News and Events - AUGUST 2009
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Untouchability high in Gulbarga, Uttara Kannada
Prashanth G N, TNN 28 July 2009, 03:19am IST
BANGALORE: The shocking catalogue of intolerance of dalits — manifested in the form of untouchability — that we carried in these columns on Monday includes two districts in Karnataka: Uttara Kannada and Gulbarga. As borne out in a survey by the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, this decadent practice extends to barring dalits from using public borewells.
Even 60 years after independence, zero untouchability still remains a dream. “It is still the archaic way of life there,’’ S Japhet, director, Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, told TOI.
The old practices of dalits not being employed as priests or allowed to enter temples during common village festivals still persist. Among the most frequent forms of untouchability, dalits have restricted access to public sources of water. Another sore point is a bar on entry into non-dalit homes.
In some areas, dalit homes are located on the border of the village, which is also a predominant form of outcasting. “This is a strong phenomenon in Gulbarga, though it is present in other districts,” Japhet said.
Untouchability has been reported from the villages of Bommanahalli and Varangere in Gulbarga and, to a lesser degree, from the villages of Karki and Morba in Uttara Kannada.
The trends are similar in other parts of the state as well. Some southern districts are, in fact, stronger in their
untouchability quotient compared to even Uttara Kannada district.
The sample size could have been increased but for resource constraints. The survey and study was commissioned by the Centre in which Karnataka has been studied in a total of six states, 22 villages and 12 districts across the country.
Untouchability high in Gulbarga, Uttara Kannada - Bangalore - City - NEWS - The Times of India
Prashanth G N, TNN 28 July 2009, 03:19am IST
BANGALORE: The shocking catalogue of intolerance of dalits — manifested in the form of untouchability — that we carried in these columns on Monday includes two districts in Karnataka: Uttara Kannada and Gulbarga. As borne out in a survey by the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, this decadent practice extends to barring dalits from using public borewells.
Even 60 years after independence, zero untouchability still remains a dream. “It is still the archaic way of life there,’’ S Japhet, director, Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, told TOI.
The old practices of dalits not being employed as priests or allowed to enter temples during common village festivals still persist. Among the most frequent forms of untouchability, dalits have restricted access to public sources of water. Another sore point is a bar on entry into non-dalit homes.
In some areas, dalit homes are located on the border of the village, which is also a predominant form of outcasting. “This is a strong phenomenon in Gulbarga, though it is present in other districts,” Japhet said.
Untouchability has been reported from the villages of Bommanahalli and Varangere in Gulbarga and, to a lesser degree, from the villages of Karki and Morba in Uttara Kannada.
The trends are similar in other parts of the state as well. Some southern districts are, in fact, stronger in their
untouchability quotient compared to even Uttara Kannada district.
The sample size could have been increased but for resource constraints. The survey and study was commissioned by the Centre in which Karnataka has been studied in a total of six states, 22 villages and 12 districts across the country.
Untouchability high in Gulbarga, Uttara Kannada - Bangalore - City - NEWS - The Times of India
Tension erupts after Dera follower's killing in Punjab
Tension erupts after Dera follower's killing in Punjab
IANS 28 July 2009, 08:54pm IST
CHANDIGARH: A follower of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect was shot dead in a Punjab village on Tuesday, police said. Tension was reported in the area and
other towns of the state following the murder.
According to police, Lilly Kumar, who was in his late thirties, was shot dead near the sect's office in Alampur Mandra village in Punjab's Mansa district, around 200 km from here.
"Lilly Kumar, a follower of Dera Sacha Sauda, was shot dead by some unknown person when he was returning from the local court after attending a hearing in some case," Manminder Singh, the district police chief, said on Tuesday.
Singh said it is not clear whether some radical religious group was behind the crime, but the police have launched investigations and registered a case against an unknown assailant.
"Seeing the sensitivity of the case, we have formed a special team to nab the accused at the earliest," he added.
According to police sources, Kumar had some disputes in the past with some other religious groups in his village. In September 2007, his house in the village was set on fire and the case was still pending in the court.
However, tension gripped the area and other towns of Punjab following the murder.
A Dera Sacha Sauda spokesperson said: "Hundreds of our followers have gathered outside the hospital, where the dead body was kept, to condemn this incident. We will certainly fight for justice and demand Punjab police arrest the culprits."
The sect, led by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, has thousands of followers in Punjab, and is headquartered at Sirsa town in Haryana, some 280 km from here.
Tension erupts after Dera follower's killing in Punjab - India - NEWS - The Times of India
Tension erupts after Dera follower's killing in Punjab
IANS 28 July 2009, 08:54pm IST
CHANDIGARH: A follower of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect was shot dead in a Punjab village on Tuesday, police said. Tension was reported in the area and
other towns of the state following the murder.
According to police, Lilly Kumar, who was in his late thirties, was shot dead near the sect's office in Alampur Mandra village in Punjab's Mansa district, around 200 km from here.
"Lilly Kumar, a follower of Dera Sacha Sauda, was shot dead by some unknown person when he was returning from the local court after attending a hearing in some case," Manminder Singh, the district police chief, said on Tuesday.
Singh said it is not clear whether some radical religious group was behind the crime, but the police have launched investigations and registered a case against an unknown assailant.
"Seeing the sensitivity of the case, we have formed a special team to nab the accused at the earliest," he added.
According to police sources, Kumar had some disputes in the past with some other religious groups in his village. In September 2007, his house in the village was set on fire and the case was still pending in the court.
However, tension gripped the area and other towns of Punjab following the murder.
A Dera Sacha Sauda spokesperson said: "Hundreds of our followers have gathered outside the hospital, where the dead body was kept, to condemn this incident. We will certainly fight for justice and demand Punjab police arrest the culprits."
The sect, led by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, has thousands of followers in Punjab, and is headquartered at Sirsa town in Haryana, some 280 km from here.
Tension erupts after Dera follower's killing in Punjab - India - NEWS - The Times of India
Couple fear for life after ‘fatwa’
NEW DELHI: After the recent murder of a married youth Ved Pal Maun in Singhwal village of Jind district reportedly on the directions of the khap panchayat (caste panchayat) in Haryana, another young couple — Shilpa and Ravinder — now fear for their lives.
