Police reinforcements deployed after 500,000 Patels protest in Indian city over job and college quotas.

26 Aug 2015 11:15 GMT | Politics, Poverty & Development, India, Asia, Gujarat

India has deployed paramilitary forces and imposed a curfew in Ahmedabad, the capital of the Gujarat state, after violence broke out at a protest led by a powerful caste to demand more government jobs and college places.

The Gujarat state government imposed a curfew in parts of Ahmedabad and four other cities and towns across the western state and called in paramilitary reinforcements on Wednesday after members of the affluent Patel caste protested in the city.

Stone-throwing Patels torched cars, buses and police stations over the arrest of their leader, Hardik Patel, who had hours earlier on Tuesday led a massive protest in Ahmedabad, senior police officers said.

At least a dozen officers were injured in the violence, prompting the first curfew in the state since 2002 when communal riots left at least 1,000 people dead, Gujarat Director General of Police P C Thakur said.

"The curfew was imposed following large scale arson and rioting by members of the Patidar [or Patel] community in different cities of the state late on Tuesday," Thakur told the AFP news agency.

"There was heavy stone pelting of police vehicles and torching of police stations in Unjha and Kalol towns," he said.

Hardik Patel, 22, appealed for calm after his release overnight on bail but also called for a new strike on Wednesday.

Al Jazeera's Nidhi Dutt, reporting from the Indian capital New Delhi, said the 'Patel Movement', as it's being described, "raises some important questions about the delicacy of domestic Indian politics.

"It also raises questions over the age old 'reservation' system which guarantees members of minority communities government jobs … the concern is the Patel's protest may prompt other groups across India to seek similar rights," our correspondent said.

As many as 100 buses were torched and property damaged in the violence in Ahmedabad, Surat, and Mehsana cities and the towns of Unjha and Visnagar, local officers said.

About half a million Patels rallied in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, paralysing the city, to demand preferential treatment.

Schools said they would remain closed on Wednesday, but it was unclear how many businesses would follow the strike call.

Gujarat's chief minister, Anandiben Patel, urged members of her own community to maintain the peace.

Related: India lower caste still removing human waste

India sets aside a proportion of government jobs and university places for Dalits, known as "untouchables", and for so-called "other backward castes" under measures intended to bring victims of the worst discrimination into the mainstream.

She has said that giving into the demands of the Patels was not possible because India's Supreme Court has mandated that state governments can set aside only 50 percent of jobs and school seats for "backward castes" and that existing low caste groups already fill those spots.

The Patels, one of the state's most affluent castes, who make up around 20 percent of Gujarat's 63 million population, say they are struggling to compete with less privileged castes for jobs.

The move to secure preferential treatment was launched at a rally in Visnagar, in northern Gujarat on July 6. It has since become a mass movement as thousands have taken to the streets of Surat, Vadodara, Mehsana and Ahmedabad to press for quotas.

As many as 100 buses were torched and property damaged in the violence in Ahmedabad, Surat, and Mehsana cities and the towns of Unjha and Visnagar [Reuters] http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/08/curfew-ahmedabad-caste-protests-turn-violent-150826063711292.html

Curfew had to be imposed in districts like Surat and Mehsana after Hardik Patel, the 21-year-old leader of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) was briefly detained by police on Tuesday night.

"Violence will not benefit anyone. The only way forward is to have a peaceful dialogue," the Prime Minister spoke in a solemn tone.

He also added that the government would initiate efforts to find a solution to the crisis currently raging in his home state of Gujarat.

Hardik and his legion of supporters have been demanding reservations in jobs and education for the Patidaar community. Hardik had also addressed a major rally in Ahmedabad where he warned theBJP of consequences in the 2017 polls if reservation was not announced for the Patidar community.
On Tuesday night, several public vehicles and police vans were vandalized by rampaging mobs.

Attacks were also reported on the residences of several BJP leaders and the party offices. Blaming the police for the lathi-charge, Hardik appealed for peace on local television channels.

Chief Minister Anandiben Patel also asked people to refrain from spreading rumours.

