H’bag’s Hathiya Baba temple: Where travellers worship a Dalit priest’s statue
Hazaribag: In one of the greatest examples of complete faith, breaking caste barriers and untouchability, travellers pray in front of statues of an elephant and a Dalit man at a temple in Hazaribag district. The temple is situated adjacent to the GT Road in the Mahuatand village of Chouparan block on the Jharkhand-Bihar border and is around 69 km away from the district headquarters. From truck drivers to families travelling through this area on the GT Road, people never forget to bow their heads at the temple for a safe journey. It all started in 1973 when an elephant was killed after it was hit by a speeding truck. Following the death of the elephant, a series of accidents occurred at the same spot. Locals were baffled, and as a result, the then officer-in-charge of Chouparan police station, R Singh, took the help of a local fortune teller called Mahru Bhagat. He allegedly told the police officer that the accidents were happening at the same spot because the spirit of the dead jumbo was creating trouble. As suggested by the fortune teller, it was decided that a temple should be built near the accident site with a statue of an elephant in it. Soon, a temple was built and a statue of the elephant was placed in it. In addition, the fortune teller, Bhagat, who was quite popular in the area because of his fortune-telling, was made the priest of the temple, despite being from the Dalit community. 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.
Dalit girl kidnapped and gangraped in Lucknow: 4 youths brutally raped her by gagging her mouth
In Lucknow, 4 youths kidnapped and gangraped a 16-year-old Dalit girl. 2 youths kidnapped her on a bike and took her to the forest. There, they called two other youths and raped her. When she protested, they beat her up and threatened to kill her After that, they made her sit on the bike and started taking her to another place. On the way, the girl showed courage and made their bike fall. The villagers gathered at the spot caught one of the accused. On the basis of interrogation, another accused was also caught. The search for two other accused is on. The incident took place in Bakshi Ka Talab police station area on Thursday night. The police have registered a case in the matter. The girl was kidnapped while coming from the old to the new house A 16-year-old girl from Bakshi Ka Talab was going from her old house to the new house at around 8:30 pm on Thursday night. On the way, two youths forcibly caught her at a deserted place. They gagged her and made her sit on the bike. After this, they took her towards the forest. Two other youths also came there. All four of them gang-raped the girl. When she protested, they beat her badly. They tried to kill her by strangulating her. After that, they made her sit on the bike and started taking her to some other place. On the way near the village, the girl started shouting. They showed courage and turned the bike’s handle. Due to this, the bike fell. Hearing the girl’s shout, the villagers gathered at the spot. The villagers caught one youth. The girl told her ordeal to the people. On this, the villagers complained to the police control room. The police, who arrived on the information, took the youth into custody. He was taken to the police station and questioned. On his basis, one of his associates was also arrested. Both the accused were identified as Shiva Singh and Raj. The girl could not identify the other two accused. Allegation against the police of dilly-dallying in the case The family gave a written complaint about the case to the BKT police station. It is alleged that the police was dilly-dallying in taking action. On this, Lakhan Army chief Suraj Pasi posted about the matter on x. He tagged Lucknow Police, Uttar Pradesh Police and DGP and wrote – A minor girl was gang-raped in Thana Bakshi Ka Talab, District Lucknow area. His post was reposted by Women and Child Security Organization 1090 tagging Lucknow Police to take action in the matter. After that, Lucknow Police informed about the matter being in cognizance. Suraj Pasi also informed ACP BKT Amol Murkut about the matter. At the same time, the police station in-charge also expressed displeasure over the tweet. Courtesy : Hindi News
Dalit Class 10 student assaulted, called “unworthy of education” by school owner in Gujarat’s Morbi
