Several upper-caste children have allegedly refused midday meals prepared by dalit cooks in an Andhra school, sparking fears that one of UPA’s key welfare schemes could be turning into a platform to perpetuate caste prejudices. The authorities of the Zilla Parishad School at Sundaragiri in Karimnagar — slain Maoist leader Kishan’s home district — have alleged that the children turning down the food are being goaded by their elders, including some...

Kandhamal was not a spontaneous outburst of mass anger. And the victims still await justice. It was a terrifying Christmas in 2007 for tribal and dalit Christians who live in the second poorest, deeply forested district of Odisha, Kandhamal. Long-smouldering violence targeting them exploded, and was to continue to rage for another full year. During this time, 600 villages were ransacked, 5,600 houses were looted and burnt, 54,000 persons rendered homeless,...

dalit political parties irked by Centre's unwillingness to allocate the entire 12.5-acre India United Mill plot for the proposed Dr BR Ambedkar memorial stepped up agitations across the city on Thursday. Hundreds of activists of Republican Party of India (Athavale) teamed up with another dalit outfit, the Republican Sena and staged a blockade on the Eastern Express Highway, throwing traffic out of gear. The protesters burnt effigies of Prime Minister...

-PTI   The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought a response from Haryana government on giving a rehabilitation package to 125 dalits who were forced to leave their village after the killing of a 70-year-old dalit man and his physically-challenged daughter were killed last year. A bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi asked the state government to respond on the package by Friday. The court was hearing a PIL seeking monetary assistance for the...

Some dalit businessmen plan to launch a Rs 500 crore venture capital fund — India’s first community-focused fund. The Central government’s new procurement policy will open business opportunities worth Rs 7,000 crore for dalit and s (ST) entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs are now gearing up to tap this opportunity by launching their own venture capital fund and increasing their production capacities. The proposed Rs 500 crore venture capital fund will be the country’s...