Shocking: Havells' insensitive advertisement against constitutional provision of reservation for SC/ST/Backward communities in government jobs

Havells India Limited, a company that manufactures electrical goods including fans, has come up with a advertisement that attacks the reservation policy in India.

The ad is shocking because it is plain insensitive and reveals their absolute lack of awareness regarding Indian society.

The advertisement shows as if 'quota' is a privilege and ignores the fact that it is constitutional provision.

The lines used in the ad that term 'quota' as a short-cut 'seedhi' or ladder that gives 'privilege' which needs to be rejected by the new generation, is objectionable. On whose behalf, on which India's behalf, it [Havells] claims to speak? [LINK TO THE CONTROVERSIAL ADVERTISEMENT]


Aarakshan: Why reservation is necessary in jobs in India

The job quotas are a means to provide equal representation to sections of society that have remained under-privileged for centuries, who were denied education and who have faced biases of extreme kind for ages.

Either it is plain stupidity or height of biased attitude that Havells comes up with this advertisement. The section of Indian society that have been systematically denied any share in power, were given reservation after independence.

Even today, reservation is not properly implemented. Dalits, Tribals and Backward castes that number more than 75%, don't get representation in government jobs as per their numerical strength despite the reservations.

The policy is not implemented in many sectors and different ways have been found to block appointments, especially, through delaying recruitment and giving jobs on contract basis
in government institutions and universities.

Affirmative action required for justice, due representation

Doesn't Havells India Limited officials have any idea about the need for affirmative action and corrective measures that are taken in Western countries to ensure that there is equality and justice in the society--for example affirmative action to ensure participation for African-Americans in jobs.

The advertisement slyly and insensitively mocks at the disadvantaged sections of our society. The fact is there is extreme over-representation of Upper castes in top jobs, in government, in corporates and media.

Even among Muslims, the Upper Caste or Ashraaf, dominate the politics and are over-represented in jobs. The advertisement needs to be condemned. Already, people have begun writing to the company and have approached various fora to express their outrage over this 'Main pankha hoon: Hava badlegi' ad.

LINK TO THE CONTROVERSIAL ADVERTISEMENT

आरक्षण क्यूँ ज़रूरी है ?
आरक्षण की व्यवस्था संवैधानिक है, जिसका मक़सद पिछड़े तबकों को उनकी आबादी के हिसाब से नौकरी और सत्ता में भागीदारी देना है. ये समाजिक न्याय के लिये ज़रूरी है, ख़ास तौर पर उस मुल्क में जहां दलित, आदिवासी और पिछड़े सदियों से न सिर्फ तालीम से दूर रखे गए बल्कि उनको जातिगत भेदभाव भी झेलना पड़ा. सामाजिक तौर पर तो वह पिछड़े हैं ही. इसलिए रिज़र्वेशन कोई एहसान नहीं है, ये समाज की विषमता को ख़त्म करने के लिए ज़रूरी है. पश्चिमी देशों में भी 'अफरमेटिव एक्शन' लिया जाता है, निजी क्षेत्र में भी ध्यान रख जाता है कि किसी समूह का रिप्रेजेंटेशन सही नहीं है तो उसे बढ़ाया जाये.
ریزرویشن ہندوستانی سماج میں صدیوں سے چھوا چھوت جھیل رہے عوام کو انکا  حق اور مقام دینے کا آیینی راستہ ہے۔ یہ ضروری ہے اس ملک میں جہاں ہزاروں سال تک ان طبقات کو تعلیم سے بھی دور رکھا گیا۔

Caste killings in Southern India: Dalit man butchered for marrying Upper caste girl in Tamil Nadu

In a horrific incident, a man was killed in Tamil Nadu, as he had married an Upper caste girl.

The victim--Sankar, 21, was attacked with knives on the street, in broad daylight. He succumbed to the injuries.

Sankar had married Kausalya, 19, nearly eight months ago. He belonged to Pallar caste, and came from a poor family.

However, the girl's family was upset with the wedding, as they belonged to 'Upper Caste'. On Sunday, assailants came riding motorcycles and attacked the couple.

Both of them were injured in the attack. However, Sankar was brutally attacked and he died because of the injuries. His wife is undergoing treatment.

The incident occurred in full public view. However, no one could dare intervene or stop the attackers, who killed Shankar and then sped off.

The deceased's kin told journalists that Sankar had been receiving threats from the girl's kin as they were not happy with the marriage. It was a love marriage.

Even fifteen days ago, he had reportedly been threatened. Kausalya had refused to go back to her parents.

