Rather desperate measure to encourage a life time union, and end thousands of years of Hindu caste discrimination.
**India in low caste marriage plan **
The Indian government has suggested financial incentives of $1,100 should be offered to people who marry members of the lowest Hindu castes. Many Indian states already pay money to those who marry Hindus from the lowest castes who are also called dalits. But the amount differs from state to state - in Gujarat a couple gets the full $1,100 (50,000 rupees) - whereas in West Bengal state the amount is $45. The government says it now wants the sum to be the same throughout India.
Break barriers
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, which bears half the cost of the payment, has written to all the states asking them to standardise the minimum amount to $1,100. “I am very keen on this and I have asked all the state governments to back to me,” Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Meira Kumar told the BBC. Ministry officials say encouraging such marriages will ultimately break down caste barriers. They have organised a two-day conference of the state social welfare secretaries in Delhi to discuss the issue. “In our caste-ridden society if someone breaks out of the mould and marries outside of the caste, we want to give them this money as a token of our appreciation. We want to make an example of them so that others will follow them,” Ms Kumar said. She said that inter-caste marriages do happen around the country, but “we want it to grow so much that one day no can say what caste they belong to”.
‘Material incentives’
Many say such a proposal is easy to suggest but hard to implement. Caste is deeply rooted in Indian society and those marrying outside their caste are often ostracised by their family and the wider community. Low caste Hindus complain of frequent discrimination. Delhi-based sociologist Radhika Chopra said that while $1,100 is not a huge amount, it may help a couple to set up a house. She said that the government has always intervened to determine the shape and structure of the family. “They have a rather simplistic view that material incentives always work and there is evidence that monetary incentives have worked in the past in reducing female foeticide or persuading people to adopt family planning measures,” Ms Chopra said. Ministry officials hope the same incentives will work in reducing caste barriers too. “We don’t know how many people marry across caste. Only a fraction of all marriages are registered and this exercise will give us an opportunity to document the number of inter-caste marriages taking place in the country,” a senior official said.
A 40-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly stripped in public and raped by three persons belonging to upper caste over on old land dispute at village Lohabasai in Madhya Pradesh. The victim was stripped and raped on Sunday evening by members of Gurjar community who were involved in a dispute with her over a piece of land, police said on Monday. A complaint was registered against Tarjan Singh Gurjar, Vetal Singh Gurjar and Jagdish Gurjar, police said adding, and the accused were yet to be arrested.
Re: Indian govt plans to pay people to marry from low castes
Yes, Perhaps it will work upto some extent.
Manytimes if a dispute occurs btw a a person belonging to upper caste and low caste, then that person frm low caste simply file a case in Police station that upper caste person abused him becasue s/he is frm Low caste.
Re: Indian govt plans to pay people to marry from low castes
Mods, you conveniently deleted my post about the gang-rape of two lower caste women by upper caste men in Pakistan but didnt think it fit to delete this post from Reza Pehalvi.
BJP govt discriminates Dalits in flood relief: NGOs
The Centre for Dalit Rights (CDR), an NGO, today alleged the BJP government in Rajasthan was discriminating Dalits in distribution of relief and rehabilitation in flood-hit areas especially in Barmer. In a statement here, its Chairperson P L Mimroth alleged that flood-affected Dalits have very little access to massive relief operations even today. “The BJP government failed to provide adequate and basic aid for survival to the meek voiceless and helpless Dalits who lost their lives and houses and animals,” Mimroth charged.
Even the waterlogged areas inhabitated by Dalit people were left behind and the rain water was pumped out from only dominant-caste areas, he alleged. Jaipur-based CDR and National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights said they have received complaints that Dalits were hounded out of relief camps, denied food and water and not even allowed to use relief camp toilets, accomodation and common kitchen facilities owing to prejudices prevailing among victims and other feudal and dominant caste, he said. CDR and NCDHR have set up an eight-member committee to visit the flood-hit areas to ensure that Dalits get access to relief operations, he said.
Re: Indian govt plans to pay people to marry from low castes
^ This is nothing but cheap politics by CDR. The problem with pampering any section of society is that they can always turn around & blackmail you for more. Its a vicious cycle :(
Re: Indian govt plans to pay people to marry from low castes
why they are doing bcz christiian machinary they have active in India to convert poor hinuds to christian by giving them moany and standard of living .S it shows that indian Govt is total failure to come out from poverty line .I m total agree that India is growing but the way they r groing they ignored poor people means the dfifference between poor and rich is increasing which is the dangerous for the society .THAT WHY LOT OF BOMBING IS HAPPENING IN POOR COUNTRY .
Re: Indian govt plans to pay people to marry from low castes
Could conversin help them??? In fact I find all Muslim converts from low cast Hindu origin centuries ago still living in slums and without any education, knowledge etc.
Yes…Christian converts are in much better condition.
Re: Indian govt plans to pay people to marry from low castes
i dont think there is anything wrong in that. government is doing what it is supposed to do.. by promoting intercaste marraiges, govt in bonding the society by relationship thread. intercaste and even inter-religion marriages are quite common in middle class and high class economic group of indian society. however, there are still uneducated masses who believes in castism.
what government need to do is- to 100% free primary education to all. only education can keep the diverse indian society florishing and happy.
Re: Indian govt plans to pay people to marry from low castes
Navtech Very soon this situation will be facing by India. Govt must take some solid step instead of giving quota on caste basis. Poor community like Muslims in India will be a challenge for whole country. Quota will work only for the ppl who belongs frm low caste but what abt upper caste living Below poverty line and poor Muslims. Education is the best way to remove such unsatisfaction, its not btw low caste and upper caste, its btw Poor and rich ppl.
Re: Indian govt plans to pay people to marry from low castes
whar are you trying to prove?? quota system has been employed after independence to allow the poor in mainstream. that time, poors are generally low caste people. Today situation has changed. Many low caste people are rich and quite educated now. surely and definately, rich people will mingle with people of same status. so you see in the urban centers, intercaste marraiges are common and no body objects to it. isn't that a success of quota system??
but i agree with your opinion that quota system is no more useful if given on caste or religion basis. it should be now on economic status rather than the caste or religion.