|
|
 | | From: | surreal_ravi | | Subject: | Indian low-castes forced out of relief camps | | Date: | 16 Jan 2005 15:54:20 -0800 |
|
|
 | India's untouchables forced out of relief camps
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1535&e=2&u=/afp/asiaquakeindiauntouchables
Fri Jan 7, 8:52 AM ET
KESHVANPALAYAM, India (AFP) - India's untouchables, reeling from the
tsunami disaster, are being forced out of relief camps by higher caste
survivors and being denied aid supplies, activists charged.
Kuppuswamy Ramachandran, 32, a Dalit or untouchable in India's rigid
caste hierarchy, said he and his family were told to leave a relief
camp in worst-hit Nagapattinam district where 50 more families were
housed.
"The higher caste fishing community did not allow us to sleep in a
marriage hall where they are put up because we belong to the lowest
caste," Ramachandran said.
"After three days we were moved out to a school but now the school is
going to reopen within three days and the teachers drove us out," he
said.
"Where will I take my family and children? The school had no lights,
toilets or drinking water," available for the displaced.
More than 6,000 people died when tsunamis struck this southern Indian
coastal district on December 26 and activists said that included 81
Dalits, who were daily wage earners working in agricultural lands.
The ferocious wall of sea water destroyed swathes of farm land and the
Dalits no longer have any employment.
At Keshvanpalayam, the Dalits had only flattened homes to show while
survivors elsewhere enjoyed relief supplies such as food, medicines,
sleeping mats and kerosene.
No government official or aid has flowed into the village which houses
83 Dalit families more than 30 kilometres (20 miles) from Nagapattinam
town.
Cranes and bulldozers cleared the debris of a neighbouring fishing
community, but they are yet to reach the Dalit village.
Chandra Jayaram, 35, who lost her husband to the tsunamis, said her
family has not received promised government compensation of 100,000
rupees (2,174 dollars).
"At the relief camps we are treated differently due to our social
status. We are not given relief supplies. The fishing community told us
not to stay with them. The government says we will not be given
anything as we are not affected much," Jayaram said.
S. Karuppiah, field coordinator with the Human Rights Forum for Dalit
Liberation, said in some of the villages the dead bodies of
untouchables were removed with reluctance.
"The Dalit villages are in most places proving to be the preferred
choice of the fishing community to bury the dead. If the Dalits ask for
relief materials the government says they can only give the leftovers,"
Karuppiah said.
"The government is turning a blind eye," he said. "When Dalits bury the
dead they are not given gloves or medicines but only alcohol to forget
the rotten stench."
Another activist, Mahakrishnan Marimuthu, who heads the
non-governmental Education and Handicraft Training Trust, said tsunamis
dealt a double blow to the caste.
"They lost their jobs, houses and relatives. On the other hand the
social discrimination is proving to be worse," he said.
The government denied the allegations and said it was providing relief
to every tsunami-affected family.
"There is no intention of closing down any camps and we are providing
relief to each and every family. We will provide temporary shelters as
these relief camps are getting overcrowded," said Veerashanmugha Moni,
Nagapattinam's senior government administrator.
The United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF said government, relief
agencies and aid workers did not discriminate against the Dalits but
the caste issue always exists.
"All the aid going in is distributed the same way to all survivors. The
social discrimination has been there during normal times," said Amudha,
who heads a team of UNICEF volunteers in Nagapattinam.
"After the disaster happened it is still continuing. That is nothing
new," she said.
Vijaya Lakshmi, spokeswoman for South India Federation of Fishermen
Societies, agreed and said one could not wish away a centuries-old
caste system when a disaster struck.
"If they (Dalits) are comfortable by staying separate they will," she
said.
|
|
| | From: | Last Timer | | Subject: | Re: Indian low-castes forced out of relief camps | | Date: | 16 Jan 2005 16:06:11 -0800 |
|
|
| The tamils are weird by not having a last name. It's about time Dalits
started using the same last name. Reddy's gained power that way in much
of south india. In the wishyes US the last name castes like Smith,
Bush and Kennedy have cornered much of clout by inbreeding.
|
|
| | From: | Torpedo | | Subject: | Re: Indian low-castes forced out of relief camps | | Date: | Tue, 18 Jan 2005 07:49:39 +1100 |
|
|
| http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_16-1-2005_pg7_19
Christians 'need Rs 5,000 to encash Rs 2,000' cheques
* Need financial assistance to open bank accounts
By Anjum Gill
LAHORE: The poor Christians who received cheques of Rs 2,000 to 'celebrate
Christmas in a befitting manner' need further financial assistance of Rs
5,000 to get the cheques cashed, Daily Times found out.
The Punjab government and the district government distributed the cheques to
a number of poor Christians.
However, the cheques were delivered to them in January through minorities'
councillors. The poor people find it difficult to get the cheques cashed
because many do not have bank accounts and the cheques were given to them on
payees account. A sum of Rs 5,000 is needed to get an account opened and to
get their cheques of Rs 2,000 cashed. Albert, a resident of Gari Shahu, is
retired and his wife is a housemaid. He received the cheque on January 7,
which he has been unable to get cashed. "The National Bank of Pakistan,
Davis Road branch, asked me to deposit Rs 5,000 to open an account to
deposit the cheque," Albert said.
Surayia, a widow, is also a housemaid. Her son received the cheque on her
behalf. "I have four children to raise. I don't even have money for food and
how can I open an account and then get the money?" she asked.
Suleena Michale, however, was lucky for she works in the house of a bank
employee. The banker helped her cash the cheque.
There are a number of widows whose identity cards were reportedly taken by
the Christian councillors but did not receive any cheques.
