Dear Friends ![A TV grab of K.S. Shivaramu, leader of a backward classes group, being assaulted outside the Kukke Subrahmanya temple near Mangalore on Wednesday.]()
![Devotees roll over left over food at the temple.]( "Devotees roll over left over food at the temple.")
My final words of advice to you are educate, agitate and organize; have faith in yourself. With justice on our side I do not see how we can lose our battle. The battle to me is a matter of joy. The battle is in the fullest sense spiritual. There is nothing material or social in it. For ours is a battle not for wealth or for power. It is battle for freedom. It is the battle of reclamation of human personality.
B.R.Ambedkar
Attached here and pasted below you will find a news story about a Dalit activist who was assaulted for protesting against the practise of an obscurantist Brahmanical ritual in Karnataka State of India. Despite India having progressive legislation to curb the pernicious manifestation of caste based discrimination, exclusion and violence, several obscurantist practices still continue which are highly degrading and outrageous.
With Regards & In Solidarity
Umakant, Ph.D
Independent Researcher and Human Rights Advocate
New Delhi
Assaulted for protesting against 'made snana'
Anisha Sheth
The Hindu, KUKKE SUBRAHMANYA, December 1, 2011
A TV grab of K.S. Shivaramu, leader of a backward classes group, being assaulted outside the Kukke Subrahmanya temple near Mangalore on Wednesday.
Drop Acharya from Cabinet for supporting ritual: Dalit forum
The leader of a backward classes organisation was assaulted here on Wednesday after demanding an end to a "casteist" ritual performed in the government-run Kukke Subrahmanya temple in Sullia taluk.
State president of the Karnataka Rajya Hindulida Vargagala Jagruta Vedike K.S. Shivaramu was assaulted by a group of around 10 people outside the temple after he met Assistant Commissioner of Puttur subdivision Sundar Bhat and submitted a memorandum urging the Dakshina Kannada administration to prohibit the ritual of 'made snana'.
As Mr. Shivaramu was speaking to the media about the memorandum, a group of people surrounded him.
After he finished speaking, they began arguing with him. Soon the group began to rain blows on Mr. Shivaramu, who started running. He was chased, caught and thrashed again.
Though Mr. Shivaramu was given police protection, the police stepped in only after the group chased him and beat him up. The police then took him to the government hospital.
Before he was assaulted, Mr. Shivaramu said that the ritual of 'made snana' was "inhuman" as well as "unscientific". He said that it should be banned.
"But, before that, the practice of serving food inside the temple only for a particular caste should be stopped," Mr. Shivaramu said. He added that the continuation of the practice "in the name of tradition and religion is being done to perpetuate superstitious beliefs".
'Will prepare report'
He said that he would prepare a fact-finding report on the ritual and send it to the President, and later petition the Supreme Court.
When presspersons went to Subrahmanya police station to speak to the police, Deputy Superintendent of Police M.B. Nagaraju said he did not know what had happened and that his junior officers were yet to report to him. However, when Vijaya Kumar, a member of the vedike who had accompanied Mr. Shivaramu, came to speak to Mr. Nagaraju, the latter shouted and asked Mr. Kumar "why he had started the trouble".
What is 'made snana'?
'Made snana' is a harake (an offering to God in return for the granting of a wish). This particular harake involves rolling on plantain leaves containing leftovers of food consumed by Brahmins.
Those who perform the ritual include Brahmins. The ritual is believed to cure skin diseases. It is performed annually during the Champa Shashti festival for three days.
Mr. Shivaramu has filed a complaint with the Subrahmanya police, who have registered a case under sections relating to rioting, hurt, and criminal intimidation. A counter complaint has been filed against Mr. Shivaramu by A.V. Nagesh, a local man, claiming that he was assaulted by the former.
'Drop Acharya'
Bangalore Special Correspondent writes:
The Dalit Aikyata Vedike, a forum of various Dalit organisations in the State, on Wednesday urged Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda to drop Minister for Higher Education V.S. Acharya from the Cabinet for promoting blind beliefs that are detrimental to the interests of Dalits.
Accusing Dr. Acharya of supporting 'made snana', State convener of the Dalit Sangarsh Samithi (Ambedkarvada) said the Minister was violating Constitution by promoting a ritual that humiliates Dalits.
Protesting against the attack on Mr. Shivaramu and demanding that the Chief Minister drop Dr. Acharya from the Cabinet, Dalits would stage a demonstration in front of the office of the Director-General and Inspector-General of Police on Thursday, he said.
Mangalore: Devotees attack Dalit leader for protesting Madey Snana ritual
Headlines Today Bureau | Mangalore, November 30, 2011 | 16:56
If the ritual of Dalits rolling over left over food was not bad enough, a man protesting the bizarre Madey Snana ritual at Mangalore's Kukke Subramanya temple was attacked on Wednesday.
The Dalit leader, Shivaramu, was attacked for protesting the medieval ritual. Ironically, he was assaulted by the devotees themselves.
Shivaramu had urged devotees not to perform ritual. However, his intervention enraged the devotees, who attacked him at the temple.
While the ritual itself was sickening, Karnataka Chief Minister Sadanand Gowda's response clearly indicted that he would not be the one to crack down on such inhuman practice.
Instead of condemning the practice, Gowda said it was typical ritual that has been going on for several years. He said he would look into the matter and a decision on discontinuing it would be taken only after consultations.
Watch Video of Anti-Dalit Ritual
B.R.Ambedkar
Visit web site | Reply to sender | Click here to unsubscribe
The email is intended only for the recipients. The owners of the Dgroups cannot be held responsible for the contents of the email message.
No comments:
Post a Comment