A khap panchayat in Jhajjar district of Haryana has issued a ‘fatwa’ against them for marrying in the same ‘gotra.’ In fact, Shilpa’s and Ravinder’s marriage was arranged by their families and the two got married in April this year.
The problem started about a month ago when the khap panchayat decided that the two were from the same ‘gotra’ (sub-caste) since Ravinder’s biological parents were from the same sub-caste as that of the girl. Ravinder had been legally adopted by his aunt when he was young.
“The khap panchayat did not hear our side and issued this ‘fatwa’ in Jhajjar although we have been living in Sultanpur in Delhi for a long time,” Ravinder told journalists here on Monday. The couple are under tremendous pressure to separate or face excommunication and possibly further hostility.
“No action”
They said that despite having lodged a complaint against 22 people who were threatening and hounding them, the police had taken no action.
The killing and inaction in the case of Ved Pal has further emboldened such caste panchayats, Jagmati Sangwan, president of the Haryana unit of the All-India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), said. She described these cases as attempts of caste domination within society.
Condemning the murder of Ved Pal, AIDWA general secretary Sudha Sundararaman said it was indeed a shame that in a democratic country the constitutional rights of youngsters to marry of their own choice was being violated with such impunity. “It is extremely worrisome that the reactionary forces are trying to project these crimes as retribution for violation of customary social norms,” she said.
The AIDWA has demanded that the complaints filed in the Jhajjar case be acted upon immediately by arresting the accused. Ravinder’s family should be given adequate protection and the young couple’s right to a safe life together must be ensured.
It demanded that given the serious nature of the crime, and the complexities involved, the Centre should formulate a special law to deal with the issue of honour killings.
The Hindu : Front Page : Couple fear for life after ‘fatwa’
Since when khap panchayat (caste panchayat) are giving Fatwa's in solving hindu caste issues ? Fatwa is something which is based on Islamic religious law that is Shariah .
NEW DELHI: After the recent murder of a married youth Ved Pal Maun in Singhwal village of Jind district reportedly on the directions of the khap panchayat (caste panchayat) in Haryana, another young couple — Shilpa and Ravinder — now fear for their lives.
A khap panchayat in Jhajjar district of Haryana has issued a ‘fatwa’ against them for marrying in the same ‘gotra.’ In fact, Shilpa’s and Ravinder’s marriage was arranged by their families and the two got married in April this year.
The problem started about a month ago when the khap panchayat decided that the two were from the same ‘gotra’ (sub-caste) since Ravinder’s biological parents were from the same sub-caste as that of the girl. Ravinder had been legally adopted by his aunt when he was young.
“The khap panchayat did not hear our side and issued this ‘fatwa’ in Jhajjar although we have been living in Sultanpur in Delhi for a long time,” Ravinder told journalists here on Monday. The couple are under tremendous pressure to separate or face excommunication and possibly further hostility.
“No action”
They said that despite having lodged a complaint against 22 people who were threatening and hounding them, the police had taken no action.
The killing and inaction in the case of Ved Pal has further emboldened such caste panchayats, Jagmati Sangwan, president of the Haryana unit of the All-India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), said. She described these cases as attempts of caste domination within society.
Condemning the murder of Ved Pal, AIDWA general secretary Sudha Sundararaman said it was indeed a shame that in a democratic country the constitutional rights of youngsters to marry of their own choice was being violated with such impunity. “It is extremely worrisome that the reactionary forces are trying to project these crimes as retribution for violation of customary social norms,” she said.
The AIDWA has demanded that the complaints filed in the Jhajjar case be acted upon immediately by arresting the accused. Ravinder’s family should be given adequate protection and the young couple’s right to a safe life together must be ensured.
It demanded that given the serious nature of the crime, and the complexities involved, the Centre should formulate a special law to deal with the issue of honour killings.
The Hindu : Front Page : Couple fear for life after ‘fatwa’
Since when khap panchayat (caste panchayat) are giving Fatwa's in solving hindu caste issues ? Fatwa is something which is based on Islamic religious law that is Shariah .
10,500 freedom fighters granted pension, says Chidambaram
10,500 freedom fighters granted pension, says Chidambaram
New Delhi (PTI): The government on Tuesday said 10,500 freedom fighters have been granted pension as per the recommendations of the two committees set up by the Home Ministry.
Replying to a supplementary in the Lok Sabha, Home Minster P Chidambaram said another committee is looking into cases of 4000 other freedom fighters.
To a question that 23 fresh applications were filed with the home ministry, Chidambaram said "It is very unlikely that a fresh application has been filed in 2008-09... Today we have no fresh case but if it comes the government will certainly look into it."
The Hyderabad Liberation Front had submitted applications of 10,500 persons and that has been granted, he said.
The Hindu News Update Service
10,500 freedom fighters granted pension, says Chidambaram
New Delhi (PTI): The government on Tuesday said 10,500 freedom fighters have been granted pension as per the recommendations of the two committees set up by the Home Ministry.
Replying to a supplementary in the Lok Sabha, Home Minster P Chidambaram said another committee is looking into cases of 4000 other freedom fighters.
To a question that 23 fresh applications were filed with the home ministry, Chidambaram said "It is very unlikely that a fresh application has been filed in 2008-09... Today we have no fresh case but if it comes the government will certainly look into it."
The Hyderabad Liberation Front had submitted applications of 10,500 persons and that has been granted, he said.
The Hindu News Update Service
Youth throws acid on two college girls
BHUBANESWAR: Two girls were taken to hospital with burn injuries when they were attacked with acid outside their college campus in Cuttack on Monday.
The incident occurred at Nayasadak in Cuttack in the afternoon when the two girls, both in Plus III first year arts stream, were coming out of Imarti Devi College. A youth, who was waiting outside the college boundary, threw acid at the girls. Immediately, the girls were taken to SCB Medical College Hospital.
While the girls were writhing in pain, the youth tried to flee the spot. But alert locals caught hold of him and tied him to a pole. He was beaten before a team of police rescued him.
“The youth who could be in his thirties appeared to be a mad person. As per local people, for last couple of years he has been wandering and begging from households,” said Saroj Kumar Patel, inspector-in-charge of Lalbag police station.
