Presentation Dalit Rights

the commitment to establish Dalit Rights in the contemporary world by the year 2020, the Dalit Rights Movement must be connected at all levels through networking, collaborating, and mobilizing. This Movement shall strive to achieve respect for the equal freedom and dignity of all human beings, particularly Dalit people who are most vulnerable. Their entitlement to equal rights and freedoms without distinction of caste, work or descent, race, gender, social origin, birth or other status, including analogous systems of inherited status, must be respected globally. The Dalits' plight is a contemporary human rights crisis, often referred to as a 'hidden apartheid,' in which Dalits are forced into slave or bonded labor and manual scavenging, denied access to their share of natural and other community resources, and refused services at public establishments solely on the basis of their caste or work and descent. Such discrimination is especially harsh for women, girls and children, resulting in caste-based sexual violence, which includes heinous atrocities such as gang rape, being stripped and paraded naked, mutilation of body parts, lynching, cutting and burning alive, caste--based honor killing, murder, and forced sex trafficking. We, the delegates of the First Global Conference on Defending Dalit Rights in Washington, D.C. recognize caste--based discrimination and all other forms of discrimination and inequality as key challenges to achieving inclusive democracy, human rights, justice, good governance, rule of law, and Sustainable Development Goals, including establishing a casteless society and empowering Dalits in a caste--sensitive Post--2015 development agenda. The meaningful implementation of existing international human rights agreements by Member States of the United Nations must take place in order for Dalits and other vulnerable groups with requisite political will, civic engagement, skills, technologies and resources, to achieve equality and equal access to justice.

Social justice is the spirit and vision of the Indian Constitution. It is the duty of the state to secure a social order in which the legal system of the nation promotes justice on the basis of equal opportunity and, in particular, ensures that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities. This article makes an attempt to explore Ambedkar's ideas on social justice. Thereafter, it focuses on Ambedkar's struggles and ideas on social justice in the Indian context and it finally explores the relevance of his mission for social justice in the present times.

dominance of Brahmins and considers Hinduism itself as an oppressive class/caste/patriarchal force. As Gail Omvedt observes, 'the logic of dalit politics comprises its antagonism towards Hinduism as Brahmanic hegemony and that this hegemony had to be overthrown' 1. Consequently, the inner dynamism of dalit assertion, often revolves round the protests of downtrodden castes against the exploitative social structure and hierarchical social order where the dominant castes wield the social status, economic resource and political power. The plight of dalits, on the contrary, remains always as subjugated, dehumanized and deprived in different spheres of life. As a struggle to claim equal status and human dignity, the resistance against casteism, thus, becomes the crucial crusade and challenging task of dalit society. Ambedkar, while vehemently attacking caste oppression, upheld a humanist social vision, a broader perspective to address the concerns of the lowest strata of society. He turned to Buddhism, as he understood that a religious tradition is needed to fulfill this noble vision. It is an integral approach envisioned to establish an egalitarian society based on the principles of freedom, equality and human dignity. And it is such a vision which makes the dalit movement an integral part of a wider search for an alternative society. At the same time, it should be remembered that the ideals of this visionary has always laid great emphasis on the political empowerment of downtrodden castes and considered it as the most effective means to solve their varied other deprivations. He envisioned a 'politically active dalit community' fully coordinated and supported by the organizational strength of the masses. It is the task of the dalit organizations of the country to fulfill this dream of Ambedkar in accordance with the pulses of changing times. Dalits 2 have been called by different names as untouchables, outcastes, avarnas etc as the oppressed and exploited sections of society. Mahatma movement as its important component. Focused on different states as Andhra, Maharashtra, Mysore etc, the book analyses the ideology as well as the organization of the movement and its interaction with the freedom struggle and labourers. The study also makes a critical analysis of Ambedkarism, the dominant ideology of the dalit movements in the country.

ICDR , 2021

This report is a part of our Dalit Justice Defenders Initiative, and a part one of a four-part report examining the challenges and opportunities available for the Dalit justice defenders’ community across South Asia. Due to various reasons including the impact of COVID-19 on South Asia, the reports were released in four parts discussing one country at a time. The first chapter discusses the justice sector for Dalits in Nepal, the second examines the same issue in Bangladesh, and the third chapter focuses on Dalits in India, and finally the fourth chapter explains about the caste discrimination in Pakistan. This chapter concludes with lessons learned and recommendations for policymakers, judges, bar councils, and other governmental agencies. Defenders of Dalit human rights identify discrimination, harassment, barriers to access to legal recourse, and lack of mainstreaming as key issues in the community. Dalit justice defenders report experiencing discrimination, derogatory comments, denial of professional growth opportunities and equality in bar representation, and lack of sensitization of the judiciary towards the marginalization of the community as important challenges. While the condition for Dalits has improved in some ways over time across South Asia, Dalits still face serious challenges in entering certain professional fields, especially in the justice sector. While many international organizations have examined the condition of Dalits overall, little attention has been paid to the legal profession specifically. This report evaluates the lack of representation of Dalits in the justice sector and its impact on access to justice for the Dalit community at large, proposing both regional and country-specific recommendations to improve this situation. Each chapter in the report utilizes a similar methodology by relying on desk research as well as structured interviews with the Dalit justice defenders’ community. Additionally, the report’s authors are either members of the Dalit community or have worked directly with the community to assist in issues related to the justice sector.