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January19, 2005 - [India Thinkers Net]CHRO updates 5-7 >> |
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1] New Indian Express, January 19, 2005, Wednesday Anti-Coke agitation losing steam PALAKKAD: The anti-Coco Cola agitation in Plachimada, which observed its 1,000th day with much fanfare on Saturday, is showing signs of cracking up. The CPM, which was on the forefront of the agitation, has virtually broken away from the Janata Dal-led anti-Coke platform. Many other NGOs have also started distancing themselves from the agitation. There is severe infighting among the organisations backing the struggle on the issue of foreign funding for the agitation and there is no clarity on the future course to be adopted. CPM leader P.K.Krishna Das MP did not attend the 1,000th day function at Plachimada. Asked why he had kept away, Krishnadas shot back: ``CPM need not be taught how to oppose multinationals and imperialists by people who sold `water' to the Coke unit in Plachimada and earned lakhs of rupees.'' (It may be noted that K.Krishnankutty, State secretary general of the Janata Dal, had admitted selling water to the Coke unit from his farmhouse in Chittoor for more than a year). Continuing his tirade against the Janata Dal, Krishnadas said the CPM did not want to hear sermons on how to devise the future strategy of the agitation (that was the subject of the seminar) by people who were interested in celebrating events and enjoying photo sessions. He said the adivasis were being swallowed by ``outside'' elements. The Janata Dal-controlled Perumatty panchayat on the other hand actively participated in the `1,000th day celebration'. Krishnadas said the CPM-ruled Pudussery panchayat had cancelled the licence of the Pepsi factory (which was stayed by the court) and that it was the UDF Government which should ban the use of ground water. Incidentally, Tuesday's outbursts by Krishnadas and his non participation in Plachimada expose CPM's double standard in allowing the Pepsi factory and the beer units in Kanjikode which falls in Opposition leader V.S.Achuthanandan's constituency (Malampuzha) to function even while crying hoarse over the Coke factory in Plachimada located in Chittoor constituency represented by K.Achuthan (Congress). There is a strong section among the Samara Samithi who are opposed to its patron Velayodi Venugopal. Venugopal admitted to this website's newspaper that there were severe differences of opinion on the issue of ``foreign funding''. He denied allegations that the Samara Samithi had accepted foreign funds though it had been offered money many times. He said some people who did not actively participate in organising the adivasis were engaged in criticising others. Sunderrajan, one of the conveners of the Desh Bachao Desh Banao yathra of January 2003 from Plachimada to Ayodhya led by Medha Patkar, said he had decided to stay away from the 1,000th day celebrations to protest against ``outside'' influence on the adivasis. He felt the agitation had reached a stage where it was bound to die a natural death without ``outside support.'' http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IER20050118130911&Page=R&Title=Kerala&Topic=0 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 2] Deccan Herald, January 17, 2005, Monday Living as outcastes among Dalits The traditional Dakkaliga families earn livelihood by begging at Dalit-inhabited colonies and they live in tents outside Dalit colonies. BY K N GIRISH DH NEWS SERVICE, DAVANGERE: While the terms like ???communalism??™ and ???fascism??™ are doing rounds in all the present-day discourses, everyone seem to have grown oblivious to the much tabooed term ???untouchability??™, the age-old social scourge which has continued to wield its evil influence in villages, if not in cities. For some thirty families of Dakkaliga community settled in Chikkmegalageri village in Harapanahalli taluk, the word ???untouchable??™ is still very much relevant as it offers the best definition for their destitute lives. Dakkaligas are living as untouchables not only among the people in general, but also among the Dalits! Even to this day, they are prohibited from entering many of the Dalit-inhabited colonies nor do orthodox Dalits enter their houses. The members of this most oppressed community among the Scheduled Castes (SCs) who were treated as inferior among the Dalits have been tolerating all disgrace and social bias with stoic endurance, all these years. Dakkaligas are a nomadic community living in some pockets of Davangere, Chitradurga, Bijapur, Bellary, Tumkur districts and also in some parts of Andhra Pradesh. According to the available statistics, the population of Dakkaligas was around 400 in 1972. Now, it is estimated to have crossed 2,000 mark. The traditional Dakkaliga families earn their livelihood by begging alms and food at Dalit-inhabited colonies. Telugu is their mother tongue and they also know Kannada quite well. Most time of the year, they keep travelling to familiar villages and live in make-shift tents outside Dalit colonies. To convey the message of their arrival, they make a loud scream saying ???Naavu bandevappa dakkaligaru, namage ustuvari maadi??? (We, the Dakkaligas have come, please make arrangements for us). Hearing their yell, the inhabitants of the colony collect bread, foodgrains and offer them to the Dakkaligas as ???Kaanike??