The foreword — to the Draft National Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill 2011 — that says “urbanisation is inevitable” (I.p.1) signifies danger. The Bill, if enacted in its present form, is likely to worsen, and not stop, displacement of tribal, dalit and other backward communities. The Bill states: “The issue of who acquires land is less important than the process of land acquisition, compensation for land acquired and...

-The Hindu   Chaos prevails at the Government Rajaji Hospital where slogans were raised Hundreds of angry dalits gathered at the Government Rajaji Hospital here on Sunday and raised slogans against the State government and the police for the firing on dalits at Paramakudi in which five persons were killed. Chaos prevailed at the hospital as the protesters raised slogans after six dalit youths — Siva, 19, Paramasivam, 20, Senthil Murugan, 23, Chaturagiri, 22,...

Anna Hazare’s fast is over, but the conjuncture of which that fast was an episode is not: Hazare’s own movement, or other similar movements, are bound to recur in the coming months. The question naturally arises: what are these movements all about? And to start with: what was Hazare’s own movement all about? It was certainly not about “corruption” in any definable sense. That word meant different things to the...

Gate erected by caste Hindus to be removed A gate erected on dalit Street 35 years ago to prevent dalits from entering the area occupied by upper caste Hindus will be removed. Though it was kept open in the last five years, the 75-odd dalit families used to avoid the street fearing repercussions. They used to go to MGR daily market via Royakottai main road. The street falls in the Reserved Ward...

-The Hindu   A committee comprising representatives of people from different walks of life has been constituted for ensuring the entry of dalits into the caste Hindu areas in Perali village near here. Members of the committee ensured that the dalits were permitted to ride their bicycles on the streets dominated by caste Hindus in the village. On Tuesday, a group of dalits along with their wards rode their bicycles. The committee was constituted...