The Bahujan Samaj Party and the Lok Jan Shakti Party on Saturday demanded that sociologist Ashis Nandy be arrested and that the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act be invoked against him for his comments against Dalits and backward classes at the Jaipur Literature Festival.
Demanding an “immediate apology” from him, BSP leader Mayawati said, “Ashis Nandy is trying to malign Dalits and OBCs. His statement is far from the truth, condemnable, unfortunate and reflective of a casteist mindset. The Rajasthan government should send him to jail after lodging a case against him under the SC/ST Act and other stringent Sections, otherwise people would be compelled to come out on the streets to protest.”
Mr. Nandy’s comments that “most corrupt people come from the OBCs, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe communities’’ sparked a major row during a panel discussion, prompting him to clarify that he had been misquoted.
Asking the organisers to bar him from participating in the lit fest, Ms. Mayawati said his comments seemed to emerge from a “well thought-out scheme to defame these sections.”
Mr. Nandy later said what he meant was that most of the people getting caught for corruption were people from these communities as they did not have the means to save themselves unlike people from upper castes.
Asked about her ‘next step’, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said she would wait and watch.
Patna Staff Reporter reports:
In Patna, LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan, in a statement, accused Mr. Nandy of spreading “caste hatred” and said he should be arrested under the National Security Act.
LJP principal general secretary Raghavendra Singh Kushwaha alleged that Mr. Nandy represented the section which had misused its might and intellect to gain dominance over 80 per cent of the country’s resources and that he had made similar baseless remarks in the past also.
Keywords: Jaipur Lit Fest, JLF 2013, Ashis Nandy, caste and corruption, casteism, corruption in India, Republic of Ideas, Republic Day, Mayawati
After seeing most of the government official work culture and discipline
and irresponsible nature in their work,i feel what mr.nandy said was
correct.especially in tn state govt offices. bribe is an additional fees
for their regular duties also. but i salute those who are working with
responsibility and dedication in their work.
He shall be put behind the bar immediately for this type of
irresponsible comment.
Are all the scams of lacs of rupees in India done the by SC, STs. Is it
possible for him to stay out side the bar if such type of statement done
for the specific group of minorities. Not only that there is a
indication to keep away that groups from the power to loot the country.
matter is over he apologised now
First, Reservation is an excuse to propogate vote banks, thats all.
Second, What happened to freedom of speech.
Third, Is this really something he should be arrested for.
Well I am not sure if Mr Nandy has any data to prove that people from
the sections he quotes become corrupt at disproportional rate once
they get power. Having said that, he may not seek to invite such a
controversy without being able to substantiate it. Being what Mr Nandy
is, he and his words have a lot more credibility to me than that of
any single politician in this country. I do not need to elaborate the
reasons for that. This sad state of affairs have been brought on by
the politician themselves. Unfortunately it is the thief that guards
the fence in our country.
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