Dalits Media Watch
News Update 15.12.09
Rape takes bigger toll on dalit women - Times Of India
Dalit christians demand SC status - Express Buzz
Members express concern over non-fulfillment of vacancies for SC, ST - The Pioneer
Threat to Livelihood of Dalits and Adivasis in Tarai - My News
http://www.mynews.in/News/Threat_to_Livelihood_of_Dalits_and_Adivasis_in_Tarai_N32781.html
Times Of India
Rape takes bigger toll on dalit women
Nandita Sengupta, TNN 15 December 2009, 02:30am IST
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NEW DELHI: Dalit women who have suffered caste rapes were subjected to more humiliation than other women similarly assaulted, says a first of its kind research study detailing psychological trauma of women raped.
When dalit women are assaulted, offenders use foul language vilifying the woman verbally, says the survey, invariably calling them prostitutes. "The feeling of being dehumanized, of having been demeaned is far greater for dalit women," says clinical psychologist Rajat Mitra, who led the study conducted by NGO Swanchetan that works with victims of sexual assault. Mitra notes that in any other rape, the victim is not called a 'prostitute'.
Titled 'A research study on sexual assault', it was done through detailed interviews of victims identified by state-level NGOs and government homes as well as by inviting victims to take part in the survey via posters and radio announcements.
Of the 122 identified, 66 women agreed to the interview. The questionnaire's themes were identified and built on basis of data collected over the last 10 years and conducted in the last two. Being a first of its kind, interviewers too were sensitized to the demands of the survey, says Mitra. Mean and standard deviation for each psychological parameter was calculated; t-test and Duncan's mean test used for comparative analyses.
The comparative study between dalits and non-dalits showed that dalits felt anguish to a greater degree of intensity. They often see rape as "something ordained" by virtue of a double disadvantage: being dalit and woman. "Whenever a dalit woman is raped, it gets connected to all other sufferings and discriminations. Dalits being in a disadvantaged position and there's no resilience, no bouncing back," says Mitra.
"The women shared that during the attack, the men seemed to have more pleasure in humiliating their origins and background," adds Mitra. The report details their almost-ritualistic ostracism after the rape where older dalit women also attempt to explain rape as "tradition". In a qualitative assessment, the report says girls are almost prepared to expect assault.
It says, "Allusions to rape by upper castes begin to appear in subtle conversations and often inflate their anxiety and depressive symptoms that begin to mark (rape) as inevitable in the mind of young dalit girls." It is important, says Mitra, for a different rehabilitation policy for dalit women with special training for mental health professionals, judiciary and police sensitizing them to the caste angle.
Dalit women more humiliated when raped: Study
Nandita Sengupta, TNN 15 December 2009, 05:21pm IST
Express Buzz
Dalit christians demand SC status
CHENNAI: The National Council of Dalit Christians (NCDC) has reiterated its demand to accord SC status to Dalit Christians as recommended by Justice Ranganath Misra in his report submitted to the Central government on May 22, 2007.
Speaking to Express, Dr M Mary John, national president, NCDC, said most of the smaller parties have already committed their support to their demand.
"But the two major national parties are the stumbling blocks. While the BJP has unequivocally opposed the recommendations, the Congress is dragging its feet." He added: "Dalits, even after converting to Christianity, faced discrimination by the society. Therefore, an affirmative action by the government will go a long way in uplifting their socio-economic status." It may be recalled that the BJP, on May 23, 2007, had opposed the recommendations saying such a move was divisive.
The Pioneer
Members express concern over non-fulfillment of vacancies for SC, ST
PNS | Bhubaneswar
The symbolic session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly on Monday entered the 6th day on Monday. The Assembly session as usual started at 10.30 am with the Question Hour. Nine questions were taken up for discussion. The non issue of land pattas to the tribals dominated the Question Hour.
During the Zero Hour, members raised the issue why steps have not yet been taken to fill up the vacancies in Government jobs meant for SC and ST. "Government is violating various norms relating to reservations," alleged members. The students' unrest in Vani Vihar also dominated the proceedings of the House.
The symbolic session took up two adjournment motions for discussion. Members including Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh raised the distress sale of paddy in Sundergarh district.
The members also expressed their concern on the Government doctors' threat to resign en-mass from December 18 if their demands are not fulfilled. Meanwhile, State Health Minister Prasanna Acharya appealed the doctors not to go for strike from December 18. "Steps are being taken to create more promotional avenues for the doctors," he said.