The couple had gone for shopping today when they were attacked. The police have begun investigation and hunt is on for the killers.

Inter-caste marriages often lead to violence and killings as Upper Caste families resent such marriages.

Though North India, particularly, Western UP and Haryana are notorious for casteist killings including honour killings, such incidents are often reported from Southern India too.

Photo courtesy: Hindustan Times
Link and photo: TheNewsMinute

Caste discrimination lead to religious conversion in Pakistan: Dalit Hindu converts to Sikhism to escape oppression, says BBC report

Shocking it may seem but caste discrimination exists among Hindus in Pakistan.

The extent is such that people are forced to covert to other faiths.

Tharpakar district in Pakistan has a large Hindu population.

Here, Dalits claim that they face discrimination and are forced to lead their lives like second class citizens.

They allege that measures for uplift of Hindus mostly end up helping the Upper Castes.

The lower castes don't have equal rights and face misbehaviour--not allowed to enter temples with Upper Caste Hindus and can't eat with them. Nukhbat Malik has reported it for BBC from Pakistan.

"Hasanand was a Dalit who converted to Sikhism along with his family to escape the brutal casteist apartheid. He has now taken a new name, Jagjit Singh", says BBC report.

"I don't want to leave this place and want to live like a rebel here. My children are sastisfied that they would not have to suffer insults and though I am termed son of Meghwal caste, they would be known as son of Sardar", he says.

Dalit activists also say that the situation is bad for the community as Dalits are socially backward and economically weak. An activist is quoted as saying that the threat to them is not from Muslims but from Upper Castes.

[Photo courtesy BBC.com] Read the report in Hindi on BBC website. READ

READ: Tharpakar, Hindu majority district in Pakistan

Celebrating Mughal Emperor Akbar's birthday in Bihar

Emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar [1542-1605]

Mughal emperor Akbar's birth anniversary was celebrated recently. This news, which was published in newspapers in Bihar had caught my attention sometime back but I couldn't write about it then.

The organisation, Akhil Bharatiya Ashok Sena, that organised the function to mark the '468th birthday of Shahanshah Akbar' is headed by Shakya Ranjit Maurya, who lives in Patna. The event was unique in many ways. 

Firstly, in India, most anniversaries are either observed by Centre and state governments or organisations. In some cases, seminars or symposiums are organised in universities.

But personalities who are identified by their caste groups or religious sects are more commonly remembered. Even otherwise there is no dearth of famous personalities in India but often lesser known persons are remembered while those who don't fall into the confines of caste, region or religion are forgotten.

Claiming personalities & Caste pride
Ironically, Maithili Sharan Gupt is mostly remembered by Vaishya Community though he was a poet of high literary standing. And most functions to remember Chandrashekhar Azad are organised by Brahmin organisations.

Kayastha websites and organisations also claim Amitabh Bachchan, Subhas Chandra Bose, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Vivekanand among the heroes of community. Though Amitabh Bachchan is claimed by Allahabad and UP-walas also.

In fact, freedom fighters are also appropriated in accordance with their caste, regional and religious affiliations. Many social groups that don't have a famous personality to identify with, look for names in history and celebrate their anniversaries, so that they can hold their heads high and inspire the children of their community.

Maharana Pratap, Mahatma Phule and Maulana Azad

It is this reason that Maharana Pratap, a symbol of valiance, became signifying Rajput pride and the Meo [Mev] Muslims have now begun identifying themselves with Hasan Khan Mewati. However, a personality like Akbar who is termed as 'Akbar the Great' can't fit in such confines.

In fact, it's rare for non-Dalits to hold a function recalling contribution of Mahatma Phule or BR Ambedkar. And equally rare for a non-Muslim organisation to hold functions in memory of Hasrat Mohani, Rafi Ahmad Kidwai or even Maulana Azad.

Caste, Community, Regional and Religious Identities in India

It is not just caste group or religion, however, region and community sub-groups also claim heroes. Bundelkhandis and Jhansi residents take extra pride in the Jhansi ki Rani Queen Laxmi Bai. Rajendra Prasad is not just a leader of Bihar but Kayastha groups claim him as a great Kayastha leader.


Shivaji is a demi-god in Maharashtra but in neighbouring Gujarat he is not the same sort of hero, as he had attacked Surat. So there is a conflict on this level also. For some personalities there are multiple claimants while some others are forgotten.
 
Those who don't fall in any such category and have less following are not remembered. Phiroz Shah Mehta or Dadabhai Naoroji will remain in text books as the number of Parsis is dwindling.

