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DSNUK Trustee Adv Sushant Singh Speaks at House of Lords
7th May 2025
On 26th April 2025, DSNUK Trustee Adv. Sushant Singh Spoke at House of Lords on “Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Relevance in the Modern Times” on the occasion of the 134th birth anniversary (Ambedkar Jayanthi commemoration & Panel Discussion on Caste-Based Discrimination.
On the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti, a vibrant event was organised at the House of Lords. It brought together lawmakers, activists, and community leaders to reflect on the enduring relevance and importance of Dr B R Ambedkar in the modern era.
Adv. Sushant Singh, Dalit Human Rights Lawyer and trustee of Dalit Solidarity Network UK (DSNUK), was invited as a speaker. The panel was co-chaired by Lord Harries of Pentregarth, Member of the House of Lords and Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Dalits and Adivasis, alongside other notable figures from FABO, Caste Watch UK, and partner organisations.
In his address, Adv. Singh powerfully emphasised the global relevance of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s vision in resisting caste oppression, systemic inequality, and institutional discrimination. He thanked all caste-based and anti-caste organisations in the UK for their tireless efforts to carry the movement forward, honouring the legacy of Ambedkar with consistency and courage.
He paid tribute to Dalit youth in India whose tragic deaths highlighted the brutality of caste discrimination — including Rohith Vemula, Muthukrishnan, Anitha, and Payal Tadvi — and reminded the audience of their sacrifices.
Adv. Singh also spoke of the Ambedkarite movements in the USA, commending their efforts to bring caste discrimination into the mainstream policy and academic discourse — leading to historic institutional recognitions in universities such as Harvard, UC Davis, and Brandeis.
He called for:
- Legal recognition of caste-based discrimination in the UK,
- Implementation of anti-caste policies in universities and workplaces,
- Mental health safeguards for caste-oppressed individuals,
- Inclusion of Ambedkarite thought in educational curricula, and
- Strengthening global networks of Ambedkarite activism.
DSNUK proudly recognises and celebrates Adv. Sushant Singh’s contribution and leadership on such an important global platform. His voice reflects the determination of a new generation of Ambedkarites committed to a just, equitable, and caste-free world.
DSN UK Congratulates Critical Dance Studies Scholar Professor Royona Mitra!
7th May 2025
The new monograph Unmaking Contact: Choreographing South Asian Touch was published last month by Oxford University Press. The cover design is by “Rukminee Guha Thakurta, Letterpress Studio. Critical dance studies scholar Royona Mitra (Brunel University of London) says that it has taken ten years to birth this project and its publication coincided with the unexpected departure of her beloved mother who has played an integral role in many ways to this work, as Royona says, ‘in ways she will now never know’. Royona also notes that this publication aligns with “a devastating time in UK universities as we contend with precarities, redundancies, and become the fulcrum of political culture wars…” we wish that the joy of this publication brings abundant blessings to her, the student communities who will interact with her work and engage with the concerns that are close to her heart, especially in relation to “Cast out Caste” efforts from universities. .
We congratulate the dance artists – Akila, Diya Naidu, Nahid Siddiqui, and LaWhore Vagistan – whose words and works are integral to this project. We look forward to an online book launch in early autumn in the new academic year.
Voicing out for options to restore reduced UK aid budget: DSN UK networks with BOND as a member
17th April 2025
DSN UK through BOND joined hands with refugee groups to call on the government to end the use of expensive contracts for housing asylum seekers in favour of more appropriate and cost-effective housing options and ensure that the freed-up funding is restored to the now reduced UK aid budget
With a strong support from 107 organisations that signed on, Bond’s Media Adviser secured coverage in The Times, BBC Breakfast and BBC News, LBC Radio (@08:06:00), LBC News, Times Radio, and Politico, and we have tweeted and shared via LinkedIn.
Dalit Theology Month
31st March 2025
Inspired by Black History Month, Dalit History Month was launched in April 2015 by a collective of Dalit activists, to reclaim and reassert the agency of Dalits through their stories of resistance and resilience. It is celebrated in the month of April every year commemorating the birth anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (14th April), a social reformer and a prophet for justice in modern India, who vehemently strived for the annihilation of caste oppression.
In resonance with the spirit of Dalit History Month, #DalitTheologyMonth is being launched this April 2025 to reclaim our Dalit theological Identity, to reinvigorate our Dalit theological spirituality and to seek a public relevance of Dalit theology in our post-Christian and post-secular world. #DalitHistoryMonth is an opportunity to create a new interest, to celebrate new passion, new perspectives and to envision new dreams of/for Dalit theology, as a means of transforming our world today.
Dalit theology, as an Indian liberation theology has a come a long way ever since it made its inroads into the Indian Christian theology by the articulations of Arvind P Nirmal in 1981. Taking cognizance of the Dalit realities in the Indian Church and in the Indian public sphere, Dalit theology emerged as a counter theology, countering the dominant publics of casteism. It has also been a protest theology against the forces of marginalization, domination and oppression. Dalit theology contests the oppressive status quo of any form and all forms of oppression with an aim of affirming life in all its fullness.
Dalit theology today stands as voices of resistance to the colonial projects of knowledge and has been on the go in employing de-colonial methods of reading/hearing/listening texts, contexts, events, histories, theories and theologies and therefore this can be a pointer in seeking its public relevance today. The challenges that #DalitTheologyMonth poses to the euro-centred epistemologies are ‘learning to listen to the voices from below’, the voices from margins as contested epistemologies and ‘hearing to speech’ such knowledge forms. It calls to sufficiently theorise power and its dynamics from the perspectives of those on the margins and to address situations of oppression.
