staged strong
protests, demonstrations, rallies in Rohtak, Bhiwani, Karnal, Jamna Nagar,
Panch Koola, Ludhiana, Phagwara
TownsPunjab. of Haryana and
Posted on August 29, 2007
|
HOMAGE TO PUNJABI POET LAL SINGH DIL
BRINGS OUT THE
POWER OF LITERATURE
TO EXPOSE DISCRIMINATION AND OPPRESSION
By
INDIRA PRAHST,
Instructor of Race and Ethnic Relations,
Department of Sociology, Langara College, Vancouver
The University of British Columbia last week hosted the 14th
International Triennial Commonwealth Literature Conference with the
theme "Literature of
Our Times." Academics from all over the world attended. In conjunction,
the Chetna Association at the Dr. Ambedkar Library in the Guru Ravi
Dass Community Centre organized a seminar dedicated to renowned Punjabi
poet, Lal Singh Dil, last Sunday evening.
Mr.
Dil was scheduled to speak at the event, but due to an illness, he died
on August 14. Therefore, the program was changed to commemorate his
achievements in the literature of the oppressed. Several prominent
writers, journalists, local artists and social activists attended and
engaged in knowledge translation. The unveiling of Mr. Dil's portrait
was done by a local artist Shital Anmol and a candle lighting in his
memory preceded the presentations.
The
loss of Dil, according to many at the event, will "leave a large void
in the field of the literature of the oppressed." However, his memory
and powerful words live on. The new words and idioms he introduced made
him a distinguished Punjabi poet. Despite being a well-known and
progressive writer, he died in poverty and, as members of the Chetna
Associoation pointed out, "a few days earlier, the poet was found
unconscious in his dingy room at Balmiki Mohalla when a team of TV
journalists arrived to film a documentary on his contribution to the
revolutionist poetry in Punjab."
Being
a Dalit left a deep scar on Dil's identity, and because of his caste he
also suffered spiritually, abandoned his Hindu religion and did not die
a Hindu. At the event, one way to pay tribute to the passion that led
him to change the condition of the landless was through a visual clip.
Indeed, his words were powerful when he spoke about the lived
experience of being Dalit. "This shows our people's slavery and mental
slavery," he said. His
words to explain the oppression and to encourage activism were
expressed thus:
"Those who do not know how to fight and those who wish not to fight are
enslaved; slavery is a terrible scar. We do not know how to speak up,
that is the issue - we keep silent. People must realize this is our
land and it belongs to us."
The
words are very much at the heart of Karl Marx's ideas about
mobilization of the masses to produce social change. A necessary
strategy is for a leader to form and to help get the oppressed out of
"false consciousness."
This involves questioning and debunking the ideologies employed to
oppress them. What people need to realize is that they occupied the
land first. In this context, a "Conflict Perspective," would argue that
the caste system
is an "ancient prejudice" to rationalize the unequal distribution of
resources. Franz Fanon pointed out a similar argument for change in his
well-known book "The Wretched of the Earth," where he wrote about the
need to educate
the masses as a means of liberation from oppression in the context of
the Algerian war and terrorism. It is this theme of mobilization and
education that the guest speakers touched on.
Keynote
speakers at the UBC conference also spoke at the event. They included
Sivakami Palanimuthu, a writer and social activist who is described as
a "champion of Dalit and women rights." Her most recent work is
the novel "The Grip of Change" in which she shows "Dalit life in the
raw,
what is done to them, and what they do themselves," (The Hindu, 2006).
When
I asked her about the strategies she employed to expand the Dalit Land
Rights Movement in the context of government, she was not shy to talk
about her interactions with government officials and her interactions
with members of the Tamil Panther Movement, as well as the hospitality
of Dalit Panther leader, Thirumavalar. She spoke about "being a tool of
the movement to organize meetings and raise awareness of the plight of
the Dalits and their landlessness and the need for the creation of land
policy.
Some
key issues raised were: 1) government has a "modern"
responsibility; 2) how Dalits can turn to the government and ask for
land; 3) uprooting of Dalits who dwell on high cost land (in the urban
centers); 4) provisions of basics amenities in urban settings; and 5)
amendments to "The Land Ceiling
Act."
She
also stated that the issues of the Dalits are not only economical in
accessing land, but "much more, it is the dignity." Although she
herself is successful and has elevated herself economically; she spoke
about still being tagged as a "Dalit." Inspired by her words, Ajmer
Rode, (regarded
as the "founder of Punjabi theater in Canada" who wrote the first
Punjabi play Dooja Passa on racism experienced by minorities and is
known for his recent play Rebirth Of Gandhi, which was inspired by Ms.
