That extra alacrity to claim

Asha Menon

First Published : 28 Feb 2010 10:17:00 AM IST

Last Updated : 27 Feb 2010 11:31:06 PM IST

The Safai Karamchari Andolan has been on a long battle, from 2005, to get the state to recognise manual scavenging. “We define scavengers by the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act 1993.” This means a “person engaged in or employed for manually carrying human excreta.” This excludes sanitary workers like Murugan and Mariamma. In 2005, the SKA filed a PIL with the Supreme Court which named all the state governments in various departments that they are all employing or maintaining manual scavenging. “We asked them to stop manual scavenging, demolish dry latrines, implement the 1993 Act, register cases under the SC/ST Atrocities Act, etc,” says Deepthi Sukumar of the SKA. The Tamil Nadu government responded by saying that there are no manual scavengers in the state. The SKA responded with a rough estimate of the numbers employed. Then the authorities that be responded to it by terming it false, and therefore the SKA sent in location of dry latrines, photographs, etc as proof. In 2008, TAD­HCO called the SKA with staff from the Madras University for a “We told TAD­HCO, please take a survey before you respond to SC. In the same year, TADHCO withdrew and said they would invite NGOs to take a survey (designed by TADHCO). I do not know what numbers they got.” But despite not acknowledging manual scavenging in the state, the TN government is usually prompt in demolishing dry latrines and rehabilitation schemes of scavengers once it is brought to their notice, says Deepthi.


http://expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=That+extra+alacrity+to+claim&artid=sczRxOQbikc=&SectionID=f4OberbKin4=&MainSectionID=f4OberbKin4=&SEO=scavengers+,&SectionName=cxWvYpmNp4fBHAeKn3LcnQ==

Dalit Leaders against the Arunthathiyar(Dalit) reservation

Dear Friends

Dalit leaders against the Arunthathiyer reservation.
Dalit means ,it is not a caste it is a identity for caste discriminating people .Arunthathiyer is one among Dalit .In the name of caste Arunthathiyer facing last 2000 years discrimination and atrocities .Arunthathiyers are till manual scavengers .

Arunthathiyers asking thier constitutional rights for reservation . we are now 2010 .But till Arunthathiyer are manual scavengers .Arunthathiyers asking thier birth rights in India .Even Arunthathiyer Dalit among Dalits .

Today we can understand how caste system influence to Dalits discriminating to Dalit(Arunthathiyers). Braminical and Hinduthuva is among dalits .Please see the The Hindu news
Dalit leaders to challenge Arunthathiars Act Special Correspondent

“It is unconstitutional on the part of the government to have framed the Act”

CHENNAI: A forum of Dalit leaders will challenge Arunthathiars Act 2009 in the Madras High Court.

[The law provides three per cent reservation to Arunthathiars within the 18 per cent reservation available to Adi-Dravidars]

K. Krishnasamy, president of the Puthiya Tamizhagam and leader of the forum, told reporters here on Thursday that a similar law had been enacted in Andhra Pradesh, which was struck down by the Supreme Court.

In the light of these precedents, it was unconstitutional on the part of the Tamil Nadu government to have framed the Arunthathiars Act, providing quota within reservation, Dr. Krishnasamy said, referring to Vice-Chairman of the National Commission for SC, N.M. Kamble’s description of the Act as unconstitutional.

‘Panjami’ lands

The forum also demanded the government release a White Paper on the status of reservation for Dalits in political, economical, social, educational and government sectors besides allocation of ‘Panjami’ lands in the State within the next three months. Within a week, the government should submit details of various projects implemented under the special component plan programme, he added.

http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/26/stories/2010022660480400.htm

Karuppusamy

Wall on road to Dalit colony demolished

V. S. Palaniappan

ELIMINATING DISCRIMINATION: The wall blocking the road to a Dalit colony at Periyar Nagar in Coimbatore being demolished. Photo: K. Ananthan

Revenue, police and the Coimbatore Corporation authorities demolished a wall that had denied 58 Dalit families of Periyar Nagar direct access to the arterial Kamarajar Road in the city.

The wall was allegedly built by caste Hindus across the 30-ft-wide Jeeva Road that was supposed to link the colony with Kamarajar Road.

The colony is located in Ward No.10 near the Employees’ State Insurance Hospital to Kamarajar Road.

“The wall, built in 1990, was evidence of the prevalence of discrimination and untouchability,” said U.K. Sivagnanam, district convenor of the Untouchability Eradication Front. He had petitioned the authorities on Friday, demanding the removal of the wall.

According to Periyar Nagar residents, the government acquired land for their colony in 1989 and provided house site pattas to them. Caste Hindus living along the initial stretch of Jeeva Road had installed a Vinayakar idol in a small shed and built the wall behind it, exactly from where the colony began. The temple was used as a pretext for closing the road with a discriminatory attitude to prevent the Dalits from using Jeeva Road to reach Kamarajar Road through the area in which the caste Hindus resided, Mr. Sivagnanam alleged. The Dalits had used other routes to reach the main road for many years. But with more buildings coming up on open sites nearby, they were left with only a narrow street to reach the main road.

