Kerala elections: Congress in search of Dalit and tribal faces, decades of neglect proving costly?
Till the 1980s, the party was full of prominent Dalit leaders, but factionalism ruined everything. Now finding candidates for 16 reserved seats has also become a big challenge. Kochi: The preparations for the assembly elections to be held in Kerala in May next year have intensified, but the Congress party is stuck in a strange difficulty. The party is struggling to find its Dalit and tribal candidates just before the elections. This turmoil has exposed a bitter truth that the party has failed miserably in preparing and promoting new leaders from the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities. The result is that the party is feeling very weak on the 16 reserved seats (14 SC and 2 ST) of the state. A golden past, which is now only in memories This difference between the past and the present is very clear. By the mid-1980s, the Congress had no dearth of stalwart leaders from backward communities. Names like Vella Echaran Iyani, M. P. Thami, K. K. Balakrishnan, K. Raghavan Master, Damodaran Kalassery, P. K. Velayudhan, K. K. Madhavan, T. K. C. Vaduthala, Kittappa Narayana Swamy and Dr. M. A. Kuttappan not only gave the party legislative strength but also had a strong grassroots hold. These leaders were not just candidates but mass leaders who were deeply respected in the society. Factionalism ruined the party But as factionalism within the party deepened in the late 1980s and 90s, Dalit and tribal representation shrunk. Political analyst Dizo Kappan says, “The main reason for the failure to promote SC/ST leaders in the Congress was the never-ending infighting between the ‘A’ and ‘I’ groups. This factionalism prevented the emergence of new leaders and created a vacuum that has not been filled till date.” Dependence on old faces a problem This vacuum has become a major challenge for the party today. For decades, the party’s leadership has depended on a handful of “safe” names, most prominent among them being Kodikunnil Suresh and Pandalam Sudhakaran. Kodikunnil, who was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989, is still an MP, while Sudhakaran has been active in politics since his first election in 1982. Critics believe that these two leaders have effectively closed the doors for younger leaders. Ramesh Mathew, a former journalist and longtime Congress watcher, says, “The Congress is unable to think of any new names other than Kodikunnil and Sudhakaran. After some issues surfaced regarding Remya Haridas, the party can only blame itself for this situation.” It is clear that the party’s bench strength is worryingly weak. The party has no ready options for the 16 reserved seats. On the other hand, the CPM and the BJP are apparently trying to groom Dalit and tribal candidates, which has increased the Congress’s worries even more. Leadership admits mistake, promises change A senior Congress source acknowledged the crisis, but insisted that change is coming. “The AICC now wants fresh faces from the fishermen, SC and ST communities, not old and tired faces like Kodikunnil and [T.N.] Prathapan. We have identified some promising new faces, and 2026 will see a clear generational change,” he said. According to sources, Sajithamol, the widow of Pathanamthitta District Congress Committee (DCC) vice-president and district panchayat member M.G. Kannan, who died in May this year at the age of 42, could be one of the Congress’ choices from the backward community for the Assembly election. Return to power at stake In the 140-member Assembly, these 16 reserved seats could prove to be decisive. Losing ground on this front could mean a dash to the Congress’ hopes of returning to power. Kottayam’s P.R. Leaders like Sona – who is educated, holds a doctorate degree and is active in social work – represent the kind of profile the party should have cultivated years ago. Instead, sources say, the neglect of Dalit leadership at the grassroots has left the Congress today scrambling across the state for credible candidates at the last minute. It is ironic that a party that once produced stalwarts like K.K. Balakrishnan – who held several ministerial portfolios, including Harijan Welfare and Transport – and a staunch Ambedkarite like Dr. Kuttappan, who reached the Assembly despite factional sabotage, is today struggling to find even a few well-known Dalit leaders. As the countdown to the elections begins, the Congress is realising that the mistake of ignoring and sidelining its Dalit and tribal leaders for decades cannot be undone by a mere search for candidates. The past is fast catching up with them – and the party may pay a heavy price for it. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy : Hindi News
Charlie Kirk shooting: Suspect Tyler Robinson not cooperating with FBI; had relationship with trans roommate
