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Dalit issue heard for the first time in world community: UNHCR
For the first time, the voices of dalits in India have been heard by the international community and their NGOs are able to highlight their issue, United Nations Human Rights Commission has said.
For the first time, the voices of dalits in India have been heard by the international community and their NGOs are able to highlight their issue, United Nations Human Rights Commission has said.
The NGOs have raised what they called discrimination against dalits in India and the issue has been brought before the international community, UNHRC chief Mary Robinson told reporters in Durban. Robinson, who is also the secretary general of the ongoing World Conference Against Racism (WCAR), lauded the principled stand taken by INDIA's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) which opposed the government by raising the issue of casteism at the WCAR plenary session.
She maintained that delegations from across the world were never before heard about the age-old discrimination based on caste and the NGOs by holding marches and rallies had succeeded in incorporating the cause in their declaration at a parallel conference in Durban. Dalit NGOs have been demanding that casteism be equated with racism in the WCAR final declaration, a move objected to by the official Indian delegation, which is at present being led by foreign secretary Chokila Iyer.
The declaration and a programme for action is expected to be adopted on September 7. Bureau Report
The NGOs have raised what they called discrimination against dalits in India and the issue has been brought before the international community, UNHRC chief Mary Robinson told reporters in Durban. Robinson, who is also the secretary general of the ongoing World Conference Against Racism (WCAR), lauded the principled stand taken by INDIA's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) which opposed the government by raising the issue of casteism at the WCAR plenary session.
She maintained that delegations from across the world were never before heard about the age-old discrimination based on caste and the NGOs by holding marches and rallies had succeeded in incorporating the cause in their declaration at a parallel conference in Durban. Dalit NGOs have been demanding that casteism be equated with racism in the WCAR final declaration, a move objected to by the official Indian delegation, which is at present being led by foreign secretary Chokila Iyer.
The declaration and a programme for action is expected to be adopted on September 7. Bureau Report