If govt can agree to truce with Pak, why not with Naxals: TPCC chief
Hyderabad: Telangana Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud on Sunday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah launched ‘Operation Kagar’ (Operation Black Forest) to hand over the mineral wealth of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand to the corporates, under the pretext of eliminating Naxalites. He also criticised the Modi govt for not accepting the offer of talks made by the Maoists. “It is unfortunate that the central govt, under pressure from US President Donald Trump, agreed to a ceasefire and hold talks with Pakistan, which is sponsoring terrorism, but not agreeing to talks with our own citizens (Maoists). Congress’ ideology is non-violence, and it will not support any kind of violence, including that done by the Maoists,” he said, speaking at a round table meeting convened by Left parties, human rights, and civil society organisations at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram. All the secular and democratic forces, including Congress, should condemn the killing of Naxalites by the govt in ‘Operation Kagar’, even after the Maoists expressed willingness to hold talks, he said. Just because they (BJP) have power, “the govt violence” on the pretext of ‘Operation Kagar’ cannot be supported. Since coming to power, the BJP govt has been dismantling constitutional institutions, he added. “When someone is ready for talks, they should be held. The BJP plays politics in the name of religion and gods. There are instances when talks were held during the time of even Lord Rama and Lord Krishna. Not accepting talks reveals their fascist ideology. They have been toppling democratically elected govts in various states. Only a few people are able to oppose them, and one of them is the Gandhi family,” Mahesh Goud said. The TPCC chief narrated an ancecdote when Rahul Gandhi, Meenakshi Natarajan, chief minister A Revanth Reddy, and deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka and he were going in a car to attend Bharat Summit in Hyderabad on April 26. “Meenakshi said security forces surrounded Karregutta as part of ‘Operation Kagar’, but expressed concern that there were civilians there too. Then Rahul Gandhi said that you can eliminate individuals and even a group of people but not their cause. Subsequently, CM Revanth said he would speak to representatives of all parties in this regard. The Gandhi family even pardoned the killers of Rajiv Gandhi, as the Congress firmly believes in non-violence,” he said. Telangana Congress leadership would discuss and take a decision soon on the support sought by the Left parties and organisations against ‘Operation Kagar’. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Rahul Gandhi to visit Haryana Congress office this week to finalise district units
Chandigarh: With Lok Sabha leader of opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expected to visit Haryana on Wednesday, functionaries of the event to be attend by him have started to get anxious, as there is talk of the party announcing its state functionaries. If all goes as planned, with a view to finalising the district units of Haryana, Rahul is reaching the office of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) on Wednesday. He is expected to be accompanied by AICC in-charge and co-incharges for Haryana, and 21 observers appointed by AICC last month to finalise district executives. Senior leaders of the state who are expected to attend the event include former CM Bhupinder Hooda, HPCC chief Udai Bhan, former Union minister Selja, and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Surjewala could join as AICC general secretaries, and Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda could join as AICC member of the working committee. Enquiries made from the HPCC office confirmed the presence of Bhan and Bhupinder Hooda. Both leaders will arrive in Chandigarh on Tuesday and will return to Delhi after meetings on Wednesday night. “We are totally clueless about the agenda as well as the list of invitees. Since observers are expected to join the meeting, we are hopeful of the finalisation of names of district units as per feedback from observers. Rest, there is no intimation to MPs or MLAs as elected representatives,” said one MP from Haryana. For 11 years, the issue of forming the executive at the district level is hanging fire due to infighting between Hooda and his rivals within the party. All this began during the tenure of former MP Ashok Tanwar as HPCC president and continues till now. Various lists of proposed district executives prepared during the tenure of Selja and Udai Bhan were lying unused in AICC headquarters. As a result, Haryana Congress contested two general elections and three assembly elections without any executive in place. It was not just the district executive; even the Congress high command has not yet cleared the name of the CLP leader despite the party being the major opposition party with 37 MLAs. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