News786 Team

http://www.news786.in/article.php?id=MjAwNDI=

STOP MINING GIANTS – Each family will have a min of ` 50,000 per annum if mining profits remain with govt

As the nation goes through the " ritual" of celebrating Independence day and Goa's ministers take salutes at taluka headquarters, Goa, we need to ask Are we really free and independent. Do we have real control over out future's and our finances. Are we as empowered a we can be. The bottom line is that if we overcome all the contemporary threats to Goa- of the loot of land and resources, paucity of opportunities and employment, we will have greater control over our natural resources and minerals. On this

Independence Day, Herald supports the movement to ensure that we the people owe the minerals we mine and profit entirely from it rather than the mining companies. Even if no mining takes place, if we can recover the amount mining companies have earned due to " illegal mining" and accrue all the profits into a permanent fund. The interest from the amount can be directly transferred to the accounts of all permanent residents of Goa ( after a criteria defines them specifically). If mining does start, Mining companieswill be mere contractors and will be paid a fee for excavating. The state will earn the profits of the entire sale. This plan will naturally suit the big daddy mining companies. Nor will it suit those in government whose politics and governance been funded entirely by mining companies. But in the hands of a revolutionary government with peoples interests at heart, even this is possible. Do read how.

Team Herald There is a way to survive and survive well without mining. And there is a way for everyone who permanently lives in Goa to earn at least Rs 10,000 a year and for a family to earn Rs 50,000 a year. From 2004 to 2012 ( the period when mining stabilized and boomed in Goa), Rs 54,000 crore was the balance left after deducting extraction expenses from the total sale of iron ore.

While Rs 19,000 crore of this amount went to the centre in taxes and Rs 33,000 crore went to mining companies, leaving just about Rs 2000 crore which came as royalty, this entire amount of Rs 54,000 crore could have been ours if the principle of mining was changed or changed to make we the people the owner of our resources.

If this amount was put into a permanent " Goenchi Mati Permanent Fund" or " GMPF" and even if an interest of 3% accrued from this annually, we would have been left with Rs 1500 crore, without any mining company paying any royalty.

If this amount was distributed among 15 lakh permanent residents of Goa, each person would get Rs 10,000 a year or each family ( with 5 members) would get Rs 50,000 a year. Remember, if no further mining takes place in Goa. In the event of even 10 percent of mining taking place with 5 million tonnes of export instead of 50 million tonnes, the final amount each year to each one of us would also increase.

HOW WE CAN STILL GET A MINIMUM OF RS 54,000 CRORE The good news is that exactly the same amount can still be recovered through a different route According to the Mines and Minerals Development Regulations Act ( Section 21( 5) of the MMDR Act, 1957) a full recovery of the value of minerals is required when illegal mining takes place. And Rule 64A of the Mineral Concession Rules 1960 requires simple interest of 24% to be added to the recovery amount.

The value of the minerals exported only during 2007- 2012 ( declared by the Supreme Court as a period when all mining was illegal) during this period works out to Rs 54,000 cr, net of royalty received. ( remember since this is illegally mined ore, no extraction cost is due to any mining company) IF WE RECOVER COST OF ILLEGALLY EXPORTED ORE WE GET Rs 54,000 crore ( and earn out of its interest) IF WE RECOVER COST PLUS INTEREST OF ILLEGAL MINING WE GET RS 1,07,603 CRORE ( and earn out of its interest)Simple interest up to March 31, 2014 works out to an additional Rs 53,603 crore. The total works out to Rs 1,07,603 crore, around 10 times the annual State budget! It is the Government's constitutional duty as a public trustee to recover these amounts.