Utah governor Spencer Cox confirmed Sunday that Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the Charlie Kirk assassination, is not cooperating with the FBI. Robinson, 22, was arrested without bail for allegedly killing conservative activist and Trump ally Kirk during a speech at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. Live-in transgender partner cooperating Cox also confirmed that Robinson’s live-in romantic partner was a transgender and is cooperating with the investigation. The Daily Mail identified the partner as Lance Twiggs, a transgender individual transitioning from male to female. The couple shared a three-bedroom apartment in St George, Utah. “The roommate was a romantic partner, a male transitioning to female,” Cox said, as quoted by The New York Post. “This partner has been incredibly cooperative [and] had no idea that this was happening. And, he’s working with investigators right now.” While the Bureau declined to comment on whether the partner could face charges, a spokesperson emphasised the scale of the investigation. Suspect described as ‘deeply indoctrinated’ Cox while speaking to CNN’s State of the Union described Robinson as “deeply indoctrinated in leftist ideology.” “That information comes from the people around him — his family members and friends,” he added. He also confirmed that authorities are still investigating Robinson’s motive. 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
Charlie Kirk killing: Kin says Tyler Robinson’s transgender partner ‘hates conservatives and Christians’ – inside their relationship
A relative of the transgender and the romantic partner of Tyler Robinson revealed that he “hates conservatives and Christians” and may have influenced the assassin’s political views. In an interview with Fox News Digital, the relative of the 22-year-old transgender partner said that he is in the process of transitioning from male to female. The alleged romantic partner of Tyler has not been charged yet, and the name has not been revealed Transgender partner hated Christians and conservatives The woman further revealed to Fox News Digital that her relative (the transgender person) began to act differently when he turned 18 and developed a hatred against Christians and conservatives. “He hates conservatives and Christians,” the relative told Fox News. “He hated us. He was not raised that way, but he, over the years, has become really detached [and] been radicalised,” she added. ‘He got worse in last year or two’ “He has obviously gotten progressively worse the last year or two,” she said, adding that he’s “always very angry.” She emphasised that suspect Tyler’s political views were influenced by his partner since they began dating. ‘More of the influencing’ “I think Tyler got a whole lot worse in the year they have been dating. They are big gamers, and obviously, they have that group that influences them as well as others. But my gut tells me [the roommate] did more of the influencing,” she told Fox News. “Everybody in my family wants justice to be served and wants no part in this and wants whoever is involved in whatever way to have to pay for that,” she added. Earlier, an FBI official told Fox News that Robinson’s partner has been “extremely cooperative” and claimed he “had no idea” about Robinson’s alleged plans to kill Kirk. Robinson and his roommate shared an apartment in St George, Utah, where both their families live. 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
Ahead of Rahul’s visit, BJP questions Cong-ruled states’ apathy towards Punjab
Chandigarh: Ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s scheduled visit to Punjab, the BJP state unit on Sunday asked how much assistance the Congress-ruled states had extended to the flood-hit state. Pointing out that “Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and other alliance partners currently govern eight states across the country”, Punjab BJP spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal questioned: “How much financial assistance or relief material these govts have extended to Punjab during this crisis?” He urged Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring to “present this data publicly so that the people of Punjab may clearly know which parties genuinely stood with them in their time of distress”. In a written statement, Baliawal mentioned: “While both the state govt and the Congress party continuously question central assistance, they have not shown the will to extend help from states where they themselves are in power.” He further remarked: “During the critical period when Punjab was inundated and people were suffering immense hardship, Rahul Gandhi was abroad in Malaysia. The timing of Rahul Gandhi’s Punjab visit now indicates a political spectacle rather than a sincere concern for the flood-affected population.” Baliawal added: “The central govt under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already provided Punjab with Rs 1,600 crore in immediate relief, in addition to the Rs 12,000 crore available with the Punjab govt under the State Disaster Response Fund.” “The BJP-ruled states such as Delhi, Gujarat, Goa, and Haryana have each contributed Rs 5 crore to the Punjab chief minister’s relief fund. Alongside financial support, several BJP govts have dispatched thousands of trucks and train wagons carrying rations and essential supplies for flood victims. Throughout this period, BJP leaders and workers across Punjab have been continuously engaged in relief and rehabilitation efforts,” he pointed out. Emphasising that the people of Punjab “deserve transparency on who truly stood by them in their hour of need”, Baliawal said: “Rahul Gandhi must answer why Congress-ruled state govts have demonstrated indifference and apathy towards Punjab’s suffering.” 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
BJP, Congress eye bigger share of seats in Magadh region
