Very moving YouTube video - ‘I am a Dalit. How are you?’

http://www.shivamvij.com/2006/10/i-am-a-dalit-how-are-you.html

Hear the shattering of the aspirations towards the end.

Dalit excesses - Priyanka Bhotmange’s Story of Khairlanji Brings Tears in Sonia Gandhi’s Eyes

http://www.indiadaily.org/entry/priyanka-bhotmanges-story-of-khairlanji-brings-tears-in-sonia-gandhis-eyes/

More....http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2006/10/14/india-dalits-and-rights/

Pan-IIT alumni against OBC quota

http://www.rediff.com/money/2006/nov/16iit.htm

India Shining! Sad that the following is still happening in 21st century

No wonder that politicians can get brownie points with votes if they espouse populist causes like reservations in institutes of higher learning. If only we voice angst against such occurances, that the issue will attain balance. It is as much our responsibility to fight this as it is to fight political quick fixes like reservations. We should be part of a solution that just a problem. We cannot create a solution without understanding the root cause and opposing that as well.

Caste Hindus agree to allow Dalits into temple

http://www.hindu.com/2006/12/18/stories/2006121806491200.htm

(Finally something creditable and useful - all enlightened persons should support this and oppose discrimination with anyone any caste any religion.)

Prafulla Das

BHUBANESWAR: After four days of uncertainty, the administration on Sunday succeeded in making caste Hindus agree to allow Dalits enter the Jagannath temple in Keredagada village of Orissa's Kendrapara district.
Tension gripped Keredagada and adjoining villages after hundreds of Dalits entered the temple on Thursday despite opposition from the upper caste people. The Dalit move was backed by a High Court order, which said all Hindus, irrespective of their caste, could enter any Hindu temple.
The Dalit entry into the 300-year-old shrine resulted in the priests and servitors deserting the temple and the upper castes observing a bandh in the area on Friday followed by a protest dharna on Saturday.
The rituals in the temple were resumed late on Saturday after the king of the erstwhile Kanika kingdom and interim trustee of the temple, Rabindra Narayan Bhanjdeo, visited the site and held discussions with the caste Hindus. They, however, did not respond to Mr. Bhanjdeo's appeal to give up their opposition to Dalit entry into the temple.
Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Central) Suresh Mohapatra and Deputy Inspector-General (Central) S.K. Upadhyaya reached the area and held a meeting with representatives of both the Dalits and the upper castes and an agreement was reached.
It was decided at the meeting that the nine holes on the outer wall of the temple through which the Dalits had darshan of the deities from a distance in the past would be demolished and a new entrance would be constructed.

Life as an Untouchable

Ran into this interesting episode on a link from a blog right next to this one...on how is life as an untouchable in India as seen from the eyes of a foreigner visiting India...not too long ago, Jan 2003.

Please read at the end...the paradox.
http://www.beginningwithi.com/travel/servants.htm

Orissa temple re-opens after purification rituals

Indo-Asian News Service

Kendrapada, Orissa, December 17, 2006

Priests performed late night purification rituals at an Orissa temple and opened it for three days after its closure by upper castes protesting the entry of Dalits, reports said on Sunday.

Members of the royal family, whose ancestors had built the Jagannath temple some 300 years ago at Keradagarh village, 45 km from Kendrapada, spent hours talking to both the Dalits and upper castes on Saturday night, after which the temple was opened.

This is a shameful act by India and Hindu's defying social equality that too backed by the court. Who should be help responsible for comtempt of court? Will our politicians come forward and take a stand for the OBC's now?

More details http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1870637,000900030010.htm

Dalits enter Jagannath temple in Keradgarh

Sampad Mahapatra

Thursday, December 14, 2006 (Keradgarh):


A small group of Dalits defied an age-old ban to enter the Jagannath Temple in Orissa's Keradagarh village on Thursday. Two platoons of policemen provided security to the group.

The move comes after the Orissa High Court ruled that all Hindus, including Dalits, could enter the temple.

In November last year, four Dalit girls had been humiliated by upper caste Hindus for entering the temple.

The issue snowballed into a major controversy and the matter was finally settled by the Orissa HC.

More details here
http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?slug=Dalits+enter+Jagannath+temple+in+Keradgarh&id=97920&category=National

Dalits win entry right to Jagannath temple

Thursday, December 7, 2006 (Kendrapara):


After a two-year battle with upper castes over their right to enter the local Jagannath temple, the Dalits in Keradagarh village in Orissa's Kendrapara district have won the support of the High Court.

It was ruled on Tuesday that all Hindus, irrespective of their caste status, have the right to enter the temple.

This is creditable. Worthy of being an Indian and a Hindu.

More details http://www.ndtv.com/template/template.asp?category=National&template=dalitatrocities&slug=Dalits+win+entry+right+to+Jagannath+temple&id=97547&callid=1