Therefore even if we write off the interest, we are still left with Rs 54,000 crore. And in the best case scenario, if we even recover the interest and earn 3% of Rs 1,07,603 crore ( 54,000+ 53,603 cr) we would be left with Rs 3560 crore to be distributed among 15 lakh Goan settlers giving each about Rs 20,000 a year or a family of five 1,00,000 a year REAL FREEDOM IS POSSIBLE• From 2004 to 2012 this is what Goa earned from mining• Sale value of all ore exported ` 88,000 crores ( from GMOEA figures) * Extraction cost of this ore ` 34,000 crores ( Broad calculation: Based on Sesa Goa's ( listed company) figures on its balance sheet scaled up to the exports from all leases)• Balance: ` 53,833 crores ( IMP to note: Out of this ` 19,000 crores went to the centre as taxes and ` 33,000 crores went to the mining companies) IF WE HAD THIS FUND IN ENTIRETY & EVEN IF NO FURTHER MINING TAKES PLACE IN GOA, WE WOULD GET THIS ` 54,000 crores, Fund value ( rounded off) ` 15,000 crore, interest on the fund value if managed well: at minimum of 3% return 15 lakh Population of Goa ` 10,000 Money in the hand of each person if the interest amount is equitably distributed per year to every Goan ` 50,000 Money with each family taking into account 5 members per family ( Amt. calculated annually) Iron Ore belongs to you and not the mining company owners This is what you'll get from our mining wealth At least ` 10,000 and even ` 20,000 per year including children.

So each family of five will get ` 50,000 upto ` 1,00,000 per year Conclusion: Your fish curry rice and basic expenses will be taken care Contd on page 14 >> A people's movement can get us this money There should be and will be a people's movement to get this money back. The real story of how our mineral wealth has been captured by mining companies, should be told in each village and town. In schools and colleges. If we recover and legally live off this money, we don't need anyone's help to survive.

Herald's figures are have a perfect basis. If any mining company or group or individual chooses to oppose or challenge it please do so.

We shall be happy to publish your challenge and our response.

( Acknowledgement: The research on this subject was done by domain experts Raul Basu & Claude Alvares for Goa Foundation)

http://www.epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=14916&boxid=194245353&uid&dat=8%2f15%2f2015

Sheena Bora murder case: Mumbai Police not ruling out 'honour killing'

Sheena Bora was the daughter of Indrani Mukherjea, wife of Peter and the main suspect in the case, from a previous marriage. The motive of the murder still remains a mystery though Indrani's son Mikhail claimed he knew the real reason but would not disclose it.

Population growth slowing for all; on sex ratio, Muslims better than Hindus

While decadal growth rates are declining among all religious communities, the decline has been sharper among Muslims than among Hindus over the last three decades.

The share of Hindus in the population came down marginally from 80.5% in 2001 to 79.8% in 2011. In 2001, Muslims constituted 13.4% of the country's population; this went up marginally to 14.2%.

The Census 2011 data on Population by Religious Communities, released by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, confirms the declining trend in population growth rate in the country. While decadal growth rates are declining among all religious communities, the decline has been sharper among Muslims than among Hindus over the last three decades. In fact, the decadal growth rate among Muslims during 2001-11 is the lowest it has ever been. However, inter-state and inter-regional variations need to be analysed.

The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is falling faster in Muslims than in Hindus. In the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 1 (1992-93), fertility numbers for Muslims and Hindus were 4.4 and 3.3, a gap of 1.1. In NFHS 2 (1998-99), the numbers for Muslims and Hindus fell to 3.59 and2.78, and the gap, therefore, to 0.8. And in NFHS 3 (2005-06), the numbers were 3.1 and 2.7; the gap 0.4.

The share of Hindus in the population came down marginally from 80.5% in 2001 to 79.8% in 2011. In 2001, Muslims constituted 13.4% of the country's population; this went up marginally to 14.2%. In absolute numbers, the Hindu population increased by 13.9 crore during 2001-11; the Muslim population increased by 3.4 crore.

The fertility rate is falling faster in Muslims than in Hindus. Data from the last three National Family Health Surveys (NHFS) show that the gap between Muslim and Hindu fertility rates is narrowing — the difference came down from 1.1 in NFHS 1 (1992-93) to 0.4 in NFHS 3 (2005-06). But the difference in fertility rates of the two communities is bigger in some states and union territories, and needs separate analysis.

The other important piece of data is sex ratio, which is the number of women per 1,000 men. Sex ratio among Muslims as per Census 2011 was 951 — better than the 939 among Hindus. Also, sex ratio among Muslims improved significantly over the decade — from 936 in 2001 to 951 in 2011. The improvement was smaller among Hindus — from 931 in 2001 to 939 in 2011.

These demographic trends are along expected lines. With increased access to education and better economic opportunities, a decline in fertility follows naturally.