Mr. Patel, however, said, “we have not initiated any investigation into the incident. Even the youth was not questioned. The identity could be revealed once interrogation would begin.”
Outside the SCB Medical College Hospital, Deputy Commissioner of Police of Cuttack Amitendra Nath Sinha said the girls were out of danger. “While one girl sustained 30 per cent burn injuries, the second one got 10 per cent,” Mr. Sinha said.
The Hindu : Other States / Orissa News : Youth throws acid on two college girls
Acid throwing cases are erupting alot , Government should imposed strict rules and even punishment .
BHUBANESWAR: Two girls were taken to hospital with burn injuries when they were attacked with acid outside their college campus in Cuttack on Monday.
The incident occurred at Nayasadak in Cuttack in the afternoon when the two girls, both in Plus III first year arts stream, were coming out of Imarti Devi College. A youth, who was waiting outside the college boundary, threw acid at the girls. Immediately, the girls were taken to SCB Medical College Hospital.
While the girls were writhing in pain, the youth tried to flee the spot. But alert locals caught hold of him and tied him to a pole. He was beaten before a team of police rescued him.
“The youth who could be in his thirties appeared to be a mad person. As per local people, for last couple of years he has been wandering and begging from households,” said Saroj Kumar Patel, inspector-in-charge of Lalbag police station.
Mr. Patel, however, said, “we have not initiated any investigation into the incident. Even the youth was not questioned. The identity could be revealed once interrogation would begin.”
Outside the SCB Medical College Hospital, Deputy Commissioner of Police of Cuttack Amitendra Nath Sinha said the girls were out of danger. “While one girl sustained 30 per cent burn injuries, the second one got 10 per cent,” Mr. Sinha said.
The Hindu : Other States / Orissa News : Youth throws acid on two college girls
Acid throwing cases are erupting alot , Government should imposed strict rules and even punishment .
‘Dowry cases have gone up’
Staff Reporter
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Consumerism, caste and class contribute to the practice
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BANGALORE: Day Two of the prelude to Daughters of Fire: the India Court of Women on Dowry and Related Forms of Violence against Women was held at the Christ University here on Monday. Spread over six Roundtables, it saw response from 600 participants from different States.
“Economic and sociological aspects of dowry are affecting everyone and despite the strength of the movement, dowry has increased by thousand-fold in the last three decades,” said Gauri Chowdhry of Action India, New Delhi, before the roundtables began.
Roundtable One reviewed dowry, family and marriage in the context of post-colonial societies and growing economic and cultural fundamentalism.
The members of the panel were Nandini Rao from Jagori in New Delhi, Ms. Gauri Chowdhry, Rajeshwari H.S. from Manasa in Bangalore.
Ms. Rao’s concept note on this subject emphasised the prevalence of the dowry system and also the role of television serials in perpetrating this practice.
The second Roundtable brought to the fore the media’s reconstruction of violence, identity, representation and autonomy. The panellists were from Bangalore and Kerala.
The Roundtable explored the problematic linkage with media, while women from many States shared their experience. The highlight of the session was the way the sex worker community shared its experiences to address a problem of mindset in the media.
In the third Roundtable, a review of legislation and alternative ways to justice in the context of responses to dowry and related forms of violence was done. The main speaker was Aarti Mundkur from Alternative Law Forum (ALF). “The more aggressive the law, the more difficult it is to get justice. We have specific laws that are helping women yet we are caught in the double bind of law,” she said.
The fourth Roundtable discussed Globalisation and Violence against Women, and reviewed government policies in the context of the changing nature of the State. It was coordinated by Rukmini Rao of Gramya in Andhra Pradesh.
Roundtable Five was about Femicide: The role of Science and Medical Technology and had Sabu George and other women doctors and activists as speakers. The last Roundtable was called “Conference of the Birds”.
The growth of a severely consumerist culture and the issues of caste and class were among the reasons that almost all speakers of the roundtables listed for the dowry system’s existence.
The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : ‘Dowry cases have gone up’
Staff Reporter
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Consumerism, caste and class contribute to the practice
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BANGALORE: Day Two of the prelude to Daughters of Fire: the India Court of Women on Dowry and Related Forms of Violence against Women was held at the Christ University here on Monday. Spread over six Roundtables, it saw response from 600 participants from different States.
“Economic and sociological aspects of dowry are affecting everyone and despite the strength of the movement, dowry has increased by thousand-fold in the last three decades,” said Gauri Chowdhry of Action India, New Delhi, before the roundtables began.
Roundtable One reviewed dowry, family and marriage in the context of post-colonial societies and growing economic and cultural fundamentalism.
The members of the panel were Nandini Rao from Jagori in New Delhi, Ms. Gauri Chowdhry, Rajeshwari H.S. from Manasa in Bangalore.
Ms. Rao’s concept note on this subject emphasised the prevalence of the dowry system and also the role of television serials in perpetrating this practice.
The second Roundtable brought to the fore the media’s reconstruction of violence, identity, representation and autonomy. The panellists were from Bangalore and Kerala.
The Roundtable explored the problematic linkage with media, while women from many States shared their experience. The highlight of the session was the way the sex worker community shared its experiences to address a problem of mindset in the media.
In the third Roundtable, a review of legislation and alternative ways to justice in the context of responses to dowry and related forms of violence was done. The main speaker was Aarti Mundkur from Alternative Law Forum (ALF). “The more aggressive the law, the more difficult it is to get justice. We have specific laws that are helping women yet we are caught in the double bind of law,” she said.
The fourth Roundtable discussed Globalisation and Violence against Women, and reviewed government policies in the context of the changing nature of the State. It was coordinated by Rukmini Rao of Gramya in Andhra Pradesh.
Roundtable Five was about Femicide: The role of Science and Medical Technology and had Sabu George and other women doctors and activists as speakers. The last Roundtable was called “Conference of the Birds”.
The growth of a severely consumerist culture and the issues of caste and class were among the reasons that almost all speakers of the roundtables listed for the dowry system’s existence.
