DALIT ATROCITIES - 2005 - Indian Social Institute

informed it," he said. The secretary said, according to the complaints, Pramanik had told some
students that they do not deserve facilities they get as members of backward classes. "She also
told some students not to waste time studying in the school as it would be better to marry
sweepers who worked there," claimed Biswas. (Telegraph 13/5/05)
SC/ ST main victims of bonded labour, reports ILO (2)
New Delhi: AN OVERWHELMING majority of victims of bonded labour in India are from the
scheduled castes and tribes and the assessment of the magnanimity of the problem may be far
conservative due to lack of in-depth, sector-specific studies of the same. This has been observed
by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in its latest world report on bonded labour released
here on Wednesday. Agriculture, brick-making and mining have been identified as the key areas
where such exploitation is rampant and Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh,
Rajasthan and Bihar are the states where this practice largely persists. According to Herman Van
der Laan, ILO director for South Asia, with more SC/ST leaders occupying political space at the
national level, the organisation hopes the problem will be addressed soon. "The fact that you
have Cabinet ministers or important politicians who represent the SC/ST constituencies shows
that there is a gradual awakening among the exploited sections to fight for their rights," Mr Van
der Laan told The Pioneer on Wednesday. However, despite the ILO representative's optimism,
the ground realities appear quite disappointing. For, in a number of states, the poorest of the
rural population have become increasingly dependent on wage labour and indebtedness has
forced the workforce to accept bonded labour. (Pioneer 13/5/05)
Keep OBCs out of our quota: Dalit. tribal MPs (2)
New Delhi: In a rude reminder to advocates of the grand non-'upper caste' social coalition, Dalit
and tribal MPs are resisting the move to club OBCs with Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
for the purpose of the Bill that seeks to provide legal cover to job reservations. Leading the
protest is the SC/ST Parliamentary Forum - a 130-strong group of MPs who belong to the two
categories from across all parties. The stance was finalised at a recent meeting, and R S Gavai,
chairman of the forum, has since written to government asking for OBCs to be kept out of the
purview of the Bill. The proposed legislation is called the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes
and Other Backward Classes (Reservation Bill), 2004. The grouse of the agitating MPs is that the
nomenclature is based on the assumption that the interests of Dalits and tribals are common, and
those of the OBCs are different. While the forum stresses that it is not against government
bringing a separate Bill for OBC reservations, it fears that the bunching of the three categories
may undermine the constitutional safeguard that only Dalits and tribals have. Moreover, they feel
the grounds on which OBCs have been given reservation are not the same as those for Dalits
and tribals. OBCs, for instance, never had to suffer untouchability, or even social discrimination
on the same scale as the Dalits. Members of the forum justify their opposition to the Bill by saying
that OBCs did not have to suffer economic exploitation on the same scale as tribals. There is also
the apprehension that lumping the three groups together might lead to a demand that the 'creamy
layer' among the Dalits and tribals could be barred from enjoying quota benefits. (Times of India
16/5/05)
Evil of caste system in India flayed (2)
NEW DELHI: "India nurtures the illusion of superpowerdom from the debris of manual
scavenging," said former Union Health Secretary K. B. Saxena on Tuesday launching a blistering
attack on the persistent evil of the caste system in India. Initiating a discussion on his National
Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Report on prevention of atrocities against Scheduled Castes
held here under the aegis of Janhastakshep, a non-government organisation, and the Rajendra
Prasad Academy, Mr. Saxena said globalisa-tion, economic liberalisation and World Bank
directives had only compounded problems. According to Mr. Saxena, India's three-pronged
strategy to end the servitude of the Scheduled Castes is "unparalleled in the world". Such strong
protective measures composed of protective laws, compensatory discrimination and development
do not exist anywhere else. "If only policies and laws could create society, then we would have
paradise here," he added. Painting a dismal picture, Mr. Saxena said starting with a Republican
Constitution, India had enacted a raft of laws for protection and development of the weaker