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Hindustan Times
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Chasing Dalit vote without addressing the social divide
At the 15th Convention of the Uttar Pradesh Scheduled Caste Federation held at the Ramlila ground in Agra on March 18, 1956, BR Ambedkar shared the reasoning behind his assertion that the Scheduled Castes (SC) were not Hindus. He said, 'If we had been Hindus, then we would not have been untouchables. Instead, we would have been pujaris (priests) in the temples.' Ambedkar's words continue to echo, given that untouchability, on a much-diminished scale though, remains a social reality seven decades after it was abolished and its practice in any form declared a punishable offence. Ironically, eradicating untouchability or social isolation of Dalits is no longer a major agenda of any political party though the scheduled castes are a much-wooed vote bloc. In March this year, Agra, where Ambedkar had installed a statue of Buddha (his ashes are kept near the statue), saw caste tensions escalate after the Rajasthan-based Karni Sena ransacked the house of Samajwadi Party MP and a Dalit, Ramji Lal Suman over his unwarranted remarks about a mediaeval-era Rajput ruler, Rana Sanga. Since then, reports of Dalit wedding processions in UP, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh being attacked or stopped in areas dominated by the upper castes have become frequent. The contradiction between Dalits being wooed in the electoral battlefield and rejected in the social space is not new. Dalits first emerged as a political constituency in northern India in the 1980s. The 1990s saw growing Dalit assertiveness under the leadership of the Bahujan Samaj Party, which even formed the government in Lucknow twice. At the same time, renting a house in UP on a non-Dalit street was a challenge for Dalits. In the mid-1990s, a Banaras Hindu University (BHU) professor had to hide his caste from the landlady to rent her premises in Varanasi. A Dalit intellectual, who had returned from the US to be with his aging parents, had to run from pillar to post to get decent accommodation in New Delhi. The scenario has not changed much. In 2025, a businessman in Agra failed to get a decent house, while a landlord in Prayagraj returned the advance payment after knowing the caste of the tenant. Ashok Bharti, chairman of National Confederation of Dalit and Adivasi Organisations, says, 'Being a Dalit in India means a life of challenges. Wherever, whichever direction Dalits go, caste is the monster that crosses their path. They can't buy or rent a house in a colony dominated by upper castes, Dalit children in schools can't get water or mid-day meals. In colleges, they are humiliated for accessing reservations and, in employment, their caste reaches before they join. However, the situation is improving. Dalit assertion is compelling and with the support of many progressive savarnas, they can now be seen in all places.' Untouchability infuriates Dalits, of course, but does it influence their political choices? The issue is absent in the poll agenda of even Dalit parties such as BSP, RPI, and Dalit Panthers even though they have been advocating social empowerment via political empowerment. But all political parties are pursuing the Dalit voter: Since the political preferences of major castes and communities are known, the scramble is for non-aligned Dalit voters. The success of the PDA (pichra or backward, Dalit, and alpsankhyak or minority) formula of the Samajwadi Party in the 2024 general election has intensified the wooing. This has alarmed the Sangh Parivar which has been struggling to unite the Hindu population (80% of India's population) under the Hindutva banner. It is in this context that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat recently gave a call for social harmony — Bhagwat had been on a month-long tour of UP in April 2025. He reiterated the message in an RSS resolution — one temple, one well, and one cremation ground for all in villages to end untouchability. The 2017 resolution also noted that words and wishful thinking would not be enough. Pravin Togadia, then international working president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), had asked 'every non-Dalit Hindu to befriend at least one Dalit family.' But these statements have survived mostly as gestures. As RSS cadres and BJP functionaries fan out to the rural areas to explain their commitment to the constitutional rights of Dalits, the latter reiterate Ambedkar's words: 'If RSS really wants to abolish untouchability, they should appoint Dalit pujaris (priests) in temples and start inter-caste marriages (called roti-beti ka rishta in common parlance).' That said, there is a churn within the Dalit political community. Dalits worship Ambedkar and get protective about the Constitution, but the Dalit vote is neither a consolidated bloc nor is it the monopoly of any one party. With all political parties promising them the moon, the Dalit vote bloc has disintegrated. Welfare schemes of the Union government have attracted many to the BJP. Ambedkar had said Dalits don't worship Hindu idols, but some Dalit sub-castes are making a beeline for Ayodhya and Kashi. Jatavs, the largest chunk among the Dalits, are, however, embracing Buddhism. In this melee, younger Dalits are weighing their political options. They are restless, aggressive, and aware of their rights. On May 25, Dalits of a village in UP's Etah district sent a clear message to the authorities by refusing to allow a shobha yatra to pass through their village in retaliation to the district administration's alleged discriminatory act of not granting them permission for their procession on Ambedkar Jayanti in April. The message is clear: Do not take us for granted. It is this fault line the BJP will need to address if it wants to win over Dalits and defuse caste tensions in the states under the party. The views expressed are personal.
