‘Once Gandhiji’s family, we Dalits are being treated like untouchables again’

Downtrodden Dalits found a better life when Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi invited them to set up homes at the Sabarmati Ashram almost 100 years ago. Today, when the Ashram is gearing up to celebrate 100 years of its existence, these people who were once like family to the Mahatma are being treated like pariahs again. While the Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust has organised a grand fete to mark the centenary on June 17, Dalit families at the Ashram allege the trust is treating them like untouchables by excluding them from all celebrations.

Forming a group called 'Harijan Ashram Bachao Samiti', they have listed their grievances and submitted a memorandum to the trustees. The families have also planned to stage a dharna on June 17. The trustees however refute the allegations, claiming that the celebrations are being hosted by Gandhian organisations including the Sabarmati Harijan Ashram Trust.

Shailesh Rathod (41), president of Gandhi Ashram Rehvasi Mandal and convener of Harijan Ashram Bachao Samiti, says, "Gandhiji came here with 99 Dalit families and called this place the Harijan Ashram. My grandfather Ukabhai was one of the families. We are the original ashramvasis but we have not been included in the celebration. We have no clue about the festivities to be held on June 17."

The memorandum presented by the Dalit families lists nine demands including information about the festivities, inclusion of residents in the activities and maintenance of all houses on the premises. Explaining this, Rathod says, "Gandhiji first established the Sabarmati Harijan Ashram Trust in 1934. Later, for various reasons, this was split into other trusts after 1951. One of our demands is that one of us should be part of these trusts."

Ashramvasi Hemant Chauhan (54), who works as a caterer, says, "We submitted a memorandum 10 days ago that the original inmates were being sidelined from this historical event. It is because of our families that Gandhi ashram has preserved its glory. We opposed several development schemes declared by the government that would have damaged this heritage site. Yet, we are being ignored while institutes like Navjivan and Gujarat Vidhyapith are a part of the fete." He adds, "The Ashram includes our houses too, not just the memorial. Yet, the trust has been using funds only to give the memorial a facelift while our buildings receive no maintenance."

More than 200 families live on the Ashram premises, and most of them are Dalits. The families pay rent ranging from Rs 5 to Rs 200 a month for the houses. Most of them have jobs or run small businesses. As per the memorandum, residents demand waiving of rent. "We want the houses to be gifted to us. We also want to be given priority in jobs related to management of the ashram," the residents seek in the memorandum. The memorandum also demands a stop against sale of merchandise like kurtas, books, mugs and soaps as "it is against the trust's Constitution". "The trust is supposed to take care of the memorial not indulge in commercial activities," the memorandum states.

Meanwhile, refuting allegations, memorial trust director Tridip Suhrud terms celebration as a historical one. Admitting he received a memorandum from Ashram residents, he says, "We will address their grievances. The trust's secretary Amrut Modi and Harijan Ashram Trust's Jayesh Patel met them. Our trust's chairperson Ila Bhatt will meet them soon."

He adds, "No individual is involved in the event. It is being hosted by eight organisations and trusts associated with Gandhiji. Other than the memorial trust, these include Sabarmati Harijan Ashram Trust, Gujarat Vidyapith, Navjivan, and Majur Mahajan Sangh. These families live in houses rented by Harijan Ashram Trust that is part of the celebration. So, there's no question of ignoring anyone."

About repairs to houses, Suhrud says, "A committee has been formed to decide how to use government funds." While Harijan Ashram trustee Jayesh Patel could not be contacted for comment despite several attempts, secretary Modi confirms they met residents on Saturday. "They have not been sidelined. However, we will talk to them once more to sort out issues."

Guest of honour

Gandhiji's grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi will be the guest of honour at the centenary celebrations to be held at Sabarmati ashram on June 17. Memorial trust director Tridip Suhrud says, "Gandhi will dedicate 'My life is my message' gallery and Charkha gallery at the ashram. He will also plant a baval tree. This is significant as several meetings of the Majur Mahajan Sangh used to be held under baval. We will also have a Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava prayer as per the tradition of the ashram."