Morbi: A 15-year-old Dalit student was allegedly assaulted and subjected to casteist abuse by the owner of his school in Gujarat’s Morbi district on Tuesday. The student, enrolled in Class 10 at Gyan Ganga School in Wankaner, was reportedly attacked by school owner Yogendrasinh Zala. According to the police, the incident occurred near a girls’ school while the boy was eating snacks. Zala allegedly approached him, hurled caste-based slurs, and told him he was “not worthy of education” before physically assaulting him, including a kick to the groin. The boy’s father, a 40-year-old sanitation worker, was informed of the incident around 1 p.m. by a local resident, Siddharth Vaghela. The student later recounted the ordeal at home, after which he was taken to Wankaner Government Hospital. He had collapsed briefly after the assault and underwent sonography and treatment. A case has been registered at Wankaner City Police Station under Section 115(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act. The investigation has been handed over to the Deputy Superintendent of Police of the Morbi SC-ST Cell. Authorities are currently searching for Zala, and further details regarding the motive and nature of the casteist abuse are expected to emerge following his arrest. Courtesy : Vartha Bharati Note: This news is originally published on https:/varthabharati.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
French transgender chess player, who faced online abuse, wins national title; creates history
Yosha Iglesias, 37, has become the French Women’s Chess Champion, making history as the second transgender player to win a national chess title. Iglesias, who was ranked seventh in the 16-player knockout event in Vichy, France, secured her victory by defeating Women’s Grand Master Mitra Hejazipour 1.5-0.5 in the final match. Iglesias progressed through the tournament by defeating WGM Maria Nepeina-Leconte 3.5-2.5, IM Pauline Guichard 1.5-0.5, and IM Anastasia Savina 1.5-0.5 in the semi-final. During the quarter-final against Guichard, Iglesias played what she considers the best game of her career. “Nothing makes me happier than knowing my title might show young trans people that they don’t have to choose between chess and transition. I don’t want them to suffer like I did during the many years I thought I had to reject my trans identity to continue playing the game I love.” Iglesias follows Annemarie Meier, who won the German Women’s Chess Championship in 2003, as the second transgender athlete to win a national chess title. Meier, who no longer actively plays, shared her support for Iglesias. “It is a worldwide signal for the visibility and acceptance of us trans women, for our normalisation, an empowerment that alleviates our doubts about our right to exist. I wish that the public dialogue about trans women in chess and in sports would be conducted without fear, and especially without hatred, with respect from all sides,” told Chess.com. Yosha Chess Since her transition in 2021, Iglesias has advocated for women’s and trans rights within the chess community. She faced controversy in 2023 when FIDE implemented a policy banning transgenders from official women-only events for two years pending further analysis. Iglesias has encountered online harassment following her success. She addressed this challenge through social media, expressing gratitude to her harassers for helping build her mental strength. “At the beginning of my transition, I knew I would face much hatred. I decided to make it an opportunity to grow as a person and also as a player in the face of adversity.” The championship final concluded with a meaningful moment between Iglesias and her opponent Hejazipour. “When Mitra resigned in the final game, I let a few tears drop while Mitra congratulated me. Shortly after, she hugged me with a huge smile. That shows how classy she is, but also that we share a deep sense of sisterhood.” Iglesias plans to pursue the WGM title after recovering from upcoming surgery in October. She aims to represent France at the Olympic Games or the European Team Championship. “At 37, I’ll reach my peak rating in the upcoming list. That shows that life before transition is only half-lived, and that transitioning enables you to truly blossom. I’ll try to make it for all the years I wasted before I finally accepted who I already was.” 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.
Transgender woman murdered in Salem
SALEM: A transgender woman was found murdered at Ponnammapet in Salem on Thursday morning. The murdered person has been identified as Saravanan, also known as Vanitha, 26. Vanitha was living alone in a house near Ponnammapet railway station. Her boyfriend, Naveen, 28, of Tiruchengode, visited her on Wednesday night. The murder came to light around 8am on Thursday when Vanitha’s sister, Maragatham, arrived there. On being alerted, the Ammapet police reached the spot and began investigations. Initial inquiries indicated that she had been assaulted with an iron rod, resulting in her death from a head injury. “We are currently exploring the possibility that Vanitha’s boyfriend, Naveen, may have been involved in the murder,” stated a police officer. A case has been registered. 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.