BJP targets Rahul ahead of his June 6 Nalanda Visit
Patna: In an election year where political parties are vying to position themselves as champions of social justice, BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal on Sunday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s upcoming visit to Bihar. Gandhi is scheduled to address an extremely backward classes (EBC) conference in Nalanda on June 6. Jaiswal claimed that PM Narendra Modi has visited Bihar nearly 50 times since 2014, when he was declared the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. In contrast, he accused Gandhi of engaging with the state only during elections. “Since his bachpan (childhood) to the age of 55, Rahul comes out of his AC chamber only when there is an election in the state,” Jaiswal said. Bihar is set to go to the polls in Oct-Nov this year. “Rahul first came to Bihar in Jan to propagate the British divide and rule policy. He should tell how many times he has visited Bihar from childhood to the age of 55. If a PM can make time for Bihar, why can’t he?” Jaiswal asked. The BJP leader alleged that the Congress MP’s interest in Bihar is opportunistic. “The Congress MP is coming when his boat has already sunk in Bihar. Where was he for five years? People of Bihar like PM Modi and CM Nitish,” he said. Ahead of the PM’s two-day visit to the state on May 29 and May 30, deputy CM Samrat Choudhary had said that it marked Modi’s 50th visit to Bihar. In contrast, Rahul’s June 6 appearance will be his fifth visit to the state this year. The PM, by comparison, has made three visits to Bihar in 2025. Union minister and BJP MP from Begusarai, Giriraj Singh, also took aim at the Congress on Sunday, accusing party president Mallikarjun Kharge of echoing Pakistan’s rhetoric. Singh criticised Kharge for demanding proof of Operation Sindoor, a cross-border military action following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 tourists were killed. “He is speaking the language of Pakistan,” Singh said. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Rahul visiting Anvar was a mistake: Satheesan
Kochi: Opposition leader V D Satheesan said that Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkootathil’s visit to P V Anvar was not with the knowledge of the UDF or Congress leadership. The UDF decided not to engage in further discussions with him and officially informed Anvar of their decision, Satheesan told reporters in Kochi on Sunday. Despite being asked to support the UDF candidate, Anvar repeated his previous stance, resulting in the UDF closing the door. “No one was tasked with negotiating with Anvar, and Mamkootathil’s visit to him was a mistake. The UDF meeting decided to close the door on discussions, and there will be no further talks. Filing nomination is Anvar’s choice. In Nilambur, it’s between the UDF and LDF. The UDF will evaluate the govt’s nine-year performance. People are fed up with this govt. The secret alliance of the CPM with the BJP will also be discussed,” Satheesan said. UDF in Nilambur is stronger than it was in Thrikkakara, Puthuppally and Palakkad, the opposition leader said. In the 2021 polls, even during the LDF wave, the victory margin here was only 2,700. Extensive preparations have been made, and the results will be seen in Nilambur. “The UDF is so strong that it won’t yield to any pressure. UDF is an alliance formed by eminent leaders. No decision will be made to tarnish UDF’s pride. This is not my personal opinion but a unified decision of the UDF, and I was tasked with conveying it. I am prepared to face any criticism for this. There will be no response to any attacks. Aryadan Shoukath will win by a large margin,” he added. Satheesan alleged that there is a secret alliance between CPM and BJP to defeat Congress in Nilambur. He said the state govt raising no complaints regarding the collapse of the national highway could be seen as proof of this alliance. “In Nilambur, CPM and BJP have reportedly formed an agreement to defeat the UDF. This is why BJP initially decided not to field a candidate. However, they have now fielded a candidate to escape allegations against their leadership. BJP has promised the CPM that their candidate can split the UDF votes. But no UDF vote will go to either the CPM or BJP. UDF is facing the election politically and is organisationally strong,” he added. Despite widespread damage to the national highway and massive corruption worth billions of rupees, Kerala govt has not complained against the central govt, Satheesan said. The CPM, which once accused the UDF govt regarding the Palarivattom bridge, is now silent about the national highway collapse due to fear, he said. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
