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DURBAN: The United Nations Human Rights Commission has said the voices of Dalits have been heard by the international community for the first time with NGOs highlighting their issue at the world meet on 'racism' here.
"The NGOs have raised what they called discrimination against Dalits in India and the issue has been brought before the international community," UNHRC Chief Mary Robinson told reporters here on Tuesday.
Robinson, who is also the secretary general of the ongoing World Conference Against Racism (WCAR), lauded the "principled stand" taken by India's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) which opposed the government by raising the issue of casteism at the WCAR plenary session on Monday.
"I congratulate the principled stand taken by the NHRC which stood up to help the Dalits and extended moral support," she said.
She maintained that delegations from across the world were never before heard about the age-old discrimination based on caste and the NGOs by holding marches and rallies had succeeded in incorporating the cause in their declaration at a parallel conference here.
Dalit NGOs have been demanding that casteism be equated with racism in the WCAR final declaration, a move objected to by the official Indian delegation, which is at present being led by Foreign Secretary Chokila Iyer.
The declaration and a programme for action is expected to be adopted on September 7.( PTI )
Source: The Times of India
Posted on 2001-09-06
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