Rahul to end yatra with ‘foot march’ in Patna on Sept 1
Patna: The fortnight-long Voter Adhikar Yatra, led by leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, will conclude with a foot march on the streets of Patna on Sept 1, instead of a rally at the local Gandhi Maidan, senior Congress leader Pawan Khera announced at a press conference in East Champaran on Thursday. Khera said the foot march would commence from the Gandhi statue in Gandhi Maidan at 11am on Sept 1 and conclude at the statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar, after passing through several major thoroughfares of the city. “The yatra has been like a religious pilgrimage in which people of all faiths are taking part. It will not be the end, but the beginning of a new revolution in the country,” Khera added. Highlighting the growing awareness of “vote thefts” across the nation, Khera, who heads the party’s media and publicity department, said all eyes are now on Bihar. “The entire country is looking at what punishment Bihar will serve to the NDA in the upcoming assembly polls,” he said, expressing hope that the state would not pardon the “culprits”. RJD MP Sanjay Yadav, who also spoke at the conference alongside CPI-ML MLC Shashi Yadav, alleged that migration, unemployment and poverty had surged multiple times during the 20 years of NDA rule in Bihar. “While the poor are living in utter penury, the rich are burning bundles of currency notes,” Yadav alleged. 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.
Rahul Gandhi impressed by Biharis, said – there is no match to the political understanding of the people here
Bihar Chunav 2025: Rahul Gandhi’s Voter Rights Yatra in Bihar reached Sitamarhi. Here he praised the people of Bihar. He said that he is enjoying traveling in Bihar. Patna: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi praised the political understanding of the people of the state during his visit to Bihar. He again reiterated the allegations of vote theft in the Lok Sabha elections. Rahul Gandhi said that he has learned a lot from his visit to Bihar. He said this while addressing a gathering in Sitamarhi on Thursday. Rahul Gandhi said that there is no match to the political understanding of the people of Bihar. He also said that he got to learn a lot during his visit. He talked about presenting evidence of alleged vote theft in the Lok Sabha elections in the coming days. He accused the “BJP-RSS” of manipulating the election results. Rahul said that he has evidence to prove vote theft in Karnataka. In the coming days, he will also provide evidence of vote rigging in the Lok Sabha and Haryana assembly elections. Rahul Gandhi said he started his visit to Bihar because attempts were being made to steal votes. He alleged that none of the 65 lakh voters whose names were removed from the voter list were rich or powerful. He claimed that these 65 lakh voters include the poor, Dalits, extremely backward classes, OBCs and minorities. He said the move was taken to silence the poor. Rahul Gandhi also alleged that after removing these names, the same number of fake voters’ names would be added. He warned that if the poor lost their right to vote, they would be left with nothing. “We know very well that they are trying to steal votes in Bihar,” Rahul said. Rahul offered prayers at Janaki temple Earlier, Rahul Gandhi visited the Janaki temple along with India Alliance leaders and offered prayers. He wore a white T-shirt, white towel and white cap. When he came out of the temple, he was wearing a garland of flowers and a red chunari. All India Alliance leaders Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Mukesh Sahni and Pappu Yadav were with him. According to sources, CPI-ML leader Dipankar Bhattacharya was waiting for him outside. Thursday was the 12th day of Rahul Gandhi’s visit. On Friday, he will resume his journey from Bettiah in West Champaran. Addressing the people in Sitamarhi, Rahul Gandhi said, “I am having a lot of fun. I have not had so much fun in any other