Karthik Navayan & Karunakar (This is the translation of a Telugu article written on 3rd July, 2005) Riyaz, who had come for peace talks*, was killed by the Government. He was detained around 10 pm in the night on 30th June, 2005, in Barkatpura area of Hyderabad, and was shot dead around …
Melavalavu Murders
[Today marks the 15th anniversary of the brutal Melavalavu massacre. Read about it in this excerpt from the chapter ‘The Pattern of Abuse: Southern District Clashes in Tamil Nadu and the State’s Response‘ from the report ‘Broken People: Caste Violence Against India’s Untouchables’ published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) in 1999.] In September 1996, the village …
The Cartoon Conundrum
A counterpoint: Conundrum of a cartoon and the proselytization of professors ~~ Bojja Tharakam A considerable bunch of professors are up in arms against those who condemned the cartoon republished in the text book in political science for class XI (published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training), depicting Jawaharlal …
Confessions of a confused Dalit Woman!
Jyotsna Siddharth Today’s status quo bites me. The upper-caste, upper class, elitism in feminism, the hypocritical pretension about issues and a bit of everything is disturbing. I would not have come up with this piece if I did not have the opportunity to attend an event recently in Delhi and would like to thank Zubaan …
Please save the life of Ambedkarite Journalist Satyendra Murli
Please copy and mail the letter published below to the various authorities listed at the bottom (with email ids) to protest the detention of Satyendra Murli, Ambedkarite journalist, by Jaipur police ~~~ Date : June 27, 2012 To, The Commissioner of Police, Jaipur Police, Rajesthan. Sub: information regarding illegal detention/ arrest of Journalist Satyendra Murli …
Dr. Ambedkar, Neo-liberal Market-Economy and Social Democracy in India (Part II)
Ronki Ram Continued from here. [This paper was originally published in Human Rights Global Focus, Vol. 5, Nos. 3&4, July-December 2010, pp 12-38 (late issue)] Moreover, atrocities against Dalits (social boycott, kidnapping, murder, abduction, bonded labour, intimidation, rape, honour killings and residential segregation) have also increased many folds during the economic reforms measures. Tapan Basu …
Greatest Indian Debate: Gandhi versus Ambedkar
Harish S. Wankhede Greatness is a loaded and complex term, especially in a country like ours, it has sheer subjective meaning. Recently a heated debate has gripped the social networking sites over the CNN-IBN and History Channel initiated hunt for ‘the Greatest Indian after Gandhi’. Some of the Dalit groups are agitated over the fact …
Karamchedu in Lakshimpeta
Kathi Padma Rao (This is a translation of his recent article ‘Lakshimpetalo ‘Karamchedu”) The oppression of the Dalits continues unabated in the state. Whichever dominant castes are in power, people belonging to those castes continue to conduct violent attacks on the Dalits. When NTR was in power, six Dalits were brutally killed in Karamchedu, his …
Dr. Ambedkar, Neo-liberal Market-Economy and Social Democracy in India (Part I)
Ronki Ram [This paper was originally published in Human Rights Global Focus, Vol. 5, Nos. 3&4, July-December 2010, pp 12-38 (late issue)] Abstract Social democracy, as a philosophy, occupies a pivotal role in determining the social life of millions of oppressed and downtrodden communities all over the world. In the case of India, it occupies …