If you are seen in the village, we will rape you… Recording of threats by bullies goes viral, Dalit couple wandering for justice
Shravasti Hindi News: A shocking case has come to light from Shravasti. Where some bullies of the village have forced a Dalit woman and her husband to leave the village. Let’s know the whole matter… Shravasti Latest News/Santosh Kumar: A shocking social media recording is going viral from Shravasti, Uttar Pradesh, in which it is alleged that some bullies of the village even told the victim that if she is seen in the village, she will be raped. After this incident, there was a stir in the area. Where is the case from? Actually, this case is being told of Bhamepara village of Ikouna police station area of the district. Where a Dalit woman and her husband have been forced to leave the village by some bullies of the village itself. The victim alleges that the bullies had threatened them and driven them out of the village about six months ago and even now they are constantly talking obscenely on the phone and threatening to kill them. According to the Dalit couple, after being thrown out of the village, they had to spend many days wandering in the fields. Currently, they are taking shelter at a relative’s house away from the village. The woman said that she is being threatened by three people of the village. It is alleged that the bullies even said that if they are seen in the village, they will be raped and killed. Recording of obscene talk goes viral The victim has given a written complaint to the police in this regard and pleaded for justice. The woman also has a recording of the threats made on the phone, which is now going viral on social media. The police has taken the matter seriously and started investigation and is questioning the concerned persons after reaching the village. Officials say that strict action will be taken against the culprits and the safety of the victim’s family will be ensured. Courtesy : Hindi News
Bihar court sentences two persons to death for rape-murder of 8-yr-old Dalit girl
Madhubani (Bihar), May 31 (PTI) A court in Bihar’s Madhubani district on Saturday sentenced two persons to death after convicting them for the rape and murder of an eight-year-old Dalit girl. Special judge for SC/ST cases and Additional District and Sessions Judge, Syed Mohammad Fazlul Bari, also slapped a fine of Rs 1.2 lakh each on the two convicts — Sushil Kumar Rai and Om Prakash Jha. The case pertains to the incident that took place on June 22, 2023 in Jaynagar police station area. Speaking to reporters after the verdict, special public prosecutor Sapan Kumar Singh, said, “It was a ‘rarest of the rare’ case and the prosecution urged the court to award the death penalty. Defense counsel argued in favour of the accused, but the court upheld the prosecution’s demand for the death sentence to both accused.” Narrating the incident, he said, “The deceased’s family members were not at home. The accused lured the girl to Jaynagar market. Then they took her to a room in Koshi Colony, where they raped her. When the girl tried to raise an alarm, the accused strangled her to death. The very next day, police arrested the accused and recovered the girl’s body.” Family members of the accused refused to interact with the media. (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/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
A long way from deliverance
Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound — a film about the marginalised — might have received a standing ovation at Cannes this year, but films around Dalit themes remain an unformed genre, argues author Sadgati, adapted from a short story by Munshi Premchand, was Satyajit Ray’s first and only black-and-white telefilm for Doordarshan. Sadgati means deliverance. The film depicts the persisting caste system and its varying manifestations in post-Independence India. Premchand wrote the story in 1931; Ray adapted it in 1981, much after the Government of India officially outlawed the discriminatory practice of untouchability. The 50-minute film features Om Puri as the Dalit farmhand Dukhi, Smita Patil as his wife Jhuria, Mohan Agashe as the Brahmin priest and Geeta Kak as the priest’s wife. The black-and-white