On the 134th birth anniversary of the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, Utkarsh Mishra revisits three incidents from Dr B R Ambedkar's life that lay bare the deeply entrenched nature of caste prejudice.
Subhash K Jha picks five unforgettable Hindi films that capture the inequality of the caste system.
Naming an airport after Guru Ravidas is not just about a name, it shows that Dalit communities want respect, equal treatment, and freedom from unfair caste rules in religion and society.
Maharashtra minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha defends his request for LPG cylinders for Jain temples, claiming criticism is part of a larger anti-Hindu narrative.
The event was attended by representatives of the London-based Federation of Ambedkarites and Buddhist Organisation, UK, which had launched a campaign a few years ago to urge the Indian government to purchase the property as a historically relevant monument.
'Growing up in Karnataka, in middle-class and forward-caste background, Ambedkar did not enter our consciousness at all, I realised.' 'The 'exclusion' of sections of our society was not only physical; it was comprehensive in the sense that all aspects of their lives including the life of an exceptional intellectual and stalwart had been under-understood by people of my class, I thought,' says B S Prakash.
The event was preceded by a mega rally organised by an outfit called Swayam Sainik Dal (SSD) in Gujarat's capital Gandhinagar, which saw participation from thousands of people, mostly Dalits and tribals.
The apex court said there should not be any "hindrance" in holding the Ambedkar Jayanti function and temporary construction and renovation could be carried out by the state in Ambedkar Park. A Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan warned the state government against carrying out any permanent construction saying that the matter was pending before the Allahabad high court.
Stock markets will be driven by further developments on the US-China tariff war front along with quarterly earnings announcements from IT majors Wipro and Infosys in a holiday-shortened week, analysts said. Global market trends and trading activity of foreign investors would also dictate market movement this week, experts noted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited Dr Hedgewar Smruti Mandir in Nagpur and paid tributes at memorials dedicated to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, and second sarsanghchalak (chief) M S Golwalkar.
Bhalerao was passing by on Thursday evening when the accused were celebrating the wedding of a man from a so-called upper caste community and some of them were carrying swords, the police official said.
All markets will remain closed on Monday, April 14, on account of Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti.
'The time has come to have a relook at the Constitution as every document has a shelf life.'
The Bombay Stock Exchange, the National Stock Exchange, the interbank foreign exchange market and overnight call money/government securities market will remain closed on Wednesday.
'Ambedkar's ideas have their own teeth -- if you don't have an appetite for them, you can't swallow them.'
Industrial production and inflation data, quarterly earnings from IT majors and global trends would drive the equity markets in a holiday-shortened week, analysts said. Moreover, foreign fund trading activity, movement of the rupee and global crude oil prices would also dictate terms in the market, they added. Equity markets would remain closed on Friday for 'Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti'.
Investors' wealth tumbled over Rs 2.58 lakh crore on Monday as equity markets suffered a heavy sell-off, with the Sensex plunging 2 per cent. The BSE benchmark tanked 1,172.19 points or 2.01 per cent to settle at 57,166.74 after a weak opening. During the day, it plummeted 1,496.54 points or 2.56 per cent to 56,842.39. Tracking the weak trend in equities, the market capitalisation of BSE-listed firms tumbled by Rs 2,58,855.59 crore to stand at Rs 2,69,44,207.98 crore.
The market capitalisation of Reliance Industries plummeted by Rs 43,491.37 crore to reach Rs 17,26,714.05 crore.
From the 30-share pack, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, TCS, HDFC, HDFC Bank, Wipro and HCL Technologies were among the major laggards in early trade. Nifty tumbled 314.95 points to 17,160.70.
Amid the debate over the release of Bilkis Bano case convicts, the Madhya Pradesh government's proposed new policy provides for a life sentence till death for those held guilty for offences like gangrape and terrorist acts.
'No political party can antagonise Ambedkarite voters, particularly the neo-Buddhists.'
Prashant Kishor declares the 2025 Bihar assembly election will be a contest between his Jan Suraaj Party and the BJP-led NDA.
'Dalits will only suffer in the days to come.'
'I have worked every day of my life for the last 62 years and suddenly there is a cap on doctors over 55, who are not allowed to practice.' Dr Dolly Gurbaxani shares her lockdown experience.
Equity indices gave up early gains to close in the red for the third session on the trot on Wednesday, weighed by selling in banking and finance counters amid inflationary pressures and persistent foreign fund outflows. A weak rupee and lacklustre global cues also kept buying sentiment in check, traders said. The 30-share BSE Sensex opened on a firm footing but failed to hold on the momentum, finishing 237.44 points or 0.41 per cent lower at 58,338.93. On similar lines, the broader NSE Nifty dipped 54.65 points or 0.31 per cent to close at 17,475.65.
Snapping its 3-day winning spree against the American currency, the rupee on Wednesday dropped by 21 paise to end at 66.64 on fag-end dollar demand from banks and importers despite a sharp rally in domestic equities.
'Neither did I approach the BJP nor did they ask me to join them. It was a natural choice for both of us to make.' 'It was never for me to ask or for them to give.'
'The upper caste elite's belief that they are casteless is a belief that is available only to the upper castes. Because all the lower castes are reminded by society every day what their caste is.'
Most of the holidays had been declared by the previous Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party governments apparently to keep certain sections of the society in good humour, often with an eye on the vote bank.
In an all Dalit village in Muzzaffarnagar, three girls who do mazdoori after finishing the day's chores, will cast their vote for the first time. Opening their home and heart to Archana Masih/Rediff.com, they say all they want is a high school, a vehicle to take them to the main road and a sewing machine.
Auto stocks led the rally with Tata Motors, Hero MotoCorp and Maruti Suzuki leading the gains.
'The Congress wants to eat the cake, but does not want to share it.'
In his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio broadcast, Modi wished people on Dussehra and said that with various festivals coming up, they need to show patience and follow health guidelines in celebrating these auspicious occasions during the COVID times.
'Despite living in a free nation for so many years, if atrocities like rapes, public flogging, social boycotts are faced by Dalits, then conversion is the only option.'
'I want to assure the country that no country, no government can tolerate anybody taking the law into their hands, whether it is an individual or a group.'
In a shocking first in Maharashtra's history, a mob attacked a police station last week, assaulted two policemen, dragged one of them out, paraded him with a saffrom flag and made him chant, 'Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji.'
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