It must be noted, however, that fertility among the followers of a particular religion varies substantially across states. Fertility among Hindus is higher in UP than in Tamil Nadu, and the same holds true for Muslims as well. The Census data show that the rate of growth of population varies from state to state. In states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu and [undivided] Andhra Pradesh, which provide better access to education and development opportunities, the decline in fertility has been substantial.

Kerala stands out with its social sector achievements, leading to the low fertility situation in the state. The social factors that adversely affect India's efforts at achieving rapid population stabilisation include widespread deprivation, inequality and social and gender discrimination.

The Census data suggest that there is no "Hindu fertility" or "Muslim fertility" or "Christian fertility" as such. The religious fertility differentials seen in India at present are on account of the differences in the stages of transition that these communities are at, and not the absence of transition in any community. There is nothing in a religion or approach to life that leads a community to have larger families, rather, one should look at their economic circumstances, poverty, marginalisation, etc.

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Indonesia and Bangladesh, both developing, Muslim-majority countries, have outperformed India in terms of falling birth rates. What may have made the difference is female education and employment opportunities, and access to a bigger basket of choices in contraception. Bangladesh probably has economic indicators and per capita income that are similar to some large Indian states.

Women's education is the most important factor explaining fertility differences across the country and over time. The Census data on religious communities provide an opportunity to plan and construct suitable development interventions geared towards education, gender equity, economic development and access to family planning, irrespective of culture or religion.

The author is Executive Director, Population Foundation of India.

বামেদের নবান্ন অভিযানে ধুন্ধুমার, পুলিসের এলোপাথাড়ি লাঠিচার্জ, পুলিসের লাঠির ঘায়ে মাথা ঘাটল বিমান বসুর!

SC/ST protest govt decision to scrap reservation in promotion - The Times Of India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/meerut/SC/ST-protest-govt-decision-to-scrap-reservation-in-promotion/articleshow/48687434.cms

BJP MLA booked for assaulting tehsildar - The Times Of India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/BJP-MLA-booked-for-assaulting-tehsildar/articleshow/48687169.cms

MCL's sponsors 250 BPL Dalit Farmers in Sambalpur - Odisha News Insight

http://www.odishanewsinsight.com/events/mcls-sponsors-250-bpl-dalit-farmers-in-sambalpur/

Profile: Clampdown after Indian caste riots - The National

HTTP://WWW.THENATIONAL.SCOT/WORLD/PROFILE-CLAMPDOWN-AFTER-INDIAN-CASTE-RIOTS.6837

Owning Ambedkar sans his views - The Hindu

HTTP://WWW.THEHINDU.COM/OPINION/OP-ED/COMMENT-ARTICLE-FROM-ANANYA-VAJPEYI-OWNING-AMBEDKAR-SANS-HIS-VIEWS/ARTICLE7583272.ECE

Transgender building shrine in memory of Mother Teresa - The Times Of India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bareilly/Transgender-building-shrine-in-memory-of-Mother-Teresa/articleshow/48687513.cms

Save Dalit Foundation:

Educate, agitate & organize! - Dr. Ambedkar.

Let us all educates to agitate & Organize to Save Dalit Foundation !

Please sign petition by click this link :https://t.co/WXxFdysoJK

Note: Please find attachment for DMW Hindi( PDF)

The Times Of India

SC/ST protest govt decision to scrap reservation in promotion

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/meerut/SC/ST-protest-govt-decision-to-scrap-reservation-in-promotion/articleshow/48687434.cms

Pankul Sharma,TNN | Aug 26, 2015, 10.42 PM IST

MEERUT: Members of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) on Wednesday protested outside the collectorate against the government order abolishing benefits of reservation in promotions. 

The protesters also accused the state government of grabbing agricultural land from people belonging to SC/ST. 

In a letter to the district magistrate, the protesters also claimed that with the 85th amendment, provision of reservation in promotion was added in the Constitution and a Constitutional bench of Supreme Court also supported the amendment. But later on the order was dismissed. 

"This is equal to insulting the parliamentary democracy system. Why is the state government doing such a thing? Have the SC/ST people gained more than their due?," read the letter. 

