[31 Jan]The Catalog: Caste and The Child
Hello.
It is always a shame that it takes a tragedy to spark a conversation about everyday oppression. This week’s ‘The Catalog’ has a special focus on the abuse and violence perpetrated against children and youth in the name of caste.
The dynamics of power is a central factor in almost every case of abuse. And caste is a factor that clearly informs this dynamic in our country. Other factors like patriarchy, gender inequality and poverty find themselves in the conversation around abuse but the voices around caste seem muted. If anything, the past week has been a belated wake-up call. And the time to heed is now.
Also in this edition, we focus on the public accosting of an artist accused of child abuse, a status report on 5 cases in Mumbai and two extremely disturbing pieces of news from Japan, probably the only developed country that still refuses to have a zero tolerance policy on child sexual abuse material.
We have put together a listicle on the Juvenile Justice Act 2015 for anyone seeking a quick understanding of the recent amendments. The article on the tragedy with America’s child protection systems and policies may serve as a timely warning for all of us. And ‘So you Got Naked Online’ is a provocatively titled yet exhaustive resource that will support you in responding to risks related to ‘sexting’ and online behavior of children.
Finally, there is our regular roster of upcoming events and a twitter account that we recommend you follow.
For this edition of ‘The Catalog’, we would like to thank The South West Grid for Learning, Video Volunteers and Aarambh’s own Rachna Ramesh Kumar for their contributions.
#Quote of the Week:
“While all forms of child abuse cut across caste and class barriers, discrimination on grounds of gender and caste undoubtedly rule the crime and abuse roster.”
– Enakshi Ganguly Thukral & Parul Thukral
“How do you change ancient prejudices in any society? You do it through re-positioning caste at childhood.”
– Kancha Ilaiah
#Caste & The Child
Children From Scheduled Castes Most Vulnerable to Abuse
In 2014, Pratidhi, a collaborative project of the Delhi Police and the Association for Development, released a research that looked into sexual offences against children in the context of caste. The sample size is limited. But reading it along with numbers released by the National Crime Records Bureau the same year, clearly indicates the prevalence of sexual crime against caste minorities. What emerges is a picture of sexual violence being used as a tool to continue an age old oppression.
Caste Matters Everywhere: In Schools, Jobs and Life
Research shows that students sometimes perform better or worse in exams because their teachers expect them to do so. This is referred to as the Pygmalion Effect. When two economists tested this effect for caste in schools in India, they found a clear caste bias in the teachers’ grading of the students. And as these two videos, one from Gujarat and theother from Uttarakhand show, as plain as the eye can see, the caste system at work: dividing children, sowing inequality and perpetrating discrimination at an impressionable age.
A Thousand Voices & Thousand Stories Ignored
An eye-opening read that chronicles the epidemic of caste-related suicides in academic institutions. It lays bare not just violence embedded within the system but brings out the apathy in our response to the deaths of these youth.
The government has not just failed to deliver on its pre-election promises to Dalit communities rather it is appropriating their icons while turning a blind eye to heinous crimes, some of them committed against children. Dalit scholar and Activist Kancha Ilaiah writes on this conspiracy of caste and silence.
“… would Outlook ever have covered the ‘story’ of five Dalit students in UoH being suspended if you had not died. Would Hindustan Times, that praised your posthumous prose, have ever given you space on their op-ed page if you had made a submission? Did you know people who know the people who know the people who can get a piece published in the big media—who would even respond to your e-mail?”
Journalist & Publisher S. Anand has been for some years now, one of the most provocative writers in the mainstream about caste issues. He writes a morbid and prickly take-down to the manner in which the nation responded to Rohith Vemula’s suicide.
#News
Artist John Devaraj Publicly Accused of Sexually Abusing Children
Noted renaissance man John Devaraj was accosted in a public forum and accused of sexually abusing minors. What is worrying is the Devaraj heads an NGO that works with some of the most vulnerable children in the city of Bangalore. A suo moto probe has been called for, but experts admit that punishing a perpetrator retrospectively >might prove to be a tough call under our laws.
How Did Mumbai Schools Deal With Cases of Abuse?
A status report of 5 cases of sexual assault in schools. Not a single school has manged an effective, measured response that kept the well-being of the child in mind. Just placing CCTV cameras is not a holistic solution to child abuse.
What the Hell, Japan!
i. Japan Bans Real Life Child Sexual Abuse Material But Cartoons Remain Legal
ii. Japanese Company Manufactures life-like Child sex dolls.
Japan bans possession of child sexual abuse imagery after years of delay – but disappoints campaigners by allowing manga comics and animated films to continue carrying pornographic depictions of children.
Also in highly disturbing news, a company in Japan is producing life-like dolls of childrento sell to pedophiles. A global campaign is underway to take these off the shelves.
#New @ Aarambh
Juvenile Justice Act 2015: What You Need to Know About the New Law
The newly amended Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act of 2015 came into force on 15th January, 2016. It is not easy to dismiss the shadow cast by the law on some of our most vulnerable children. But to work with these children and protect them, understanding the new amendments to the existing JJA is key. For that purpose, we have culled out 14 important amendments to the law that you need to know about. We have also listed key issues and grey areas in the Act that we need to keep an eye on.
We have had a most exciting 2015 with both challenges and victories. Read all about it and more in our narrative Annual Report.
#MustRead
Baby Doe: The Political History of the Tragedy of Child Abuse in the USA
Through case studies of child abuse and neglect through the years, this exhaustive article traces the fault-lines of where society fails its children. It persuasively argues that unending debates over hot button issues and knee jerk reactions to incidents have put blinkers on the country and the policy. The real issues continue to remain unsolved. An illuminating study that underscores the importance of always keeping an eye of the bigger picture.
So You Got Naked Online: An Online Safety Toolkit
A terrific and up-to-date resource that offers children, young people and parents advice and strategies to support the issues resulting from sexting incidents.
#Events
Training Program on Gender Reconcilitation
When: 12th February 2016
Where: Bangalore
Discover new pathways of healing, respect, intimacy, and inspired collaboration between women and men. Gender Reconciliation creates a forum that builds trust and compassionate communication through a skillful combination of interactive exercises, contemplative practices, and transformative group process. The training is appropriate for therapist, health care professionals, NGO leaders, activists, and students. To participate in the India chapter, write to antonia@grworld.org
#Social
From their catchy-kitschy slogans to quick response to complaints, the Mumbai Police twitter outreach has been a gift that has kept on giving. Follow them.
To Contribute to The Catalog, email us at aarambh.prerana @ gmail.com or call/whatsapp on +91-8652625505.
