December 1, 2009
Calling the world's attention to the caste issue in India
For more on the Indian Prime Minister's visit to Washington D.C. last
week, Worldfocus spoke with Ramaiah Avatthi, a professor at the Tata
Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai.
Currently a Fulbright Scholar at Columbia University, Ramaiah contends
that Manmohan Singh has largely ignored the issue of caste-based
discrimination and atrocities.
The caste system is the traditional South Asian hierarchy that
consigns people, based on their birth, to ranked social classes.
Worldfocus: Do you think Prime Minister Singh avoided certain issues
during his U.S. visit?
Ramaiah Avatthi: Before Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's meeting
with U.S. President Barack Obama, human rights organizations such as
Amnesty International urged Obama to persuade Singh to address the
human rights concerns, particularly caste violence against Dalits
(formerly known as Untouchables). This group, also known as Scheduled
Castes, constitutes around 165 million in India — and up to 250
million in South Asia.
The two leaders focused on Afghanistan/Pakistan, the fight against
terrorism, global warming, economic development and nuclear
proliferation. Thus the scope for discussion of caste was very
limited.
Worldfocus: How would you assess casteism in India today?
Ramaiah Avatthi: The Dalits are subjected to inhuman torture and
humiliation when they try to live with dignity like other citizens of
India. Their assertiveness is often met with dire consequences.
There have been incidents in the recent past in which some Dalits were
forced to consume human excreta and urine. Some were blinded by
pushing needle into their eyes. Dalits have been raped and murdered
and sometimes paraded naked.
Some non-Dalit families, particularly in states like Haryana, choose
to kill their daughters for their "crime" of falling in love with
Dalit boys. They are denied the minimum wage and forced work for
generations as bonded labor. Most child labor also belongs to Dalit
communities. This is not a thing of the past but is very much a part
of day-to-day reality in most parts of rural India.
Worldfocus: What concrete policy changes should PM Singh implement?
Ramaiah Avatthi: There are a number of Constitutional safeguards to
protect Dalits from injustice and exploitation. But we need more
welfare measures to improve their educational and economic condition
and to ensure representation in decision-making bodies.
Worldfocus: Has the international community taken note of the Dalit situation?
Ramaiah Avatthi: With the relentless efforts of Dalit activists and
civil society organizations in the last 50 years, the issue of caste
has come to center stage at the UN. Yet, violence against Dalits
continues.
According to our National Crime Records Bureau, the number of crimes
against Dalits increased from 26,887 in 2004 to 27,070 in 2006. Even
brutal crimes such as rape and murder are on the increase. For
instance, the number of Dalits reported to have been murdered by
non-Dalits was 654 in 2004 and 674 in 2007.
Similarly, the number of reported cases of Dalit women being raped by
the non-Dalit men was 1157 in 2004 and 1349 in 2007. Why do crimes
against Dalits continue unabated, despite powerful laws against
atrocities? Is the law ineffective — or the government?
It is interesting to note what Martin Luther King said in 1955: "You
have never had real peace in Montgomery. You have had a sort of
negative peace in which the Negro too often accepted his state of
subordination. But this is not true peace. True peace is not merely
the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice. The tension we
see in Montgomery today is the necessary tension that comes when the
oppressed rise up and start to move forward toward a permanent,
positive peace."
It is also interesting to note what the Indian Prime Minister said in
his speech at the White House on November 23: "India and the U.S. are
bound by democracy, rule of law and respect for fundamental human
freedoms." This was a response to President Obama's declaration that
the relationship "between the U.S. and India is one of the defining
partnerships of the 21st century."
The crux of the matter is whether such statements will remain merely
rhetoric — or will actually promote justice for oppressed communities
in both countries.
Watch the Worldfocus signature video: One woman fights for members of
India's lowest caste
http://worldfocus.org/blog/2009/03/31/one-woman-fights-for-members-of-indias-lowest-caste/4720/
Watch the Worldfocus signature video: India's "untouchables" trudge
through the sewers
http://worldfocus.org/blog/2009/03/30/indias-untouchables-trudge-through-sewers/4699/
Read more in Worldfocus Perspectives: Indian nationalism begins to
challenge caste destiny
http://worldfocus.org/blog/2009/04/03/indian-nationalism-begins-to-challenge-caste-destiny/4786/
- Ben Piven
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