Was match-fixing already taking place in 11 Bihar seats? Statistics suggest otherwise.
Bihar Politics: RJD and Congress held separate meetings to review the Bihar election defeat. But what will be the gist of these meetings when both the losers and the losers were part of the Grand Alliance? In reality, they were defeated not by the NDA, but by their own stubbornness and arrogance. Patna: Both were blind, the fire was blazing ahead, yet they jumped into it. Now they are reviewing how they got burned? This is exactly what RJD and Congress did in the Bihar Assembly elections. Both insisted on jumping into the fire while they were still awake. They kept fighting for tickets, but the issue wasn’t resolved until the elections. They destroyed themselves in the battle of ‘Hum Mir Hum Hum Mir Hum Mir’. Defeat in 11 seats was certain even before the elections. Reviewing the defeat of those who deliberately lost is a mere time pass. The barn does not fill with lies. Instead of blaming each other in the name of review, we should look within ourselves to see what our mistakes were. Towards a Parting of the Ways A meeting has already been held in Delhi to review the Congress’s humiliating defeat in the Bihar Assembly elections. Now, a meeting of district presidents was held in Patna to gather feedback on the party’s poor performance. Other district organization leaders also attended this meeting. Reports were taken from each district on the reasons for the party’s defeat. After the meeting, Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee President Rajesh Ram said, “Our alliance with the RJD is only an electoral alliance; it has no organizational basis. The Congress party is expanding its organization to strengthen itself. There has been no discussion between the Congress and the RJD after the elections. Whether they will form a joint strategy as an opposition party is also unclear.” What did we gain from this reluctant alliance? There is a Bhojpuri saying: “Beman ke biyah kanpatiye senur” (unwillingly applied vermilion to the temple in the marriage). The alliance between RJD, Congress, and the Left parties was similar. Seat sharing is always clear in any electoral alliance. If a friendly fight ensues, it indicates a lack of trust among the constituent parties. Deception is inherent in the intentions. How did such powerful leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav agree to a friendly fight on 11 seats? If they had strictly adhered to alliance principles, would this have happened? Would any Congress candidate have had the courage to ignore Rahul Gandhi’s request? Is there any RJD leader who would disobey Tejashwi Yadav’s orders? But neither party made a sincere effort to avoid a friendly fight. Congress defeated RJD in Vaishali How could a heart break when a stone collides with glass? Glass collided with a stone, and it was bound to break, and it did. In 11 seats, the Grand Alliance hurled stones at each other’s glass houses. In the Vaishali seat, RJD’s Ajay Kumar and Congress’s Sanjeev Singh fought each other. JDU’s Siddharth Patel won. JDU defeated RJD by a huge margin of around 32,000 votes. Sanjeev Singh came in third. Clearly, if Congress had not contested this seat, RJD could have had the upper hand. Meaning, Congress defeated RJD. CPI defeated Congress in Rajapakad Congress’s Pratima Kumari and CPI’s Mohit Paswan contested the Rajapakad seat. However, JDU’s Mahendra Ram won. Mahendra Ram defeated Congress’s Pratima Kumari by a huge margin of 41,000 votes. CPI’s Mohit Paswan came in third. CPI defeated Congress in this seat. In the Beldaur seat, Congress’s Mithilesh Nishad and IIP’s Tanisha Bharti were contesting against each other. JDU’s Panna Singh Patel emerged victorious. Panna Singh Patel defeated Congress’s Mithilesh Nishad by around 35,000 votes. IIP defeated Congress in this seat. Congress defeats RJD in Kahalgaon In the Kahalgaon seat, Congress’s Praveen Singh Kushwaha and RJD’s Rajneesh Bharti were