Dr Satish Prakash, a physics teacher at the Meerut College, said, "Representatives of the reserved category in the Parliament and the state assembly are not loyal to their own people. The SP led state government not only wants to stop our people from getting promotion in state services but also wants to snatch agriculture land from us. The state government wants to make our people landless and jobless." 

The Supreme Court, in April 2012 had upheld the Allahabad high court's decision to scrap the policy of reservations in promotions introduced by the Mayawati government. The Allahabad high court on January 4, 2011, had dubbed it "unconstitutional" and struck it down following at least 50 petitions by employees associations from across the state. Following this, a special leave petition was filed in the Supreme Court against the order by the BSP government and some organizations. 

Supreme Court also set aside rule 8A introduced by the Mayawati government to provide consequential seniority to the SC/ST officers. Hence, there will be one seniority list and the promotion will be given according to the seniority list, the SC had observed. 

The Times Of India

BJP MLA booked for assaulting tehsildar

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/BJP-MLA-booked-for-assaulting-tehsildar/articleshow/48687169.cms

TNN | Aug 26, 2015, 10.21 PM IST

NAINITAL: A case under SC/ST Act and sections of the IPC was registered against BJP MLA from Gadarpur, Arvind Pandey, and 17 others for allegedly assaulting a tehsildar. 

Police officials told TOI on Wednesday that the accused will be arrested soon. 

"We have registered cases against 18, out of which three are identified and the rest are unknown. Soon, we will arrest people responsible for the attack on the government officer," said Kashipur ASP Kamlesh Upadhyay. 

The incident took place on Tuesday on Dineshpur road after Pandey and his supporters allegedly assaulted Sher Singh Nayal, a tehsildar. The case is related to a land dispute between two parties under the jurisdiction of Nayal. 

Police said Babu and Hemraj, two brothers and residents of Chakarpur village in Udham Singh Nagar district, are involved in a land dispute since four years. Nayal rejected the plea of Hemraj on grounds that he did not have enough proof to support his claim. Enraged with the officer's decision, one of the brothers reportedly approached the MLA and asked for help. 

Later, on Tuesday at around 1.30pm, the MLA and his supporters assaulted the officer while he was travelling to office. The case against the accused was registered around 5.30pm in the evening. 

The DM and district police chief rushed to the spot. Officials of the police department and district administration said no offence against government officials doing their duty would be tolerated. 

Odisha News Insight

MCL's sponsors 250 BPL Dalit Farmers in Sambalpur

http://www.odishanewsinsight.com/events/mcls-sponsors-250-bpl-dalit-farmers-in-sambalpur/

Sambalpur, August 26, 2010: For healthy and sustainable crop, small and marginal dalit farmers in Sambalpur district of Odisha will not have to look at the sky anymore.

Thanks to Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), the small and marginal poor dalit farmers in western district now have their own Deep Bore-wells in fields to water their harvest timely and produce maximum yield.

The Coal Ind ia subsidiary in Odisha sponsored 250 Below Poverty Line (BPL) dalit farmers to avail the state government scheme that provides an irrigation facility at a subsidised investment of Rs 10,000.

On the initiation of District Collector Mr Balwant Singh, who identified the BPL dalit farmers facing hardships in their agricultural activities in Sambalpur district, MCL sponsored Rs 25,00,000 for 250 irrigation facilities to poverty-stricken farmers and boost the agriculture produce from the district.

Mr A N Sahay, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, MCL, toured villages in Jamankira block of district along with Collector Mr Balwant Singh and met the beneficiaries working in their fields.

The poor agrarian villagers expressed their gratitude to the MCL for extending a helping hand and ensuring irrigation facility in their own fields.

''Agriculture is an important aspect for prosperity and development of the nation and MCL will always try to contribute towards agricultural growth'' said Mr A N Sahay, congratulating district administration for sincere efforts in bringing out change in the life of these small and marginal farmers.

The National

Profile: Clampdown after Indian caste riots

HTTP://WWW.THENATIONAL.SCOT/WORLD/PROFILE-CLAMPDOWN-AFTER-INDIAN-CASTE-RIOTS.6837

 AUGUST 27TH, 2015 - 12:28 AM  JAMES HAMILTON

CASTE-RELATED violence continued yesterday in western India despite a curfew imposed after paramilitary and police forces fought to contain riots.

