I am very pleased to join Dalit Solidarity UK as its Director to continue to pursue my drean and vision of a world without caste discrimination.
Today, 10th October is celebrated as the World Mental Health Day since 1992. This year’s theme is ‘Mental Health at Workplace’ which becomes very relevant for Dalits who face brutal discrimination in their workplaces especially in South Asian Countries where it is practiced, and Migration of the dominant population to other parts of world where they generally continue to observe caste discrimination in discrete ways. We especially remember those who still work as manual scavengers, farmers who face the brunt of being humiliated, and exploited.
Last year’s theme too, ‘End the stigma and discrimination’ was very apt to describe the identity of Dalits who face these realities every day in their lives. Mental health issues are faced generation after generation and can be traced back to more than 2000 years in human history. This calls us to act in solidarity with Dalits who bear the brunt of discrimination and stigma, losing their mental health at workplaces. At this point we also remember all those who are unemployed and face mental health issues. We once again pledge our solidarity as DSN UK, to work for a world without caste discrimination here in UK, South Asian countries and other parts of the world.
Dr Elizabeth Joy
Director – DSN UK
10th Dec 2024
Dalit Solidarity Network UK (DSN-UK) announces appointment of its director Dr Elizabeth Joy from September 2024
9th October 2024
Bala Gnanapragasam the Chair of DSN UK said,
“I am delighted to welcome Dr Elizabeth Joy as the Director at the DSN-UK to further DSN UK’s vision of ‘a world without caste discrimination’.
She brings a wealth of experience and skills, including two decades of proven leadership, including as General Secretary of the Student Christian Movement of India and Executive Secretary for Mission Education at the Council for World Mission. As a Director/Trustee of Churches Together in England, she led initiatives against modern slavery. She also holds a PhD from King’s College London, where she previously taught social ethics and applied ethics.
She is an activist and a visionary, who has lived and worked with multi-cultural and multi-faith communities. She has worked extensively for the cause of Dalit Rights as Human Rights. She works towards building inclusive and transformed communities that overcome discriminations based on caste, age, gender, ethnicity and race. “
We are recruiting!
14th May 2024
We are recruiting for a new Director and Office Administrator.
The Dalit Solidarity Network is a small human rights organisation working to eliminate caste-based discrimination in the UK and South Asia.
Director:
We are now seeking a part-time Director for 3 days/week to: develop and deliver of DSN-UK’s overall strategy and objectives; provide strategic leadership to influence the policy and practice of key stakeholders to further DSN’s vision of a ‘world without caste discrimination’; and to lead overall management of DSN-UK, including management of DSN-UK staff, its finances and other resources.
London-based but hybrid-working arrangements (from home and on site) will be considered. Deadline for applications: 13 June 2024.
Anti-Legislation Lobby want ‘caste’ to be replaced with ‘class’
30th April 2019
Our Director, Meena Varma, appeared on Radio 4’s Sunday programme, to discuss the Guidance Document on Caste Discrimination, which is shortly due to be published by the Government. At present both sides are unhappy with what has been produced. Satish Sharma of the National Council of Hindu Temples has argued that the use of ‘caste’ brings up an association with Hindus and implies that the religion is discriminatory. Instead, they would like to see the word ‘class’ put in its place – however, there is a vast difference between the two terms. In response, Meena stated that there is no definition of ‘caste’ in the current Guidance, and while the pro-Legislation groups continue to lobby for caste based discrimination to be enshrined in law, it is essential that the final document clearly explains to both service users and victims what their rights are. You can find the article at https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0004l7z, starting around 19 minutes 22 seconds.
Celebrate Zero Discrimination – end caste-based discrimination
1st March 2019
Today is March 1st and we mark the celebration of Zero Discrimination Day. Set up by UNAIDS, it is an annual day celebrated by the UN and other international organisations. This year focuses on tackling discriminatory laws around the world.
With the strapline ‘Saving Lives, Leaving No One Behind’, it is a timely reminder that however far we think we have come in progressing past discrimination on the basis of race, religion, caste, gender, sexual orientation or disability, there remains much to be done around the globe.
Theoretically, there are a number of human rights treaties (including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) that states are obliged to adhere to, but differing cultural norms, political wrangling and a rising nationalism seem to trump the moral position that all of us are equal. However, there is more to this than being just another day that NGOs can use as an excuse for a campaign: there have been some significant successes achieved by focusing their efforts.