contesting against each other. Both lost the election, and JDU’s Shubhanand Mukesh emerged victorious. Shubhanand defeated RJD’s Rajneesh Bharti by over 50,000 votes. Congress defeated RJD in this seat, finishing fourth. Clearly, Congress should not have contested this seat. Congress suffered a humiliating defeat in the Sultanganj seat. Congress candidate Lalan Kumar received only 2,754 votes. Despite being weak, Congress insisted on contesting this seat. As a result, RJD’s Chandan Sinha’s position deteriorated. Seeing the two allies fighting each other, the public turned to JDU’s Lalit Narayan Mandal. Lalit Mandal defeated RJD’s Chandan Sinha by over 31,000 votes. VIP defeats RJD in Chainpur Mukesh Sahni’s stubbornness led to RJD’s defeat in the Chainpur seat. Brijkishore Bind of RJD and Balgovind Bind of VIP were fighting amongst themselves on this seat. Balgovind Bind is the state president of VIP. Mukesh Sahni forcibly fielded his own candidate on this seat. But the public gave a befitting reply to Mukesh Sahni. Balgovind Bind of VIP slipped to seventh place. This shows how big a leader Mukesh Sahni is of the Nishad community. Mahendra Gupta of CPI sank the boat of Santosh Mishra of Congress on Karhagar seat. Santosh Mishra was a sitting MLA. Both were defeated badly. BSP came second. Vashisht Singh of JDU won the election here. CPI defeated RJD in Bihar Sharif. Similarly, in the Bihar Sharif seat, CPI’s Shivkumar Yadav defeated Congress’s Umaid Khan. In the Bachhwara seat, CPI’s Awadhesh Rai defeated Congress’s Garib Das. BJP’s Surendra Mehta won this seat. In the Narkatiaganj seat, RJD’s Shashwat Kedar defeated RJD’s Deepak Yadav. BJP won this seat. In the Sikandra seat, Congress’s Vinod Chaudhary defeated RJD’s Uday Narayan Chaudhary. HAM’s Praful Manjhi won this seat. Congress finished fifth in Sikandra. When Congress, RJD, CPI, VIP, and IIP spent their energy trying to defeat each other, why is a meeting being held to find the reason for the defeat? It seems that perhaps a scapegoat may be found to save the honor of some senior leaders; this is the gist of the meeting. Authored by: Ashok Kumar Sharma•Edited by: Rishikesh Narayan Singh About the Author Ashok Kumar Sharma is a senior journalist
Tamil Nadu: Preventing a Dalit cook from cooking proved costly; court sentences six to two years in prison
Tirupur News: A Tamil Nadu court has delivered a harsh verdict in a case of caste discrimination. The court convicted six people for preventing a Dalit woman from cooking in a government school. The court sentenced all the accused to two years in prison. This incident occurred in Tirupur district, Tamil Nadu. This verdict is being considered a major example for social justice. The entire case dates back to 2018 This controversy arose in 2018. The Special SC/ST Act Court heard the case. The court sentenced six people, including P. Palanisamy Gounder, N. Sakthivel, and R. Shanmugam, who were found guilty of caste discrimination and other crimes. The court took a tough stand against the accused. The cook was discriminated against The prosecution presented the entire incident to the court. This case is from the Government Higher Secondary School in Thirumalai Goundampalayam. A woman named P. Pappal worked as a cook there, preparing mid-day meals for the children. Parents of children attending this school in Tamil Nadu protested. The six accused objected to the children being given food prepared by a Dalit woman. Punishment after protests There was considerable uproar against this discrimination. The Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front spoke out in support of the cook. Members of the organization protested the woman’s treatment. They also protested against the cook’s transfer and the discrimination. Now, the court has delivered justice in this case and sent the culprits to jail. Courtesy: Hindi News
Hathras News: Kidnappers of a Dalit girl dragged her father off his scooter and shot him; his condition is critical.