Palanimuthu's work), said: "Her writing indeed is what a writer should
be, getting involved at the grass roots level -the writing that comes
out of that - is real writing."
Another speaker from the conference was Arun Prabha Mukherjee, a professor of English at Toronto's York
University,
specializing in South
Asian and minority literatures. Mukherjee has authored many books,
including her much acclaimed "Towards an Aesthetic of Opposition and is
currently translating
Marathi Dalit writer Sharan Kumar Limbale's novel "Hindu." She
pointed out how Mr. Dil's poetry inspired her: "Poets like Lal Singh
Dil leave words behind that will inspire in different phases of peoples
lives. They are the spark and the light to keep the fire burning."
As
an educator, she said, "It is sad that this great literature is not
taught in schools and universities. These words have a great effect on
the younger generation because of the eye-opening realities of life of India
that was hidden from them. People forget social injustice and different work needs to be done to keep memories alive.
"Prominent
activist from Nawan Shaher, Mr. Om Parkash Lakha (General Secretary of
Dr. Ambedkar Mission Society and Trust), also spoke and said he that he
was hopeful to tell the Dalits upon his return to India, that Dr.
Amdedkar societies are doing well in Canada, and "in a globalized
world, emancipation is easier."
As the evening came to a close, local Punjabi singer, Kamlesh Ahir sang
with passion and asked: "Why did Lal Singh Dil never marry? He chose
not to because he loved a woman from a different caste and he loved her
all his life." Indeed, Mr. Dil lived for self-respect and died for
self-respect
even in matters of the heart.
Also present at the event, as the only non-South Asian, was conference participant Dr. Karin Doerr, professor from Concordia
University, Montreal.
She was called upon to be part of the award presentation. Her work as researcher
and educator is connected to injustice, revolving around the issues of
extreme discrimination and genocide as they occurred during World War
II in Germany
and examines its manifestations in language and literature.
Of special concern to her is the plight of women in struggles and
conflicts because it often gets neglected. She said her visit and
interactions within the South Asian community and its literature was a
learning experience as she enhanced her knowledge about the injustice
experienced by the Dalits and the widows in the Delhi colonies
following the Sikh massacre of 1984. This, she feels, needs to be shared and exposed more to promote general awareness.
This article forwarded by Mr. Jai Birdi.
*VOICEONLINE.COM*
Posted on August 29, 2007============================================================================
ATROCITIES AND SOCIAL BOYCOTT
OF DALITS IN PUNJAB
S. L. Virdi Advocate
There are discriminated people all over the world but
no any where on this earth the natives now known as Dalits, the sons of their own
soil, have been treated as animals
continuously for thousands years under the social system called Varna
System. The system is now popularly known as caste system.
In India,
350 millions of people officially termed and called Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes now called Dalits are being treated inhumanly, discriminated
against and oppressed relentlessly by various modes and methods.
If Dalits
try to enjoy the constitutional rights to improve their life, they are brutally
killed, their women are raped, children are slaughtered, wells are poisoned,
and their dwellings are burned collectively. One Lakh cases of atrocities are
reported in the police stations every year and almost equal number of
atrocities is not reported and recorded. During last 60 years about One Lakh
people have been killed by the upper caste people due to castism.
Punjab
is not very much behind in committing atrocities and following the practice of
untouchability. In Tur village of the Tarn Taran District, the Dalits are
facing social boycott by the Landlords for the past ten days. Trouble started
when a Dalit woman Charanjit Kaur with her relative (Kurmani) Swarn Kaur had
gone to the fields for answering the call of nature (excreta). A Landlord's son
misbehaved them. The matter was reported to Police, which booked the boy, in
retaliation, the Landlord imposed the social boycott on Dalits. Situation in
the village is tense, but the Police is strictly watching.
On 19th
August in village Faridpur of District Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab,
four Dalit girls were forced to pick up their own nature soil (excreta) with
their hands and were victimized by the landlords.
DALIT STUDENT LOST HIS VISION
FOR DEMANDING MORE FOOD IN BIHAR
A Dalit
Navin Kumar Paswan, student of fourth class, Government
School, Aujapauchha
of District Purnea in Bihar,
lost his one eye after headmaster and master beating him up mercilessly for simply
demanding more food during Mid-Day Meal Scheme run by the WHO, Agency of the
UNO.
POSTED ON AUGUST 27, 2007
=============================================================
We are sharing some of the photographs taken during these days at Mohammadabad.