"A councillor took my identity card but I did not get any financial
assistance. I didn't even get a sack of flour that was provided to other
people of the area," said Saleema, who is a childless widow. Razia Mushtaq,
a widow with four children, and Elizabeth, with a son, are in the same
situation. The people of Gharhi Shahu complained about the quality of flour
given to them by the councillors under the chief minister's 'sasta atta
scheme'. They said each flour bag was underweight and of cheap quality.
"surreal_ravi" wrote in message
news:1105919660.109162.174880@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> India's untouchables forced out of relief camps
>
>
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1535&e=2&u=/afp/asiaquakeindiauntouchables
>
> Fri Jan 7, 8:52 AM ET
>
>
> KESHVANPALAYAM, India (AFP) - India's untouchables, reeling from the
> tsunami disaster, are being forced out of relief camps by higher caste
> survivors and being denied aid supplies, activists charged.
>
> Kuppuswamy Ramachandran, 32, a Dalit or untouchable in India's rigid
> caste hierarchy, said he and his family were told to leave a relief
> camp in worst-hit Nagapattinam district where 50 more families were
> housed.
>
>
> "The higher caste fishing community did not allow us to sleep in a
> marriage hall where they are put up because we belong to the lowest
> caste," Ramachandran said.
>
>
> "After three days we were moved out to a school but now the school is
> going to reopen within three days and the teachers drove us out," he
> said.
>
>
> "Where will I take my family and children? The school had no lights,
> toilets or drinking water," available for the displaced.
>
>
> More than 6,000 people died when tsunamis struck this southern Indian
> coastal district on December 26 and activists said that included 81
> Dalits, who were daily wage earners working in agricultural lands.
>
>
> The ferocious wall of sea water destroyed swathes of farm land and the
> Dalits no longer have any employment.
>
>
> At Keshvanpalayam, the Dalits had only flattened homes to show while
> survivors elsewhere enjoyed relief supplies such as food, medicines,
> sleeping mats and kerosene.
>
>
> No government official or aid has flowed into the village which houses
> 83 Dalit families more than 30 kilometres (20 miles) from Nagapattinam
> town.
>
>
> Cranes and bulldozers cleared the debris of a neighbouring fishing
> community, but they are yet to reach the Dalit village.
>
>
> Chandra Jayaram, 35, who lost her husband to the tsunamis, said her
> family has not received promised government compensation of 100,000
> rupees (2,174 dollars).
>
>
> "At the relief camps we are treated differently due to our social
> status. We are not given relief supplies. The fishing community told us
> not to stay with them. The government says we will not be given
> anything as we are not affected much," Jayaram said.
>
>
> S. Karuppiah, field coordinator with the Human Rights Forum for Dalit
> Liberation, said in some of the villages the dead bodies of
> untouchables were removed with reluctance.
>
>
> "The Dalit villages are in most places proving to be the preferred
> choice of the fishing community to bury the dead. If the Dalits ask for
> relief materials the government says they can only give the leftovers,"
> Karuppiah said.
>
>
> "The government is turning a blind eye," he said. "When Dalits bury the
> dead they are not given gloves or medicines but only alcohol to forget
> the rotten stench."
>
>
> Another activist, Mahakrishnan Marimuthu, who heads the
> non-governmental Education and Handicraft Training Trust, said tsunamis
> dealt a double blow to the caste.
>
>
> "They lost their jobs, houses and relatives. On the other hand the
> social discrimination is proving to be worse," he said.
>
> The government denied the allegations and said it was providing relief
> to every tsunami-affected family.
>
> "There is no intention of closing down any camps and we are providing
> relief to each and every family. We will provide temporary shelters as
> these relief camps are getting overcrowded," said Veerashanmugha Moni,
> Nagapattinam's senior government administrator.
>
> The United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF said government, relief
> agencies and aid workers did not discriminate against the Dalits but
> the caste issue always exists.
>
> "All the aid going in is distributed the same way to all survivors. The
> social discrimination has been there during normal times," said Amudha,
> who heads a team of UNICEF volunteers in Nagapattinam.
>
> "After the disaster happened it is still continuing. That is nothing
> new," she said.
>
> Vijaya Lakshmi, spokeswoman for South India Federation of Fishermen
> Societies, agreed and said one could not wish away a centuries-old
> caste system when a disaster struck.
>
> "If they (Dalits) are comfortable by staying separate they will," she
> said.
>
|
|
| | From: | g_khan25 at yahoo.com | | Subject: | Re: Indian low-castes forced out of relief camps | | Date: | 17 Jan 2005 13:47:52 -0800 |
|
|
| discredited by mo(RON) like you...LOL.... What next all untouchables
are fake too.
|
|
| | From: | northernpovertylawcr at lycos.com | | Subject: | Re: Indian low-castes forced out of relief camps | | Date: | 17 Jan 2005 05:10:47 -0800 |
|
|
| This is infuriating.
What can we in the West do ?
|
|
| | From: | habshi | | Subject: | Re: Indian low-castes forced out of relief camps | | Date: | Mon, 17 Jan 2005 21:02:14 GMT |
|
|
| Its a fake report which has already been discredited
On 17 Jan 2005 05:10:47 -0800, northernpovertylawcr@lycos.com wrote:
This is infuriating.
What can we in the West do ?
|
|
| | From: | Gulshan Khan (wada-Sain) | | Subject: | Re: Indian low-castes forced out of relief camps | | Date: | Mon, 17 Jan 2005 08:40:31 -0500 |
|
|
| On 17 Jan 2005 05:10:47 -0800, northernpovertylawcr@lycos.com wrote:
>This is infuriating.
>What can we in the West do ?
Divide India again like in 1947
|
|
|
