DALIT ATROCITIES - 2005 - Indian Social Institute

'Provide equal opportunities to Dalits (2)
JAIPUR, FEB. 24. The National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights has called upon the Rajasthan
Government to take meaningful steps for welfare of Scheduled Castes and Tribes by launching
heath care campaigns for them, opening residential schools for students and ensuring strict
implementation of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. A delegation of NCDHR met
the State Medical and Health Minister, Digambar Singh, and the Social Welfare Minister, Madan
Dilawar, here early this week and submitted memoranda to them asking for providing equal
opportunities to Dalits in various walks of life and taking special measures for upkeep of their
localities and meet their needs. The NCDHR's State convenor and former MP, Than Singh, said
the State Government should prefer the local tribal women in the appointment of medical workers
at the health sub-centres in the Tribal Sub-Plan areas to ensure better delivery of immunisation
and maternal and child health services. The Dalit body felt that the prerequisite of below poverty
line (BPL) should be waived in the implementation of various health care schemes in the localities
inhabited by SC, ST and minorities. The benefit under the Chief Minister's Life Saving Fund and
tuberculosis control programme should also be extended to the deserving people, it stated.
Mr. Than Singh requested the Social Welfare Minister to open more hostels for Dalit and tribal
students and hike their scholarships. He said the financial assistance to the victims of caste
violence under the SC/ST Act should be released immediately after the criminal case was
registered. (The Hindu 25/2/05)
MARCH – 05
Dalits, adivasis protest eviction (2)
New Delhi, March 4: "Stop state sponsored police repression on Dalits and adivasis and eviction
of tribals from forests in the name of "forest protection." That's the demands of the adivasis,
Dalits, small farmers and rural workers from Orissa, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Around
150 of them are here in the capital to take forward their "campaign against the plunder of
resources." To register their protests they sat on a dharna at Jantar Mantar on Friday and will
continue the same on Saturday concluding the protest with a candle light vigil later in the evening.
The group plans to submit a memorandum to the President Mr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam seeking his
intervention to secure the rights of the tribals as the activists allege that the centre, state and the
judiciary have failed to take any action. This group is also demanding that the memorandums of
understanding signed with multi-national mining companies in the three states should be
cancelled. The tribals and workers are being led by activists from struggle groups from the three
states. These include Prakrutik Sampad Surakshaya Parishad from Kashipur, Chattisgarh Mukti
Morcha and Jan Sangharsh Morcha from Madhya Pradesh. (Asian Age 5/3/05)
People want development, not Dalit agenda: Gaur (2)
MAIHAR (MADHYA PRADESH), MARCH 12. The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Babulal Gaur,
today said while inaugurating the Satna-Maihar-Umaria (Bond EOT) road that people want
development and not the Dalit agenda. Inaugurating the Satna-Mai-har-Umaria highway, built by
the Malaysian firm I.J.M. (India) Limited in collaboration with the Madhya Pradesh Road
Development Corporation, Mr. Gaur said it was not an occasion to narrate the tale of 10 years of
Congress misrule in Madhya Pradesh. "The Congress has been punished by the people and
pushed into the corner and the fact that it could win only 39 seats in the 230-member State
Assembly since it had neglected its role when it came to building the economic infrastructure
amply reflects this," he added. Mr. Gaur said his Government's priority is infrastructure and it is
determined to fulfil its commitments on the road, power and water fronts. Mr. Gaur also took a dig
at the state of affairs in Bihar and said that he found, while campaigning there recently, that the
law and order situation has taken a nose-dive. The cinema theatre owners in Patna have even
stopped the late night shows as they are always afraid that they could be kidnapped, he said,
adding that the paradox is that even the criminals have become leaders in Bihar. Talking to
newspersons later, Mr. Gaur said his government was determined to connect all the important
tourist centres in the State with good international-quality roads. Within the next one year, the
Government would be investing Rs. 100 crores on "tourism roads" to provide better connectivity
with places like Bandhavgarh, Sanchi and Mandu. (The Hindu 13/3/05)