On Saturday morning, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi ordered the district administration to inquire into the issue and take immediate action.

Officials verified the records and confirmed that the temple and the wall encroached upon a scheme road. A group of women squatted in front of the earthmover in an attempt to prevent the demolition. As the earthmover began the demolition, the residents broke into a thunderous ovation. When the Corporation workers were removing the debris of the demolished wall, a group of Hindu outfit activists insisted that the temple should not be removed. This resulted in police mobilising more reinforcements.

The Dalits pointed out that they were not against the temple but only its location. Speaking to TheHindu, State convener of the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front P. Sampath welcomed the action taken by the officials and added that the temple could be relocated with the consent of both sides.

Rajan, a resident of the colony, and some Dalit women said: “We are happy on getting this access to Kamarajar Road. This ends the circuitous route we had to take all these years. The removal of the wall has given us a feeling that we are also part of society.”

Keywords: Coimbatore, Dalit, Caste Hindus, demolition, untouchability

Coimbatore admn brings down ‘untouchability wall’

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/coimbatore-admn-brings-down-untouchability/573599/

A wall built twenty years ago by upper caste Hindus allegedly to keep out Dalits, was finally demolished by the authorities in Coimbatore district on Saturday. The 20-feet long wall built across a public road is the second such ‘untouchability wall’ found in the state, the first being the one at Uthapuram village near Madurai.

According to sources, the wall at Singanellur in Coimbatore was constructed by caste Hindus after 58 Dalit families were housed in a new colony named Thanthai Periyar Nagar under a government scheme in 1989. The structure blocked direct access to the main road in an attempt to prevent the Dalit families from traversing through the areas populated by the caste Hindus. A Vinayak temple was also built near it to impart religious sanctity to the structure.

The Untouchability Eradication Front, a social grouping backed by the CPM that first exposed the existence of the Uthapuram wall, took up the issue with the district administration, arguing that the wall was at once illegal and against integration of society. “We brought this to the attention of the Corporation Commissioner and other senior officials and also provided them enough evidence to prove that the wall was build on encroached land and that it segregated public on caste lines,” said a member of the Front. After initial inquiry, the civic administration decided that the wall was illegal and should be demolished, said city Commissioner Anshul Mishra, even as he refused to comment on whether it was indeed an “untouchability wall”.

Dali(Arunthathiyer) young writers camp

Greetings from Rights Education and Development (READ)!
We are going to organise two days writers’ camp for Arundhatiyar (Dalit amongst the dalits) young writers at Erode District, Sathyamangalam, Tamil Nadu. We request you for your contribution/ donation for this camp.
Date: 20-21 February, 2010
Venue: Sathyamangalam, Erode District

Who are Dalits?
Dalits are a group of people historically regarded the lowest in the hierarchy of the Indian caste system. After independence significant steps were undertaken in the form of affirmative action to improve their condition and provide opportunities for their overall development. However most of the affirmative actions taken by state have not been able to transform the lives of these people because of widespread and deep rooted perceptions of caste hierarchy and retaining purity within the caste groups by disallowing social and cultural mingling of the groups.
Who are Arundhatiyars?
Arundhatiyars are the considered to be the lowest group in the entire caste hierarchy and considered ‘dalit amongst the dalits’ and treated as ‘untouchables’. The Arundhatiyars are also known as ‘Chakiliar’ and are marginalized even amongst the Dalits, There are around 60 Lakh Arundhatiyars in Tamil Nadu mostly residing in the western districts living in colonies outside the main village which are inhabited by the upper caste landlord community. The Arundhatiyars have been struggling for survival and development from centuries of discrimination, marginalisation, poverty, exploitation and violence at the hands of the upper caste landlords. They have no land and for as low as a thousand rupees loan, they are forced to work as bonded slaves on the agricultural farms or houses of the upper caste landlords. They are also often compelled to do very menial, undignified jobs such as manual scavenging.
What is the importance of this writers camp?
At present, there are many Dalit writers, but very few write on Arundhatiyar community’s issues. Even amongst Arundhatiyars we can count only around only two prominent writers who write on the community’s issues. This makes us realise that we need to promote young writers to write and document the Arundhatiyar history and raise their issues for a wider readership.
The present young writers’ camp would be organised to promote this vision. Therefore, we have decided to provide intensive training for around 20 interested youth to build their writing skills. They will be taught to write articles, stories and poems on the discrimination, exploitation and violation of fundamental rights of Arundhatiyar community.


We are happy to receive your contribution through DD/Cheque in favour of:
Rights education and development centre
Address:
27/1 Muniyappar. St
Rangasamuthiram
Sathyamangalam.
PO: 638402
Erode district
Tamil Nadu. South India

Tel.91-4295-224313
Mobile: 91-9842090035
Email: ksamy2005@gmail.com