Program page

South Asia Social Forum, Bangladesh-2011

 

Date: November 20, 2011 Noon (2.00 pm-5.00pm).

Venue: Mokarram Building,

University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

 

Type: Seminar.

Organizer: ActionAid International Pakistan.

Title: “Minority within a Minority: A situation of Pakistani Scheduled Caste (Dalits)”

 For extension video click here : video

6mn and 102mn 

Contents

 

Inauguration speech. 1

Title of the Seminar. 2

Experience from Pakistan. 2

Experience of Naina. 3

Experiences of the IPs of the Bangladesh. 4

Questions & Queries. 8

 

 

 

 

 

Inauguration speech.

 

[09:37:36]

aaidpakistan extension:

Hi this is Ali , I am conducting this session on behalf of the SASF BD Extended.

The program has been started just now.
The welcome note is being given by the Mr. Daud.

[09:38:40]

sasf bd extension: hello good start !

 

[09:38:53]

 

aaidpakistan extension: The his deliberating his speech from the perspective of Bangladesh, Action Aid

[09:39:02] ***

sasf bd extension added Kamrul, Rafiq  ***

[09:39:24]

sasf bd extension: hello, this is action aid Pakistan activity.

[09:39:32]

aaidpakistan extension:

Thanking everyone very much, he is inviting everyone to watch the program.

[09:40:17]

aaidpakistan extension:

Yes, he is describing both Pakistan and Bangladesh perspective in short.

 

[09:40:44]

aaidpakistan extension:

 

Well, people are in more in number and they are watching the performance showing on the screen. The name of the documentaries are given below
"Situation of the Pakistan"
"On Land Rights"
"On the struggle on Hindu Marriage Registration”

 

[09:43:30] Kamrul: thanks.

[09:45:20]

aaidpakistan extension:

Hi this is Ali, I am conducting this session on behalf of the SASF BD Extended.

 

Title of the Seminar.

ActionAid Pakistan is organizing this seminar..
The title goes as : "Minority within a Minority: A situation of Pakistani Scheduled Caste(Dalits)"
Now the organizers are showing film shows...
The first one is named as "Situation of the Pakistan Dalits"

 

[09:53:12]

aaidpakistan extension:

You can follow us on U straeming site...

[09:54:01] sasf bd extension: Is it a short flim?

[09:54:12] aaidpakistan extension: yes it is.

[09:54:26]

aaidpakistan extension: the duration is about 14 mins.

[09:54:50] sasf bd extension: ok:::::)

Experience from Pakistan.

[09:56:12]

aaidpakistan extension:

There are other two documentaries to be shown soon enough...
Now Mr. Ramesh is speaking...
He is giving the historical evolution on the condition of the scheduled caste in Pakistan..
He is deliberating his speech on the percentage of representation of the scheduled caste in Pakistan...
There, he had arranged a movement with along other 5 friends in Pakistan..

 

[10:03:51]

aaidpakistan extension:

They are now working in 30 districts in Pakistan...
He had also arranged membership system...
Now there are around 860 members registered so far..
Mr. Ramesh is explaining the internal condition of the Dalits in Pakistan..

[10:05:28]

aaidpakistan extension:

They had also prepared a marriage registration bill...
This bill had been given by Pakistan court a suomoto notice..

 

[10:07:25] aaidpakistan extension: AAIP had conducted a research on 500 families of the dalits on the issues of land rights & women rights.

 

Experience of Naina.

[10:07:56]

aaidpakistan extension: Now mr. Daud is speaking...
Daud is explaining the speech which is just deliberated by Mr. Ramesh in English for bettre emancipation..
Mr. Daud is explaining the condition of the Dalits of the Pakistan..

 

[10:10:42]

aaidpakistan extension:

 

Now we're going to hear some experiences of Naina, who is going to use Hindi...
Naina is from pakistan..
She is saying the different aspects of the Marriage Registration system for the Dalits in Pakistan...
the powerful men over there, un-willingly grab the both married & non married women and harras them....
There are lot of discriminations in the Pakistan for Hindu communities..

 

[10:14:01]

aaidpakistan extension:

They’re deprived of the social & fundamental human rights...
The powerful men even object the dress codes of the Hindi communities...

[10:15:43]

aaidpakistan extension:

This dress she is wearing right now is a sign of hatred..
The dalits over there are not given the freedom of choosing their dress codes..
In Pakistan there are some bails for the people
the bails are going according to their activities.