My News
Threat to Livelihood of Dalits and Adivasis in Tarai
http://www.mynews.in/News/Threat_to_Livelihood_of_Dalits_and_Adivasis_in_Tarai_N32781.html
Posted On: 14-Dec-2009 06:42:48 By: Vidya Bhushan Rawat
Land Rights activists belonging to National Land Alliance went on a Padyatra to highlight the issue of land rights of dalits and tribals in the Tarai region of Uttar-Pradesh and Uttarakhand in December last year. Tarai is a fertile belt on the foothills of Himayalas and consist of districts like Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar, Lakhimpur Khiri, Pilibhit, Baharaich, Gonda districts of Uttarakhand and Uttar-Pradesh states. The Padyatra started from Golbohji forest village in Palia district of Uttar-Pradesh on December 13th, 2008. After traveling 20-25 kilometer a day, the Padyatra finally culminated at Harinagar village in Kundeswari (kashipur), Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar today on December 28th, 2008. During these 16 days, the marchers did social audits of various villages, addressed village community meetings and talked to students in different colleges and schools. They talked about human rights, humanism and challenge of climate change and threat to our environment. Some of the activists well trained in miracle exposure programmes also displayed their skills in these educational institutions and village Panchayats. During these 16 days, the Padyatris stayed at village Panchayat Bhavans, slept in the tribal areas and visited large part of those villages which are still facing discrimination and exclusion in their daily lives either from social system or from the government departments.
The main reason of this Padyatra was to highlight the importance of land and livelihood issues of the Dalit-tribal communities in tribal region of Uttarakhand and Uttar-Pradesh. Communities such as Tharus, Boxas (a Primitive Tribal Group), Tongiyas is a matter of great concern as they remain isolated and excluded in the general set up of both the states. The condition of these communities is particularly alarming in Uttarakhand because of lack of understanding of Dalit-tribal culture and popular mass support. In the Tarai region the sale-purchase of tribal land is prohibited yet most the tribal land today has been transferred to dominant communities here. The tense peace exist here as these communities are so well oppressed that they find it difficult to explain their conditions to outsider as the goons of the powerful communities and land mafias always spy upon them. Both the Tharus and Boxas are victim of the forest department also and border police also.
In its last leg, the Padyatra reached Harinagar ( Kundeshwari) today. After 16 days and crossing over 350 kilometer of Uttarakhand and Uttar-Pradesh state, the reason of culminating the Padyatra in Harinagar, Kundeswari was to support the demand of over 150 landless Dalit families who have been fighting for their land rights for the past 20 odd years when they were brutally thrown away from the land they had been tilling for many years and which was declared ceiling surplus by the Commissioner of Kumaon, Nainital. Despite favorable verdict from the highest courts of the land, the government of the state did not have the courage to implement the ceiling act there and provide land to these peace loving people who had shown their faith in the constitution of India and did not resort to any unlawful activities. Social Development Foundation has gone to Supreme Court against the empathy of the Uttarakhand government against these people but shockingly the government of the state in a brazenly shameless way suggested that the Dalits do not hail from the district. In the same affidavit the government justify giving land to those Sikhs who were declared encroachers by the Supreme Court and who actually were responsible for excluding and discriminating against the Dalits. We ask the question to the state government as how come these people got land under ceiling act and what was the criteria used for them ?
Now, based on our experiences and fact finding during the Padyatra, we have produced a 35 minute documentary ' Tarai main Dalit Adivasi asmita per badhta sankat' i.e. 'Threat to Dalit-Adivasi livelihood in Tarai'. The documentary is based on direct interviews with victims who have lost their land to various dominant forces in the region including land mafia, forest department and irrigation department. It gives you a live picture how Tharu, Boxa villages are on the verge of extinction and how the Dalits despite court's order have not been able to get their legitimate due.
The struggle for social justice continues in this hostile region of India where political parties, social action groups, media have kept conspicuous silence on non implementation of land laws including redistribution of land and implementation of land ceiling act. Our effort is to bring these ugly facts to you so that as activists, jurists, media persons, government officials, political leaders, you would be able to take it further. It is a voluntary effort hence we have not been able to create more CDs. We request your support for it. Those who would be interested can write to me for CDs and DVDs. The contributory price for CD would be Rs 200/- and for DVD Rs 500/-.
We would be screening the documentary at different places including colleges, social action group's programmes. Friends, who would be interested to organize any event or discussion on issue are welcome and can contact me for the same.
--
.Arun Khote
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of "Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC")
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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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Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Re: [PMARC] Dalits Media Watch - News Update 15.12.09
On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 7:23 PM, Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC <pmarc2008@gmail.com> wrote:
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