The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : ‘Dowry cases have gone up’
‘Dowry cases have gone up’
Staff Reporter
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Consumerism, caste and class contribute to the practice
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BANGALORE: Day Two of the prelude to Daughters of Fire: the India Court of Women on Dowry and Related Forms of Violence against Women was held at the Christ University here on Monday. Spread over six Roundtables, it saw response from 600 participants from different States.
“Economic and sociological aspects of dowry are affecting everyone and despite the strength of the movement, dowry has increased by thousand-fold in the last three decades,” said Gauri Chowdhry of Action India, New Delhi, before the roundtables began.
Roundtable One reviewed dowry, family and marriage in the context of post-colonial societies and growing economic and cultural fundamentalism.
The members of the panel were Nandini Rao from Jagori in New Delhi, Ms. Gauri Chowdhry, Rajeshwari H.S. from Manasa in Bangalore.
Ms. Rao’s concept note on this subject emphasised the prevalence of the dowry system and also the role of television serials in perpetrating this practice.
The second Roundtable brought to the fore the media’s reconstruction of violence, identity, representation and autonomy. The panellists were from Bangalore and Kerala.
The Roundtable explored the problematic linkage with media, while women from many States shared their experience. The highlight of the session was the way the sex worker community shared its experiences to address a problem of mindset in the media.
In the third Roundtable, a review of legislation and alternative ways to justice in the context of responses to dowry and related forms of violence was done. The main speaker was Aarti Mundkur from Alternative Law Forum (ALF). “The more aggressive the law, the more difficult it is to get justice. We have specific laws that are helping women yet we are caught in the double bind of law,” she said.
The fourth Roundtable discussed Globalisation and Violence against Women, and reviewed government policies in the context of the changing nature of the State. It was coordinated by Rukmini Rao of Gramya in Andhra Pradesh.
Roundtable Five was about Femicide: The role of Science and Medical Technology and had Sabu George and other women doctors and activists as speakers. The last Roundtable was called “Conference of the Birds”.
The growth of a severely consumerist culture and the issues of caste and class were among the reasons that almost all speakers of the roundtables listed for the dowry system’s existence.
The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : ‘Dowry cases have gone up’
Staff Reporter
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Consumerism, caste and class contribute to the practice
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BANGALORE: Day Two of the prelude to Daughters of Fire: the India Court of Women on Dowry and Related Forms of Violence against Women was held at the Christ University here on Monday. Spread over six Roundtables, it saw response from 600 participants from different States.
“Economic and sociological aspects of dowry are affecting everyone and despite the strength of the movement, dowry has increased by thousand-fold in the last three decades,” said Gauri Chowdhry of Action India, New Delhi, before the roundtables began.
Roundtable One reviewed dowry, family and marriage in the context of post-colonial societies and growing economic and cultural fundamentalism.
The members of the panel were Nandini Rao from Jagori in New Delhi, Ms. Gauri Chowdhry, Rajeshwari H.S. from Manasa in Bangalore.
Ms. Rao’s concept note on this subject emphasised the prevalence of the dowry system and also the role of television serials in perpetrating this practice.
The second Roundtable brought to the fore the media’s reconstruction of violence, identity, representation and autonomy. The panellists were from Bangalore and Kerala.
The Roundtable explored the problematic linkage with media, while women from many States shared their experience. The highlight of the session was the way the sex worker community shared its experiences to address a problem of mindset in the media.
In the third Roundtable, a review of legislation and alternative ways to justice in the context of responses to dowry and related forms of violence was done. The main speaker was Aarti Mundkur from Alternative Law Forum (ALF). “The more aggressive the law, the more difficult it is to get justice. We have specific laws that are helping women yet we are caught in the double bind of law,” she said.
The fourth Roundtable discussed Globalisation and Violence against Women, and reviewed government policies in the context of the changing nature of the State. It was coordinated by Rukmini Rao of Gramya in Andhra Pradesh.
Roundtable Five was about Femicide: The role of Science and Medical Technology and had Sabu George and other women doctors and activists as speakers. The last Roundtable was called “Conference of the Birds”.
The growth of a severely consumerist culture and the issues of caste and class were among the reasons that almost all speakers of the roundtables listed for the dowry system’s existence.
The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : ‘Dowry cases have gone up’
Migrants to Italy face "a kind of slavery": IOM
Migrants to Italy face "a kind of slavery": IOM
Tue Jul 28, 2009 1:00pm EDT
1 of 2Full SizeROME (Reuters) - Thousands of migrants are being lured to Italy with false promises of work and forced to live in conditions akin to slavery, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday.
In a study of a migrant camp near the town of San Nicola Varco, 100 km (63 miles) south of Naples, IOM officials found some 1,200 migrants squatting in abandoned buildings without water and electricity, eking a living among piles of rubbish.
The young men, most of them from Morocco, were being paid between 15 and 25 euros ($21 and $35) for a 12-hour day laboring in nearby greenhouses and fields, without work contracts. Their employers often charged them for basics like transport and water, in the sweltering summer temperatures of southern Italy.
"The humanitarian emergency has become serious because they are living in conditions that are unsustainable," said Flavio Di Giacomo, spokesman for the IOM in Italy. "The salaries are well below the minimum. It is a kind of slavery."
Di Giacomo said that San Nicola Varco is one of the largest migrant settlements, but there are many more across southern Italy and even in the more prosperous north.
"We're talking about many thousands of immigrants in total."
Many of the migrants had paid up to 8,000 euros per person to a middle-man in their home country for the promise of a seasonal contract in Italy, the IOM said.
"Once in Italy, the migrants found that their employer had disappeared or just refused to employ them. Without a legal work permit, many fell into exploitation," said Peter Schatzer, regional representative for the IOM in Rome.
Each year, Italy sets a quota for the number of migrant workers allowed to enter the country as seasonal workers for its large agricultural sector.
The IOM said illegal labor, especially in the agricultural sector, is a widespread phenomenon in Italy with official statistics showing it accounts for between 15.9 percent and 17.6 percent of gross domestic product.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was elected by a landslide last year with a mandate to crack down on illegal immigration and rising crime, which many Italians blame on immigrants.