form enhances the edginess of the tragedy. Puri’s skeletal frame, bent body and almost complete silence when asked to do heavy chores, the action of his blunt axe on the unrelenting block of wood under the blazing sun, all of it makes the telling only too real. Sadgati is neither the first film on Dalit oppression nor will it be the last. Even if one argues that with films such as Achhut Kanya, Sujata, Ankur, Aakrosh and Sairat, the Dalit found a robust platform within the narrative and cinematographic space of Indian cinema, the Dalit perspective has been largely absent. The points of view are mainly of a third person, often an upper-caste filmmaker. And while it is true that some significant films have conveyed compellingly the dehumanisation of this class through stories of individual oppressions, it is also true that these individual stories were not representative of the larger Dalit condition. Bimal Roy’s Sujata is an example and so is Govind Nihalani’s Aakrosh. There have been exceptions wherein classical literature on celluloid has brought the Dalit struggle to the forefront. Among these are — Ray’s Sadgati, Mrinal Sen’s Oka Oorie Katha and Trilok Jetley’s Godaan, all based on Premchand’s works. These films convey the raw reality of being born Dalit. Ray focused on the irony of the priest who was forced to pull Dukhi’s dead body with a rope tied to his feet. Dukhi was not the priest’s servant. He had only sought a meeting with the priest to fix a time and date for his daughter’s wedding. But the priest made him do very tough work on an empty stomach under the blazing sun and Dukhi, who was already running a high fever, collapsed and died. His wife’s angry lament — she keeps knocking on the closed door of the priest’s house — is all in vain. Sen’s Oka Oorie Katha suggests just the opposite. It shows how some Dalits can bring about their own ruin and remain immune to the tragedy of the women in the family. Sen was criticised by Premchand scholars for not showing the famous drunken scene wherein the father and son spend the alms collected for the young bride’s kafan or shroud on drinks. And who can forget Gautam Ghose’s Paar (1984)? It is a screen adaptation of Samaresh Bose’s Bengali story Paari. Instead of simply turning the novel into a film, Ghose used the original story as his base but made the narrative sharper and more hard-hitting. “To the untouchable, Hinduism is a veritable chamber of horrors,” Ambedkar had once said. Not a single film exploring the Dalit identity has been able to establish that brutal truth. Prakash Jha’s Aarakshan led to protests by some pro-Dalit groups in Kanpur. They were against the casting of Saif Ali Khan as a Dalit. They objected to the actor’s royal background and regarded this casting as an insult to the community. These films get rave reviews but do little to change the mindset of the upper castes. In contrast, Nagraj Manjule’s Fandry is convincing because Manjule is himself a Dalit. There is an aspect to Fandry that merits specific comment. It has to do with the portrayal of the family’s vocation which is pig-catching or breeding. Family members are shown unable to go about it effectively. For instance, when their task is to capture a pig, they throw stones at it, which only drives it away. They hate the occupation thrust on them by birth. They despise it so much that they are not bothered about gaining expertise. They know that this source of livelihood is the reason why they are ostracised by society. The domestic help in Shyam Benegal’s Ankur is shown to be Dalit and also mute. He cannot express his anger even when he understands that his wife is being sexually exploited because she is a servant and the wife of another servant. Talking about the commercialisation of the Dalit identity, one has to mention Aamir Khan’s box office hit Lagaan. Bhuvan accidentally discovers that Kachra with his limp hand can spin the ball brilliantly. And that is how his disability becomes an asset. Bhuvan includes him in the team. This angers other members who refuse to play with an untouchable but Bhuvan persuades and then at some point Kachra’s talent makes them shed their prejudices. There are many lesser-known, small-budget films that present a more serious, socio-political image but since the directors were not famous and their films, if released, had a meagre run at the theatres, they remain almost invisible. Some such films are Masaan, Manhole, Chauranga, Kosa, Life of an Outcast, Kastoori, Guthlee Laddu and Swaha. Films focused on the Dalit identity, unlike Dalit literature, cannot and do not count as a movement towards positive changes in the Dalit condition. It has been nearly half a century since Ray made Sadgati. Courtesy : Shoma A. Chatterji, The Telegraph Note: This news is originally published on https://thetelegraph.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Attack on Dalit girl’s wedding in marriage hall, case filed against 24 people
