SO YOU THINK YOU’VE HAD A SHITTY DAY?

Please note that these pages are currently under construction and are subject to change

Caste Discrimination

Caste Discrimination is one of the worst and most widespread human rights abuses existing today. It is India’s ‘Hidden
Apartheid’ that even the Indian PM Manmohan Singh has described as ‘a blot on humanity’. But still the practice
of untouchability and caste discrimination persists. Millions of Dalits worldwide still face discrimination in all areas
of their life, both public and private. Caste discrimination is a major cause of poverty and affects deeply the human
rights and life chances of the so-called lower castes.
More than 270 million people worldwide continue to experience discrimination based on their caste and practices
linked to untouchability. Communities severely affected are the Dalits (formerly ‘untouchables’) of South Asia, as
well as an estimated 3 million Burakumin in Japan and ‘caste people’ in West Africa. The majority of Dalits in South
Asia live in chronic poverty and are deprived of or excluded from adequate housing, health care, education, employment,
sanitation, transport and from entering public spaces or places of worship. Dalit communities experience
daily insecurity, uncertainty and violence, usually with no recourse to justice.

Manual Scavenging

It is estimated that around 1.3 million Dalits in India, mostly women, make their living through manual scavenging
- a term used to describe the job of removing human excrement from dry toilets and sewers using basic tools such
as thin boards, buckets and baskets, lined with sacking, carried on the head. Manual scavengers earn as little as 7p
per day. Though this vile and inhumane practice was abolished by law in India in 1993 the practice is deeply entrenched
in South Asian societies. Numerous pieces of legislation exist to protect and promote the rights of Dalits
and workers. However these Acts are largely ignored, even by local authorities who employ thousands of Dalits as
manual scavengers.
Manual scavenging is one of the most extreme forms of caste discrimination and its complicity in the continuaton of this
practice is an international human rights scandal.

The Campaign: Foul Play!

Dalits face violence and intimidation when protesting or speaking out against the lack of policy implementation
and the violation of their rights. Despite this threat an organisation has been set up by manual scavengers in
India called Safai Karmachari Andolan ‘The Liberation Movement of those employed as scavengers’. They have
launched an international campaign to demand an end to this practice by the time of the Commonwealth Games, in Delhi
October 2010.

The Commonwealth Games will take place in Delhi in 2010 under the banner of ‘Humanity, Equality, Destiny’.
These are some of the values denied to India’s Dalits, including 1.3 Manual Scavengers. Dalit Solidarity network is calling for an end to the dangerous, degrading and caste-based occupation of Manual Scavenging before these games take place:

Humanity

Decent Work is a Human Right: Manual Scavenging is one of the most extreme forms of caste discrimination and
the states complicity in its continued practice is an unacceptable human rights scandal.
Keep the Promise: The Indian Government and state authorities must fulfil their own target to eliminate scavenging
by 2009/10 and to fully rehabilitate manual scavengers. This should include access to education, healthcare and
alternative livlihoods.

Equality

Caste Discrimination must be eliminated: Millions of Dalits still suffer caste discrimination in every aspect of their
daily lives. This continued discrimination is the greatest threat to achieving the UN’s Millennium Development Goals in India.

Destiny

This is not our ‘Destiny’!
For millions of Dalits Destiny means a life of discrimination, exploitation and inescapable poverty in occupations
such as manual scavenging.
Support Rehabilitation: The UK Government must step up efforts to eradicate the practice of scavenging and support
rehabilitation policies and programmes for alternative livelihood and sustenance.

Demands:

Caste discrimination must be eliminated. Unless this is achieved Dalits will continue to experience discrimination
and degradation in their employment and their wider lives.
• The UK government should express its concern on this issue and the lack of progress on legislation intended to
eradicate this practice.
• The UK Government’s Department for Internaional Development should use its programmes and funding in India
to actively support the implementation of eradication and rehabilitation programmes to end this human rights
violation.
• The Indian Government should immediately release the Rs800 crores set aside for the liberation, rehabilitation
and re-education of Manual Scavengers and continue funding until rehabilitation is complete.
• The Indian Government should undertake an extensive evaluation into how money already released for the rehabilita
tion of manual scavengers has been spent.
• The Indian Government should ensure all Districts construct safe forms of sanitation to replace dry latrines.
• Free health and Sanitation Programmes should be provided to protect and care for former Manual Scavengers
whose health has been adversely affected by their occupation.
• International institutions, governments, humanitarian organisations, labour organisations and companies must
acknowledge manual scavenging and the massive human rights abuse which it represents. Stepping up efforts
to eradicate its practice should go hand in hand with a commitment to support rehabilitation and training programmes
for alternative livelihood and sustenance providing a living wage for decent work.
• In the lead up to the Commonwealth Games 2010 affirmative action programmes for Dalits should be introduced
to ensure that employment created by the games is equally accessible to Dalits.
• Before these games take place under the banner of ‘Equality, Humanity, Destiny’ the Commonwealth Games
Federation should recognise in its constitution caste as a cause of discrimination, and a barrier to the realisation
of these principles for Dalits. The federation should take all possible steps to challenge caste discrimination within
the 'Games' and beyond.
• All of these measures should be time bound to ensure action and accountability.

Decent Work is a Human Right: Put an end to Manual Scavenging by 2010.

DSNUK Home