His government has clashed with the UN refugee agency UNHCR over a deal which allows Italy to return to Libya boats of would-be illegal migrants intercepted in the Mediterranean. (Reporting by Daniel Flynn; Editing by Ron Askew)
http://www.reuters.com/article/world...56R3V320090728
Migrants to Italy face "a kind of slavery": IOM
Tue Jul 28, 2009 1:00pm EDT
1 of 2Full SizeROME (Reuters) - Thousands of migrants are being lured to Italy with false promises of work and forced to live in conditions akin to slavery, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday.
In a study of a migrant camp near the town of San Nicola Varco, 100 km (63 miles) south of Naples, IOM officials found some 1,200 migrants squatting in abandoned buildings without water and electricity, eking a living among piles of rubbish.
The young men, most of them from Morocco, were being paid between 15 and 25 euros ($21 and $35) for a 12-hour day laboring in nearby greenhouses and fields, without work contracts. Their employers often charged them for basics like transport and water, in the sweltering summer temperatures of southern Italy.
"The humanitarian emergency has become serious because they are living in conditions that are unsustainable," said Flavio Di Giacomo, spokesman for the IOM in Italy. "The salaries are well below the minimum. It is a kind of slavery."
Di Giacomo said that San Nicola Varco is one of the largest migrant settlements, but there are many more across southern Italy and even in the more prosperous north.
"We're talking about many thousands of immigrants in total."
Many of the migrants had paid up to 8,000 euros per person to a middle-man in their home country for the promise of a seasonal contract in Italy, the IOM said.
"Once in Italy, the migrants found that their employer had disappeared or just refused to employ them. Without a legal work permit, many fell into exploitation," said Peter Schatzer, regional representative for the IOM in Rome.
Each year, Italy sets a quota for the number of migrant workers allowed to enter the country as seasonal workers for its large agricultural sector.
The IOM said illegal labor, especially in the agricultural sector, is a widespread phenomenon in Italy with official statistics showing it accounts for between 15.9 percent and 17.6 percent of gross domestic product.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was elected by a landslide last year with a mandate to crack down on illegal immigration and rising crime, which many Italians blame on immigrants.
His government has clashed with the UN refugee agency UNHCR over a deal which allows Italy to return to Libya boats of would-be illegal migrants intercepted in the Mediterranean. (Reporting by Daniel Flynn; Editing by Ron Askew)
http://www.reuters.com/article/world...56R3V320090728
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I'm really glad that this issue is getting public spotlight in Kerala. This community has always been ahead of the curve in reforming social practices, and that is something the rest of India has to respect. However, as much as I abhor dowry and unaffordable lavish weddings which cause so much morbidity and mortality among Indians, I don't think the government can really do anything substantial through policy in the long term.
AFAIK the roots of these traditions can be traced back to India's deeply entrenched agrarian societal ethos. Which is why IMHO the only realistic way to weed out incessant archaic practices is to promote a reformist social movement from within.
The government can and should however enable two key functions that will certainly help social progress without micromanaging each problem in the private lives of the citizens; these are:
AFAIK the roots of these traditions can be traced back to India's deeply entrenched agrarian societal ethos. Which is why IMHO the only realistic way to weed out incessant archaic practices is to promote a reformist social movement from within.
The government can and should however enable two key functions that will certainly help social progress without micromanaging each problem in the private lives of the citizens; these are:
- Improve access to education: in order to give people the option to move beyond subsistence agrarianism if they so choose to do so.
- Enable access to capital on fairer terms: this is actually key to resolving the dowry issue. If newly married couples can be relatively financially independent on the basis of their own productivity, there will no longer be a need for dowry.
10-yr-old branded with hot spoon for not doing dishes
Preetu Nair, TNN 29 July 2009, 02:10am IST
PANAJI: A ten-year-old girl employed as a maid in a house at Porvorim in Goa has alleged that her employers would place a scorching hot flat steel spoon on her body for failing to wash utensils even when there was no utensils to wash. She would also be kicked on the stomach and beaten, she told cops.
For her “failures”, the minor, a native of Gadak, Hubli, wasn’t just punished but also allegedly regularly taunted by her employers, who would say, “tumara jaat hi aisa hai”. The girl belongs to a scheduled tribe.
Sources said the minor, who lost her father last year, has never been to school and was living with her grandparents in Goa, when a neighbour approached the grandmother seeking to place the minor as a domestic help at Pednekar’s residence. The girl was with the family for almost seven months and allegedly subjected to atrocities almost everyday.
Police have booked a case under IPC’s Prevention of Atrocities (SC/ST) Act, and Goa Children’s Act against her employer Audumber (Shubham) Pednekar, a civil engineer, his wife Minaxi and sister-in-law Tina. While Audumber was arrested and later released on bail, Minaxi and Tina are absconding.
“She told us that at first the family was fine and she was asked to do all the house work. The torture started a month later, when Tina allegedly hit her with a wire for not cleaning the utensils.
10-yr-old branded with hot spoon for not doing dishes - India - NEWS - The Times of India
What have these people learn from thier education .. Educated ignorants ..
Preetu Nair, TNN 29 July 2009, 02:10am IST
PANAJI: A ten-year-old girl employed as a maid in a house at Porvorim in Goa has alleged that her employers would place a scorching hot flat steel spoon on her body for failing to wash utensils even when there was no utensils to wash. She would also be kicked on the stomach and beaten, she told cops.
For her “failures”, the minor, a native of Gadak, Hubli, wasn’t just punished but also allegedly regularly taunted by her employers, who would say, “tumara jaat hi aisa hai”. The girl belongs to a scheduled tribe.
Sources said the minor, who lost her father last year, has never been to school and was living with her grandparents in Goa, when a neighbour approached the grandmother seeking to place the minor as a domestic help at Pednekar’s residence. The girl was with the family for almost seven months and allegedly subjected to atrocities almost everyday.
Police have booked a case under IPC’s Prevention of Atrocities (SC/ST) Act, and Goa Children’s Act against her employer Audumber (Shubham) Pednekar, a civil engineer, his wife Minaxi and sister-in-law Tina. While Audumber was arrested and later released on bail, Minaxi and Tina are absconding.
“She told us that at first the family was fine and she was asked to do all the house work. The torture started a month later, when Tina allegedly hit her with a wire for not cleaning the utensils.
