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Showing posts from July, 2021

Elementary education a fundamental right? Not in this Jharkhand village

Nemi Devi Freelance scholars and student volunteers interested in action-oriented research, socio-economic rights and related issues have carried out a survey on primary school children in a village in Jharkhand. A small writeup based on Road Scholarz’s twitter thread : *** We did a house-to-house survey of primary-school children in Dumbi, a fairly typical Dalit-Adivasi hamlet of Jharkhand. Out of 36 children, 30 could not read a single word. Many parents feel that their children are lapsing into illiteracy. Nemi Devi explains . Online learning is a fiction in Dumbi. With the village closed in the last 16 months, primary education is at a standstill. Most children are just milling around, some are working in the fields. Kusmi Devi In almost every house there was a sad story of poor parents who are struggling to educate their children, but most have no smartphone and no money for tuitions. Kusmi Devi, mother of 4 illiterate children, explains . One of Kusmi’s daughters, Chandni, is in

Indian Doctors for Truth want Modi to stop overzealous universal vaccination drive

At a time when there is a huge demand to ensure that vaccination should be universal in order to gain immunity against the pandemic, an organisation called Indian Doctors for Truth, have asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the “urgent need to stop the overzealous universal vaccination drive against Covid-19.  Read the letter, signed by 18 doctors and a health expert: ***

ST women’s inheritance right to property: A legislative framework

By Palla Trinadha Rao* During a recent AP Tribes Advisory Council meeting held on 23rd July, 2021, the issue of non recognition of ST women’s right in inherited property in the family has come for discussion. The meeting chaired by the Deputy Chief Minister, Tribal Welfare Pushpa Srivani discussed the issue with a positive note and passed a resolution to bring the item in the next meeting for a final decision. The Tribes Advisory Council is a constitutional body formed under Fifth Schedule to the Constitution. The issue is a long pending one and has to be viewed in the context of both customary laws as well as fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India. Modern jurisprudence of rights to natural resources (whether usufructuary or property) are grounded on ‘private property’ perspective that have emerged since colonial period. This idea of property offers a limited scope for people to own resources; only ‘legal persons’, an individual, company, or other entity which ha

Periyar opposed imposition of alien culture on Dravidian people, but wasn't anti-Hindi

Part 2 of interaction with Thiru K Veeramani, deological disciple of EVR Periyar and one of the senior most leaders of the Dravidian movemen, by  Vidya Bhushan Rawat*: *** Thiru K Veeramani is the ideological disciple of EVR Periyar and one of the senior most leaders of the Dravidian movement at the moment. He started working under his mentor EVR Periyar at the age of 10 years when he delivered his first speech in Salem. Veeramani is President of Dravidar Kazhagam and editor of Modern Rationalist, a monthly journal devoted to Periyar’s ideas. That apart, he is editor of many other magazines and journals in Tamil. This interview was conducted by Vidya Bhushan Rawat at the Periyar Thidal on November 1st, 2019. These are some of the excerpts and the entire interview can be viewed at the youtube link being provided at the end of the article. Dravidian movement internationally Thiru Veeramani said that “It is high time that Periyar must be globalised now. He said that it was easier in rel

Social movements are long lasting and more effective way to bring changes in society

Part 1 of interaction with K Veeramani, a senior most of the leaders of revolutionary Periyar E.V. Ramasamy’s Dravidian movement, by Vidya Bhushan Rawat* *** Mr K. Veeramani, is perhaps the senior most of the leaders of revolutionary Periyar E.V. Ramasamy’s Dravidian movement. He was groomed by Periyar since childhood. Born on December 2nd, 1933, he was inducted in the Dravidian movement under the leadership of EVR Periyar since childhood and began addressing public meetings at the age of 10. He stood with Periyar throughout his life and dedicated himself completely for the cause of the oppressed and the marginalized. As a person dedicated to Periyar’s ideology, Dr Veeramani resisted the very idea of joining politics or getting political patronage and that is why the Dravidian movement has succeeded in Tamilnadu as it is his organizations like Dravida Kazgham which compelled political parties to follow the ideals of Periyar and bring them in law. He is the leader of Dravidar Kazhagam,

Dr Ambedkar treated social justice as true basis of patriotism and nationalism

By Mehak Banga, Jyotsna Yadav, Rashmi Yadav, Tina, Himanshi Godara, Nitya Kapoor* Whom can we think of when we hear about: The Dalit Buddhist movement; campaign against discrimination and untouchability; the Drafting Committee; Ministry of Law and Justice; chief architect of the Constitution of India, and Bharat Ratna recipient? None other than the once in a blue moon man, Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, often called Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and also known as Babasaheb Ambedkar. He was an Indian jurist, a phenomenal economist, a strong headed politician and a true social reformer, who inspired the Dalit Buddhist Movement and with full zeal campaigned against the evils of discrimination with primary intrigue from untouchability. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee and served in office from 29th August 1947 till 24th January 1950. He was independent India’s first Minister of Law and Justice and with pride was considered as the chief architect of the constitutio

Systematic denial of constitutional, legal rights of Adivasis in Madhya Pradesh

Forest rights in Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa and Burhanpur: Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan note on illegal assault, evictions and confinement of forest rights claimants: *** The districts of Burhanpur and Khandwa, have in recent years seen a number of instances where Adivasi women and men have been assaulted, forcibly kidnapped and locked up, jailed and brutalized by the Forest Department of the Madhya Pradesh government. These cases are not merely isolated incidents, but a result of the systematic denial of legal and constitutional rights of Adivasis and the consent of the State government in the trampling of the same. The most recent instance is that of the destruction of the houses and fields of 40 Adivasi families of Negaon – Jamniya, while all their belongings were looted by a mob of around 200 persons brought by the forest department from neighbouring villages. Activists and villagers who pointed out the illegality of this “action” were assaulted and forcibly held in the office of t