The curfew covered at least five cities in the state of Gujarat with mobile phone reception cut off in an attempt to prevent gangs gathering.

Teargas and batons were used by security forces after mobs burned vehicles and hurled stones and sticks at police.

Yesterday as a general strike hit the region, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for peace, saying: "Violence will not benefit anyone. The only way forward is to have a peaceful dialogue."

Schools, shops and businesses were all shut yesterday with Gujarat's largest city Ahmedabad, almost completely shut down by the strike.

At least a dozen police officers were injured in the riots according to Gujarat police chief, PC Thakur.

"The agitators clashed with the police and members of the lower castes," he said. "They have burnt down nine police stations and over three dozen buses. We had to impose a curfew to control the clashes."

TARGET

However, the leader of the protesters, 22-year-old Hardik Patel, accused security forces of targeting the Patel community.

"The police have assaulted members of my community and behaved like terrorists. We will carry out our movement peacefully. I am asking my supporters to fast in support of our cause," he said.

The clashes broke out on Tuesday in protest over Patel's detention by police after he led a huge demonstration in the state capital.

This was the result of long-simmering tension over positive discrimination given to the lower castes and the "untouchables" or Dalit people in India.

The action is aimed at helping them overcome centuries of discrimination but there is growing resentment in many areas over the places reserved for the Dalits and lower castes in schools, colleges and government jobs.

The Patels are just one of the communities claiming either that the system should be abolished or that they too should be given special status.

Around one fifth of the 63 million people in Gujarat are of the Patel community which is heavily involved in the diamond cutting and polishing industry and also farms some of the best land in the region.

However, the Patels claim their livelihoods are becoming increasingly difficult as agriculture and industry have been heavily hit by high inflation.

They also claim their young people are being denied places in college because too many are reserved for Dalits and lower castes.

The Patels are demanding to be included in the quota for government jobs and education places. If the changes are not made, say the Patels, the whole system should be scrapped.

Chief minister of Gujarat, Anandiben Patel has called on her community to stay calm. She said the Patels' demands could not be met as the 50 per cent of school places and jobs reserved for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) were already taken and the Supreme Court of India has ruled that no more can be set aside.

TEA SELLER

While the Prime Minister – formerly chief minister of Gujarat, his home state – comes from a caste included in the OBC, he has previously said India must rise above its caste based divisions and try to achieve a merit-based society. Modi, whose father was a tea seller, has repeatedly stressed his own rise to power from lowly origins.

It is unlikely, however, that people will pay much heed to his desire for a meritocracy as caste divisions are deeply embedded in Indian society and likely to influence the pending state election in Bihar where Nitish Kumar, the chief minister, belongs to the Patel community and has made clear that his sympathies lie with the Gujarat protestors.

Despite the attempts of recent Indian governments to outlaw caste violence, it still claims many lives each year.

Last October, upper-caste men raped five Dalit women in Bihar's Bhojpur district while hundreds of Dalit families were chased from their homes in neighbouring districts after a Dalit man attempted to run against higher-caste candidates in a local election.

The higher castes' resentment could have been fuelled by the appointment last May of Dalit Jitan Ram Manjhi as chief minister of Bihar. He has introduced policies to help members of his community as well as reportedly urging them to have more children so that Dalits can become more politically powerful.

"A deep-rooted bias prevails against … those from the downtrodden sections of society … I have myself been a victim of caste bias," Manjhi has said.

While some scholars say the origins of the caste system are pre-modern and lie in ancient religious texts, others maintain that the classifications were made more rigid by the British Raj who used it as a mechanism for administration, giving the best jobs only to the upper castes.

Social unrest in the early 20th century led to a change of policy with a certain number of government jobs reserved for the lower castes. After independence in 1947 the caste-based jobs reservation policy was expanded, with discrimination against lower castes made illegal.

Rapid urbanisation over the last few decades has weakened the caste system according to some sociologists but if this week's protests in Gujarat are any indication there is still a long way to go.

