Set to include them in BPL segment In a step which can have a major bearing on Dalit politics in the country and challenge Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s undisputed hold over her caste people, the Centre is likely to carve out a special Mahadalit category and include them in the Below Poverty Line (BPL) segment. The proposal is expected to come up for discussion before the Union Cabinet on...

Octogenarian Sita Devi was in tears when district magistrate of Gonda, Ram Bahadur, handed her the land ownership title. She was five-year-old when her family was forced into bonded labour by British forest officers posted in Gorakhpur. The family was given a piece of land for planting trees and to grow crop for its survival. They family was shifted to other place after five years for the same job. From...

A fortnight ago, Moin was beaten to death by his uncle who was the owner of the factory where the 10-year-old worked. Very few would have cared but for television, which brought the horrific images of his battered body into middle-class living rooms. But it’s doubtful if anybody would remember Moin’s tragedy once the TV cameras shift elsewhere. This has happened many times. Just a year ago, an engineer couple was...

The National Human Rights Commission has directed its Director-General (Investigation) to depute a team to look into the plight of Bonded labourers working at a brick kiln in Domanpur village of Azamgarh district in Uttar Pradesh. Suo motu cognisance The Commission took the decision taking suo motu cognisance of a report telecast by a news TV channel recently with interviews of three such labourers. The workers alleged that they were being forced to...

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed its Director General (Investigation) to depute a team to look into the plight of Bonded labourers in a brick kiln in Domanpur village of Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh. The Commission took the decision, taking suo motu cognisance of a telecast by a television channel recently of interviews with three such labourers. The workers alleged that they were being forced to work as...