_times of India

Doctors Refuse To Touch His 'Unclean' Body. Is This 2017?

Even with all the progress we've made over centuries, terrible disparities continue to haunt our society. One of the most rampant taboos being the notion of impurity, any rational being would say, it's 2017, move on, but sadly, the society refuses to change it's regressive ways.

Case in point: alleged apathy of doctors in Pakistan, led to death of a sanitary worker who was battling for life, their reason? His body was covered with sewage filth and they refused to treat him unless he was 'cleaned'. 

According to a report in Tribune, the worker named Irfan Masih along with his three fellow workers fell unconscious while cleaning a manhole on Chorr Road in Umerkot.

“The doctors refused to treat him because they were fasting and said my son was ‘napaak [unclean]’,” claimed Irshad Masih, the mother of the deceased to the Tribune. 

All of them were rushed for treatment to Civil Hospital Umerkot, however the doctors refused to treat them and asked the attendants to wash their bodies.

While  the other three sanitary workers were referred to Hyderabad and later Karachi for medical treatment, Irfan remained at the Civil Hospital.

Irfan's brother, Pervez Masih, told reporters that after his body was cleaned doctors sent for an oxygen cylinder which was empty. He said, "before they could arrange another cylinder, he [Irfan] died,” he told local media.

5 year old sexually assaulted, left to bleed!

हालाँकि बहुत दिन नहीं हुए nancy के साथ घटना का और अब यह!
हम और आप एक ऐसे माशरे का हिस्सा हैं जहाँ virtual और fictional भाषण हमें सम्मोहित कर लेते हैं लेकिन ऐसी घटनाओं से भी कानों पर जूँ नहीं रेंगती!
आपने अपने आस पास "हत्या" एवं "बलात्कार" को आम बना दिया है य बनने दिया है!
गाय बहुत अहम भूमिका है आस्था की, लाखों खड़े हैं!
बेटी के साथ selfie लेने से कुछ नहीं होगा साहेब, विदेशों में fake smile देना बन्द करें और अपने देश पर भी ध्यान दें!
लोग मर रहे हैं, इज़्ज़त शर्मसार हो रही है और आप हैं की twitter पर ही देश चला रहे हैं!
अब जिन लोगों को यह लग रहा की एक किसी एक समाज का होने की वजह से यह विरोध है तो नहीं, सिर्फ ऐसे काम नहीं चलेगा!
मंदिर, गौ,अज़ान,राष्ट्रीयता के प्रमाण, तलाक़ जैसे मुद्दों से ऊपर उठें!

देश का राष्ट्रीय फूल कीचड़ में होता है, वैसा ही माहोल होता जा रहा है!

Justice for Nancy!

Dear India, 12-year-old Nancy Jha was brutally killed, needs help for justice

New Delhi, June 1: Nancy Jha was a 12-year-old girl of Bihar, who was brutally killed after a suspected gang-rape and acid attack. Once again, a deceased daughter stuck in the piles of corruption and Hooliganism needs your help to get justice.

A resident of Madhubani, Nancy Jha was kidnapped on May 25 but was found dead in a horrifying condition on May 27. Her disfigured and decomposed body was recovered in a deserted farm about 1 km away from her house. In order to remove the evidence, acid was thrown over the body and tied in a cloth and thrown into the Tilguda river. Two people have been arrested but no trace of justice has been found.

The local people are fumed on the careless and corrupt attitude of the administration and the silence of national media on such sensitive issue. They fear that the crime will get lost amid the files and the innocent girl will not get justice even after her death.

If reports are to be believed, the prime culprits are not captured for their liquor trades with local police. Police have denied rape angle as well as the allegations of acid attack, which is clearly visible on her disfigured face. Police claimed that forensic report says she was strangulated to death but the pictures suggest completely different story.

The decomposed body of Nancy Jha was found on the bed of a river on May 27, two days after the resident of Mahadeva Math in Madhubani district of north Bihar, went missing.