state.” Praising the political understanding of the people of Bihar, Rahul said, “There is no comparison to the political understanding of Biharis. I got to learn a lot.” On the allegations of vote theft, Rahul Gandhi said that he will soon present evidence of it. He said that he has evidence of vote theft in Karnataka and he will also give evidence of vote rigging in the Lok Sabha and Haryana assembly elections. Authored by: Suryakant Pathak About the author Suryakant Pathak is a consultant at Navbharat Times Online. He has been doing journalism for the last 31 years. He writes news, analysis and blogs on India’s international relations, political-social developments in the country and the world. He started as a reporter in Dainik Bhaskar in 1995. Courtesy: Hindi News
‘Where are they hiding?’: Bihar on high alert; 3 Jaish men slip in from Nepal, plots feared
PATNA: Bihar has been placed on the high security alert after intelligence inputs suggested that three Pakistani terrorists linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed slipped into the state through the porous India-Nepal border. Police have released their photographs and passport details and announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for information leading to their capture. The alert coincides with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ongoing ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, which in recent days has traversed several districts along the frontier, prompting major changes to his security arrangements. Gandhi, who had been travelling in an open jeep to greet supporters, was on Thursday seen seated inside a closed vehicle and moving at speed through towns and villages. His roadshow in Sitamarhi was cancelled at the last moment and his convoy did not halt at several welcome stages that had been prepared along the route. Major changes in Rahul’s yatra plan as 3 JeM ultras enter state The suspects, identified as Hasnain Ali of Rawalpindi, Adil Hussain of Umerkot and Mohammad Usman of Bahawalpur, are believed to have arrived in Kathmandu in the second week of Aug before crossing into Bihar last week, possibly through Araria. Security agencies have been directed to step up vehicle checking, surveillance and intelligence gathering in all seven border districts, including Sitamarhi, Madhubani, West Champaran, Araria, Kishanganj and Supaul. Additional director general of police (headquarters) Kundan Krishnan described the matter as “a very top-secret issue linked to national security” and declined to comment further, stressing that such intelligence inputs from central agencies should not have been made public. SP: Vehicles being checked in border areas However, East Champaran SP Swarn Prabhat released a video message confirming that his district police had been placed on high alert. “We have received input from central agencies and based on it, the district police have been kept on high alert. Vehicle checking drives are under way in the border areas and all police stations have been alerted,” he said, urging the public to provide any information through Dial-112 or directly to his office, assuring that informers’ names would not be revealed. He added that the reward of Rs 50,000 announced on each suspect would be given to those who provide actionable information. The timing of the alert has cast a shadow over Gandhi’s yatra, which he launched in Bihar to highlight alleged deletions in the electoral rolls. From Sitamarhi, he reached Motihari on Thursday, both close to the Nepal border. Witnesses said his convoy bypassed dense population areas instead of slowing for greetings with Gandhi waving briefly from inside a van rather than mingling with supporters. Bihar’s 729km border with Nepal, the longest stretch of any state along the 1,751km frontier, has long been considered vulnerable. Security is managed by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), yet the open border allows easy crossings. 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.
