The Irular, a Tribal Caste in Tamilnadu, noted for their traditional skill in catching snakes and extensive knowledge of medicinal herbs, have had a very difficult time obtaining basic required identity and property documents from local government officials. Without these documents they are unable to obtain subsidized government commodities like rice and oil, gain admission to colleges, qualify for special reserved seats in colleges or highly desirable Government jobs, permanent employment or subsidized rural employment schemes. Qualifying for basic Government Identity documents is a human right; a person does not fully “exist” without “papers”. South Asian Village Empowerment has a long term commitment to supporting Irular efforts to acquire these identity documents. On Monday, September 28 2015 we accompanied Jagatha, a leader of the Irular Women’s Rights movement, along with over 70 Irular women, men and children, to the capital of Kanchipuram District to submit to the Collector 265 documented demands for Community Certificates, Land Registration deeds, and Ration Cards. Following this they took the Collector’s receipt for these petitions and went to the local block office and resubmitted the demands to the office actually responsible to issue these documents. In the past these submissions have been subject to inordinate delays, claims the documents have been lost or misplaced, repeated demands for extralegal fees, and other technical obstructions. We will be following up on the official’s actions and will support Jagatha and the many families she represents to make sure the demands are addressed in a timely and correct manner. The demands were noted in articles that appeared in at least three Tamil language newspapers. We have attached separately copies of these articles as well as photos of the day.
South Asian Village Empowerment In The News
SAVE-Intl welcomes a new long-term volunteer
We want to introduce our newest long-term volunteer, Valeria Pavlova from Moscow. Valeria’s educational background is in journalism with four years of experience as a news editor back in Russia. Some time ago she decided to take a different career path in community development and women empowerment. Before arriving to India, Valeria had spent one year in Kenya volunteering as a co-director in a children’s home for children from one of the most deprived and marginalized tribe in the country – the Pokot. Valeria hopes to stay here in Mamallapuram, Tamilnadu until February helping with our spoken English language program for primary school children, our women’s hand embroidery project and anything that strikes her fancy! Welcome Valeria!
Wilson Manoharan Appointed Director Of Education
We are pleased to announce that Mr. Wilson Manoharan has been appointed Director of Education of Tamilnadu Village Outreach, South Asian Village Empowerment’s immediate partner in Tamilnadu, South India. Mr. Manoharan has spent 14 years working in education in the U.S.A. and earned his Ph.D. in Education from the University of Virginia. Originally from a small village in Northern Tamilnadu, he returned to his native country a few years ago and is focusing his skills and talents to improve the educational levels of rural village students.
SAVE-INTL WELCOMES A NEW VICE PRESIDENT
We are please to announce that Walter Thinfen has accepted our invitation to serve as Vice President of SAVE-INTL following the resignation of Christine Whitman. Curt Degler and Walt have known each other since the 80’s and both now call Livermore CA home. Walt possesses a special understanding of the problems facing poor rural third world people as he grew up in Yap, an island in Micronesia.
Currently Walt works in an executive capacity for a technology company in Pleasanton CA. It is hoped that Walt will find an opportunity in the near future to visit Northern Tamilnadu India to become better acquainted with the grass-level community development programs sponsored and directed by SAVE-INTL for the benefit of the socially disadvantaged rural poor. Welcome!
Presentation October 4th 2013 in MillBrae California
All are invited on October 4, 2013, a Friday, to see and hear a presentation by me in Millbrae California (on the Peninsula South of San Francisco) with images from my career as a professional underwater photographer combined with photos and discussion of my charitable community development work for the last 8 years in village South India. There will also be portions of the presentation that deal with scuba diving opportunities in India and also plenty of unusual images of traditional life in South India (firewalking and more). Refreshments will be offered and it should be a great get together for many of my past and present friends in the Bay Area.
Here are the details:
PLACE:New Vision United Methodist Church (Gymnasium)at 450 Chadbourne Avenue, Millbrae
TIME: October 4th, Friday starts at 7:30PM (refreshments) with formalities scheduled for 8:00Pm and ending at 9:30PM with a break in between.
PLEASE COME!
Curt John Degler
Report On Dalit Atrocities in Tamilnadu in 2012
Atrocities against Dalits touched their peak in 2012
Study conducted by Madurai-based NGO reveal Villupuram, Virudhunagar, Dharmapuri and Theni among districts topping the list
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/atrocities-against-dalits-touched-their-peak-in-2012-study/article4598951.ece
April 10, 2013
In the last 15 years, atrocities against Dalits touched their peak in 2012 across Tamil Nadu, with Villupuram, Virudhunagar, Dharmapuri and Theni among districts topping the list.
A comprehensive study conducted by Madurai-based NGO ‘Evidence’ recently reveals that except in the Dharmapuri incident, compensation and rehabilitation had not reached the victims across the State till date as per the laws.
The study team, which had taken up 370 cases registered under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act of 1989, last year alone, 106 figured on physical assaults and clash against the Dalits in different parts of Tamil Nadu. This apart, crimes grievous in nature and heinous ones accounted for 28 cases. Torching of dwellings stood at 36, executive director A. Kathir said.
Though Villupuram district accounted for the highest number of Dalit population in Tamil Nadu, towns such as Tirunelveli (which ranked seventh in Dalit population), Virudhunagar (14) and Madurai (28) witnessed several crimes.
As per official data, 2,048 cases registered under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act were pending investigation at various stages in the police stations in Tamil Nadu, with Virudhunagar topping the list (176), Tirunelveli (141), Madurai and Villupuram (with 136 cases each). While 318 cases (out of 2048) were disposed at the station level, in 885 cases charge sheets had been framed and in 75 cases final reports had been prepared for filing in courts.
The findings showed that across the State, of 94 murder cases which were pending in trial courts, only in three cases conviction had been achieved. Moreover, it was all the more shocking that though 62 cases of sexual abuse against Dalit women had been reported from different towns/districts, not even a single accused had been convicted. When such was the real status of the Dalit victims, some political parties and outfits conveniently blamed the Dalits for causing confusion and even charged that baseless complaints were foisted against their community youth. This was nothing but a false campaign, Mr. Kathir said in a press release.
The only silver-lining in the study was that after 24 long years of enacting the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act of 1989, the compensation for victims had been enhanced from a meagre Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
The Centre had listed as many as 22 types of atrocities as punishable, which include murder of a Dalit, sexual abuse of a Dalit woman, and so on. However, the team members found that the government had not rehabilitated the families of the Dalit victims in any manner, when there were options of providing jobs in government offices to one in the family, or offer a consolidated monthly pension of Rs 3000 or given them agricultural land with which they could survive and meet out their needs. Probably, less than one per cent of the victims’ families may have benefited from this rehabilitation.
The Evidence team has suggested as many as 17 recommendations to the government for implementation, which include stringent punishment to officials who failed to act in a fair and transparent manner in the event of a Dalit being victimised, to circulate the copies of Supreme Court directive on action against District Collectors/Superintendents of Police who failed to protect the Dalits, and to form core committees at taluk levels and identify villages which were prone for anti-Dalit attacks.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/atrocities-against-dalits-touched-their-peak-in-2012-study/article4598951.ece
© The Hindu
Indian sanitary practices and its affect on stature and health – a report
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-long-and-short-of-open-defecation/article4505664.ece
Theories of Oppression and another Dialogue of Cultures: Ashis Nandy
Where are 25% of children under age six severely malnourished?
“When Hunger Strikes” – May 3, 2012, The Hindu