Police in the Indian state of Maharashtra on Wednesday arrested five Dalit activists on charges of inciting violence earlier this year, drawing criticism from community leaders.

The arrests of the Dalit writers and activists – Sudhir Dhawale, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, and Surendra Gadling – were made in connection to clashes between unprivileged caste Dalits and privileged caste groups in Bhima Koregaon, central Maharashtra, and ensuing protests in January. Two people were killed in the violence.

Dalits, who have suffered thousands of years of exclusion and extreme poverty, are at the bottom of India’s Hindu caste hierarchy.

“They have been arrested under the Unlawful Activities Act and charges under the Indian penal code,” Pawar said.

In January, Dalits from across Maharashtra took to the streets to protest against a January 1 attack on the community during the 200th-anniversary celebrations of the Battle of Bhima-Koregaon.

During that battle in 1818, unprivileged-caste Dalits sided with British colonial forces to defeat privileged-caste rulers.

‘Inflammatory speeches’
The police are probing the connection of those arrested on Wednesday to “inflammatory speeches” at an event in Pune on December 31, 2017.

“They want to instil fear in the hearts of Dalit leaders,” Prakash Ambedkar, an activist and grandson of Bhimrao Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian constitution and a Dalit icon, told Al Jazeera.

A statement by People’s Union for Civil Liberties called the arrests “vindictive and arbitrary”.

Ashok Kamble, the leader of Dalit group Bhim Army, said Wednesday’s arrests were a “pressure tactic”.

“Dalit groups have no funds, but we are committed to fighting oppression. We can’t be bought, that’s why the state uses such tactics against us,” he told Al Jazeera.

Activists point to how right-wing privileged-caste leaders, with links to the ruling party, have yet to be arrested – despite cases filed against them for the January 1 attack on Dalits.

India is home to about 200 million Dalits, many of whom complain about continued social discrimination despite the outlawing of caste-based discrimination by parliament in 1955.

Hindus are traditionally grouped into various castes and membership is determined by birth.

Aljazeera

Congress President Rahul Gandhi will address a a farmers’ rally in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh on Wedesday (June 6) — the day seven farmers had died in police firing last year.

According to a party statement, Gandhi will address the Kisan Samriddhi Sankalp Rally at Khokhra (Piplia Mandi) in Mandsaur at 1 p.m.

Gandhi threw his weight behind the farmers’ protest in several states between June 1 and June 10, to observe the anniversary of Mandsaur firing.

“Every day, about 35 farmers commit suicide in our country. To attract government’s attention towards the agrarian crisis, farmers are forced to protest for 10 days.

“To stand with them in the fight for the rights of our ‘Annadata’ (food provider), I will address a farmer’s rally in Mandsaur on June 6,” Gandhi had tweeted last Saturday.

Separatist leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq on Tuesday defended a youth who questioned the bona fides of separatist leaders in Kashmir, saying young people like him have every right to vent their emotions.

Irfan Sheikh, a cousin of Kaiser Ahmad who was mowed down by a Central Reserve Police Force vehicle in Srinagar last week, challenged the separatist leaders who came to offer condolences to the deceased.

The video of Sheikh was widely circulated on Internet, generating debates on social media and on national television news channels.

Reacting, the Mirwaiz wrote on Twitter: “Indian media repeatedly exposes their shallowness and frustration! The youth of Kashmir like Irfan Sheikh, who are at the forefront of the freedom movement, giving immense sacrifices, have every right to question their leadership and vent their emotions.

“Actually this section of electronic media lives off spreading hate and propaganda about Kashmir. They have a deep vested interest in it. Kashmir and Hurriyat bashing has become a great TRP grosser for them!”

In the video, Sheikh is heard saying that there is duplicity in the approach of the separatist leaders.

“On the one hand you are greeting Shabir Shah’s daughter for excelling in exams as a student of a Delhi Public School and on the other hand you are asking Kashmiris not to send children to Christian missionary schools.

“Against the sayings and practices of the Prophet, who said Muslims should hasten the burial of their dead, you kept my cousin’s body on the road for three hours. Is that the teaching of the holy Prophet?” he asked.

Sheikh also said that Kaiser had left behind two sisters who have nobody in the world after their brother’s death.

Kaala’ producer K Dhanush and his wife Aishwarya have filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court seeking directions to the state government and Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) for the smooth release of the film. ‘Kaala’ is scheduled to be released worldwide on June 7 but KFCC had said the film would neither be distributed nor screened in the state. In the plea, Dhanush, who is Rajinikanth’s son-in-law, submitted that it is the fundamental right of the petitioners under the Constitution exhibit the film.

