Dalits form human chain in Dhaka
The Dalit community in Bangladesh has urged the government to enact a special law that makes caste discrimination a punishable offence.
Dalits on dignity march in New Delhi
The National Confederation of Dalit Organisations (NACDOR) has submitted a memorandum to Indian PM Manmohan Singh. The 80 demands are aimed at empowering the poor and deprived.
Experts condemn India’s UN stance on caste
India should adopt the UN principles and guidelines to end caste discrimination, a group of eminent panelists said at a press briefing in New Delhi on 4 December.
“We are not thought of as human”
The Guardian has published an investigation into the lives of Dalit women in Bangladesh. The author of the article, Mary Griffin, came second in the British newspaper’s International Development Journalism Competition.
AI USA urges Obama to address Dalit issues
Abuses against Dalits are listed among several pressing human rights concerns in an open letter from Amnesty International USA to US President Barack Obama on the eve of the Indian Prime Minister’s state visit to Washington.
Dalit delegation meets EU officials
Two Dalit representatives from India and one from Nepal joined their IDSN colleagues in Brussels last week to inform European Union officials about the nature and scale of caste discrimination in South Asia.
Report: Caste discrimination rife in UK
Tens of thousands of people of South Asian origin face caste discrimination in the workplace, the classroom and the doctor’s surgery, says a new study by the Anti Caste Discrimination Alliance (ACDA). The Alliance is campaigning to make caste discrimination illegal in the UK.
UN Special Rapporteur urges States to “rally around” caste guidelines
At the 64th session of the UN General Assembly the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, Mr. Githu Muigai, expressed his serious concern about caste discrimination and recommended States to “engage in substantive discussions on this topic”. He specifically called on States to take action on the draft UN principles and guidelines to eliminate caste discrimination.
UN Minority Forum: More political participation for Dalits
IDSN urges the UN Forum on Minority issues to consider ways to enhance political participation, especially for Dalit women.
Dalit activist released in Pakistan
A Pakistani Dalit activist and human rights defender was released by his abductors on 28 October after having endured 34 days of captivity.