™ (offering). The nomadic families move to other villages after staying there for three days. Interestingly, Dakkaligas beg things only from the Dalits. The system is more prevalent in parts of Bijapur district, said Bheemanna, seventy-year-old member of the community. A splinter group of Dakkaliga families which was living in Chikkamegalageri village for over three decades, started cultivating some revenue land. After enduring shame for all these years, these families now want to shun nomadic life to lead a normal life. But circumstances do not allow their dream to fulfil and they are finding it impossible to free themselves from the stigma of being Dakkaligas. Also, other dominant communities which are averse to their permanent settlement are trying to evict Dakkaligas from the village. ???Life seemed to be too cruel for us when we were travelling to places for begging. Now, we are eager to lead normal life. But our fellow human beings are not allowing it,??? rued septuagenarian Durgajji. She does not know the place of her birth as she was born to nomadic parents. Young members of the community like Lokappa (30), Shanthraj (25) are worried about their acceptability in the society and their future. ???We do not face any problems in cities. But people in villages keep away from us the moment they come to know that we are Dakkaligas???, they said. http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/jan172005/s1.asp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3] The Hindu, January 18, 2005, Tuesday Dog trainer dies in police custody THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JAN. 17. A dog trainer and member of the Trivandrum Kennel Club, K. Sivarajan, who was taken into custody by the police on the charge of creating nuisance during the dog show held by the club here on Sunday evening, collapsed and died in the Poojappura Police Station at around 8.30 a.m. today. Sivarajan, 48, a resident of Kattakalil veedu, Jagathy, was picked up by a police team led by the ASI from the Poojappura ground around 7 p.m. on Sunday after he created nuisance allegedly after consuming alcohol during the prize distribution ceremony of the show, the police said. The deceased, who was also an organiser of the event, was sent away in the afternoon for this reason. Sivarajan, who was taken in an autorickshaw to the police station following a complaint from the organisers, was kept in the corridor of the station building from 7.30 p.m. Sivarajan went to sleep in the corridor after shouting abuses for some time, the police said. Sivarajan approached the Sub-Inspector around 7.30 a.m. today and informed him that he would not create problems. According to the police, Sivarajan asked for a cup of water as soon as he came out of the SI's room. The sweeper provided him with water and later, tea. He was given "four dosas and tea" from the wayside eatery. Within 10 minutes, Sivarajan was seen bending down where he was sitting and having the breakfast. Later, he was found lying down. On seeing that he had vomited, the police rushed him to the General Hospital around 8.45 a.m., where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The Revenue Divisional Officer, Sreekumaran Nair, conducted the inquest. The body was handed over to the relatives of the deceased after the post mortem at the Medical College Hospital. The police have registered a case of unnatural death. SHRC petitioned The People's Union for Civil Liberties has approached the State Human Rights Commission seeking an inquiry into the death and steps to prevent such incidents. The CPI has demanded a judicial inquiry into the death of Sivarajan, who is also a former branch secretary, after suspending the police officials involved in his arrest. The CPI state committee member, Kadakampally Mohanan, and secretary of the city unit, Solomon Vettukad, charged in a statement that custodial torture throughout the night led to the death of Sivarajan. http://www.hindu.com/2005/01/18/stories/2005011812580400.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 4] The HIndu, January 18, 2005, Tuesday CBI probe sought into policeman's death KOTTAYAM, JAN. 17. Stephen George, MLA, has sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the unnatural death of a policeman at Vellarikkundu. At a press conference, which was attended by the relatives of the deceased policeman A.R. Santhosh Kumar, who was from Peruva near here, Mr. George alleged that the police had been trying to dub the death as a case of suicide. Though the cause of death had not been ascertained, the police authorities had refused to accord official honours for the funeral of the victim, making it clear that they presumed it to be a suicide, he added. Noting that Santhosh Kumar had no reason to commit suicide, Mr. George said he had neither any financial burden nor any family problem. Moreover, he had been looking forward to a promotion to the post of sub-inspector of police. "We cannot believe that he committed suicide on the third day of his getting promoted to his dream post,'' Mr. George said. That there was an attempt to tamper with the police records regarding his official revolver and bullets, had added to the mystery surrounding the death. Investigation by the local police had not made any progress and Santosh Kumar's relatives were not satisfied with it. Hence, they were demanding a CBI inquiry. http://www.hindu.com/2005/01/18/stories/2005011806820300.htm Confederation of Human Rights Organizations (CHRO) 3, Rams' Cottage Ambalathumukku Pettah Thiruvananthapuram-695024 Kerala South India Ph.: 0471-2476262 www.humanrightsindia.com www.humanrightskerala.com |
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