Gaya: Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting in Bodh Gaya on Aug 22 and the positive response to Rahul Gandhi’s Voter Adhikar Yatra in the Magadh division, the bargaining position of both national parties has improved within their respective alliances. Political observers said in the 2020 assembly elections, both parties played second fiddle in NDA and Mahagathbandhan, respectively. In 2020, JD(U) led the NDA in Magadh by contesting 11 of the 26 seats, while the BJP fielded candidates in 10. BJP secured three of these 10 seats in four districts of the division but did not contest in Jahanabad. JD(U), however, failed to win any of the 11 seats it contested in Magadh. Even in Ghosi, long considered Jagdish Sharma’s stronghold, his son Rahul suffered a decisive defeat to CPI(ML) candidate Ram Bali Yadav, who had been seen as an underdog throughout the campaign. In Rafiganj, JD(U) candidate Ashok Kumar Singh slipped to third place. Within the NDA, HAM(S) emerged as the most successful with Jitan Ram Manjhi’s party winning three of the five seats it contested in Gaya, Jahanabad and Aurangabad. In the Mahagathbandhan camp, CPI(ML) achieved a perfect strike rate by winning both Ghosi and Arwal. Congress secured three of the seven seats it contested. Over the past five years, and particularly in recent months, political fortunes in the region have shifted. Gaya district BJP chief Prem Prakash argued that BJP’s growing strength must be reflected in seat-sharing. “BJP was much stronger now and this strength must be reflected in the distribution of seats based on the winnability of the candidates. Moreover, unlike other parties inside and outside the alliance, BJP has got a leader like Prem Kumar, the undisputed EBC leader of Bihar,” said Prakash. In 2015, senior BJP leader and former Union minister Shah Nawaz Hussain, while addressing an election rally in Gaya, had presented Kumar as BJP’s potential CM face. Congress functionaries also believe their position warrants a larger share of seats. Vijay Kumar Mithu, former AICC member, said, “Based on traction, Congress definitely deserves more than the seven seats it contested in 2020. The party would demand at least one more SC seat as it has significantly strengthened itself in recent times and though it has become more popular in all social groups, its footprint was most pronounced among the Dalits and EBCs.” Ali Hussain, principal of a Gaya-based college and a political science teacher for nearly two decades, observed that the rival coalitions would eventually need to adjust. “Sooner or later, the rival coalitions will have to recalibrate their strategy in view of the ground realities,” he added. 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
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to tour flood-hit border districts of Punjab
Chandigarh: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit flood-affected areas in Punjab on Monday. He will land in Amritsar on a chartered flight in the morning and will take a return flight on the same plane from Pathankot after visiting flood-affected areas in border districts, an official said. As per his schedule, the Raebareli MP is set to go to flood-affected Ghonewal, Ajnala, Gurchak, and Makoura before heading to Pathankot. Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said Gandhi had always batted for the interests of farmers, raising their issues and slamming the BJP-led Centre govt for favouring corporates. “Now that floodwaters have receded, it is an appropriate time for him (Rahul Gandhi) to have a first-person account of the damage suffered by farmers. He will meet flood-affected farmers and people, and his visit is expected to force the govt to give immediate and adequate relief to farmers,” Warring said. Warring reiterated that the Rs 1,600-crore financial assistance announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Punjab was “peanuts” and that “so far not even a rupee has been given from the promised amount”. Leader of opposition and Congress MLA from Qadian, Partap Singh Bajwa, too said the visit was expected to force both govts, in the state and at the Centre, to “take the rehabilitation of flood-affected people seriously”. “We would request him (Rahul Gandhi) to take up the matter with the PM and tell him to rethink the relief amount as it is meagre. We would also urge him to get clarity from the PM on disaster funds as the PM said Rs 12,000 crore was lying with Punjab, the state govt said it received Rs 1m500 crore, and the CAG report mentioned that by March 31, 2023, Punjab had Rs ,9041 crore in disaster funds,” Bajwa said. He added Gandhi would visit flood-affected areas in assembly constituencies of Dera Baba Nanak, Ajnala, and Dinanagar. Union minister of state for railways and food processing industries Ravneet Bittu, in a post in Punjabi, took a dig at Rahul Gandhi’s recent foreign visit. “When the elections for Vice-President were happening, you were busy enjoying your holidays. And when Punjab was drowning and people were crying, you were living it up in Malaysia!” In an apparent reference to the Congress leader’s scheduled visit to Punjab on Monday, Bittu said in the post, “These visits don’t seem to be about alleviating people’s pain but rather for staging political drama.” Bittu to Gandhi: ‘What breed of horse are you?’ Union minister of state for railways and food processing industries Ravneet Bittu termed visit “political drama”. In a post on X, Bittu said, “It is said that Rahul Gandhi ji is coming to Punjab! Rahul often says that Congress has all kinds of horses – racehorses, wedding horses, even lame horses. But Rahul ji, can you or your party leaders, especially the leaders of Punjab, tell the people what breed of horse you are?” 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
