-Economic and Political Weekly A survey to identify who the poor are and how many are actually poor is necessary if programmes and benefits targeted at the needy are to reach them. The Socio Economic Caste Census, of which partial results have been published, was intended to do this. Yet, even a cursory look at the figures indicates that they call for a willing suspension of disbelief. N C Saxena (naresh.saxena@gmail.com) was...
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Tribal Priestesses Become Guardians of Seeds in Eastern India -Manipadma Jena
-IPS News NIYAMGIRI: As the rhythmic thumping of dancing feet reaches a crescendo, the women offer a song to their forest god for a bountiful harvest. Then, with earthen pots on their heads and their spiritual creatures – a pigeon and a hen – in tow, they proceed in single file on a long march away from their village of Kadaraguma, located on the Niyamgiri mountain range in the Rayagada District of...
More »Constitutional conversations on Adivasi rights -Kalpana Kannabiran
-The Hindu A little used provision in the Constitution may hold the key to protecting the interests of Scheduled Tribes as they fight to hold on to their traditional lands Even 67 years after Independence, the problems of Adivasi communities are about access to basic needs. These include, but are not restricted to, elementary education, community healthcare, sustainable livelihood support, the public distribution system, food security, drinking water and sanitation, debt, and...
More »Here's proof that poor get gallows, rich mostly escape -Himanshi Dhawan & Pradeep Thakur
-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The fact that our legal system is skewed against the poor and marginalized is well-known. And to that extent, it's only expected that they get harsher punishment than the rich. But here are figures that tell the full story. A first of its kind study, which has analyzed data from interviews with 373 death row convicts over a 15-year period, has found three-fourths of those given...
More »Pond water here is still ‘untouchable’ -Sathish GT
-The Hindu Kuruvanka (Hassan district, Karnataka): People residing in Dalit colony in Kuruvanka village in Channarayapatna taluk are not allowed to touch water in the village pond. This has been the practice from time immemorial. If they want water, they have to request someone from the ‘upper’ castes in the village to pour water in their pots. When this reporter visited the village on Friday, an elderly woman from the colony was...
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