Akbar and his contribution

Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, of course, is in a different league, as a king, who ruled India centuries ago. Though a Muslim, he was perhaps not as 'pious'. He even initiated a new religion 'Din-e-Ilahi'. Nevertheless Akbar remains one of the most important figures in medieval India.

Akbar's contribution towards communal harmony, inter-faith dialogue and his governance apart from shaping the geographical boundaries of modern India is known to anyone. Had he been linked to a 'biradari' or clan, the particular group would be remembering him every year without fail.

However, it's not the case. And in this context, it is more important that an organisation remembered him. At the All India [Akhil Bharatiya] Ashok Sena's programme, speakers recalled the Mughal ruler's 'sulah-i-kul' policy as well as his progressive thoughts, social reforms and steps towards bringing order in the country.

Read similar posts on this blog published in the past

1. Maithili Sharan Gupt, a poet of Vaishyas!
2. Freedom fighter Chandra Shekar Azad or Chandra Shekhar Tiwari

Parents protest 'lower caste' women cooking food in schools

The outrage among parents over Dalit or Lower Caste [sic] women cooking food for their children in schools has once again demonstrated the casteist face of our society.

'Upper caste' families are insistent that they would not send the kids to school if the children are served food cooked by Dalit women. In several places, villagers have turned violent and the cooks had to be sent away.

This is happening in the heartland of India, from Kanpur to Kannauj, Allahabad to Shahjehanpur and Farrukhabad to Bijnore. Despite that a Dalit woman is the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP), the caste prejudices remain strong at the ground level, especially in rural areas.

The State government recently ordered that Dalit women were to be appointed as cooks in schools under the mid-day meal scheme which is aimed at enrollment of poor children in schools. For 25 kids, the cook would be a Dalit, and in case of 100 children, two cooks including a Dalit and a 'general' woman would be hired.

Despite the loss of upper castes' clout, a Kayastha, Bania or Thakur woman is not likely to go for a cook's job in UP. A Brahmin woman belonging to poor family may however be found at a cook's place because Brahmins are numerous and not financilaly as strong as Banias [Vaishyas] or even Thakurs.

Otherwise, backward caste women are more likely to do this job. However, a Dalit woman is still not welcome. Such are the complexities of caste in contemporary Indian society. In some schools, teachers went on leave.

Elsewhere the are not cooking food but cleaning school premises for fear of hurting 'sensibilities'. In Kannauj 70 parents were booked by police for withdrawing their children from schools. But this is causing further hardening of stance.

For political purposes, Congress' Rahul Gandhi and BJP's Rajnath Singh may go and have food in Dalit households but practically untouchability is still practiced widely. The educated class of parents is least bothered about the criminality of their conduct and that these actions are corrupting the minds of their kids.

Surprisingly, it is not just the traditional upper castes including Brahmins, Rajputs, Banias and Kayasthas who are protesting the decision to appoint dalit women as cooks in schools, but the other backward castes [OBCs] are equally fierce in their opposition to Dalits.

Jats, Kurmis & Yadavs also ganged up against the Dalits. Muslims may not have openly reacted but they are no less casteist and when it comes to caste divide, readily align with the upper castes. And though Dalits comprise the biggest caste group (22%) in UP, the battle for honor is yet to be won despite the BSP ruling the state once again.

UP that has a population of around 200 million is today ruled by a Dalit woman. But that hasn't changed attitudes much though there has been a sense of empowerment amongst the weaker sections who remained at the periphery for centuries.

The open display of caste prejudices and such inhuman attitude towards Dalits haven't still send shockwaves across the country. In rural areas of UP, MP, Rajasthan, Haryana and also parts of South India, it is still a dream for many Dalits to wear shoes or ride horse in the marriage procession.

Such news items don't alarm the society much. While reservation in jobs has helped a section of Dalits attain financial security, for a vast majority the real fight for dignity is far from over. The recent spate of honour killings in which often OBCs were the perpetrators show that the cancer of casteism is spreading.

Caste may not appear as strong and as divisive a factor in cities, in countryside--towns and villages--this abhorrent apartheid continues to oppress millions. It was perhaps this reason that Dr BR Ambedkar had urged his followers to move to cities.

While communalism may be responsible for more deaths in indpendent India, the fact is that casteism is a much serious social evil that is often neglected and due attention is not given towards redressing the caste issues.

It is this reason that some media reports seemed to blame the government for taking the decision to appoint Dalit cooks and in turn fanning caste tensions. Sadly no progressive or reformist voice has been heard from the society against this anti-Dalit mindset.

Legislations and penal actions haven't changed the situation. Isn't it ironical that even today we, in India, commonly use terms like Upper Castes and Lower Castes?