Mangalore: Arya Samaj's Bold Initiative to Break Class Barriers

Pics by Suresh Vamanjoor

Mangalore, Apr 5: Arya Samaj unit in the city has now taken a bold step to bring all classes of the Hindu faith together.

As reported already, on the occasion of Ugadi on Monday, it held rituals like Gayatri hawan (yajna) at the hands of Dalits in the locality of Kudkorigudda in Kankanady here. The message given was that the Dalits were not untouchables, with a view to bringing them to the mainstream of the society.

Under the guidance of Praveen Valke of the Arya Samaj, Dalits themselves recited the mantras and shlokas. Sri Esha Vithaldasa Swamiji of Kemaru was the main speaker. He said that untouchability was the greatest bane of the society. Events of this kind would always banish the inequalities in the society and bring about world welfare, he said.

The Swamiji said that caste untouchability was virtually a type of internal terrorism in the country. The word 'Shudra' should be first banished from the society. Then only class discrimination could be eliminated. The Hindu faith has grown because of the dedication of the backward classes. It has kept growing stronger because of them, he said.

Speaking further, he said in reality those who are corrupt, those who loot others, those addicted to vices and the kind are the ones to be called and treated as untouchables and not on the basis of caste. In future further rituals would be conducted often at the hands of Dalits themselves.

http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=231055

RPI for dalit, adivasi members in Lokpal Bill drafting panel

Lucknow, Apr 19 (PTI) Demanded inclusion of two members of dalit and adivasi communities in Jan Lokpal Bill drafting committee, the Republican Party of India today said a letter have been sent to the Prime Minister in this regard. "I want two representatives of dalit and adivasi communities in the Jan Lokpal Bill drafting committee and have written in this regard to PM Manmohan Singh and the committee president Pranab Mukherjee," RPI chief Ramdas Athawale told reporters here. Taking pot-shots at Baba Ramdev, Athawale said anti- corruption crusader Anna Hazare should not take support of the yoga guru as "he has amassed huge amount of black money". "Hazare should not take support of Ramdev and film actors as they have amassed huge amount of black money," he said. On RPI's electoral prospects in Uttar Pradesh, Athawale said the party's organisation base was in place in all the districts and it would contest all 403 seats in the state polls, due next year. "We will go it alone, as of now," he said.
http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/rpi-for-dalit-adivasi-members-in-lokpal-bill-drafting-panel/653393.html

Mild tension at Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations

Mild tension prevailed at the official Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations on Tank Bund here on Thursday when the Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS) president Manda Krishna addressed the gathering.

He referred to the conflict between Mangs and Mahars in the elections to the Bombay Presidency, a province of British India, which B.R. Ambedkar resolved amicably while calling for a similar settlement in the Mala-Madiga row in the State.

Members of Mala community took exception to Mr. Krishna's observation, asking him to confine himself to State affairs. At this, a group of Madiga supporters got up in protest but the police intervened immediately to prevent a clash. Noisy scenes were witnessed when Government Chief Whip Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, was leaving the venue after the meeting. He was mobbed for not speaking on categorisation of Scheduled Castes.

Calling for more unity between the two communities which are fighting over categorisation of SCs, Mr. Krishna asked them to look for solution within the framework of Ambedkar's philosophy. Being a Mahar, he said Ambedkar supported the demand for six per cent reservation to Mangs in the Bombay Presidency elections which invited loud protests from Mahars.

Medi Papaiah, president of the government nominated celebrations committee, regretted that Social Welfare Minister P. Satyanarayana did not turn up despite being in the city.

A number of processions from different parts of the city headed to Tank Bund till the evening to garland the statue of Ambedkar. Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, AP Congress Committee president D. Srinivas, Ministers -- P. Sabita Indra Reddy, M. Mukesh Goud, P. Shanker Rao, and D. Nagender -- BJP State president G. Kishan Reddy and CPI State secretary K. Narayana were among the leaders to pay tributes to the statue.

Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu and his Praja Rajyam counterpart Chiranjeevi ran into each other and shook hands.

The Telugu Desam Party and BJP celebrated the occasion at their party offices.

CPI (M) State general secretary B.V. Raghavulu led a bicycle rally from the party office near RTC crossroads.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/article1698058.ece