The Hindu

Owning Ambedkar sans his views

HTTP://WWW.THEHINDU.COM/OPINION/OP-ED/COMMENT-ARTICLE-FROM-ANANYA-VAJPEYI-OWNING-AMBEDKAR-SANS-HIS-VIEWS/ARTICLE7583272.ECE

ANANYA VAJPEYI

The Gujarat government cannot selectively impart the ideas and legacy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

Earlier this month, on August 12, several media outlets reported that the Gujarat government's Department of Social Justice and Empowerment withdrew four lakh copies of a Gujarati textbook meant for students of classes VI to VIII, titled Rashtriya Mahapurush Bharat Ratna Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. The book, authored by Dalit scholar P.A. Parmar and published by Surya Prakashan, Ahmedabad, was selected and assigned by the same government department to mark the 125th anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar (1891-1956), starting from his birthday on April 14, 2015 and continuing for one year.

According to a statement given to members of the press by K.D. Kapadia, the Director of Scheduled Caste Welfare, "The publisher added some things in the book that were seen as sending a wrong message to the impressionable mind of primary school students… Some matters pertaining to religious conversion that are there in the 22 vows of Dr. Ambedkar were added by the publisher, which were seen as going against the message of national integration. Government's action will be in the interest of the public."

The withdrawal of this book — which had been printed in huge numbers and had arrived at various district headquarters for further distribution — raises the obvious issue of the necessity and propriety of book bans in a democratic culture. It also reminds us of the unwarranted interference by government bodies that are, strictly speaking, not meant to be dealing with education policy or implementation, in matters of syllabus creation, textbook content and socio-political "messaging" that targets young students, to use Mr. Kapadia's language.

Conflict over textbooks

The banning of books and the continuous conflict over school and college textbooks are problems that have come up repeatedly in Indian public life, across States, and political parties, from the Left through the Centre to the Right. These actions are not "in the interest of the public", although they are invariably sought to be justified on these grounds.

More worrying in this case is the stated reason for the withdrawal of the book. Dr. Ambedkar announced his decision to convert to Buddhism, took a formal diksha from Buddhist monks and, in turn, led the conversion of close to half a million people on October 14, 1956, in Nagpur.

He called the faith Navayana or the New Way, a protestant Buddhism based on his reinterpretation of classical Buddhism, his re-reading of its canonical texts, as well as his reorganisation of its central doctrines, tenets, practices and institutions. In the last year of his life, he wrote a massive work titled The Buddha and His Dhamma, to make the teachings of the Buddha accessible to modern readers. As part of the public ceremony of joining this new religion, followers collectively took 22 vows, written by Babasaheb himself.

In the weeks following the Nagpur initiation, and the months following Dr. Ambedkar's death on December 6, 1956, close to four million people, mostly Dalits, (predominantly Mahars from Maharashtra), adopted this faith.

The purpose of Ambedkarite Buddhism is to liberate Dalits from untouchability and other forms of social exclusion and humiliation, all of which flow from the low status assigned to them in the orthodox Hindu caste system. Dr. Ambedkar's vows are meant to both induct converts into a genuinely egalitarian society and enable them to leave behind modes of living, thinking and believing that were hierarchical, violent and humiliating.

It is clear that the vows serve the dual purpose of discarding the old and adopting the new. They help Neo-Buddhists reject the Hindu way of life that had oppressed them for centuries, and, at the same time, assert their adherence to an emancipatory creed.

Dr. Ambedkar's Buddhism was as much an indictment of Hindu varna dharma as it was a modern statement of equality, intended to deepen the vision of the Constitution while also recalling the original critique of the Buddha against Vedic orthodoxy. When the laws and promises contained in the liberal statute books proved inadequate, he tried to place vulnerable communities on an equal footing by endowing them with a positive identity and a separate programme of action.

Left to himself, Dr. Ambedkar might have preferred a "civic religion". For him, Buddhism supplemented the new republic's guarantees of equal citizenship, universal adult franchise, fundamental rights, reservations, freedom of religion and a secular state that he had struggled to establish. But the main difficulties of Dalits stemmed from the very structure of Hindu society, which did not change much despite Independence and the Constitution. As he said in a speech to the Constituent Assembly, the political revolution was not accompanied by a social revolution. He also recognised that ordinary people in India, across castes and communities, drew strength from traditional religious faiths of various kinds. Babasaheb hoped that the Navayana would have the two-pronged effect of addressing both the problem of inequality and the desire for a religion — one that generated self-respect and a distinct identity — among his followers.