Rajasthan: Dalit farmer’s field fence burnt in Balotra, caste abuses and death threats alleged
Dalit farmer assaulted and threatened in Tapra village of Balotra; field fence burnt, police accused of delaying action Rajasthan: A tense situation prevails over the field of a Dalit farmer in Tapra village of Balotra district. It is alleged that the nearby farm owner not only set the field fence on fire, but also hurled caste abuses and threatened to kill him. The incident took place in the field of Chhagna Ram Meghwal, where Mohanlal Bhil was working in the field. The victim Mohanlal says that the neighboring farm owner, Ummed Singh, was constantly pressurizing him and tried to attack him several times. The victim’s side also claims that they have a video of the incident, in which the accused Ummed Singh is seen openly hurling caste abuses, beating him and threatening to kill him with a sword. Recently, the accused set the farm fence on fire, causing great damage. In this case, Mohanlal Bhil has lodged an FIR in the police station. However, the villagers allege that the police delayed taking action by two days and have not yet shown the required seriousness in the matter. Villagers demand strict action The Dalit community and the people of the village have united and demanded from the administration that strict action should be taken against the accused. They say that such incidents are creating an atmosphere of fear in the society. They have also expected the police to take this matter with sensitivity and take immediate and fair action on the complaints of the Dalit community, so that the victim’s family can get justice. Sharvan Kumar Courtesy : Hindi News
Tamil Nadu: Class 12 Dalit student stripped and beaten, two arrested: Know the full story
Class 12 student stripped and beaten in Chennai, two arrested including former BJP leader . Chennai: The Secretariat Colony police have arrested two people under the Scheduled Castes/Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for assaulting and misbehaving with a Class 12 student. The incident took place when the boy went to meet a Class 10 girl student at her home. The arrested accused have been identified as Saravanan and his brother Logesh. According to the police, Saravanan was earlier reported to be an office bearer of a political party. The police said that the girl’s mother has also lodged a complaint against the boy under the POCSO Act. The mother alleges that the boy exploited her daughter, although no case has been registered in this matter yet. What is the whole matter? According to the police, the 17-year-old boy and the girl studied in the same school in Choolaimedu and were friends since then. Later, the schools of both of them were separated, but they remained in constant touch through social media. On Friday, when the boy went to meet the girl at her house in Secretariat Colony, some of the girl’s relatives locked him in a room. After this, they called Saravanan. It is alleged that Saravanan and Logesh together beat up the boy brutally and took off his clothes. Later, he was released. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy : Hindi News
Teen Dalit stripped, assaulted in Chennai; Two arrested
The Class 12 boy was in a relationship with his classmate from a different caste. A 17-year-old Dalit boy was allegedly stripped, assaulted, and abused for visiting a girl at her home in Chennai on Friday, September 12. Two men have been arrested. According to the police, the teenager was in a relationship with the girl from a different caste. They were classmates and studied in a school located in Choolaimedu, a significant residential and commercial neighbourhood in Central Chennai. When her parents became aware of the relationship, they sent her away to live with her grandmother in Secretariat Colony. However, the teenagers continued to stay in contact through social media even after moving to different schools. On Friday, the boy went to Secretariat Colony to visit her and was caught red-handed by the two accused, Logesh and his brother Sravanan. The Dalit teenager was violently attacked. Local reports suggest Sravanan was affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Based on the Dalit boy’s parents’ complaint, a case was registered under the SC/ST Act along with other sections related to assault, wrongful confinement, and criminal intimidation. The duo was arrested on the same day. Posted by Veena Nair Courtesy : The Siasat Daily Note: This news is originally published on https:/thesiasatdaily.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
UP Banda: People of Dalit colony yearning for electricity, reality of Banda district
Chaube Purva of Gram Panchayat Naugaon of Tehsil Naraini of Banda district of Uttar Pradesh is still immersed in darkness. Here about 30 Dalit families are waiting for electricity facility for generations. People say that despite complaining and applying many times, electricity did not come. Poles and wires were installed in the village, but the transformer was not installed. Children’s studies have stopped, people are troubled in the heat and there is a fear of snakes and scorpions. Courtesy : Hindi News