“CBFC has issued a certification under Section 5B of the Cinematograph Act, 1952, for the release of ‘Kaala’ after following due process and adhering to all guidelines. After receiving such a certificate, it is the fundamental right of the petitioner under Article 19(1) of the Constitution to exhibit the film,” the petitioners submitted. The petitioners also have sought security at theatres and for movie-goers, directors, producers and cast associated with ‘Kaala’ in Karnataka. They have made the government, home department, state police chief, Bengaluru city police commissioner, Central Board of Film Certification and KFCC as respondents in their plea.

The petitioners stated that KFCC took a decision to neither distribute nor screen ‘Kaala’ in Karnataka following Rajinikanth’s alleged views on the Cauvery dispute, demanding the release of water to Tamil Nadu as per Supreme Court direction. The petitioners also said KFCC President Sa Ra Govindu on May 30 had issued a press statement saying the film will neither be distributed nor screened anywhere in Karnataka.

They also said the several pro-Kannada organizations had made representations to Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy requesting a ban on ‘Kaala.’ The petition is likely to come up for hearing today. Meanwhile, controversial actor Prakash Raj has questioned the ban on Kaala in Karnataka.

“What’s film #kaala got to do with Kaveri issue..? why is film fraternity targeted always..? Will Jds/congress government let fringe elements take law into their hands… like bjp did with #Padmavat.. or ..will you step in to assure common man.. his right for choice. #justasking..,” tweeted the multi-lingual actor.

In a statement, Raj said, “Who are these people to decide what most Kannadigas want or don’t want? What about the distributors, investors and theatre owners and the thousands of those whose lives depend on them? And what about the lakhs and lakhs of cinema lovers because of whom, all these people earn a living?

Yogendra Paswan, member of SC/ST National Commission has lamented that large number of cases regarding SC/ST atrocities are pending in the district from 2015. This number is 289.
Talking to media persons in circuit house today, he said that he has instructed the SP to dispose of such cases within a reasonable time.
SP Har Kishore Rai has assured him to arrest the absconders and dispose of the cases by launching special drive. He also lamented that participation of schedule caste/schedule tribe in appointment of SDahaikas is only five percent in Saran district. He has instructed the welfare department to look into the matter and increase the percentage.
He said that hundred bed hostel for SC/ST students would be constructed in the district. Principal of Jagdam college has provided a piece of land on the premises of the college and has given a no objection certificate to the welfare department, he said.
He said that he has also instructed the district magistrate to look into the matter of newly constructed building on the premises of Ambedkar hostel which is devoid of provision of electricity and wiring.
He further said that he has reviewed the welfare programmes of Central and state governments with the officials of the district and has instructed them to do the needful.

Hindusthan Samachar/Rakesh/Shri Ram\

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said a total of 619 terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir had been killed in gun battles with security forces as he highlighted the all-round improvement in internal and external security under the Narendra Modi government.

He also clarified that the operations against militants had not been stopped during the holy month of Ramadan but had just been suspended. “It is not ceasefire but a temporary suspension of operations,” he said, adding that the army is free to respond to any terrorist attack.

Addressing media persons here, the senior BJP leader said the number of terrorists killed in the previous UPA-II government was 471.

“There has been no compromise on the unity and integrity of the nation and we are proactively pursuing operations against the terrorist groups and subversive elements,” Singh added, but did not respond to a query on how many security personnel were killed in this period.

He however said that respecting the supreme sacrifice of the security personnel in the line of duty for the nation, the Union Government had scaled uo the ex-gratia sum from Rs 50 lakh to Rs one crore for their families.

Rajnath Singh also said that incursions had also decreased during the four years of the Modi government and it had come down by 85 per cent in the northeast.

Compared to a high of 2,418 Maoist incidents under the UPA regime, only 1,481 incidents have taken place in the NDA rule, he said. “In 2013, Maoists were active in 76 districts but there area of influence and operations has shrunk to 58 districts in the last four years,” he added.

He also said that to secure the country’s boundaries, a new border security system was being started under which LED lights would be installed along with new technique radars on the borders.

Five minutes. This thin, precious, slice of time is all the window one gets to escape a fire accident. For a firefighter, the countdown that begins with the distress call turns into agonizing moments of helplessness as his fire truck navigates traffic snarls and narrow roads to reach the accident spot.