[10:18:49]

aaidpakistan extension: and We are asking the new bail for the mass general people either they are Hindu or any other religion from.
The Hindu communities were there and as well the focal persons also in present

[10:19:25] sasf bd extension: the programme is what about?

[10:20:10]

aaidpakistan extension:

Well, the program is about to the right of Hindu Marriage Registration.
This is taken as an achievement for the new bail dedicated for the Hinduism people not to discriminate them.
They should not be discriminated by their religion.

[10:22:30]

aaidpakistan extension:

Someone is asking about the right of new born child
whether s/he will be recognized by whom?

[10:23:29]

aaidpakistan extension:

And the answer is that if the bail is persuaded then no problem will be arisen for the nationality
He or she could be from the father side or the mother side.

Experiences of the IPs of the Bangladesh.

 

Another topic is going on...

[10:24:12]

aaidpakistan extension:

About the marginal ratio of people in India and Pakistan.

Two new deliberator has come to say something to the audiences.
The presenter has asked to ask him anything in requisition.

[10:25:31]

aaidpakistan extension:

He is welcoming everyone...

[10:26:32] sasf bd extension: thanks for transcript

 

[10:26:36]

aaidpakistan extension:

And speech is going on for some issues of South Asia perspective and as well he is representing some presentation for the Natural process which is not only in India but also all over the world.
Here is rumor that the speech should be in Hindi as the presentation of scene is in English.

[10:27:34]

aaidpakistan extension:

So, both languages are going on.

[10:27:44]

aaidpakistan extension:

People agree with this term.
The speaker is talking about the resources of India and as well the different sectors of south Asia region.

The forest of Asia region is in very extreme position.

[10:29:23]

aaidpakistan extension:

Here is also a discussion of about Sundarban which is included in the topic of Forest resources.
and there are 300 million people depend directly on forest
[10:30:16] aaidpakistan extension: >>> Ameliorate climate and combat against global warming and desertification - Nature - Culture, Identity

 

[10:30:37]

 

aaidpakistan extension: >>> Minerals - India is one of the largest producer of minerals..... those are the sentences being described as a point :)
Now, the slide is showing about the Major Issues
> Unbridled pillage of NR in the wake of globalization
> Commoditization & privatization of NR - FDI - Market vs. State.

 

[10:33:00] aaidpakistan extension: >Rights failue - non implementation of legislations
[10:33:17] aaidpakistan extension: > Systematic alienation of dispossesesed from forest _ NR
[10:33:38] aaidpakistan extension: > From where will the IP & tribal community draw the type of food

[10:34:02] aaidpakistan extension: they are dependent on for generations? Water resources?
[10:34:15] aaidpakistan extension: What sustainable alternative livelihood they have?
[10:34:41] aaidpakistan extension: > HOw do they deal with the pollution and the poison emitted from mining and precessing?

[10:35:05] aaidpakistan extension: > Will the indigenous community get extinct because of our benefits in the name of development?
[10:35:10] aaidpakistan extension: ....
[10:35:13] aaidpakistan extension: Displacement:
[10:35:32] aaidpakistan extension: > Ecological threat - Survival of living beings - earth
[10:35:34] aaidpakistan extension: ...
[10:35:39] aaidpakistan extension: Challenges:
[10:36:22] aaidpakistan extension: > Declining democratic space.

 

[10:37:32]

aaidpakistan extension:

The sources of food grains are shrinking gradually..
women are deprived and facing direct threat for the shrinking water resources..

[10:39:06]

aaidpakistan extension:

Women are affected directly because of the adverse impacts on environment by the over extraction of the natural resources...
The Indegenous People over there are facing direct challenges..
Now speaker is stating some chalenges faced by the IPs.

[10:41:07]

aaidpakistan extension:

Now our Speaker is stating the examples of Niyamgiri & Tribal Struggle..

[10:41:49] sasf bd extension: very interesting.

[10:42:46]

aaidpakistan extension:

The example is about a resource extraction company who deals in Boxite..

[10:43:32]

aaidpakistan extension:

Niyamgiri is untouched because of the people's opposition..
But the company is operating discretely.. But this could not move on, once in a while they will come for the natural resources over there...

[10:46:09] *** sasf bd extension added ykitahata ***

[10:46:11]

aaidpakistan extension:

Now Mr. Souvagyag is going to share the struggle faced by Indegenous People (IP) of Bangladesh...

[10:46:56]

aaidpakistan extension:

Now Mr. Sauvagya is going to explain in English..

[10:47:31] sasf bd extension: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/aaidpak-extension

[10:47:34]

aaidpakistan extension: The problems are more or like same in India & Pakistan or other parts of the South Asia...

[10:48:01]

aaidpakistan extension:

Eco parks are created in the name of forest development...

[10:48:33]

aaidpakistan extension: the lands are grabbed in a systematic & a gradual way...
he is giving an example on how people lose the lands, in which they are living for genarations...
Now Mr. Sauvagya is stating the ratio between the IP & Bengali people..
The infiltration of the Bengali settlers in the land of the IP creates several violent accidants between them..
The illegal installment & infiltration is followed by the huge deforestation....
Mr. Sauvagya is now deliberating the example of "Madhupur Forest"...

 

[10:54:22]

aaidpakistan extension: The IPs over there, the Mandi people are struggling hard against the occupation of the Madhupur forest...Mr. Sauvagya is stating historical evolution of the movement of the Mandi people of the Madhupur Forest...

[10:55:48]

aaidpakistan extension:

The governmentt of Bangladesh had later had declared the forest as "Khas Land" or state owned land...The Mandis are killed indiscriminately & hundreds of falls cases are filed against the Mandi people...The movement of the Mandi people is still going on...

 

[10:58:09]

aaidpakistan extension:

Mr. Sauvagya asked the government to stop this project as it would destruct the environment & the historical rights of the Mandi people..
Now Mr. Sauvagya is going to explain the food security issues of the IPs of Bangladesh...

[10:59:28]

aaidpakistan extension:

There are some solution to the problems faced by the IPs of the Bangladesh...

[10:59:45]

aaidpakistan extension:

 

Mr. Sauvagya says "Few of them are:
1. state recognition...
2. Stop giving different nomenclature....

The IPs are called in different names to divert the issues...to hide the reality of the treatment giving to them...

 

3. Stop al resources…..and commodization of nature.

4. Ensure access & control of IPs on natural resources..

5. State is held accountable for use/misuse of NR…extension: etc...

 

The speech of Sauvagya is ended with some picture slide show...

 

Questions & Queries.

[11:06:02]

aaidpakistan extension:

Mr. Rajkumar thanked all on behalf of the Dalits of Nepal...
He expressed solidarity with the Dalits of Pakistan...
He asked whether there are various castes within the Dalits of the Pakistan or only one community...

[11:09:14]

aaidpakistan extension:

Mr. Daud explains that the context of the Pakistan..there are many castes, but to the majority they are called "sheduled castes" with the different castes....but they are Hindus...
One of the participants sayinh that there are also scheduled castes in Bangladesh..
In Bangladesh the scheduled castes are not necessairily Hindu, but muslim as well...who are in some profession considered as professions for the lower class..
Now another activists for the dalits in Nepal is expressing solidarity..

[11:15:26]

sasf bd extension:

their explanations are interesting

[11:15:48]

aaidpakistan extension:

He is asking whether the scheduled castes are given constitutional recognition...???
Now a queries has come from another activists from Nepal,...
Mr Daud is explaining the answer that the Dalits in Pakistan had initiated the movements before 3 or 4 years ago...
[11:19:41]

aaidpakistan extension:

There are some movements organized locally...
they lived for centuries..
Uchi Mong asked expressing solidarity with the organizers..
There are different speculations about the percentage of the IPs or Dalits people over different parts of the South Asia...

[11:24:12]

aaidpakistan extension:

Actually the government is hiding the reality within the actual condition by these speculations about the ration said by Mr. Daud.

[11:26:25]

aaidpakistan extension:

The government of Bangladesh had not ratified the legal regime of the UN related to the issues of the IPs...or Dalits...
The MPs from IP communities in BD are representing the parliament but they are powerless..
One of the participants had asked for any collective measures for integrating these issues...which may pave the ways for other problems.......like the bilateral problems between the neighbors on the issues of common rivers, waters....

[11:30:34]

aaidpakistan extension:

The participant organizers are hoping for collective measures for inegrating the issues all together...

The need for common platform is essentially required to this end...

 

[11:31:55]

aaidpakistan extension:

The seminar ends by thanking all from the organizer participants...
This is Ali Siddiquee thanking you all on behalf of the SASF BD 2011.

[11:51:44] sasf bd extension: thanks