Hathras News: A shocking incident has occurred in Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh. The accused of kidnapping a Dalit girl shot her father in broad daylight. The attackers pulled the victim off his scooter and carried out the crime. The injured father has been referred to Aligarh Medical College in critical condition. Tension has gripped the entire area since the incident. Father had gone to the police station to locate his daughter. The family of the injured Rajpal has accused the police of negligence. Rajpal had gone to the police station to inquire about his daughter’s kidnapping. When he was unable to find the station in-charge, he was returning. On the way, five men on two bikes surrounded him. The accused forced Rajpal off his scooter and opened fire, hitting him in his right hand. The girl was kidnapped 18 days ago. According to the family, on the 11th, a young man named Deepak from the same village lured and abducted Rajpal’s daughter. Eighteen days have passed since the incident, but the police have not been able to recover the girl. The victim’s family has been pleading for help. It is alleged that this police laxity led the emboldened accused to attack the father with intent to kill. Police claim: Action will be taken upon receiving a written complaint. The news of the shooting created a stir within the police department. The Dial 112 team rushed the injured to the district hospital. Given the seriousness of the matter, senior police officers also arrived at the hospital. The police say that some people from the village are accused of the shooting. Upon receiving a written complaint from the family, a case will be registered and strict action will be taken. Courtesy: Hindi News
Dalit man dies after police custody in Bengaluru; family cries foul
Darshan was brutally assaulted to the extent that he was unable to walk, said his mother. A 24-year-old Dalit man died in a rehabilitation center after being allegedly beaten to death during police custody in Bengaluru. Darshan, who died on November 26, was an alcoholic and often picked fights. According to his mother, Adilakshmi, police officers from the Viveknagar station took him into custody on November 12 after a brawl with his neighbour. The mother alleged that she was not allowed to see or meet her son. In her police complaint, she has named assistant sub-inspector Pawan and two other policemen for brutally assaulting her son to the extent that he was unable to walk. There was no medical care provided despite his deteriorating condition. Three days later, on November 15, police informed the Dalit family that Darshan was being shifted to the Unity Foundation Rehab Centre near Madanayakanahalli. “The police pressured me to admit my son there and demanded Rs 2,500 as admission fees. After admitting, we were told by the staff present that Darshan’s health was improving, but we never saw him,” she said in her complaint. Then, on November 26, Adilakshmi’s world came crashing down after she received the news of her son’s passing, due to “breathing difficulties.” When the family arrived at the rehab centre, they found that his body was missing. They were later directed to the Nelamangala government hospital, where doctors informed them that Darshan had been brought dead. The family noticed injury marks on his chest, back, arms and legs, raising suspicions that he had been assaulted. His body was subsequently shifted to Victoria Hospital for a post-mortem, where doctors reportedly found several older injuries as well. The Madanayakanahalli police registered a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and various IPC sections related to assault, wrongful confinement, custodial torture and negligence. Adilakshmi has also alleged that her son was targeted because he belonged to a Scheduled Caste and that upper-caste police personnel mistreated him. Dalit organisations have called for an impartial and transparent investigation, saying the timeline strongly suggests custodial torture disguised as rehabilitation. Courtesy : TSD Note: This news is originally published on https:/thesiasatdaily.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Delhi Dalit OBC minorities body members wear Ambedkar masks pledge to save Constitution
New Delhi, A large number of members of the Confederation of Dalit, OBC, Minorities and Adivasi Organisations (DOMA Parisangh) gathered at the Ambedkar Bhawan here, taking a pledge to save the Constitution of India in front of Ambedkar’s statue by wearing masks with his face on them. Earlier, the DOMS Parisangh was scheduled to hold a rally at Ramlila Maidan, but following a BJP leader’s complaint, the NOC by the police was denied. DOMS Parisangh chairman and Congress leader Udit Raj said that, being disciplined and law-abiding citizens, they changed the original program from Ramlila ground to Ambedkar Bhawan, as thousands of people attended. Campaigning and mobilising the team members had been underway since July, and the cancellation was announced, yet some people still reached the Ramlila Maidan and were mistreated by the police, Udit Raj alleged. He said people arrived peacefully at the Ambedkar Bhawan to take the pledge amid heavy police deployments, which prevented them from marching. Addressing the gathering, Udit Raj said that saving the Constitution and democracy is no longer within the power of political parties alone, as all constitutional institutions have become weak, and a few individuals cannot protect them through struggle. A mass movement is the only option to save the Constitution, he said. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI) Courtesy : The Week Note: This news is originally published on https:/theweek.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Muslim Youth Attempts To Marry Minor Dalit Girl In Uttar Pradesh, Arrested
