Dalits Media Watch
News Updates 21.06.13
Minor Dalit's rape: Haryana Police under NCPCR scanner
'Take action against delinquent police officials in 15 days' - The Tribune
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130621/haryana.htm#4
Malout SHO booked for confining worker - The Times Of India
Planning Board urged to set up contingency fund - The Hindu
Justice for weaker sections of the society - The Hindu
Special courts on Dalits get CM's nod - The Indian Express
Hike compensation to Rs 5L: Dalit forums - The Times Of India
The Tribune
Minor Dalit's rape: Haryana Police under NCPCR scanner
'Take action against delinquent police officials in 15 days'
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130621/haryana.htm#4
Pradeep Sharma, Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 20
The inept handling of a minor Dalit girl's gang rape in Shekhupur Daroli village of Fatehabad district in January by the Haryana Police has come under the scanner of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights(NCPCR).
On a complaint filed by ML Sarwan, a former Haryana bureaucrat and secretary-general of the Haryana Valmiki Mahasabha, the NCPCR has sought an action-taken report from the Haryana Police within 15 days.
"You are required to get the matter investigated and take necessary action in accordance with Section 21 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences(POSCO) Act,2012, and refer the child to the authorities concerned for substantial compensation and rehabilitation," an official communication from NCPCR member Nina P Nayak, asked the Haryana DGP.
Sarwan had sought the dismissal of then Bhattu Kalan SHO Jagdish Prasad and ASI Devi Lal for dereliction of duty, including alleged delay of 12 days in filing an FIR in the case .
However, the NCPCR was all praise for the judiciary which ensured justice for the victim through speedy trial . However,the commission regretted that no action was taken against the delinquent police officials.
Even in his judgement, LN Jindal, Additional Sessions Judge, Fatehabad, had noted that "the prosecutrix and her father had to run from pillar to post to lodge a report but they were not heard and it was eventually on January 21,2013 (12 days after the crime) when their complaint was taken and the FIR registered."
On May 1, 2013, the court sentenced four persons to imprisonment for 10 years each and sent a woman to jail for five years for helping the accused.
The Times Of India
Malout SHO booked for confining worker
TNN | Jun 21, 2013, 03.56 AM IST
MUKTSAR: The police have booked SHO of Malout police station on the accusation of keeping a MNREGA worker in illegal confinement. SHO Rajeshwar Singh has been booked under sections 365 (wrongful confinement) and 325 (causing grievous hurt) and under the SC/ST Act.
Inspector Rajeshwar Singh was accused of abducting Danewala village resident Gurlal Singh on May 15 and for thrashing him in illegal confinement. Sources said that the police did not take any action initially but registered a case only after the victim, a dalit labourer, approached chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and the SC/ST commission. Muktsar SSP Surjit Singh said that SHO Rajeshwar Singh has been booked on basis of an inquiry conducted by Malout DSP. The officer is absconding and a manhunt has been launched to trace him. According to the police complaint, Gurlal had on May 15 visited a local gurdwara for preparing the aadhar card when a police team picked him up for questioning in some brawl case. Cops led by the SHO had allegedly applied third degree torture on the victim and abused him on caste lines.
Though released the next day, the victim said no medical officer came forward to help him despite having paid the fee at a hospital. Also, his fellowmen had protested outside the police station but to no avail. When Gurlal approached CM Badal at his village residence on May 22, a medical examination was done and an inquiry was marked.
The SSP said that strict action would be taken against the erring medical officer. National SC/ST commission vice-chairman Raj Kumar Verka also summoned the SHO.
The Hindu
Planning Board urged to set up contingency fund
Our Bureau
Kochi, June 20:
The Kerala State SC-ST Commission has urged the State Planning Board to set up a contingency fund for meeting special needs of the SC-ST communities, such as during natural calamities or outbreak of epidemics.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of allegations of starvation deaths of tribal people in Attappadi.
In a meeting with the Planning Board recently, the commission chairman P.N. Vijayakumar and other functionaries wanted the authorities to implement the Forest Rights Act of tribespeople, enforcement of the reservation norm strictly and also provide sanitation service in the tribal colonies. The commission also wanted the board to provide financial outlay for building news houses for the SC-ST members in place of their dilapidated houses.
The commission pointed out that educated unemployment was increasing alarmingly among the SC-STs. It wanted the SC-ST reservations be enforced strictly in the government, public sector and those agencies which receive government funding. All those offices and agencies that come under the Minimum Wage Act should be asked to follow the reservation norm.