Although progress is undoubtedly being made – for example, in 2018 same-sex relationships were decriminalised in India – it is important not to rest on our laurels. In the case of India, while the issue of sexual orientation is finally being confronted head on, the protections against caste-based discrimination are being eroded: the reservation system that gave ‘untouchables’, now more commonly known as Dalits, better access to education and employment has recently been diluted by the government’s decision to allow a quota of impoverished so-called ‘higher’ caste citizens to benefit as well. In effect this has downplayed the centuries of discrimination suffered by 25 per cent of the population, forced to do the most menial and dangerous of jobs for little or no pay, and ostracised by the rest of the community, to the extent where they are not allowed to share the same drinking water, study in the same schools or live in the same area.
Dalit Solidarity Network UK is part of the UK BOND Caste and Development group which is soon to launch a new report on Caste and Development: Tackling Discrimination Based on Work and Descent. A caste-sensitive approach is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2030 Leave No-one Behind. And its aim is to advance the SDGs for many millions of people across the world who would otherwise be overlooked.
So, despite the temptation to ignore the wider issues of the world, Zero Discrimination Day still has a major part to play on the road towards a global egalitarian society, and as individuals it is incredible what our actions can collectively achieve.
UK Government will repeal caste law
13th August 2018
The Government Equalities Office have finally published the results of the six-month public consultation on Caste in Great Britain and Equality Law, determining whether ‘caste’ should be included in the Equality Act 2010.
The consultation, launched in March 2017 and finished in September 2017, has at last been announced, one day before the beginning of Parliament’s Summer Recess, leaving little opportunity for pro-legislators to respond in a timely manner. Consisting of 13 questions, the crux of the matter was to find out whether caste discrimination should be included in Statue Law or remain under Case Law.
Penny Mordaunt, the Secretary for Women and Equalities, stated in parliament yesterday that “The Government’s primary concern is to ensure that legal protection against caste discrimination is sufficient, appropriate and proportionate.” Consequently, any future instances of caste discrimination will have to rely on case law. Her full response can be found at https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2018-07-23/debates/18072314000022/GovernmentResponseToCasteConsultation.
After over 16,000 responses – well above the average – tragically, the government have concluded that ‘caste’ is already covered under ‘ethnic origins’ and that including the term in legislation is both unnecessary and divisive. In all, 8,513 respondents favoured relying on case law, 2,885 were in favour of legislation and 3,588 rejected both options; 1,113 respondents didn’t know or were not sure which option would be most appropriate. While pro-legislation campaigners have emphasised that this is not an issue of religious persecution, the Hindu and Sikh lobbies have seen it as just that. And despite the government’s reassurance that the analysis would be qualitative rather than quantitative, it appears that certain voices have been louder than others.
The consultation analysis seems to doubt whether caste discrimination exists in Great Britain, but this in itself creates a ‘Catch-22’: how are victims meant to report this type of discrimination if the crime is not recognised? The role of the government should be prophylactic, and clearly condemn caste discrimination in all its form via legislation, rather than waiting to see if any victims are brave enough to endure a court system that at present has only one piece of case law to reference.
Meena Varma, Director of DSN-UK, has expressed her extreme disappointment over the result: “It seems that the government has decided that the issue is not significant enough to ensure legal protection. The victims of this form of discrimination will continue to suffer, as the government refuses to acknowledge that the problem exists. Emerging case law cannot provide enough protection for those subjected to caste discrimination. It usually takes years and a mountain of cases before case law stands any chance being upheld in court. The tragedy in all of this is that it will continue to be a hidden problem as those seeking help will believe that there is scant legal recourse for them in Great Britain.”
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on racism visit to the UK
23rd May 2018
The Special Rapporteur (SR) on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, Ms. E. Tendayi Achiume, on Friday, 11 May 2018, concluded her official visit to the UK and issued her end of mission statement. During the visit the Special Rapporteur met with the UK government and Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales representatives. Ms Achiume also met with civil society in London, Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast.