Ballia (UP), (Language) In Rasra area of Ballia district, people present there were attacked in protest against organizing the wedding ceremony of a Dalit girl in a baraat ghar. Two people were seriously injured in this incident and a case has been filed against 24 people in this connection. Police sources told on Sunday, citing the report filed, that Raghavendra Gautam, a resident of Mission Road, Rasra town of Rasra Kotwali area, has told in the filed case that on May 30, his sister’s wedding was taking place in a marriage hall in the town. According to the complaint, after the baraat arrived, at around 10:30 pm, people named Aman Sahni, Deepak Sahni, Rahul and Akhilesh of Mallah Toli came with sticks, rods and pipes along with 15-20 unknown people and started abusing, and also said that how are you getting married in a marriage hall despite being from Dalit caste. Sources said that according to Gautam, after this the attackers attacked the people present in the wedding ceremony. Ajay Kumar and Manan Kant were seriously injured in this incident. Sources said that in this connection, on the complaint of Raghvendra Gautam, a case has been registered on Saturday against 24 people including Aman Sahni, Deepak Sahni, Rahul and Akhilesh and 20 unidentified people under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Atrocities Prevention Act. Courtesy in-charge Vipin Singh said that the police is investigating the matter. No arrest has been made so far. Bhasha Editor Salim Netrapal Vaibhav This news has been taken by ‘auto-feed’ from ‘Bhasha’ news agency. ThePrint is not responsible for its content. Courtesy : Hindi News
Dalit family attacked in UP for hosting wedding in marriage hall; two seriously injured
The incident occurred on Friday night, leaving two individuals seriously injured. BALLIA: A Dalit family was allegedly attacked by a group of men wielding sticks and rods for holding a wedding ceremony in a marriage hall in Rasra, Uttar Pradesh, police said on Sunday. The incident occurred on Friday night, leaving two individuals seriously injured. According to the First Information Report (FIR), the assailants reportedly shouted, “Being from a Dalit community, how can you hold a wedding in a hall?” before launching the attack. No arrests have been made so far in connection with the incident. The FIR, lodged by Raghvendra Gautam the brother of one of the victims stated that a group of around 20 individuals armed with sticks and rods stormed the Swayamvar Marriage Hall at approximately 10:30 pm and attacked those attending the wedding. The group was reportedly led by Aman Sahni, Deepak Sahni, Rahul, and Akhilesh, along with 15–20 other unidentified individuals from the Mallah Toli locality. The accused also allegedly hurled caste-based slurs and objected to members of the Dalit community using a marriage hall for the function. Gautam’s relatives, Ajay Kumar and Manan Kant, sustained serious injuries and are undergoing treatment. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Rasra Police Station in-charge Vipin Singh confirmed that an investigation is underway. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
‘Wedding in a hall?’: Group attacks dalit family with sticks and rods for in UP
NEW DELHI: A Dalit family was allegedly attacked by a group of around 20 men with sticks and rods during a wedding ceremony at Swayamvar Marriage Hall in Rasra, Uttar Pradesh on Friday night, leaving two people seriously injured, police said on Sunday. The attackers, led by Aman Sahni, Deepak Sahni, Rahul, and Akhilesh, stormed the wedding venue around 10:30 pm, according to the FIR filed by Raghvendra Gautam, the victim’s brother. “Being from a Dalit community, how can you hold a wedding in a hall?” the attackers allegedly said before launching their assault. The group, which included 15-20 unidentified individuals from the Mallah Toli locality, hurled caste-based slurs and objected to the wedding being held at a marriage hall. Ajay Kumar and Manan Kant, relatives of the complainant Gautam, suffered serious injuries during the attack. Based on the complaint, police have registered a case under relevant sections of the BNS and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Rasra Police Station in-charge Vipin Singh said an investigation is underway. No arrests have been made so far in connection with the incident. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.