From getting Dalit grooms off the horse to drinking water from the pot: Why is ‘creamy layer’ a conspiracy of the upper castes in SC/ST reservation, Ajaak lists the reasons
Article 17 of the Constitution abolishes untouchability, which accepts caste-based stigma. Despite economic prosperity, the SC class has to face discrimination in workplaces and society. Jaipur: Disputes are once again arising over the reservation system provided to Scheduled Castes/Tribes (SC/ST) by the Indian Constitution. A petition filed in the Supreme Court has demanded the implementation of ‘creamy layer’ (excluding economically prosperous class from reservation) in SC/ST reservation like OBC. In response to this, Dr. Ambedkar Scheduled Caste Officers- Employees Association (AJAK) Rajasthan has sent a memorandum to President Draupadi Murmu strongly opposing this ‘wrong and malicious’ concept and has demanded the central government to advocate it in the Supreme Court. AJAK President and retired IAS officer Shriram Chordia has said in a letter that reservation is a measure to remove social backwardness, not economic assistance. He cited recent incidents highlighting the deep social hatred and discrimination against the SC/ST community. He said, “SC/ST class was deprived of education and wealth acquisition by the conservative and Manuvadi system prevailing for thousands of years in Indian history. They were forced to do menial jobs generation after generation and were forced to live a socially despised, excluded and inhuman life. They were divided on the basis of birth, due to which this society is deprived of its fundamental rights and is living at the lowest rung of the society.” “To free this deprived, exploited and oppressed society from caste inequality and untouchability prevailing for thousands of years and to give them the right to live a respectable life like other citizens in a democracy and to bring them into the mainstream of the country along with other societies, an attempt was made to establish social justice by making provision for the system of representation (reservation) in the Indian Constitution and to ensure social participation of all castes in society and administration.” Chordia wrote, “In view of the caste system in India, the demand for reservation on economic basis is strange because in the last 3-4 years in Rajasthan alone, 60 Dalit grooms have been humiliated on the basis of caste and taken down from the horse, and a Dalit student of school (temple of education) was killed for drinking water from a pot and Dalits were killed for keeping a moustache.” He stressed that crimes against Dalits are increasing on the basis of caste, not on economic basis. If it were on economic basis, then a Dalit IPS officer would not have to take out a procession under police protection and the funeral procession of a Dalit person is stopped from going on the main road and in the temple only on the basis of caste and not on economic basis. Article 17 of the Constitution abolishes untouchability, which accepts caste-based stigma. Despite economic prosperity, the SC class has to face discrimination in workplaces and society. (Example: 50,000 annual atrocities according to NCRB 2023). The principle of creamy layer ignores this reality.” Supreme Court petition and appeal to the government The memorandum states that in Ramashankar Prajapati vs. Government of India (Writ Petition No. 682/2025), a demand has been made to implement creamy layer in SC/ST reservation, on which the Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Central Government to respond on September 10. Ajak has requested the President to direct the Central and State Governments and the National Scheduled Caste Commission to oppose this petition and ensure that creamy layer is not applied in SC/ST reservation. Also, senior advocates should be appointed to plead this case. Chordia clarified in his argument that Articles 15 (4), 16 (4), 335 and 341 of the Constitution provide reservation to SC/ST to eliminate social discrimination and untouchability, and not only on the basis of economic weakness. He cited the Supreme Court’s Indra Sawhney (1992) and M. Nagaraj Citing the decisions of (2006), it said that the Court itself has accepted that SC/ST reservation is based on social backwardness, not on economic status, and that is why the concept of creamy layer for SC/ST was kept different from OBC. Ajak has warned that if creamy layer is implemented in SC/ST reservation, it will open the way to weaken the reservation, which will be a violation of Article 14 (Right to Equality) of the Constitution. This will limit the access of economically prosperous people of SC/ST community to high positions (such as IAS, IPS, IRS, Judiciary), whereas the purpose of reservation is to ensure adequate representation of these classes in administration and society. The memorandum said that the principle of reservation is already being flouted by methods like privatization, outsourcing, contractual appointments and not filling vacancies. Creamy layer is another link in this chain whose aim is to deprive Dalit-Adivasis of their constitutional rights. Geetha Sunil Pillai Courtesy : Hindi News
Dalit community seeks justice for murder victim
Members of the Dalit community held a meeting at the Ghati Valmiki Maharaj Mandir in Ludhiana on Wednesday to seek justice for Kartik Baggan, who was killed a few days ago at Sundar Nagar Chowk. It has been four days since the incident. Senior police officials are yet to publicly disclose whether any arrests were made in the case. There is a lot of anger among the family members of the victim and the Dalit community in general. The family did not even get a post-mortem examination carried out. They said they would only cremate the body once the suspects were arrested. They alleged that despite having registered a complaint against Shubham Mota, Gagan Gill and Tony Chauhan, the suspects were still at large. Courtesy : The Tribune India Note: This news is originally published on https:/thetribuneindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.