UNITED NATIONS WORLDS CONFERENCE ON HUMAN RIGHTS VIENNA, AUSTRIA.
22 JUNE 1993
STATEMENT MADE BY MR. YOGESH VARHADE, PRESIDENT, AMBEDKAR CENTER
FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE, TORONTO, CANADA.
THE PROBLEM OF 250 MILLION "UNTOUCHABLES", THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
OF SOUTH ASIA
Mr. Chairman,
While I am addressing the distinguished delegations at the world
conference on Human Rights, our people, the untouchables, are
being killed, raped, burned alive, and their houses destroyed.
Every hour two untouchables are assaulted. Every day three
untouchable women and children are raped. Every day two
untouchable's houses are burnt. Every day two untouchables are
murdered. These crimes against untouchables, as mentioned above,
are officially reported. This is just a tip of the iceberg. Real
figures could be more than 500,000 per year. This is mainly
happening in the so called "democracies" in South Asia due to
caste hatred against the untouchables.
This Caste system, derived from the HINDU religious belief that
"ALL HUMAN BEINGS ARE NOT BORN EQUAL," is mainly practised where
about 250 million human beings are suffering as untouchables, the
outcastes of the society. THE CASTE SYSTEM AND UNTOUCHABILITY ARE
A SHAME, A STIGMA AND A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY.
This caste system and the untouchability were started hundred of
years ago and perpetuated by the invading Aryans who imposed their
rule on the indigenous peoples and continued their economic,
social and religious exploitation on a permanent basis. THIS CASTE
SYSTEM AND UNTOUCHABILITY AND CRUEL AND AGGRESSIVE FORM OF RACISM
AND ETHNIC OPPRESSION WHICH DIRECTLY CONTRAVENE THE UNITED NATIONS
FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTRUMENT AND OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS
INSTRUMENTS.
Besides that it denies the full participation of intelligence,
competence and contribution of this 250 million ethnic minority in
South Asia who are surviving as just "BEINGS" and not as "HUMAN
BEINGS WITH DIGNITY"
Therefore, we call upon The World Conference on Human Rights to:
1. Appoint a special rapporteur to carry out a study of the Human
Rights situation of the untouchables in South Asia.
2. Establish linkages between international financing of
development programmes and incidence of human rights
violation in the region.3. (As contained in the UN Bangkok
NGOs declaration, section -
Action by the UN and International Mechanism...para 7 page -
17, document No A/CONF.157/ASRM/4, 30 March 1993) "TAKE
APPROPRIATE STEPS TO ERADICATE THE PRACTICE OF UNTOUCHABILITY
WHICH IS A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY AND DISCRIMINATION ON THE
BASIS OF CASTE, RELIGION AND OTHER FACTORS BY THE YEAR 2000,
FAILING WHICH SANCTIONS WILL BE IMPOSED, KEEPING IN VIEW THAT
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS FINANCED BY UNDP AND IFIS OF THE POOR ARE
NOT AFFECTED"
4. Appoint a special committee to initiate a process of declaring
untouchables an indigenous people of South Asia to whom all
UN resolutions on indigenous peoples should be applicable.
5. Call upon governments to facilitate access by international
media and independent observers for investigations into the
Human Rights situations regarding the untouchables.
6. Appoint urgently Human Rights Education Commissions in all
South Asian countries and monitor Human Rights Education in
collaboration with the governments of the region.
7. Create a special Cell in UN Center for Human Rights to monitor
the massive H.R. violations of untouchables (H.R. violations
could exceed 500,000 per year) because this "APARTHEID OF
SOUTH ASIA" IS WORSE THAN "APARTHEID OF SOUTH AFRICA".
8. Condemn and reform all such educational systems which
contravene the fundamental human rights declarations of the
United Nations and other human rights instruments of UN.
9. Work in collaboration with the governments of the region to
set up the budgetary provisions (in proportion to their
population) as a matter of emergency programmes for economic
upliftment and empowerment of the untouchables. Such
programmes should have following priorities.
a. TOTAL REHABILITATION FROM VILLAGES TO SUB-DISTRICTS.
(because of maximum atrocities taking place in villages
for centuries)
b. COMPULSORY EDUCATION (illiteracy being 90% among
untouchables)
c. SEPARATE ELECTORATE TO ELECT THEIR OWN REPRESENTATIVE.
d. NATIONAL CO-OPERATIVE PROJECTS FOR THEIR FULL
PARTICIPATION AND ECONOMIC SURVIVAL. (most of the
untouchables are below poverty line)
I, therefore, urge the UN World Conference to give a serious
consideration for our recommendations.
I thank you.
Sincerely yours,
Yogesh Varhade, President, Ambedkar Center for Justice and Peace
Canada and UN Representative, The Council of Indigenous Dalits of
India.