Triumphs of Dalit People Against Discrimination: An Insider View

Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as untouchable (a practice in which higher caste people will not touch a Dalit or anything that has come in physical contact with them as they are considered to be sub-human). Despite constitutional abolishment of caste-based discrimination and untouchability, oppression of Dalits, who are viewed as being too low to even be part of the caste system, is one of the most repelling, but enduring, realities of the Indian countryside. By many accounts, they are the largest social group in the world suffering discrimination, based entirely on the happenstance of their birth and lineage and sanctioned by both social and religious traditions.

Navsarjan Trust works predominantly with Dalits and marginalized communities in rural Gujarat, India, where the practice of untouchability is high. The organization also works with Dalits in urban areas and with communities outside the Hindu caste hierarchy (such as Christian and Islamic communities) who are victims of discrimination. Navsarjan is active in around 3,000 Gujarat villages, has won major victories in and out of court, and is a powerful force in fighting caste-based discrimination and other human rights abuses.

Speakers

• Martin Macwan has been a social activist for over 40 years. He founded Navsarjan Trust in 1988.
• Dierdre Williams (moderator) is a senior program officer with the Open Society Education Support Program.