Dalit Solidarity Network UK made a submission to the SR prior to her visit to raise the issue of caste-based discrimination and attended meetings in London to further discuss the issues of lack of protection against caste-based discrimination in the UK. The SR took a note of it and included a paragraph in her end of visit statement:
‘In my consultations, it emerged clearly that most stakeholders largely view the formal UK legal framework governing equality and hate crimes positively. There are some exceptional concerns however, including: the decision by the UK Government not to bring into effect the provisions in the Equality Act 2010 regarding socio-economic inequalities and intersectional discrimination; and concerns regarding the legal status of caste-based discrimination.’
The Special Rapporteur will present her full report on the country visit to the United Nations Human Rights Council in June 2019. Ms Achiume will continue to accept submissions on the situation in the UK until November 2018.
‘Dalit theology on caste Discrimination’ event in London
21st May 2018
On 25 April 2018, DSN-UK in collaboration with Amos Trust, Churches Dalit Support Network and with the support of the Methodist Church held an event in London on “Dalit theology on caste Discrimination”. Among the special guests was DSN-UK patron Revd Dr Vincent Manoharan from Tamil Nadu in India. As a keynote speaker Vincent spoke passionately about discrimination faced by Dalits in India. He outlined that Dalits face social, economic and political discrimination and violence.
“A study undertaken in 2004 in the state of Andhra Pradesh, which status still continues, revealed that more than 140 forms of untouchability practices exist against Dalits, right from the remote village to metropolitan cities.”
Vincent highlighted that Dalits face various forms of atrocities, including:
“killing, stripping naked/molesting/raping of Dalit women/pushing them as jognis-the temple prostitutes, forcing Dalits to eat / drink inedible or obnoxious substance like human excreta, maiming of limbs, destructions of homes and threatened to vote or not to vote to a particular candidate during elections”.
Dalits also continue to face deprivation as majority of them are poor, struggling to access basic goods and services such as land, education, employment, food, health, drinking water etc. Moreover, despite the reservations, policies and programmes directed at improving the situation of Dalits, their voices remain unheard and underrepresented in India’s politics.
Vincent also observed that caste-based discrimination against Christian Dalits exists with the Church in India. He noted that Dalits face discrimination within the hierarchy of the Church as well as in the Church based institutions. He ended his presentation by looking at the ways to end caste-based discrimination within the Church through practical theology.
Other two speakers were Dr Elizabeth Joy from the Churches Dalit support Network and Rev Dr Jacob Devadason.
The event in London was followed by two other events, in Birmingham and Manchester, where Vincent spoke on the same topic.
We are very thankful to the Amost Trust for their assistance in organising the events and Methodist Church for their support, without which these events would not have happened.
Caste in Britain by Annapurna Waughray
29th March 2018
As we continue to wait for the outcome of the public consultation on Caste in Great Britain and Equality Law, which closed on 18 September 2017, Economic & Political Weekly published an excellent article Caste in Britain: public consultation on caste and equality law by Annapurna Waughray. The author provides insightful commentary on why the UK government has not adopted a legislation outlawing caste-based discrimination in the UK yet and concludes that ‘Legislating against caste discrimination in the UK is not only contentious, it has become highly politicised’.
The author notes that ‘The next step in the legal regulation of caste discrimination in the UK is the government’s response to the public consultation. Its importance for the development of UK equality law and for legal treatment of caste discrimination in the diaspora cannot be underestimated’.
DSN-UK director shortlisted for a ‘Secularist of the year 2018’ award
19th February 2018
We are delighted to share that DSN-UK Director, Meena Varma, has been shortlisted for a ‘Secularist of the year 2018 award’. The award ‘recognises a campaigner or group for an outstanding contribution to the secularist movement’. The NSS’s council of management selected the shortlist from nominations which were submitted by its members and supporters. The winner of the prize will be announced at the Secularist of the Year luncheon on Saturday 24 March.
Meena has been nominated for her work as Director of Dalit Solidarity Network UK in challenging ‘caste’ discrimination – through research, academic work and public advocacy.
Meena said: “I am so honoured to be even nominated for Secularist of the Year 2018. The campaign to end caste discrimination is a global one and we stand side by side in solidarity with so many including the National Secular Society. Caste discrimination is a human rights issue and can only be addressed when it is seen through a lens separate to religion and when the rich and powerful are not the only ones to have the ear of governments.”
Over the last 10 years Meena led DSN-UK. The nomination reaffirms her strong expertise in caste-based discrimination issues in the UK and South Asia.
Decent Work NOT Descent work! 