A police officer said they are investigating the case from all angles after a right-wing group protested, alleging it was a case of ‘love jihad’. Basti: A young Muslim man attempting to marry a minor Dalit girl was arrested after a right-wing group, along with villagers, protested against the marriage, alleging ‘love jihad’ in Uttar Pradesh’s Basti district. The incident took place in the Parshurampur police station area of the district on Friday (November 28). According to Basti Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhinandan, a complaint of ‘love jihad’ was received and it was found that the girl was a minor. A case has been registered and further action is being taken as per the law, he said. Police said a Muslim youth from Gond, identified as Sajid, had arrived with a wedding procession to marry a girl from a Dalit community. The two had met at a wedding ceremony some days ago. When villagers saw a wedding procession of a Muslim youth at their village, they were surprised and soon members of the Vishwa Hindu Mahasangh reached the scene, raising objections at the wedding. They launched a protest at the scene. Soon, a police team arrived at the scene, and an investigation was launched. Upon speaking with the girl’s parents, it was found that she was a minor and a case was registered, the SP said, adding, the youth, along with some of his friends who had accompanied him, were held for questioning. According to villagers, Sajid and the girl had become close. They alleged that this was not a usual love marriage but a “conspiracy for religious conversion”. “Since the girl is a minor, the marriage is legally invalid. Police are investigating the entire matter from all angles. Also, additional forces (to maintain law and order) have been deployed in the village. Sajid has been arrested and sent to jail on charges of attempting forced religious conversion and marriage,” an official said. It is pertinent to mention here that the term ‘love jihad’ is a conspiracy theory peddled by right-wing groups under which they claim that Muslim men lure non-Muslim women through feigned love and deception, force them to convert to Islam and marry them as part of an agenda to alter religious demographics. While several cases of Muslim men marrying non-Muslim women and vice versa have come to the fore, there is no evidence of any organised conspiracy as claimed. Courtesy : ETV Bharat Note: This news is originally published on https:/etvbharat.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
In tussle for CM post, Cong brass cannot afford to ignore Dalit group
Bengaluru: Chief minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar may have called a temporary truce to their tussle for the top post, but while Congress’ high command decides on the simmering issue of whether a change of CM is necessary, it cannot ignore demands of Dalit legislators. Dalit legislators are mounting pressure, demanding recognition for their role in Congress’ sweeping victory in the 2023 assembly elections. While some suggest Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, himself a prominent Dalit leader, is a potential contender for the chief ministerial post, other names in circulation include home minister G Parameshwara and his public works colleague Satish Jarkiholi. Both Parameshwara (SC) and Jarkiholi (ST) have positioned themselves as counterweights to Shivakumar, with Jarkiholi even seeking to replace him as Congress state president. He also represents a faction calling for three or four deputy CMs to ensure fair representation for major communities, including OBCs, Lingayats, and minorities. “The question of who should be CM remains complicated,” said a senior functionary. “The party high command has stepped in to resolve the issue, and the breakfast meeting of the CM and DCM was the first step. However, it is no longer between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. There are other stakeholders, and the high command must figure out a way to keep them all in good humour.” Tensions escalated last week after Shivakumar’s camp reiterated claims of a CM seat-sharing pact in which Siddaramaiah was expected to hand over the post by mid-Nov. The dispute spilled into caste politics, with the Vokkaligara Sangha and community pontiffs backing Shivakumar, while Ahinda leaders aligned with Siddaramaiah. Concerned by the public display of discord, central party brass directed both to meet and talk. After Saturday’s breakfast meeting, both said they would abide by whatever decision the high command takes. Siddaramaiah is expected to visit Shivakumar’s residence for lunch this week, and both may be summoned to New Delhi for discussions. “There is no difference of opinion between the CM and me,” Shivakumar said on Sunday. “We will work together. Our aim is the 2028 elections. We