10-yr-old branded with hot spoon for not doing dishes - India - NEWS - The Times of India
What have these people learn from thier education .. Educated ignorants ..
johnee
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Existence of untouchability is a sad commentry on Indian society(which is used by some to malign Indian society and Hinduism) It is time to do away with this practise. I personally feel that the solution is two pronged. Laws and law enforcers must not allow such practices to continue. Secondly, the religious scholars and heads(of Hinduism) must guide the society out of these practices.
And those(the so-called higher castes) who practise such customs ought to remember that these are the things that make people(dalits) vote for persons like Mayawati. And in the end, everyone is a loser. Time to change it.
And those(the so-called higher castes) who practise such customs ought to remember that these are the things that make people(dalits) vote for persons like Mayawati. And in the end, everyone is a loser. Time to change it.
Salesman throws acid at college girls in Cuttack
TNN 27 July 2009, 10:24pm IST
CUTTACK: Two college girls were seriously injured on Monday when a 28-year-old salesman threw acid at them. The victims, Rashmi Rekha Sahoo and Kainat Parween, both students of Emarti Devi College, were rushed to SCB Medical College and Hospital. The faces of both have been smudged.
The incident took place when they were returning home after their classes got over.
The miscreant, who was identified as Pawan Soni of Nayasarak, was caught by passers-by and handed to police.
While Kainat has sustained 10 per cent burns on her face and neck, Rashmi has received 30 per cent burns.
"The girls came out of the college and were calling out for a rickshaw before the youth blocked their way and threw acid on them.. We immediately poured water," an eye-witness said.
Both study in Plus Three first year. While Kainat is a resident of Dargha Bazaar, Rashmi belongs to Tala Telenga Bazaar.
Rashmi was married and her family were completely shocked by the incident. "Today when my daughter-in-law didn't return home in time I started enquiring about her. Then I heard they were attacked. I don't know why," Rashmi's father-in-law Pramod Sahu said.
According to police, the accused had planned the attack. "Our first job was is to provide proper treatment to the victims. The miscreant has been arrested and identified. Very soon we will find out why he did it," DCP A N Sinha said.
Salesman throws acid at college girls in Cuttack - Bhubaneswar - City - NEWS - The Times of India
TNN 27 July 2009, 10:24pm IST
CUTTACK: Two college girls were seriously injured on Monday when a 28-year-old salesman threw acid at them. The victims, Rashmi Rekha Sahoo and Kainat Parween, both students of Emarti Devi College, were rushed to SCB Medical College and Hospital. The faces of both have been smudged.
The incident took place when they were returning home after their classes got over.
The miscreant, who was identified as Pawan Soni of Nayasarak, was caught by passers-by and handed to police.
While Kainat has sustained 10 per cent burns on her face and neck, Rashmi has received 30 per cent burns.
"The girls came out of the college and were calling out for a rickshaw before the youth blocked their way and threw acid on them.. We immediately poured water," an eye-witness said.
Both study in Plus Three first year. While Kainat is a resident of Dargha Bazaar, Rashmi belongs to Tala Telenga Bazaar.
Rashmi was married and her family were completely shocked by the incident. "Today when my daughter-in-law didn't return home in time I started enquiring about her. Then I heard they were attacked. I don't know why," Rashmi's father-in-law Pramod Sahu said.
According to police, the accused had planned the attack. "Our first job was is to provide proper treatment to the victims. The miscreant has been arrested and identified. Very soon we will find out why he did it," DCP A N Sinha said.
Salesman throws acid at college girls in Cuttack - Bhubaneswar - City - NEWS - The Times of India
Kanishka bombing inquiry report ready, says Canadian panel
Kanishka bombing inquiry report ready, says Canadian panel
IANS 29 July 2009, 12:08pm IST
TORONTO: The Canadian public probe into the 1985 Air India bombing that claimed 329 lives is finally complete, the commission of inquiry has said.
Headed by former Canadian chief justice John Major, the commission of inquiry said on Tuesday it has completed the final report to be submitted to the government.
All 329 people aboard Air India Kanishka flight 182 from Montreal to Delhi were killed in a mid-air bomb explosion off the Irish coast on June 23, 1985.
A bomb meant for another Air India flight from Tokyo to Mumbai killed two people the same day at Tokyo's Narita airport during the transfer of the luggage which contained the bomb.
Both the bombs had originated in Vancouver and were planted by Sikh radicals to avenge the India Army action at the Golden Temple - the holiest Sikh shrine - in June 1984.
A Vancouver court acquitted two suspects - Ajaib Singh Bagri and Ripudaman Singh Malik - in March 2005, though it named the Sikh radicals for the plot against Air India.
The acquittals led to pressure on the Canadian government to set up a public inquiry in May 2006 to hear the families of the victims and recommend legislative and policy changes to avert future terror attacks.
In a statement, the commission of inquiry said it has completed the drafting of its final report, only "pre-publication work remaining before the report is printed and submitted to the prime minister".
Commission spokesperson Michael Tansey said he expects the report "will be released later this year".
"We are now entering the production phase which includes a National Security review by relevant government agencies and departments, translation, layout and printing."
Asked what action the report will recommend to the government, Tansey said: "It is up to the government to determine what it does with the recommendations in the report. The report will cover all of the areas that are included in the Commission's mandate".
He said the five-volume report will be issued in English and French.
The commission had presented at an interim report in December 2007 on the heart-wrenching testimonies of the families of the victims.
Kanishka bombing inquiry report ready, says Canadian panel - India - NEWS - The Times of India
Kanishka bombing inquiry report ready, says Canadian panel
IANS 29 July 2009, 12:08pm IST
TORONTO: The Canadian public probe into the 1985 Air India bombing that claimed 329 lives is finally complete, the commission of inquiry has said.
Headed by former Canadian chief justice John Major, the commission of inquiry said on Tuesday it has completed the final report to be submitted to the government.
All 329 people aboard Air India Kanishka flight 182 from Montreal to Delhi were killed in a mid-air bomb explosion off the Irish coast on June 23, 1985.
A bomb meant for another Air India flight from Tokyo to Mumbai killed two people the same day at Tokyo's Narita airport during the transfer of the luggage which contained the bomb.
