1983-2011 Posted June 23, 2011 Posted June 23, 2011 Puri: A board outside a temple for the Goddess Kali orders Dalits to stop at this point. "Harijans can pray from here," it declares. The warning sign was put up in August last year after three schoolgirls entered the shrine to offer Prasad to the Goddess, an icon of empowerment and Shakti. The caretaker of the temple in Orissa's Puri district offers no apologies for the discrimination. "It is against tradition," he says, "Our fathers did not allow harijans to step inside the temple, and we will also bar their entry. We will die rather than let it happen." Now, based on NDTV's report this morning, the Centre has asked the Orissa government to provide more information on why this was not stopped. Chandana Bhoi is one of the young girls who visited the Goddess, triggering a vengeful response. "There should be no discrimination. We can do the same work as the upper-castes," she says. "We pray to the same Gods, so why are we treated so badly?" Her entire village waits for the answer. Ranapada is home to 80 Dalit families who earn their living as sharecroppers. But since the temple controversy last year, they have been given no work. Upper caste leaders from surrounding villages decided to teach them a lesson. Landlords in the area took back the land given for cultivation to the Dalits. "They did not call us to cultivate their land - neither women nor men," says an out-of-work farmer. "We used to work in their fields and share the harvest. Then they stopped hiring us." When they wakened to the problem, local officials employed the Dalit farmers under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme or NREGA. They spent months working on constructing a road. But they have been paid just half of what they are due. Wages not being handed out are a common problem with NREGA - middlemen or contractors are also known to pocket part of the money that's due to hires. The Dalit farmers say elected representatives in the area are from upper castes - and will not protect them at the risk of upsetting their vote bank. Sanjay Dasverma, who represents the area, refutes this allegation. "There is no vote-bank politicking in my constituency. I always try to keep the constituency above these issues," he says. But the board outside the temple proves that there is little political will in undoing the wrongs inflicted here - or in challenging archaic and illegal conventions rooted in the caste system. A young couple in their wedding finery crouches outside the temple, seeking the Goddess' blessings, forbidden from drawing any closer. Nobody blinks. http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/dalits-punished-for-entering-temple-government-steps-in-114179
Javier Posted June 23, 2011 Posted June 23, 2011 Very sad no wonder why more and more Dalits are ditching Hinduism and adopting Christianity.
ganeshran Posted June 23, 2011 Posted June 23, 2011 Pathetic. Even after the Mahatma worked so hard to eliminate this vile practice, social segregation continues to be followed in some villages.
EnterTheVoid Posted June 23, 2011 Posted June 23, 2011 This caste system is a ****ing disgrace to Hinduism. The sooner it's abolished, the better. Upper caste, lower caste blah blah blah. Nobody deserves to be treated the way the Dalits are treated.
ganeshran Posted June 23, 2011 Posted June 23, 2011 This caste system is a ****ing disgrace to Hinduism. The sooner it's abolished, the better. Upper caste, lower caste blah blah blah. Nobody deserves to be treated the way the Dalits are treated. The caste system was conceived to provide a definite structure to society, where each group specializes in some particular function and passes on the skills to their offspring. It would have served a useful function in the middle ages, even if it is irrelevant today. However, IMO the problem began when there was hierarchy introduced and groups started considering themselves superior to other groups and demanded respect and special privileges.
EnterTheVoid Posted June 23, 2011 Posted June 23, 2011 Agree. I have a problem with Dalits confined to a lifetime of hard labour and doing the worst of the worst jobs without any hope for progression just because they're born into a "lower" caste As for these temple elders, they should hang their head in shame. These people are just trying to offer some prayers FFS, is that asking too much?
ganeshran Posted June 23, 2011 Posted June 23, 2011 Agree. I have a problem with Dalits confined to a lifetime of hard labour and doing the worst of the worst jobs without any hope for progression just because they're born into a "lower" caste As for these temple elders, they should hang their head in shame. These people are just trying to offer some prayers FFS, is that asking too much? You know, Till 2 years back In my native village, they used to give Dalits tea in empty coconut shells, not the cups others use. Though I disagree with the concept of reservation, I can imagine why Ambedkar felt the need for it.
mishra Posted June 23, 2011 Posted June 23, 2011 You know' date=' Till 2 years back In my native village, they used to give Dalits tea in empty coconut shells, not the cups others use. Though I disagree with the concept of reservation, I can imagine why Ambedkar felt the need for it.[/quote'] In my village its still the same..... But reservation in Panchayat elections is slowly changing the dynamics.... Outside villages.. I dont think caste matters..... But then again knobs are everywhere....
EnterTheVoid Posted June 23, 2011 Posted June 23, 2011 Ganesh, the caste system is institutionalized and systematic discrimination at it's worst. If someone makes a name for themselves on merit, they should be given every opportunity to succeed. I can see why these guys are ditching Hinduism for something else but even than, the stigma and abuse doesn't go away.
Texy Posted June 24, 2011 Posted June 24, 2011 This bullsh!t has gotta stop.....we're bringing ourselves down to paki level where they label ahmadiya community as 'animals', 'sinners', 'hell-bound'
phaedrus Posted June 24, 2011 Posted June 24, 2011 The caste system was conceived to provide a definite structure to society, where each group specializes in some particular function and passes on the skills to their offspring. It would have served a useful function in the middle ages, even if it is irrelevant today. However, IMO the problem began when there was hierarchy introduced and groups started considering themselves superior to other groups and demanded respect and special privileges. yup. The caste system was nothing more than names and definitions given to jobs people used to do. you could choose what you wanted to do and then be part of that caste. the problem occurred when these were made hereditary making it extremely rigid.
phaedrus Posted June 24, 2011 Posted June 24, 2011 Outside villages.. I dont think caste matters..... But then again knobs are everywhere.... its still pretty bad in many small towns too
Dravid Posted June 24, 2011 Posted June 24, 2011 desi mentality is more ****ed up then 2 girls 1 cup.. so just *** it all :)
1983-2011 Posted June 24, 2011 Author Posted June 24, 2011 desi mentality is more ****ed up then 2 girls 1 cup.. so just *** it all :) u've watched 2 girls 1 cup :whack:
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