both will go to Delhi if a call comes from the high command.” Supporters of Siddaramaiah argue that he rightfully earned the chief ministership by leading the party’s 2023 campaign and consolidating votes from minorities and OBCs. Shivakumar’s supporters counter that Congress surged to victory under his stewardship as KPCC president. Meanwhile, Dalit functionaries have emerged as a third and increasingly influential force, pointing out that their organisational work played a decisive role in consolidating SC and ST votes under Kharge’s guidance. Kharge reportedly tasked Parameshwara with overseeing 36 SC-reserved constituencies, of which Congress won 32. Jarkiholi handled campaigning in 15 ST-reserved seats, with the party securing 14. They also claim they consolidated Dalit votes, who constitute 24% of the population, even in general seats. “Only a couple of functionaries are taking the credit, but many others are directly and indirectly responsible for the win. Credit should be given where it is due,” said Jarkiholi. SC and ST functionaries formed a pressure group soon after the govt was sworn, often grabbing headlines with strategy meetings and public outreach. Their presence in New Delhi last week, at the peak of the stand-off, signalled their determination. With several members indicating Mallikarjun Kharge as their preferred choice, Rahul Gandhi met Kharge and his son, minister Priyank Kharge, in the national capital. Sources say these developments have added a fresh twist to the imbroglio. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Gauhati HC raises concern over lack of job access to transgenders
Guwahati: Gauhati high court said that there is no doubt that there is recognition of the gender identity of transgenders, which lies at the heart of the fundamental right to dignity, but “special measures are still lacking for providing them access to employment.” The court directed state govt to inform it in the next hearing in Feb about whether the proposal, mooted for reservation of transgenders in education and employment, has received the approval of the cabinet. The concern of the petitioner ‘All Assam Transgender Association’ (AATA) was that there should be some allocation of seats for the transgender persons and within such allocated number of seats, male transgenders and female transgenders should be allowed to apply for these seates so as to ensure the same rigor as a binary male and female in the recruitment process. The PIL seeks to address the grievance of the petitioner against the police department in particular, for having published an advertisement recruitment of transgender persons as sub-inspectors and constables, which they claimed to be discriminatory. The court said that in the advertisement in question, provision was made for the transgenders but the number of seats allotted was clubbed together with male candidates. Separate number of seats was fixed for females. During the hearing on Thursday, senior govt advocate D Nath submitted before the court of Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury that the matter would relate to the policy decision of the state. “Unless a policy is framed, the director general of police or the recruitment body cannot go for such separate allocation, which would amount to reservation. What would be the percentage of reservation would have to be based on empirical data regarding the number, their social and economic status and other factors,” the advocate submitted. “Since the Supreme Court in 2014 recognised transgender persons as a third gender, the govts of the states were directed to provide them with all kinds of reservation in education and employment, treating them as socially and educationally backward class,” the court said in the order. On this, social justice and empowerment department’s standing counsel RM Das submitted before the court that a proposal has been mooted to recognise the transgender community as a socially and educationally backward class, which will be placed before the state cabinet for approval. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Shelter for transgenders in city struggles for survival, dignity amid all-round apathy
Jaipur: Every year in winter season, Jaipur Municipal Corporation runs night shelters for the homeless. Some night shelters, though, operate the year round. Among them is the city’s only shelter for transgenders, started in 2023. This shelter in Shastri Nagar’s Doodh Mandi survives largely on the efforts of the 30 transgender people who live there. Inside, one side resembles an overgrown patch of scrub, while the other is littered with discarded furniture and broken equipment from govt offices. Five trans men and 25 trans women live here. Tarun, one of the trans men, says, “No one comes to check how we live. JMC started the shelter but never arranged water or food. For the past 15 days, ever since temporary shelters were opened, we’ve been receiving food from Moti Doongri Temple. But tell me, how long can anyone survive on just puri and aloo ki sabji every day?” Cleaning the premises is also their responsibility. “Not once has a sanitation worker visited here. From toilets to garbage, we clean everything ourselves. A security guard was posted here for a while, but he left months ago. We cannot even lock the main gate because the