Phila Portia Ndwandwe (b.1964-d.1988, also known as Zandile or Zandi) was a fighter of the Natal cadre of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) formed by Muzi Ngwenya (Thami Zulu or “TZ”) operating from Swaziland. MK was the armed wing (Spear of the Nation) of the African National Congress, created by Nelson Mandela in 1961. Zandi was a breastfeeding mother when she was abducted by Apartheid forces and tortured for 10 days to convert her into becoming an informer for the South African government. She was shot in the head after being made to kneel in front of her captors https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phila_Portia_Ndwandwe
Phila Portia Ndwandwe
Phila Portia Ndwandwe (also known as Zandile or Zandi) became part of the Natal Machinery of uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) in 1985 under the leadership of Muzi Ngwenya (Thami Zulu or “TZ”) operating from Swaziland. She was in the unit headed by Ayanda Dlodlo that was responsible for the infiltration of African National Congress (ANC) cadres into Natal. In October 1988, she was abducted by two former MK militants turned informants who requested a meeting with Ndwandwe at the George Hotel in Mazini, Swaziland. Unaware they had become police informers, she attended the meeting with them.The informants entered Swaziland illegally through false documents which was all part of an elaborate plan by the Port Natal Security Branch to abduct Ndwandwe and turn her into an informant as well. The police monitored their meeting and captured her after the two informers turned her over to them.
Antjie Krog gave the keynote address at the Goethe-Institut’s Ãber(W) under Art in Troubled Times conference. This is an extract.
The first artwork [I want to discuss] is by an artist responding to a traumatic revelation at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission; the second, a sculpture by an artist dealing with her own personal trauma.
The truth commissioner spreads the photos on the table. He is reporting on the digging up of the grave of ANC commander Phila Ndwandwe.
The Breast Tax (Mulakkaram or mula-karam in Malayalam) was a tax imposed on the lower caste and untouchable Hindu women by the Kingdom of Tranvancore (in present-day Kerala state of India) if they wanted to cover their breasts in public, until 1924. The lower caste and untouchable women were expected to pay the government a tax on their breasts, as soon as they started developing breasts. The lower caste men had to pay a similar tax, called tala-karam, on their heads.[6] Travancore tax collectors would visit every house to collect breast tax from any lower caste women who passed the age of puberty. The tax was evaluated by the tax collectors depending on the size of their breasts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_Tax?
Nangeli: Woman Who Rebelled For Dignified Existence
It is no secret that women belonging to marginalized communities and scheduled caste were subjected to heinous discrimination until there was a collective reckoning post-independence.
During the 19th century, women from oppressed caste had to pay 'Mula Karam' or breast tax for covering their breasts and the amount was determined by the size of their breasts.
Mainly the Nadar and Ezhava communities were not allowed to cover their chests in front of the privileged caste men. This is because clothes were regarded as a sign of ‘wealth’ and prosperity. Covering the chest was considered as an ‘immodest’ move by the oppressed caste before the rich and royalty. The members of the oppressed caste were burdened with many forms of taxes during this period. Brahmin and Nair communities thrived at the cost of the marginalized people. As per the records, despite the privilege, even Nair women were expected to be "modest" and not cover their chest in front of the Brahmin men. https://www.beyondpinkworld.com/
It has been eight years since my father departed from this world on 3rd May 2012. Gurucharan Murmu, who entered the hallowed IPS (Indian Police Service) in 1972, is the first ever Santal to serve the Union Civil Services. Being his daughter and having to see him suffer all his life for his integrity and for upholding an incorruptible moral universe has been an agonizing experience. While it was personal pain earlier, it is more of anger towards gross violation of social justice that triggers me these days. The persistence of the skilfully devised myth that the thirty four years of left front rule in West Bengal has somehow abolished caste based discrimination is due to the pervasive dominance of the forward caste Bengali bhadralok over political, social, economic and cultural domains and academic discourses. Dismissal, oppression, deprivation, injustice, contempt and most importantly stigma and trauma of humiliation and harassment, “violation of dignity and human rights on account of caste disparity remain brutal everyday realities for adivasis in this state. https://www.raiot.in/many-lives-of-a-santal-ips-officer-in-bhadralok-bengal/?
The activists were pressed with the charges of provoking the workers to act against their employers, leave the city and the complaint was filed by the builders.
‘Down To Earth’-āĻāĻ° āĻāĻ āĻ āĻ¨ুāĻ¸āĻ¨্āĻ§াāĻ¨ āĻĨেāĻে āĻাāĻ¨া āĻেāĻে-Hem Chand Sirohi, the media-savvy Commissioner of Magadh division (which includes Gaya) worked closely with Sarita and Maheshkant. Although Sirohi is one of the few persons who can throw light on the matter, he is incommunicado. Down To Earth’s efforts to contact him also proved futile. He has reportedly proceeded on a long leave. The day Laloo Prasad Yadav visited the area, Sirohi was seen telling local people not to talk to the media about the murders and mention only the good work the two had done. “How can you separate development efforts from politics?” asks an activist who was present.
āĻĻীāĻ¨েāĻļ āĻāĻāĻ āĻŽāĻ¨ে āĻāĻ°āĻ¤ে āĻĒাāĻ°ে-“They wanted children to go to school. What surprised them was that even when provided free education, children were not attending school”
āĻĒāĻ°ে āĻ¤াāĻ°া āĻŦুāĻāĻ¤ে āĻĒাāĻ°āĻ˛-…education didn’t appeal to empty stomachs. Why were food and nutrition inadequate? Because agriculture was in a bad state. This, in turn, was due to the lack of irrigation facilities. Sarita and Maheshkant began to think about ways to tide over the problem.
In series of arrests of Sikh youths, allegedly for their involvement in the ‘Khalistan movement’ Special Cell of Delhi Police has booked 21-year-old Luvpreet Singh under UAPA for being a sympathizer of Khalistan along with two others. https://www.karvaanindia.com/
