Movement 100

1 December 1997, more than 2OO armed
upper-caste men surrounded the village.
Some Dalit men nearby fled, believing
that the gunmen would not attack their
sleeping families. They were wrong.
During the next two and a half hours. the
gunmen killed 61 people, including 26
women and 19 children under the age of
10.
The Dalits have responded to this
situation by forming a united
movement, bringing together Sikh,
Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Buddhist and
secular Dalits to work for their liberation.
This movement has called for
Westerners to show solidarity by
putting pressure on the lndian authorities
to protect the human rights of
Dalits. ln response, Khalsa Human
Rights, an interfaith group working for
human rights in lndia, is running a Dalit
Solidarity Campaign.
MADRAS TO LONDON
showed how his status as a Dalit and a
Bishop has caused controversy within
the church. Visiting one parish, he
found the words "Paraiyar Bishop Go
Home" daubed on the church wall. Our
word "pariah"' comes from this word
"Paraiyar" that non-Dalits use to
information. Henry's Dalit Liberation
Education Trust works with Dalits,
especially young people and women, for
the three Rs of Dalit liberation
education: self-realisation, self-reliance
and self-respect. The Trust are
establishing a residential centre, the
ishop Azariah, the Bishop of
Madras, and Henry Thiagaraj, of
the Dalit Liberation Education
Trust of lndia arrived at London
Heathrow Airport at 12.40 pm, UK
Time. They had just spent an intense
week with a United Nations working
group in Geneva, speaking of the plight
of lndia's Dalits. They spoke with
authority on Dalits as they are Dalits
themselves.
They had come to London to meet
with the new Dalit Network, an initiative
of David Haslam of the Churches
Commission on Racial Justice. The Dalit
Network brings together religious groups,
human rights organisations, development
agencies and concerned individuals to
listen to Dalits and to co-ordinate action
to show solidarity with them.
Bishop Azariah spoke from his own
experience as a "Paraiyar Bishop." He
describe Dalits in this part of South
lndia. Bishop Azariah talked of the
impact of caste ideology on the selfrespect
of Dalits.
Henry Thiagaraj said that "Every
hour two Dalits are assaulted, every day
MORE THAN 2OO ARMED UPPER.
CASTE TvIEN SURROUNDED THE
VILLAGE. SOME DALIT I'IEN
HEARBY FLED, BELIEVIHG THAT
THE GUH]'|EH YVOUTD NOT
ATTACK THEIR SLEEPIHG FAIVITLIES.
THEY WERE YVROHG. DURIHG THE
NEXT TIYO AHD A HALF HOURS,
THE GUN]'|EH KILLED 6l PEOPLE'
IHCLUDIHG 26 VVO]'|EN AND l9
CHILDREN UHDER THE AGE OF I O.
three Dalit women are raped, two Dalits
are murdered, two Dalit houses are
burned, in lndia." These figures are
based on official lndian Government
movcmgnt 10
Delta Project, for the liberation and
ecological awareness of Dalits.
Learning from the Dalit experience, we
could consider our own culture. Who are
people in our society reluctant to touch?
Do women have true equality here? And
what kinds of people are left on the
margins by our religious institutions?
The new Dalit Network in the UK
will meet visiting Dalits and show
solidarity with them. You are warmly
invited to participate in these meetings.
Such solidarity is needed. ln the words
of Bishop Azariah. "The experience of
the Dalits is rejection." fit
Alwyn Jones works for Khalsa Human
Rights in Leicester.
. lf you would like to book a Dalit
Solidarity workshop for your local
group contact Alwyn Joneq Khalsa
Human Rightc 9 Holy Bones, leiqester
LEI 4lJ, UK, teUfax 0116 262 4264
KhalsaHR@dial. pipex.com.
o For information about th6 Dalit
Network, contact the Rev. David
Haslam, Convenor, Dalit Network, c/o
Churches Commission for Racial
Justice, Councit of Ghurches for Britain
and lreland, 35 Lower Marsh,
Waterloo, london SEl 7RL.