latch is broken.” The shelter has two halls, one where everyone sleeps and another where they cook. The sleeping hall has small lockers, but most of them are broken. Rats have burrowed deep holes into the locker walls. Several residents were bitten, forcing the group to adopt two dogs for safety. Auni Singor, a trans woman and a gold medallist athlete, says, “We get no funds from the govt or the corporation. We pool money for food. For over a year, we used tanker water, which was extremely dirty. Recently, we gathered money to install a pipeline. Four gold medallists live here, look at the conditions we’re forced to stay in.” She adds that they filed written complaints with municipal officials, approached former councillor Manoj Mudgal, and even requested former mayor Kusum Yadav to visit. “She promised she would come in two days. It has been almost a year, but those two days never came.” During the monsoon, snakes and scorpions entering the shelter are common. The rat population far exceeds the number of residents. While winter blankets have arrived from the corporation, the residents say essential repairs and safety measures remain pending. At one point, then JMC Heritage requested one of the shelter’s halls for converting it into an additional night shelter. Singor says, “This space was started for ten people, today we are 30. Our numbers are growing. If we give away one hall, where will new members go? For us, this is not just a shelter, this is home. Children who are rejected by their families come here. We are their only support.” The area surrounding the shelter is equally unsafe; bus parking, a liquor shop, and groups of idlers create a threatening environment. Residents say they face harassment and vulgar comments every evening. Tarun adds, “Trans women somehow manage to earn, but no one hires trans men. My family abandoned me. I’m educated and can work in an office, but everywhere I’m told, ‘You’re trans, how can we employ you?’ I am undergoing hormone treatment now, but without a job, how will I afford medicines?” This shelter, created to offer dignity and safety, today stands as one of Jaipur’s most neglected spaces, running only on the resilience, labour, and collective strength of the people it was meant to protect. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
HILTP a massive land scam, KTR says in letter to Rahul
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Industrial Land Transformation Policy (HILTP) recently introduced by the Telangana govt is one of the biggest land scams in independent India, BRS working president KT Rama Rao alleged in an open letter addressed to leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday. In the letter, KTR expressed concerns that “this highly corrupt policy raised serious suspicions” across Telangana and questioned whether the Congress leadership was aware of the irregularities occurring in the state or if they were deliberately choosing to remain silent. He warned that this corrupt policy allows private companies to acquire highly valuable govt land at nominal prices, potentially costing the people of Telangana Rs 5 lakh crore. In his letter, KTR pointed out that previous govts allocated around 9,300 acres of industrial land in key clusters such as Balanagar, Jeedimetla, Sanathnagar, Uppal, Mallapur, Ramachandrapuram, and Hayathnagar in Hyderabad city. These land parcels were initially provided at subsidised rates to promote industrial growth, employment, and long-term economic development However, under the new HILTP, KTR alleged that those holding industrial lands could now convert them into commercial or residential zones by paying only 30% of the sub-registrar office (SRO) value. He accused the policy of enabling the transfer of valuable public assets to private individuals at minimal cost, thereby regularising land worth lakhs of crores at nominal prices. KTR also expressed doubts about the govt’s decision to grant fast-track approvals for the transfer of assets worth thousands of crores within just 45 days. He criticised the lack of transparency in such a hurried process, accusing the govt of handing over these lands to private individuals without proper scrutiny, solely for monetary gain. He stated that the Congress govt’s haste and the hidden political corruption within this entire policy raise numerous questions. Furthermore, KTR accused the Congress govt of having a “well-laid plan to plunder Telangana’s wealth,” valued in lakhs of crores, under the guise of relocating polluting industries outside the Outer Ring Road (ORR). He questioned why the relocation was not mandatory for all industries, alleging that the process was instead voluntary, with the govt making case-by-case decisions on land transfers. KTR highlighted the policy’s failure to set a deadline for the relocation of existing industries or to clarify whether these industries would actually move. “The policy was introduced purely for monetary gain, without identifying alternative locations for relocating industries or considering the implications of these land transfers,” he said. The BRS leader warned that instead of fostering new industrial development in the city, there could be an increase in skyscrapers and commercial complexes replacing old industrial units. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights