Latest news with #Pradeep
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Dalit rights activist and lawyer Manjula Pradeep's circle of care
It was 1993 and Manjula Pradeep's fingers were flying over an electronic typewriter as she tried to make sense of the evidence, testimony and haunting postmortem report of a young Dalit man who had died of custodial torture. The victim's mother had brought the case to Navsarjan Trust, Gujarat's leading anti-caste grassroots organisation where Pradeep was a freshly minted postgraduate in social work. She had just joined as the NGO's first female employee. 'I couldn't understand some terms in the postmortem report and somebody asked me to read a medical jurisprudence textbook,' she says. 'That was when I realised I needed to become a lawyer.' For 30 years, Pradeep has been at the heart of the feminist and Dalit rights movement in Gujarat. As a lawyer and activist, she has been involved in many key legal cases that have shaped India's modern history, playing a role in the battles for dignity and justice fought by Dalit men and women against an oppressive state. Pradeep, 55, never looks away, instead she holds survivors in a supportive embrace. Another case that impacted her deeply occurred in 2008, when a teenager was raped repeatedly by six professors in a college. 'The case was very important in my life,' she says. 'We got a conviction in one year.' Fifty-six girls testified in court, and the public prosecutor, the judge and the investigating officer were all women. 'After that, at Navsarjan, we handled many cases of sexual violence involving marginalised girls,' she says. When members of a Dalit family who were skinning dead cattle were flogged by Hindus in Una, Gujarat, in 2016, it pushed Pradeep to become the first in her family to convert to Buddhism. The survivors later converted, too. Her deep involvement in the case was the last straw for a government that was allergic to anyone shining a spotlight on caste crimes. Pradeep, by then executive director at Navsarjan, had to leave the organisation after the backlash from the state, among other things. Lonely work Nine years later, she remains in close contact with the Una survivors — Vashram, Ramesh, Ashok and Bechar — all with the last name Sarvaiya. 'If you make a commitment, you have to help the family until the end,' she says. She tracks their health issues, shows up in court to support them, and helps raise money for them. 'Vashram wants something meaningful to be built at the place where he was beaten,' she says. 'He's put together a small troupe of children who sing songs of Ambedkar and dance during Navaratri festival.' Vashram has the support of Lalji Sarvaiya, whose brother Piyush was burnt alive by an upper caste mob. Six years later, in 2018, the 11 accused received a sentence of imprisonment until death. Pradeep was the social worker on this case, too. Despite all her years of deep community involvement, she says it can feel very lonely sometimes. 'Akeli hoon [I'm alone]. I feel bad sometimes, looking for resources, wondering how to change people's understanding of movement-based work,' she says, adding that though the anti-caste movement has more resources now, the community connect hasn't grown deeper. 'We still have to organise ourselves, build more solidarities. Many are divided based on regional identity/ sub-castes and that is not good for the movement.' She understands the importance of networks and has been involved in setting up two key initiatives. As co-founder of Dalit Human Rights Defenders Network (DHRDNet) and director of campaigns from 2018 to 2023, her work has involved everything from reports on caste crimes during COVID-19 and gender violence to advocating for a national Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe budget modelled along the lines of the one in Telangana. Post Hathras in 2020, when a 19-year-old Dalit woman was gang-raped by upper caste men and died from her injuries, Pradeep was inspired to start the National Council of Women Leaders, a network of women leaders from marginalised communities. Members include lawyers, journalists, academics and grassroots activists. Most of them run their own organisations, she says. Overcoming hurdles Pradeep has also expanded her circle of care to include Muslim and tribal women through the Wayve Foundation, an organisation she set up in 2018. 'In four years, I've trained 120 women in 12 states,' she says. 'Trained', in this context, also means Pradeep held their hand as they embarked on journeys of self-confidence and assertion. 'I'm trying to see these women write their own stories,' she says. They learn skills such as documentation, reporting, effective representation of their issues, public speaking, laws and the constitution, organising, advocacy and leadership. 'They also learn how to reduce fear and heal pain,' says Pradeep. She sees herself as an observer who doesn't impose her ideas. 'I do a lot of community healing,' she adds. She asks participants to draw their 'river of life', a representation of their journey that highlights the blocks they faced and the milestones. Sharing stories is a cathartic experience, and many cry during this process. Pradeep understands their pain, she's had her share of it. 'When somebody needs you, you have to be with that person. You don't have to judge,' she says. 'This is what you call movement-building.' The writer is a Bengaluru-based journalist and the co-founder of India Love Project on Instagram.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
RCB victory prank causes chaos for poultry shopowner
Udupi: After years of heartbreak and near-misses, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally clinched a historic win, sparking wild celebrations across the state. Amidst the euphoria, a poultry shopowner in Karkala found himself in an unexpected mess, thanks to a prank by his friend. Pradeep Shetty Kukkuje, owner of the Bramhashree Chicken Centre at Gurudeva Complex in Donderangady and an anchor, is a die-hard RCB fan. Caught up in the celebration mode as the team entered the finals, he was eagerly praying for their win. Little did he know, his friend Rasik Shetty, an ardent Chennai Super Kings supporter, had other plans. He said that on Tuesday afternoon, Rasik created a fake poster in Pradeep's name, offering a "Buy 1 kg, Get 1 kg Free" deal on chicken if RCB won the IPL finals. The poster carried Pradeep's photo and phone number, and was initially shared only within their friends' group, but things quickly spiralled out of control. The message went viral, and within hours, Pradeep's phone was flooded with calls, many from excited RCB fans across India and even abroad. Some even offered to sponsor 10kg to 50kg of chicken in their name. "My phone has not stopped ringing. I am getting 10-20 calls per minute from across Karnataka and abroad. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Invest today with in Shriram's ULIP Shriram Life Insurance Undo Thankfully, no one has yelled at me, but it has been overwhelming in terms of love shown towards RCB," said Pradeep, who later updated his WhatsApp status and circulated a voice message clarifying that the offer was fake and part of a prank. Despite his efforts to set the record straight, the buzz did not die down. On Wednesday, several people continued to call to check on the offer and many still turned up at his shop, hoping to claim the 'free chicken' offer. Some people came from as far as 20km away. "Many customers went ahead and bought chicken, either to celebrate the win at home or hoping the offer was valid. I wish people stop calling me regarding the fake offer as it is seriously causing inconvenience," he said.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
Mob ‘beats man to death' after his vehicle hits tea garden worker in Tripura's Unakoti
A man was allegedly beaten to death by an angry mob after his vehicle hit and injured a worker at a tea garden in Kailashahar of Tripura's Unakoti district on Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Pradeep Das, 30, a resident of the Ratiabari area under Kumarghat in the district. Police, quoting locals, said three people were seen trying to take away some goats from the roadside in their vehicle, after which a few locals chased them. Some more people, armed with sticks, came in front of the vehicle to stop them. While trying to flee from the spot, the vehicle hit a tea garden worker and he fell into a concrete roadside drain. Soon, the other person in the vehicle, identified as Nirmal Das, hid inside the tea garden. Before Pradeep could also hide, the angry mob allegedly beat him to death and set the vehicle on fire later. 'A murder case will be lodged. Another section will be incorporated for setting the vehicle on fire. One of the co-riders is with the Kailashahar police. The other co-rider escaped from the spot and is known to be safe. We have started our investigation,' said an official from the Kailashahar police station. Nirmal Das, while speaking to reporters, said the occupants of the vehicle were friends. 'The vehicle was speeding and he (Pradeep ) hit two cows standing on the road and they (the irate mob) killed him because of that,' he said. In February, five people were detained after a 35-year-old man, suspected to be a thief, was beaten to death by an irate mob at Belonia in South Tripura district. In June 2021, three suspected cattle smugglers were lynched to death at two locations in Tripura's Khowai district. In February of the same year, a 55-year-old lorry driver was beaten to death by unidentified people in Lalchari village of Dhalai district. In December 2020, a 21-year-old man suspected of theft was lynched by a mob near Govind Ballabh Panth Hospital in Agartala. After a series of mob lynching incidents in 2018 over rumours of child kidnappers were reported, the state government introduced the Tripura Lynching/Violence/Mob Violence Compensation Scheme 2018. The cabinet has decided to implement the law, taking cue from a Supreme Court order in July 2018 where the court directed all state governments to frame a rule for implementing the scheme within one month. According to mob violence compensation rules, the state government has to pay Rs 4 lakh to families of people who die in mob violence and Rs 2 lakh to those who were crippled with 80 per cent injuries, Rs 1 lakh in case of 40-80 per cent injuries, Rs 95,000 for those who sustained damage in their pucca houses or ships, Rs 50,000 for damage in kutcha houses or shops etc.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Police to launch Campus Beats against drugs in Idukki schools
The State has made great strides in the field of public education, Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine has said. Inaugurating the district-level Praveshanolsavam at St. Sebastian's UP School in Thodupuzha in Idukki on Monday, Mr. Augustine said the State government had spent ₹5,000 crore on the renovation of the government schools. 'Kerala ensures ample amenities in government schools,' said the Minister. To ensure schools in the district are drug-free, the district police will implement a special anti-narcotics campaign named Campus Beats. According to Idukki District Police Chief T.K. Vishnu Pradeep, the project is a joint initiative of the school authorities, Parent Teachers' Association (PTA), parents, and the public. Meeting soon Mr. Pradeep said the district police had already informed all schools about the campaign, and a meeting of school and hostel authorities would be held soon. As part of the project, a police officer will be deputed for each school. The officer will visit the school and collect details and solve the issues with directives from the higher authorities. The project aims to strengthen the school protection groups, prevent antisocial activities in schools, and make school premises drug-free. All schools in the district will receive a complaint box, according to officials. The station house officer, along with schoolteachers, will open the box and take further steps. Mr. Pradeep, Idukki district panchayat president Rarichen Neeranakunnel, among others, attended the function.
News18
4 days ago
- News18
2 Riders Flung Into Air, 2 Dragged After Speeding Car Rams Into Bike In Gorakhpur
Last Updated: As per the footage, the bike was seen overtaking a tractor-trolley moments before ramming into the oncoming SUV, which was travelling at high speed. In a tragic incident, four persons were killed after their two-wheeler was mowed down by a speeding car on the Gorakhpur-Varanasi National Highway in Uttar Pradesh. The accident, captured on surveillance camera, took place on Sunday at around 10 am. All the four individuals were riding on a single bike when it was hit by a Grand Vitara, causing two of them to be flung into the air while the other two were dragged on the bonnet for about 100 meters before the vehicle came to a stop. The accident took place when Sunil Kumar, Pradeep Kumar, Arvind Kumar and Rahul Kumar — all painters and residents of Garthauli Tola in Sidhuwapar gram sabha — were heading towards Gorakhpur city on a single motorcycle, reported Times Of India. As per the footage, the bike was seen overtaking a tractor-trolley moments before ramming into the oncoming SUV, which was travelling at high speed. At the point of impact, two were flung a few meters into the air before landing on the road, while two got stuck on the car's front side and were dragged along the highway as the driver failed to stop immediately. The motorcycle was completely damaged in the collision. The SUV driver fled the scene and has yet to be caught. Following the accident, locals rushed the victims to a nearby hospital where Pradeep, Sunil, and Arvind were declared dead on arrival. Rahul was referred to the district hospital but succumbed to his injuries on the way. Among the four deceased, Sunil, Pradeep and Rahul were cousins, while the fourth one, Arvind was Rahul's friend. The police have registered a case against the missing driver and the bodies have been sent for postmortem. An investigation is currently underway. Earlier today, four people, including a woman, were killed and three others were severely injured after a truck collied with an SUV in Barabanki.