Once there, his humble uniform and gear are no match for the fury of the flames – there is a scarcity of personal protective equipment that could shield his body, sometimes, there aren’t even enough masks. His fire truck does not have the sleek hydraulic ladders that can match the towering heights of a high rise or even a moderately tall building. His training may not have equipped him to deal with the challenges that come with the ever-changing profile of modern buildings – beautiful to look at, but death-traps in a fire.

With so many odds stacked against him, he still bravely steps in to tame the inferno. If he survives that, he has to summon the superhuman strength to pull in a double or triple shift until the fire dies down, eating and drinking donated food and water in the harsh pollution of the accident site. If he is injured or ill with suffocation, with no insurance cover, he prays that a government or corporation hospital is close by.

If this is the story of a fire-fighter in some of the richest municipalities in the country, one can only hazard a guess about the plight of the community elsewhere in India.

Despite a 200-year history, the fire services in India are grappling with massive shortages. The pilot study commissioned by the Standing Fire Advisory Council, Ministry of Home Affairs, in 2011 reveals a bleak picture – India is short of 78 per cent of fire stations, 82 per cent of firefighting and rescue vehicles, 93 per cent of specialised equipment and nearly 90 percent of firefighting personnel.

Fire being a state subject, it is the responsibility of the state governments and municipalities. However, even the combined funding of the centre and state for the sector is pitiably meagre, given the actual funds needed for strengthening and modernising fire services.

The poorly-paid, overworked firefighter bears the brunt of these deficiencies. The media occasionally brings their plight to notice, but the attention soon wanes with the end of the news cycle.

There was a recent heartbreaking story of the Gautam Budh Nagar fire department at Noida, where the team couldn’t attend to a fire emergency simply because there was no fuel in their vehicles. Petrol bunks, in the face of a year’s worth of dues from the state government, refused to release fuel. It required the intervention of the District Magistrate to convince the bunks to provide the necessary fuel to attend to the case.

Attracting talent to the field, therefore, is a distant dream – in an anxious attempt to fill the eight vacant ranks in India’s lone fire services college in Nagpur, even diploma holders were invited to apply. The students currently depend on the expertise of guest faculty.

The firefighter is bereft even of the support of civil society, whose low awareness about fire prevention and safety makes his job all the dangerous and difficult.

Like other men and women in uniform, firefighters too are unsung heroes who deserve recognition for their selfless service. The sad state of India’s firefighters is a call to our collective conscience. If fire is the most ancient risk known to man, how is it that we have ignored the needs of these bravehearts willing to lay down their lives without hesitation to save others?

(V. Jagdish, Senior Regulatory Head-South Asia, Codes & Advisory Services-Building and Life Safety Technologies, UL, a global safety consulting and certification company. The views expressed are those of the company)

Sterlite Copper, the Vedanta Group’s copper smelter plant in Thoothukudi, was sealed on Monday evening, shortly after the Tamil Nadu Environment and Forests Department issued a two-page Government Order for its “permanent” closure. Vedanta termed the decision “unfortunate.”

The decision to close down the factory that directly employed around 3,500 workers, including 2,500 on contract (since put on notice), comes against the backdrop of the killing of 13 persons in police firing at an anti-Sterlite rally a week ago.

The order said, “Under Sections 18(1)(b) of the Water Act 1974, in the larger public interest, the government endorse the closure direction of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and also direct the TNPCB to seal the unit and close the plant permanently.”

Armed assailants opened fire on a 62-year-old businessman on the busy Assaye Road in Pulakeshinagar on Monday. According to the police, the incident took place at 11.30 a.m.

The victim, Masood Ali, owns a furniture shop on St. Marks Road. In his statement to the police, he claimed there were four assailants. They allegedly waylaid his car and opened fire when he was driving to work. Ali tried to evade them, but sustained a bullet injury on his back. He is said to be out of danger.

Police have booked the four accused in a case of attempt to murder and under the Arms Act.

Ali told police that he neither has any enmity nor did he receive any threat in the recent past.

The police are verifying CCTV footage to identify the assailants.

Pakistani rangers have violated ceasefire on the international border (IB) in Jammu and Samba districts.

The Pakistani Army resorted to unprovoked firing at the Border Security Force outposts in Arnia, Ramgarh and Chamliyal areas of Jammu and Kashmir late on Sunday, the BSF sources said.

“The firing started at 10 p.m. The BSF retaliated effectively. No casualty or damage was caused on our side,” the sources added.

Pakistani rangers and BSF officials on Sunday had agreed to maintain peace and tranquillity on the border.

A phone-in meeting was held after the Indian forces released a thermal imagery footage showing a bunker of the Pakistani rangers being destroyed by the BSF.