India: UN Members Should Act to End Caste Discrimination says Human Rights Watch and IDSN
Press Release (HRW & IDSN): (Geneva, May 14, 2012) – United Nations member states should make ending caste-based discrimination a priority when they review India’s human rights record at the UN Human Rights Council in late May, 2012, Human Rights Watch and the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) said today. The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of India at the Human Rights Council is scheduled for May 24.
UPR Pakistan: Joint call for adoption of law prohibiting caste discrimination
Pakistan will be reviewed for the second time by the UPR Working Group at the 14th UPR session on 30 October 2012. On this occassion, Pakistan Dalit Solidarity Network (PDSN) and IDSN have prepared and submitted a stakeholders' report to the OHCHR on 23 April 2012 concerning discrimination against Dalits in Pakistan.
Mass protests in India to reclaim Dalit budgetary rights
On 9th of May thousands of Dalits and Adivasis (Tribals) from all over India stormed up to the Parliament in New Delhi to demand their rightful economic share in the state and union budgets.
Dalits in Nepal unhappy with the preliminary results of the Constitution drafting process
In Nepal, Dalits are protesting the preliminary results of the constitution drafting process as Dalit concerns have not been duly reflected in the proposed 1st draft.
Parliamentarians in India raise their voices for the eradication of manual scavenging
Following a targeted campaign by the National Campaign for Dignity and Eradication of Manual Scavenging and other activists, Indian Parliamentarians are now taking the issue of manual scavenging up in Parliament.
Motion passed in Dutch Parliament on full supply chain transparency in India’s garment industry, following report highlighting Dalits in bonded labour
A Motion in the Dutch Parliament on full supply chain transparency in the garment industry in India has been adopted in the wake of the report ‘Maid in India’ by SOMO and the India Committee of the Netherlands
Dalits in Bangladesh demand budgetary allocations
Bangladesh Dalit Excluded Rights Movement (BDERM) demanded specific allocations development of Dalit communities in the upcoming National Budget. BDERM raised the demands in a seminar organized at Dhaka Reporters Unity on May 5th.
Protest march against diversion of funds meant for Dalits
On April 24th thousands of Dalits marched towards the Indian Parliament to reclaim their rights to vast funds meant for Dalits, which have been diverted or misallocated, to benefit other sections of society. The funds could help lift millions of Dalits out of extreme poverty but are instead being used on general schemes, hardly benefitting Dalits. On the 9th of May, Dalits across several states in India, will also march to put pressure on the Government to ensure that funds allocated for Dalits actually benefit Dalits.
Manual Scavenging highlighted by ILO and others in conferences, reports and a hearing
These past months have seen a flurry of activity to support the struggle to end the abhorrent practice of Dalits being employed to remove human waste from dry latrines manually which persists despite having been officially abolished by law in India since 1993. In India, the ILO has organised a conference to address this problem, a National Public Hearing has been held by the National Campaign for Dignity and Eradication of Manual Scavenging, reports have been released and media have reported widely about the persistence of the practice.
The European Parliament recommends EU legislation and policy measures to eliminate caste discrimination
In the European Parliament’s resolution on the Annual Report on Human Rights in the World and the European Union’s policy on the matter, the European Parliament highlights caste discrimination and, “Recommends initiatives for EU legislation to ensure that attention is paid in EU human rights policy and cooperation instruments to eliminating caste discrimination, and action in caste-affected countries, including Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Yemen.”