Following February’s European Parliament hearing on caste discrimination a hard hitting opinion piece on caste discrimination by MEP Peter van Dalen was yesterday published in New Europe and several other MEPs have taken up the issue on their website and in press releases.

PRESS RELEASE: Brussels, March 1, 2011 (IDSN) --- MEPs stated that EU action must be taken to help end caste discrimination, affecting 260 million people worldwide. The statements came during a hearing on caste discrimination in South Asia, at the European Parliament Monday afternoon. This was also the message delivered by Dalit rights advocators at the hearing, who informed MEPs that concerted action to combat caste discrimination through EU development work, trade agreements and political dialogues, must be taken if development goals in caste-affected countries including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal, are to be achieved and human rights respected.