Caste Discrimination against India's “Untouchables” - Human Rights ...

Human Rights Watch and the CHRGJ respectfully request that the following issues be raised
in the List of Issues addressed to the State Party and in the State Party examination.
Article 1
In response to the Committee’s request that the Government of India submit information on
issues pertaining to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, India’s periodic report states
that “‘caste’ cannot be equated with ‘race’ or covered under ‘descent’ under Article 1 of the
Convention.” India’s position directly contradicts the Committee’s interpretation of Article 1
in General Recommendation XXIX that “discrimination based on ‘descent’ includes
discrimination against members of communities based on forms of social stratification such
as caste and analogous systems of inherited status.” However, we welcome Prime Minister
Singh’s comment on December 27, 2006 that:
Dalits have faced a unique discrimination in our society that is fundamentally
different from the problems of minority groups in general. The only parallel to the
practice of ‘untouchability’ was Apartheid in South Africa. Untouchability is not just
social discrimination. It is a blot on humanity.
We hope that this statement will prompt appropriate reforms in government policies.
On the basis of this information, we respectfully request that the following issues be raised
with the State Party:
• Elaborate upon the basis for India’s position that descent-based discrimination does
not encompass caste discrimination, including why India has not brought its
definition of descent-based discrimination in line with the Committee’s General
Recommendation XXIX.
• Elaborate on measures taken pursuant to General Recommendation XXIX, and
monitor and report on such measures.
• Provide data, disaggregated inter alia, by caste and gender on the enjoyment of
Convention rights.
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