In his inaugural address at Civil Services Day on April 21st in New Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh warned civil servants that there was no room for relaxation of vigil when it came to dealing with violence in India. He pointed out the violence committed against Dalits was a priority and stressed that the Government would work for the development of far-flung areas in order to strengthen internal security.
India’s Supreme Court is pushing local law enforcement and state Governments to stop caste discrimination by clamping down on discriminatory practices. Recent verdicts include a ban on using different cups for Dalits in tea shops in Tamil Nadu, cracking down on caste-based violence across the country and outlawing the use of derogatory caste names.
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UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Kyung-wha Kang, strongly urges Nepal to act to adopt new legislation to fight rampant caste discrimination in the country. The statements came in connection with Ms. Kang’s April visit to Nepal.
March was a very active month for Dalit women in Nepal who have been busy with activities to mark the International Women’s Day, the Social Women’s Forum and the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The many active participants at the events confirmed that there are plenty of women ready to ensure discrimination against women in Nepal is a thing of the past.
On the 23rd of March the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) bulldozed 750 houses in the Gayatri colony - 80% of which belong to Dalits.
On the International day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal (OHCHR-Nepal) and the National Dalit Commission (NDC) alongside the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the Jagaran Media Center (JMC), have released statements urging the Nepal Government to live up to its commitments and do more to end caste discrimination in the country.
In the new National Budget of India, presented last week, only 4% of the total budget has been allocated to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (SC/STs)- Dalits and Tribals - who make up more than 24% of the total population.
The Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission in Bangladesh, Mr Mizanur Rahman, urged the Government to be more generous in protecting the rights of Dalits at a press conference jointly organised by the Bangladesh Dalit Parishad (BDP) and the Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF).
The latest IDSN newsletter once again underlines that caste discrimination is a serious international human rights issue.
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