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Business Standard
10-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Kent RO, 3 others get Sebi nod for IPOs: Here's all you need to know
Upcoming IPOs: Four companies, including Kent RO Systems, Karamtara Engineering, Vidya Wires and Mangal Electrical Wires, have received approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to raise funds through an initial public offering (IPO). These companies are collectively expected to raise around ₹2,500 crore through their public issues. The companies filed their draft papers with the market regulator in January 2025. Here are the key details you should know: Kent RO Systems The water purifier company has received Sebi's nod for a book-built IPO comprising an offer for sale (OFS) of 10.1 million shares by promoters Sunita Gupta, Mahesh Gupta, and Varun Gupta. The company will not receive any proceeds from the offer. Kfin Technologies is the registrar of the issue. JM Financial and Motilal Oswal Investment Advisors are the book-running lead managers of the issue. Karamtara Engineering Services The plans to raise ₹1,750 crore through a combination of fresh issues worth ₹1,350 crore and an offer for sale (OFS) worth ₹400 crore. MUFG Intime India, formerly Link Intime, is the registrar of the issue. JM Financial, ICICI Securities, and IIFL Capital Services are the book-running lead managers. According to the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP), the company plans to use ₹1,050 crore from the net fresh issue proceeds for prepayment, repayment and/or payment to its lenders towards borrowings and Acceptances, in part or full. Karamtara Engineering is a backward-integrated manufacturer of products for renewable energy and transmission line sectors. The company has a diverse product portfolio including structures and fasteners in the solar energy and transmission sectors, and overhead transmission line (OHTL) hardware fittings and accessories. Mangal Electrical The Rajasthan-based transformer and electrical equipment manufacturer aims to raise ₹450 crore through an IPO. The IPO, with a face value of ₹10, is entirely a fresh issue of shares up to ₹450 crore with no offer-for-sale component. According to the DRHP, from the net issue proceeds, ₹96.03 crore will be used for repayment/ prepayment, in full or in part, of certain outstanding borrowings, ₹120 crore for expanding the facility at Unit IV situated Reengus, Sikar District, Rajasthan and civil works at its existing head office, Jaipur, Rajasthan to optimise space usage and increase storage capacity, and ₹122 crore for funding working capital requirements. The remaining funds will be used for general corporate purposes. Mangal Electrical Industries is in the business of processer of transformer components, including transformer lamination, CRGO slit coils, amorphous cores, coil assemblies and core assemblies, wound core, toroidal core, and oil-immersed circuit breakers. The company has five production facilities in Rajasthan with an aggregate production capacity of 16,200 MT for CRGO, 7,50,000 KVA for transformers, 75,000 units for ICB and 2,400 MT for Amorphous units per annum. Vidya Wires The copper and aluminium wires company plans to raise ₹320 crore through a fresh issue and an OFS for 10 million shares. MUFG Intime India, Link Intime, is the registrar for the issue. Pantomath Capital Advisors and IDBI Capital Market Services are the book-running lead managers of the Vidya Wires IPO. Incorporated in 1981, Vidya Wires manufactures winding and conductivity products for various industries, including precision-engineered wires, copper strips, conductors, busbars, specialized winding wires, PV ribbons, and aluminium paper-covered strips. The company has expanded its manufacturing capacity to 19,680 MT per annum and plans to increase it to 37,680 MT per annum with an additional 18,000 MTPA units in Narsanda, Gujarat.