Both the bombs had originated in Vancouver and were planted by Sikh radicals to avenge the India Army action at the Golden Temple - the holiest Sikh shrine - in June 1984.
A Vancouver court acquitted two suspects - Ajaib Singh Bagri and Ripudaman Singh Malik - in March 2005, though it named the Sikh radicals for the plot against Air India.
The acquittals led to pressure on the Canadian government to set up a public inquiry in May 2006 to hear the families of the victims and recommend legislative and policy changes to avert future terror attacks.
In a statement, the commission of inquiry said it has completed the drafting of its final report, only "pre-publication work remaining before the report is printed and submitted to the prime minister".
Commission spokesperson Michael Tansey said he expects the report "will be released later this year".
"We are now entering the production phase which includes a National Security review by relevant government agencies and departments, translation, layout and printing."
Asked what action the report will recommend to the government, Tansey said: "It is up to the government to determine what it does with the recommendations in the report. The report will cover all of the areas that are included in the Commission's mandate".
He said the five-volume report will be issued in English and French.
The commission had presented at an interim report in December 2007 on the heart-wrenching testimonies of the families of the victims.
Kanishka bombing inquiry report ready, says Canadian panel - India - NEWS - The Times of India
Honour killings a national shame: Chidambaram
TNN 29 July 2009, 03:52am IST
NEW DELHI: Stating that honour killings are rooted in anachronistic, antiquated attitudes and false premise, home minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday said, “The vilest crimes are committed in the name of defending the honour of the family or women and we should hang our heads in shame when such incidents take place in the 21st Century.”
Chidambaram said in the Rajya Sabha that the best way to deal with the “deplorable practice” is to investigate, prosecute and punish the accused in a few cases so that a message goes that exemplary punishment can be given.
However, he did not accede to the demand from a majority of members that a special law be brought to deal with honour killings. Chidambaram said, “The answer is not to make another law. Whatever law we make, honour killing is murder. It would have to be dealt with as murder and tried as murder.”
He also clarified that honour killing is not only limited to Haryana and western UP but takes place in other states but does not get reported.
Chidambaram suggested 10 measures to deal with the menace which includes sensitizing police officials, enforcing existing legislations, setting up women police stations, counselling to victims of rape, wider recruitment of women police officers and sensitising judiciary and civil administration.
Earlier, initiating the call attention on so-called honour killings and honour related crimes, Brinda Karat (CPM) said the mindset behind such killings is that others should control a woman’s physical and feminine self and anyone who crosses the boundary has to be punished. She blamed it on the caste system that allows men to control lives of women in the family.
In this context, she said caste panchayats play a big role. She wondered how the panchayat system, which is otherwise a pride of the country, can play a leading role in perpetuating obscurantist ideas. She gave instances of how despite the same caste and different gotra, a man and a woman were not allowed to marry simply because they belonged to neighbouring villages.
Karat demanded that honour killings be defined and a new law be brought in to deal with the crime. Najma Heptulla (BJP) demanded that government should run a special campaign to sensitise people. Nominated member Kapila Vatsyayan said school syllabus should teach children about these deplorable practices.
Honour killings a national shame: Chidambaram - India - NEWS - The Times of India
TNN 29 July 2009, 03:52am IST
NEW DELHI: Stating that honour killings are rooted in anachronistic, antiquated attitudes and false premise, home minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday said, “The vilest crimes are committed in the name of defending the honour of the family or women and we should hang our heads in shame when such incidents take place in the 21st Century.”
Chidambaram said in the Rajya Sabha that the best way to deal with the “deplorable practice” is to investigate, prosecute and punish the accused in a few cases so that a message goes that exemplary punishment can be given.
However, he did not accede to the demand from a majority of members that a special law be brought to deal with honour killings. Chidambaram said, “The answer is not to make another law. Whatever law we make, honour killing is murder. It would have to be dealt with as murder and tried as murder.”
He also clarified that honour killing is not only limited to Haryana and western UP but takes place in other states but does not get reported.
Chidambaram suggested 10 measures to deal with the menace which includes sensitizing police officials, enforcing existing legislations, setting up women police stations, counselling to victims of rape, wider recruitment of women police officers and sensitising judiciary and civil administration.
Earlier, initiating the call attention on so-called honour killings and honour related crimes, Brinda Karat (CPM) said the mindset behind such killings is that others should control a woman’s physical and feminine self and anyone who crosses the boundary has to be punished. She blamed it on the caste system that allows men to control lives of women in the family.
In this context, she said caste panchayats play a big role. She wondered how the panchayat system, which is otherwise a pride of the country, can play a leading role in perpetuating obscurantist ideas. She gave instances of how despite the same caste and different gotra, a man and a woman were not allowed to marry simply because they belonged to neighbouring villages.
Karat demanded that honour killings be defined and a new law be brought in to deal with the crime. Najma Heptulla (BJP) demanded that government should run a special campaign to sensitise people. Nominated member Kapila Vatsyayan said school syllabus should teach children about these deplorable practices.
Honour killings a national shame: Chidambaram - India - NEWS - The Times of India
Two brothers cross over to PoK, returned by Pakistan
Two brothers cross over to PoK, returned by Pak
Poonch (J&K) (PTI): Two brothers, who had inadvertently crossed over to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, were handed over back to Indian authorities in Mendhar area of the district, official sources said here on Wednesday.
Nine-year-old Nikhil and his seven-year-old brother Natish of Sarah village in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district had gone for grazing their cattle in nearby forest, close to the LoC, on the evening of July 27, they said.
One of the buffaloes near a stream stepped over a mine, which exploded causing serious injuries to the animal.
On watching the explosion, the boys panicked and ran towards PoK, where they were caught by Pakistani rangers.
When the parents and the villagers came to know about the incident, they approached army authorities at Jhangar with a request to get the boys back.
On Tuesday, during a flag meeting at Roshni Post in Mendhar sub-sector of Poonch district, Pakistani authorities handed over the two brothers to the Indian army.
The boys were later handed over back to their parents who had reached there from Rajouri district, the sources added.
