Dalit group wins Korean award
Published Date: March 15, 2010
Indian human rights group Janodayam has asked for international
support to help dalit (former lower caste) people, after receiving
this year's Bishop Tji Hak-soon Justice and Peace Award in Korea.
"Every day, three dalit people are killed, three dalit women are raped
and 15 dalit houses are burnt. Simply because we are dalit who are
supposed to be 'impure and polluted' by birth, according to Hindu
scripture," said Jesuit Father Lourdunathan Yesumarian, who is also a
dalit.
"People talk about human rights but we, dalit, fight for the right to
be human," said the secretary of the Janodayam Social Education Center
in Chennai, India.
"But we really need help and solidarity from the international
community to overcome such cruel discrimination," he said.
He was speaking to 170 people from various human rights and Church
groups at the Tji Hak-soon Justice and Peace Foundation's annual award
ceremony in Seoul.
The award honors the late Bishop Daniel Tji of Wonju, who campaigned
against Korea's former military rulers and was introduced in 1997. It
includes a US$10,000 cash prize.
Janodayam means "those who rise up for revolution".
The organization was founded in Chennai in 1984 by dalit to support
others in the former lower caste.
"Despite the fact I am a Catholic priest and lawyer, I have been
arrested four times and imprisoned three times," Father Yesumarian
said. "Once I was stripped naked and tortured by police for 14 hours.
Can you imagine what has happened to ordinary dalit people?"
The foundation recognized the group's efforts in helping organizing
and promoting awareness among the dalit and in providing leadership in
efforts to protect their rights.
It also noted that Janodayam has greatly contributed to promoting
dalit issues in society and bringing the plight of the dalit people to
the attention of the international community.
Monsignor Phillip Kim Byeong-sang, chairman of the foundation, praised
Janodayam for bringing hope to the world amid power struggles,
untruths and hypocrisy.
He offered encouragement by saying the election of Meira Kumar, a
dalit, as the first woman speaker of the Indian House of the People
last year, was a symbolic event for dalit and women's rights.
Father Yesumarian told UCA News that "once you are born a dalit you
remain one forever. Of India's some 1.2 billion population, 270
million are dalit who are segregated and discriminated against, even
in the Catholic Church."
He called for the "Korean government and the bishops' conference to
put pressure on their Indian counterparts because it is a human rights
issue, not merely a domestic or national issue."
Source: Dalit group Janodayam wins Tji Hak-soon award (UCAN)
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