The commission functionaries pointed out that because of the Rs. 25,000 annual income ceiling, most Sc-ST families were not able to make use of many welfare and aid programmes. At a time when the daily wage was upwards of Rs. 300, the income ceiling was anachronistic.
The Hindu
Justice for weaker sections of the society
Divya Trivedi
A brainstorming to strengthen legal services for vulnerable communities is slated in Hyderabad on the weekend
In situations where the law tends to favor the rich and the powerful, it becomes equally if not more important to protect the rights of the weaker sections of society in the quest for justice.
Free legal aid has been made into a right under the Legal Services Authority Act of 1987 by constituting the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).
As per the Section 12 of the Act, every person who has to file or defend a case shall be entitled to legal services if that person is a member of the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, a woman or a child, a mentally ill or otherwise disabled person, an industrial workman, in custody, in receipt of an annual income below a prescribed amount, a victim of a mass disaster, ethnic violence, caste atrocity, flood, draught, earthquake or industrial disaster.
How many such persons are able to access or receive free legal aid is anybody's guess. But to strengthen the engagement of the Legal Services Authority at the state, district and taluk level in advancing the legal entitlements of vulnerable communities such as women in sex work, injecting drug users and sexual minorities, the NALSA is conducting a seminar in Hyderabad on June 22.
It seems some legal help has been provided to marginal communities at the district level and some of the best practices by District Legal Services Authority in partnership with community based organizations and para legal volunteers will be showcased during the seminar. The occasion is also expected to be used to spread awareness and strengthen the community's access to the schemes being provided by the Legal Services Authority.
The topic around which the meeting will be held is 'Legal Aid and Education for Marginal Communities and those Most-at-Risk of HIV'.
It is expected to be attended by executive chairperson and Member Secretary of five State Legal Services Authority, district chairpersons and secretaries from the District Legal Service Authority of five states. Over 75 community-based organisations, 22 civil society organisations, project directors of State AIDS Control Societies, academicians and government are expected to be present.
NALSA was constituted in 1995 to bring uniformity to legal aid programmes throughout the country. As the apex body NALSA lays down the policies and principles for providing legal services under the provisions of the Act. It also disburses funds and grants to the State Legal Services Authorities and NGOs for implementing legal awareness and legal aid.
The Indian Express
Special courts on Dalits get CM's nod
By Express News Service - BHUBANESWAR
21st June 2013 12:15 PM
The State Government has decided to set up three special courts to expedite hearing of cases related to torture of Dalits and tribals.
A proposal in this regard was approved by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday. The special courts will be opened at Cuttack, Balasore and Balangir. The Chief Minister has also sanctioned creation of necessary posts for the three special courts.
A decision has also been taken to set up two district sainik boards at Koraput and Keonjhar. The board at Koraput will look into the requirements of Malkangiri and Rayagada districts also.
The Times Of India
Hike compensation to Rs 5L: Dalit forums
TNN | Jun 21, 2013, 11.40 AM IST
MANGALORE: Various factions of KarnatakaDalitSangharshSamiti (DSS) have demanded justice for those who died in the compound wall collapse at Thottilaguri at Bajpe here on Tuesday. They have promised to support the cause taken up by DSS (BhimaVaada) which has demanded a hike in compensation to the next of kin of victims and a probe into the incident.
M Chandappa, district convener of DSS (BhimaVaada), told reporters here 18 dalit families have been residing on around three acres of government land for the past 20 years there. The government based on applications received from the families has sanctioned title deeds to six families and efforts are on to secure title deeds for the rest, Chandappa said, adding the families received limited basic minimum facilities after protracted agitation.
Claiming that locals and outsiders have encroached on rest of the land, Chandappa said the tragedy took place due to permission given by Bajpe gram panchayath to allow commercial complex come up illegally in the elevated land above the houses of dalits. The waste from the complex is let out in the land occupied by the dalits, he said adding repeated complaints to the gram panchayath and authorities concerned did not yield any desired results.
Stating that he had forewarned authorities about the impending disaster at Thottilaguri, Chandappa said the state government and chief minister should intervene to provide justice to the victims. Compensation should be hiked from Rs 1.5 lakh announced by the DC to Rs 5 lakh, he said, adding the government must give a written assurance on rehabilitating the victims permanently.
The state government must consider this fit case to be booked under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, take care of the medical expenses of the five injured persons, and provide a government job on humanitarian grounds to dependents of victims. Stating that the state government has not met assurances given to dalits in the past, he said dalit organizations will jointly launch an agitation if justice is denied to the families at Thottilaguri.
.Arun Khote
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of "Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC")
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Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics and intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC.
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