Anand Teltumbde Identity, one’s sense of self and its persistence, as shaped through ascriptive and subjective processes, is natural to humans as social beings. Identity politics, however, is not natural. It is articulated through a persistent sense of discrimination and oppression, either innate or induced, along the axis of ‘defining’ one identity from among many. …
The ‘dirt’ in The Dirty Picture: Caste, Gender and Silk Smitha
Jenny Rowena On first or second Saturday coming after the Hindu New Year’s Day (Gudhi padawa), the devadasis, who are mostly dalitbahujans, were openly sexually enjoyed in public, about hundred years ago. This is now replaced by another tradition called “Okali”, which was in vogue till 1987. It is a festival like ‘Rang Panchami’. The …
UP Heading for Dark Age
Raj Kumar Ever since the change of government in Uttar Pradesh in the month of March 2012, the state is witnessing very bizarre, obscurantist and lamentable politics and some of the decisions of new government are profoundly baffling to democratic civilized society. The people of Uttar Pradesh voted Samajwadi Party (SP) to power with …
Discrimination against Dalits in admissions to Delhi University
All India Confederation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Organizations’ Press Note Dr. Udit Raj, National President of the AICOSCSTO , has unveiled the discrimination against Dalit students in admissions to the DU. The procedure for admissions to the first year commenced on 4th June. For SC/ST students, it turned out to be an ordeal as …
Gujarat: Myth and reality
Bhalchandra Mungekar A war of words has erupted between the chief ministers of Bihar and Gujarat. Bihar’s chief minister Nitish Kumar has slammed Narendra Modi for taking potshots at the state’s slow socio-economic growth. The altercation began with Modi saying that caste politics has ruined states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Hitting back, Nitish has …
Attacks on Dalits in Koothirambakkam near Chennai
(Fact finding report first published in April 2003 by PUCL) Team members 1. Sheelu, President, Tamil Nadu Women’s Collective 2. T.S.S. Mani PUCL, Chennai – Chengai District Committee. 3. Ponnuthai, Women’s Forum Against Violence on Women, South Tamil Nadu. 4. W.G.Latha – Tamil Nadu Resource Team. 5. Jessy , Kanchi People’s Forum 6. Mahesh, Kanchi …
The warriors who slayed babies and other tales
Rahi Gaikwad The name Ranvir is usually given to a boy. It means brave warrior or battle hero. This is the name a section of landed castes in Bihar, chiefly the Bhumihar landlords, adopted to christen themselves as an army of warriors, the Ranvir Sena In Hindu mythology, the idea of the warrior king who wages …
Cartoons, Caste and Epistemic Violence
Nilesh Kumar ‘These upper-caste authors who are forever miles away from reality and who can only make ceremonial and meaningless speeches in big meetings, can never understand what we the shudras and atishudras have to suffer and what calamities we have to undergo. All this is not entirely unknown to the high-caste …
‘The very right of living in this country has been snatched from me’
Linga Ram Kodopi, a trained journalist and Soni Sori’s nephew, who is accused of having Naxal connections has been in prison since 10 September 2011. He writes an open letter to fellow Indians. ~~~ Respected intellectuals, I am writing this letter in the hope that you all will do justice to the torture and injustices …