Time of India
08-06-2025
- Time of India
‘Looteri Dulhan' cons Alwar family, decamps with cash, jewellery soon after wedding; 7 held
Prayagraj: The dreams of an Alwar-based family, who solemnised the wedding of their son in Sangam City on Thursday, turned into a nightmare on the same evening. What began as a celebration of love and new beginnings quickly spiralled into a chilling tale of betrayal, deception and theft. The bride vanished hours after the ceremony, with cash and jewellery. On Thursday, during the return of baraat to Alwar from the city, the bride stepped out of the car on the pretext of attending nature's call near a petrol pump and escaped. The groom and family searched for the bride and later approached Khuldabad police to lodge a complaint. However, when the family of the groom showed documents, including the Aadhaar card of the bride, to the police, all of them were found to be fake. Khuldabad police inspector Surendra Verma told TOI, "Akbarpur (Alwar) based Gopal Gujar approached the police on Friday and narrated that he had solemnised his son's marriage at a local temple in Prayagraj and the bride went missing on same day during the return of the baraat." He also complained that the family of the bride had taken Rs 1.75 lakh from him on the pretext of arranging marriage and gave fake documents, including Aadhaar card. After lodging the FIR under the appropriate sections of BNS, cops were stunned to know that the 'looteri dulhan', was a mother of four kids and had a list of fake relatives. The SHO claimed that the groom's family also paid Rs 20,000 to a Rajasthan-based broker who facilitated the match, claiming the bride came from a poor background and needed help with wedding expenses. The marriage was held at a local temple in the city with full fanfare, with all traditional customs and rituals. Investigations helped the police to bust an interstate 'looteri dulhan' gang and arrest seven of its members, including four 'looteri dulhans', near Ghanshyam Nagar railway crossing on Saturday evening while planning to escape. Police also seized six fake Aadhaar cards and Rs 35,000 from them. The arrested persons were identified as Shahana (32) of Tulsi Nagar, Nisha (35) of Peepalgav, Mamta Bhartiya (30) of Jhunsi, Preeti Devi (34) of Peepalgav, Aashif Khan (27) of Shahganj, Mohd Junail (56) of Darashah Ajmal, and Shri Ram Gurjar (31) of Alwar. The SHO said Shri Ram Gurjar was the broker who brought family to Prayagraj for marriage of Gopal Gurjar's son. He showed the photo of Shahana, a widow and mother of four kids, and told the family her name was Preeti. When cops checked the details of the Aadhaar card given by the bride, she was found to be Shahana, wife of the late Gulam Nabi. She managed to get a fake Aadhaar card in the name of Preeti. When cops dealt with Shahana strictly, she spilled the beans and exposed the entire racket, admitting to cheating more than 20 men. Interestingly, after the 'bidai' of the bride was done, the gang members used to chase the car of the bride and managed to take her back whenever vehicles stopped at a petrol pump for refuelling or the bride asked to attend a nature's call. If this modus operandi failed, they would reach the groom's house within two days of the wedding and insist on 'bidai'. The racketeers were perfect in playing their roles and responsibilities. While 56-year-old Mohd Zunail used to play the role of the father, Ashrif was assigned the role of the brother. Similarly, Shahana, Nisha, Mamta, and Preeti (who were already married) used to play the role of brides. Investigations also revealed that all racketeers had fake Aadhaar cards, and the relatives who attended the wedding as her maternal uncle and aunt were impostors. Cops, however, suspect the involvement of a larger gang operating similar cons and are now pursuing leads to identify and apprehend the culprits.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Racehorse death toll rises to 9; activists question clean chit by probe
Bhopal: Another racehorse brought from Hyderabad to Jabalpur has died under mysterious circumstances, raising the toll to nine at a time when a district-level investigation has given the clean chit to all parties involved in the transport and care of 57 horses. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Jabalpur collector Deepak Verma defended the inquiry, saying, "This report is from three senior doctors. We will escalate the matter and investigate if there are any objections to the documentary evidence." Animal welfare groups and local activists allege that the horses were transported and kept in miserable conditions, and call the probe a "whitewash". The horses were transported between April 25 and April 29, 2025, under the supervision of , acting on behalf of a Hyderabad-based firm. Several of the horses were reported unwell on May 5, and the MP animal husbandry department began an investigation the following day. A three-member committee — Manoj Vaishya of Panagar, Sanjay Gupta of Kandrakheda and Vishnu Gupta of Jabalpur — conducted the probe and concluded that all legal and veterinary procedures were followed. There were no signs of negligence or mistreatment during or after transport, they said. According to their report, all 57 horses had valid health certificates and passports at the time of travel. They were transported in 10 trucks with adequate space, food, water and caretakers. Although eight horses sustained minor injuries during the journey, they were promptly treated. The deaths of eight horses (then) were attributed to transportation-related stress, climatic changes, and heat stroke. Officials said the horses are now at a private property in Amkhera village on the outskirts of Jabalpur, where suitable arrangements for their feeding, care, and treatment were observed during inspection. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Animal welfare activists, however, remain unconvinced and have accused the administration of downplaying the issue. "How can a report that admits to eight deaths conclude that everything was done properly? There needs to be accountability, not just paperwork," said an activist, requesting anonymity. Critics have demanded a fresh investigation by a neutral body. Rajasthan-based polo player Lavanya Shekhawat, who initially raised concerns over the horses' condition, said: "I am deeply disappointed with this so-called investigation. It is not justice—it's a whitewash." "We have sworn testimonies from doctors and veterinarians confirming that the horses were left without proper food for three to four months. Their medical reports detail animals in terrible condition, carrying untreated, deep wounds. Many have died. Yet the committee refuses to fix responsibility or take meaningful action. Even the transport — portrayed in the report as 'smooth' — was anything but. It was chaotic and risk-laden, further endangering lives. Everything has been smoothed over, covered up, and pushed aside. This isn't what I fought for. These animals suffered horribly, and those responsible must be held accountable. Justice must actually be served — not merely spoken about," she said. While Sachin Tiwari has yet to make a public statement, sources confirmed that the surviving horses are under his care at the Amkhera property.
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
What are Aravalis' main threats? Greens give Centre, state report
Gurgaon: Based on what they say is ground observations made over a year of visits, a group of environmentalists has submitted their findings to the central and state govts, seeking urgent measures to protect the Aravalis. Compiled as a 70-page report titled 'State of the Haryana Aravalis: Citizens' Report Part 1', the findings raise critical questions for water security, air quality and biodiversity of Delhi-NCR, which are intrinsically linked to the wellbeing of the Aravalis. Copies of the report were handed over to Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav and chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday. Rampant violations like construction of illegal farmhouses, colonies and commercial establishments on protected Aravali land have repeatedly come under Supreme Court's scrutiny. Last week, it rapped the state govt for an illegal road being laid at Basai Meo in Nuh with stones quarried from a hillock that led to its collapse. The report contains four main demands – a legal declaration of the entire Haryana Aravali range as 'no-go zones' for mining and stone crushing, introduction of a law that treats destruction of Aravalis as an ecological crime punishable with strict penalties, including action against negligent officials, implementation of strict enforcement and ecological restoration measures, compensation for communities suffering from pollution and displacement, and a policy shift that requires the real estate and infrastructure sector to adopt construction materials other than Aravali-sourced stones. Neelam Ahluwalia, founder member of People for Aravalis, the group that compiled the report, said, "We are hoping the demands for Aravali protection given in this report can act as a blueprint for govt to create and deliver policies and plans to protect what is left of India's oldest hill range. We hope our wildlife does not lose its home and our current and future generations can live with dignity without gasping for breath or being choked in the dust storms coming from Thar desert or fighting over water. " Rajasthan-based water conservationist Dr Rajendra Singh said, "In 2009, Supreme Court banned mining completely in the Aravali hills in Gurgaon, Nuh and Faridabad. Time has now come to look at the 670km Aravali range spread across four states as one ecosystem critical for survival of millions of people living in north-west India." The report illustrates how licenced mining and stone crushing units across the Haryana Aravalis flouted rules, and how illegal mining continues despite a 16-year-old ban. It also states how out of the seven districts where the Aravalis are present in Haryana, licenced mining wiped out most of the range in Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri.
