Public Lecture on Dr B R Ambedkar : Advocate of political rights and social freedom for India's untouchables

Colombo, 01October, (Asiantribune.com): Milinda Moragoda, Minister of Tourism appointed a committee headed by Ambassador Mangala Moonesinghe recently to organise a series of guest lectures. The fist of the above series will be oration, on Dr B R Ambedkar, by professor S Thorat , Chairman, University Grants commission of India and is scheduled to be held on Tuesday 14 October, at the Hotel Management and Training School Auditorium, in Colombo.

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar known as Babasaheb, was an Indian nationalist, jurist, Dalit political leader and a Buddhist revivalist. He was also the chief architect of the Indian Constitution.
Born into a poor Untouchable family, Ambedkar spent his whole life fighting against social discrimination, the system of Chaturvarna - the Hindu categorization of human society into four varnas - and the Indian caste system.

He is also credited with having sparked the Dalit Buddhist movement. Ambedkar has been honoured with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.
Overcoming numerous social and financial obstacles, Ambedkar became one of the first "untouchables" to obtain a college education in India. Eventually earning law degrees and multiple doctorates for his study and research in law, economics and political science from Columbia University and the London School of Economics, Ambedkar returned home a famous scholar and practiced law for a few years before publishing journals advocating political rights and social freedom for India's untouchables.
- Asian Tribune -

The die is ‘caste’: Dalits lodge FIR against upper-caste ‘oppressors’

Ahmedabad, September 30 The Dalits in rural Gujarat have always faced socio-economic segregation and oppression from the upper castes. In yet another incident, the Dalit community of Nesda village under Tankara block in Rajkot has faced the ire of the dominant higher castes in the village for refusing to do manual scavenging. The enraged Panchayat has therefore slammed a total socio-economic blockade on the community for the last two months.

A similar incident was reported by The Indian Express on August 20 this year when the dominant higher castes boycotted the Dalits in Pirali village of Limdi Taluka of Surendranagar district, when the latter protested against the higher caste people letting their sewerage into the Dalit ghetto of the village.

According to Jaman Parmar, a Dalit villager from Nesda, tension was simmering between the communities for quite some time. “There has been no Panchayat election in our village for the last two terms and it was elected uncontested under the Samras scheme,” Jaman said, stating further that while the village subsequently received extra development funds from the Government for the same, nothing has been done for the Dalit areas so far. “Not only that, there is no Dalit representative in the Panchayat and even in the Social Justice Centre of the village,” he added.

Jaman said: “On August 5, they held a public meeting in the village and declared that the Dalits are to be excommunicated from the village, as they are refusing to carry out their traditional duty of taking care of the dead animals of the village in a public system. Now, no one from the village calls us to the farm, or gives us any work. We cannot get flour from the village, or grocery, not even milk. We cannot also take a rickshaw owned by them.”

VC favours Dalit studies in syllabus

PATNA: PU VC Shyam Lal has pleaded for introduction of Dalit studies in the curriculum of colleges and universities for understanding problems of deprived sections of society and devising ways for ensuring their development. Speaking as the chief guest at a function organised jointly by the Dalit Lekhak Sangh and the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies, New Delhi, at the PU geology auditorium on Tuesday, Lal said that a Bhojpuri poem written by Heera Dom and published in an issue of Saraswati in 1914 happens to be the first contribution to Dalit literature. He called upon Dalit writers to shun casteism and work for highlighting the Dalit psyche in Hindi literature. He released a collection of poems titled, Bharatiya Dalit Sahitya ka Vidrohi Swar published by IIDS.

New principal: PU physics department head D K Sharma has joined as the new principal of Patna Science College following the superannuation of S N Guha on Tuesday. Guha was given a hearty farewell by teachers, non-teaching staff and students of the PU science faculty and the college at a function held here on Tuesday. They recalled Guha’s valuable contributions to the overall development of the institution. Patna Science College geology teacher Anil Kumar joined as the new head of geology department in place of V S Dube who has joined as the PU dean of students welfare. PU News Bulletin: PU has decided to revive the publication of PU News Bulletin from January. The quarterly journal will carry out all academic and co-curricular activities of the university and all its constituent units.

Working Paper ( Published)

Volume II

Reservation in Employment, Education and Legislature
By Sukhadeo Thorat and Chittaranjan Senapati
Volume II Number 05, 2007

Caste Based Discrimination and Atrocities on Dalit Christians and the Need for Reservation
By Prakash Louis
Volume II Number 04, 2007


Dalit Empowerment and Vocational Education - An Impact Study
By Michael Kropac
Volume II Number 03, 2007

Exclusion and Discrimination: Civil Rights Violations and Atrocities in Maharashtra
By Sukhadeo Thorat and Prashant Negi
Volume II Number 02, 2007

Observation on the Dalits in Indian Villages - 1963-2004
By Gilbert Etienne
Volume II Number 01, 2007

Volume I

Human Development and the Status of Social Groups in Gujarat
By Sukhadeo Thorat and Motilal Mahamallik
Volume I Number 06, 2006


Rural Non-farm Employment of the Scheduled Castes – A Comparative Study
By Sukhadeo Thorat and Nidhi Saddana Sabharwal
Volume I Number 05, 2006


Health Status and Access to Health Care Services – Disparities among Social Groups in India
By Vijay Kumar Baraik and P M Kulkarni
Volume I Number 04, 2006


Dalits and the Right to Food – Discrimination and Exclusion in Food-related Government Programmes
By Sukhadeo Thorat and Joel Lee
Volume I Number 03, 2006

Reservation Policy in India: Dimensions and Issues
By Sukhadeo Thorat and Chittaranjan Senapati
Volume I Number 02, 2006

Reservation in the Private Sector Issues, Concerns and Prospects
BY Sukhadeo Thorat, Prashant Negi and Aryama
Volume I Number 01, 2006

Application for the post of Deputy Director

The Indian Institute of Dalit Studies (IIDS is looking for a Deputy Director. The candidate should have a Ph.D degree in social sciences (Economics/Sociology/Political Science) with some research experience and published work. The candidate should have the motivation for research on contemporary issues and leadership qualities.

Last Date: 15th October, 2008

Interested candidates may send in their application along with CV to
The Administrative Co-ordinator
Indian Institute of Dalit Studies
Q-3 Green Park, New Delhi-110016
Ph-011-41643981/82,
Or
E-mail to jobs@dalitstudies.org.in.