Distinct purpose

In arranging the vows in a particular order, Dr. Ambedkar seems to have wanted to first clear the ground, ensuring that ample distance is created between the Hindu faith (and along with it, the outcaste status) that the seeker was born into and the new Dhamma that is going to be embraced. The condemnation of Hinduism is unequivocal, and takes precedence over the utterance of Buddhist vows.

The break amounts to a "rebirth", as is stated in no uncertain terms in the penultimate vow (Vow 21: "I believe that I am having a re-birth"). The Gujarat government official's words call this "going against the message of national integration", but obviously, it's the rather more forceful refusal of the Ambedkarite Buddhist to remain integrated within the Hindu fold that has caused the discomfort and led to a withdrawal of the textbook in question.

The government in Gujarat and the Centre want to appropriate the legacies of modern historical figures like Sardar Patel and Dr. Ambedkar even though this makes little ideological sense, given the values these stalwarts espoused and their lack of congruence with Hindutva politics. The BJP also has cynical designs on Dr. Ambedkar with the aim of capturing a share of Dalit votes. The government-sponsored celebration of his 125th anniversary — but the inability to actually stomach his critical views on the caste system or on Hindu deities, rituals and beliefs — is an excellent illustration of the hollowness of the Hindu Right's claims to speak in favour of Dalit rights, national integration or the public interest.

Mr. Parmar, the book's author, went on to tell journalists that he would rather that the textbook have a few blank pages or contain more photographs of Dr. Ambedkar, than that the publisher, one Dharmesh Kothari, include the vows of his own accord, without consulting with him. Withdrawing the book seems like a defensive ploy on the part of an implicitly Hindu — and Hindu majoritarian — government to shield what Mr. Kapadia called "the impressionable mind" of the student reader just as it is about to encounter the radical force and fiercely anti-assimilationist tendency of the Navayana doctrine.

This is unacceptable. Students in Gujarat and elsewhere must be allowed to learn how Babasaheb sought to make a better, more equitable India. If to achieve this goal, he had to attack the worst aspects of society, religion and politics, whether "Hindu" or Indian, so be it. Our young, the future citizens of this country, have to be made aware of the courage it took Dr. Ambedkar to seek to annihilate caste.

(Ananya Vajpeyi is with the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi.)

The Times Of India

Transgender building shrine in memory of Mother Teresa

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bareilly/Transgender-building-shrine-in-memory-of-Mother-Teresa/articleshow/48687513.cms

Ankit Yadav,TNN | Aug 26, 2015, 10.46 PM IST

BAREILLY : Even as the entire world remembered Mother Teresa on her 105th birth anniversary on Wednesday, a transgender from the city is on course to build a temple in memory of the "Saint of the Gutters". And, as a first step in this direction, a four-foot tall statue of the saint has been erected within the precincts of an NGO where the temple would come up.

The marble statue of Teresa clasping a baby in her hands was unveiled on Wednesday by the seven-year-old adopted daughter, Sanya, of transgender Saroj Kinnar. Locals are making a beeline to catch a glimpse of the piece of artistry on display.

In a chat with TOI, Saroj said, "I admire Mother Teresa for her service to the poor and destitute. The doors of Missionaries of Charity, established by her in Kolkata, were always open for the needy. As a child, I always nurtured the desire to meet the person whom I held in awe, but, unfortunately, my wish remained unfulfilled. As a fitting tribute to her work and personality I am striving to build a temple in her memory. This would be an ideal homage to the women who found a place in the heart of all, irrespective of his status and nationality".

"The skewed sex ratio in the country and the rising crime against women in our society is a worrying factor. Our (transgenders) motto is to provide the girl child with better education opportunities, better career opportunities and help them improve their living standards until their marriage. The construction of this temple-cum-shelter home will be completed within a year, and the statute of Mother Teresa will be shifted permanently to the shrine, which will be around 1,800 sq ft in area," said Saroj. 

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