The Hindu News Update Service
Two brothers cross over to PoK, returned by Pak
Poonch (J&K) (PTI): Two brothers, who had inadvertently crossed over to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, were handed over back to Indian authorities in Mendhar area of the district, official sources said here on Wednesday.
Nine-year-old Nikhil and his seven-year-old brother Natish of Sarah village in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district had gone for grazing their cattle in nearby forest, close to the LoC, on the evening of July 27, they said.
One of the buffaloes near a stream stepped over a mine, which exploded causing serious injuries to the animal.
On watching the explosion, the boys panicked and ran towards PoK, where they were caught by Pakistani rangers.
When the parents and the villagers came to know about the incident, they approached army authorities at Jhangar with a request to get the boys back.
On Tuesday, during a flag meeting at Roshni Post in Mendhar sub-sector of Poonch district, Pakistani authorities handed over the two brothers to the Indian army.
The boys were later handed over back to their parents who had reached there from Rajouri district, the sources added.
The Hindu News Update Service
India has 74,000 newspapers, UP leads the list
India has 74,000 newspapers, UP leads the list
New Delhi (IANS): Bucking the global recessionary trends in the media, India, the world's most populous democracy, boasts of 74,000 newspapers - with Uttar Pradesh leading the rest of the country in promoting a diversity of views.
"More than 74,000 newspapers are registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI)," Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Mohan Jatua said in a written reply during question hour in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Uttar Pradesh has the maximum number of registered newspapers at 11,789, followed by Delhi with 10,066 and Maharashtra with 9,127, according to the information given by the minister.
The government is also trying to bridge the "media gap" by encouraging more newspapers to come up in the northeastern states, the information and broadcasting ministry said in a separate statement.
The ministry has also relaxed norms for empanelling newspapers published in the northeastern states and the border areas.
This apart, Rs.87.95 crore has been allocated during fiscal 2009-10 for the North East Special Package, the statement said, adding: "An amount of Rs.37.00 crore is to be provided as grants-in-aid and an amount of Rs.50.95 crore as loan to Prasar Bharati for improving radio and television facility in the North East."
The Hindu News Update Service
India has 74,000 newspapers, UP leads the list
New Delhi (IANS): Bucking the global recessionary trends in the media, India, the world's most populous democracy, boasts of 74,000 newspapers - with Uttar Pradesh leading the rest of the country in promoting a diversity of views.
"More than 74,000 newspapers are registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI)," Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Mohan Jatua said in a written reply during question hour in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Uttar Pradesh has the maximum number of registered newspapers at 11,789, followed by Delhi with 10,066 and Maharashtra with 9,127, according to the information given by the minister.
The government is also trying to bridge the "media gap" by encouraging more newspapers to come up in the northeastern states, the information and broadcasting ministry said in a separate statement.
The ministry has also relaxed norms for empanelling newspapers published in the northeastern states and the border areas.
This apart, Rs.87.95 crore has been allocated during fiscal 2009-10 for the North East Special Package, the statement said, adding: "An amount of Rs.37.00 crore is to be provided as grants-in-aid and an amount of Rs.50.95 crore as loan to Prasar Bharati for improving radio and television facility in the North East."
The Hindu News Update Service
Page last updated at 06:15 GMT, Wednesday, 29 July 2009 07:15 UK
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Sudanese woman 'faces 40 lashes'
Lubna Hussein was arrested in a restaurant in Khartoum
A Sudanese woman who is due to appear in court in Khartoum says she faces up to 40 lashes for wearing trousers.
The woman, Lubna Hussein - a former journalist who now works for the United Nations - has invited journalists and observers to the trial.
She was arrested in a restaurant in the capital with other women earlier this month for wearing "indecent" clothing.
She said 10 of the women arrested, including non-Muslims, later each received 10 lashes and a fine of $100.
Ms Hussein and two other women asked for a lawyer, delaying their trials.
Now Ms Hussein has printed 500 invitation cards and sent out emails, saying she wanted as many people as possible to attend her hearing on Wednesday.
She says she has done nothing wrong under Sharia law, but could fall foul of a paragraph in Sudanese criminal law which forbids indecent clothing.
"I want to change this law, because this law doesn't match in constitution," she told the BBC.
"It is important that people know what is happening," Ms Hussein is reported to have written on the invitations she circulated.
"They will lash me 40 times, and also fine me 250 Sudanese pounds ($100)."
The BBC's James Copnall in Khartoum says Ms Hussein is determined to generate as much publicity as she can.
In a related development, a female journalist who wrote an article critical of the way Ms Hussein has been treated has been charged with defaming the police.
Amal Habbani faces a substantial fine if found guilty, AFP news agency reports.
BBC NEWS | Africa | Sudanese woman 'faces 40 lashes'
E-mail this to a friend Printable version
Sudanese woman 'faces 40 lashes'
Lubna Hussein was arrested in a restaurant in Khartoum
A Sudanese woman who is due to appear in court in Khartoum says she faces up to 40 lashes for wearing trousers.
The woman, Lubna Hussein - a former journalist who now works for the United Nations - has invited journalists and observers to the trial.
She was arrested in a restaurant in the capital with other women earlier this month for wearing "indecent" clothing.
She said 10 of the women arrested, including non-Muslims, later each received 10 lashes and a fine of $100.
Ms Hussein and two other women asked for a lawyer, delaying their trials.
Now Ms Hussein has printed 500 invitation cards and sent out emails, saying she wanted as many people as possible to attend her hearing on Wednesday.
She says she has done nothing wrong under Sharia law, but could fall foul of a paragraph in Sudanese criminal law which forbids indecent clothing.
"I want to change this law, because this law doesn't match in constitution," she told the BBC.
"It is important that people know what is happening," Ms Hussein is reported to have written on the invitations she circulated.
"They will lash me 40 times, and also fine me 250 Sudanese pounds ($100)."
The BBC's James Copnall in Khartoum says Ms Hussein is determined to generate as much publicity as she can.
In a related development, a female journalist who wrote an article critical of the way Ms Hussein has been treated has been charged with defaming the police.
Amal Habbani faces a substantial fine if found guilty, AFP news agency reports.
BBC NEWS | Africa | Sudanese woman 'faces 40 lashes'