During this month, we are encouraging students, supporters, allies and friends of Dalit theology to be intentional in speaking/sharing/writing about Dalit theology and strive to build a global wave of solidarity for the cause of Dalit liberation and justice. I shall share 30 quotes, posting a quote each day throughout April from various Dalit theologians and invite people to share and reflect on them as my personal offering to this #DalitTheologyMonth. I now seek your support in promoting #DalitTheologyMonth through your creative offerings and solidarity. Come let us join together in seeking the divine among the sites of margins and strive for a liberative and just world.
Rev Dr Raj Bharat Patta
Founder, #DaitTheologyMonth – April 2025
raj.patta@methodist.org.uk
25.03.2025
Time to outlaw caste discrimination – MP
7th March 2025
The DSN-UK stands in solidarity, support and deep appreciation with Warinder Singh Juss, MP of Wolverhampton West for highlighting the importance of liberation from Caste discrimination. As we share this BBC news below, we would like to highlight the fact that this issue has been spoken of as important and laws passed to abolish caste discrimination more than a decade ago, tells us three things:
- That the issue was considered urgent enough to introduce a law
- That caste discrimination persists in insidious ways, and it requires more than a law to abolish caste
- How many generations have to change before change is effected in society to dream of a caste free society? Caste discrimination is a human right violation. Human Dignity is affirmed as an unconditional universal human right – for all, regardless. Until everyone is liberated, no one is liberated.
The DSN-UK is happy and proud to join with the MP to amplify the call for justice
Dr Elizabeth Joy
Director DSN UK
7th March 2025
Equality Act must outlaw caste discrimination – Wolverhampton MP – BBC News
Human Rights Day 2024
10th December 2024
As the world celebrates the Human Rights Day today with the theme: Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now, the DSN UK echoes it from the bottom of its heart aspiring that its Vision – ‘A world without caste discrimination’ becomes a reality. We believe that Dalit Rights are Human Rights and Changing Attitudes Fostering Empowerment with Dignity – CAFÉ D. Unless Dalits experience the dignity of being total human beings, they are far from realising this year’s theme. We invite you to be part of CAFÉ – D. Join us as we strive to build such a world where all communities work together to enable this year’s HRD become a reality in spite of what it is today as reflected in the article below:
Newsletter: Quarterly Magazine Ambedkar Vision, Jul-Sep 2024
Date: 21st Oct, 2024
Let us see the reality, feel for unity to restore Human Dignity.
Dr Elizabeth Joy
Director – DSN UK
10th December 2024
Nepal’s Dalits in Transition
5th November 2024
DSN UK is proud to present the following Book with 368 pages published on 2nd April 2024. Join us in our vision to create a world without Caste Discrimination
About the Book
For too long Nepal’s Dalits have been marginalized, not just socially, economically, and politically, but from academic accounts of Nepalese society as well. This volume forms part of a welcome new trend, the emergence of Dalit Studies in Nepal, led by a new generation of Dalit scholars. It covers a wide range of issues concerning Nepal’s Dalits and offers a snapshot of the advances that they have made—in education, in politics, in the bureaucracy, economically, and in everyday relations. At the same time the book documents the continuing material disadvantage, inequality, discrimination, both direct and indirect, and consequent mental suffering that Dalits have to face. It also touches on the struggles, hopes, and dilemmas of Dalit activists as they seek to bring about a new social order and a relatively more egalitarian society. Nepal’s Dalits in Transition will be essential reading for anyone interested in the past, present, or future of social change in Nepal.
Editors: David N. Gellner is Professor of Social Anthropology and a Fellow of All Souls College, University of Oxford; Krishna P. Adhikari PhD (University of Reading) is an expert on social change and development in Nepal and elsewhere, and a Research Affiliate of the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford.
Contributors: Krishna P. Adhikari * Tilak Biswakarma * Arjun Bahadur BK * Steve Folmar * David N. Gellner * Raksha Ram Harijan * Sambriddhi Kharel * Ram Prasad Mainali * Purna Nepali * Joanna Pfaff-Czarnecka * Krishna Shrestha * Manoj Suji * Ramesh Sunam.
Published by a Kathmandu based publisher: https://vajrabookshop.com/product/nepals-dalits-in-transition/. Available via. Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nepals-Dalits-Transition-David-Gellner/dp/9937624363/
The Black History Month 2024
30th October 2024
The United Kingdom first celebrated the Black History Month on 1st October 1987, and it was recognised as the African Jubilee which coincided with the 150th anniversary of the Caribbean emancipation. This year’s theme, ‘Reclaiming Narratives’, is very powerful indeed as it emphasises the importance of story telling from the perspective, experience and memory of the Black People. Reclaiming narratives enables to unfold the past in truth and honesty for the benefit of the present to build a better future. Narrative plays a key role as it differs from Story telling by choosing how to tell a story.
The Windrush scandal speaks volumes as it is still grappling to get justice for those affected. Although the Windrush Compensation Scheme has been beneficial, it needs to reach those that are yet unable to claim it. The homelessness category embraced specially by this compensation scheme will hopefully target those in the margins as it says, “Changes made to the Homelessness category, including the removal of the cap, and removal of the requirement to demonstrate physical or mental health impacts due to homelessness. These changes will make sure people are compensated for the full period they were homeless.”
In this juncture, DSN UK endorses its support to reclaiming narratives as we believe that the Dalit Liberation Movement was able to move forward in history by consciously validating and empowering those engaged in Dalit Liberation through Dalit Sahitya (literature) that focuses on the lives, experiences, and the struggles of the Dalit communities to liberate themselves along with those who oppress them based on caste. The Black History Month website rightly observes, “For too long, the history of Black communities has been told through lenses that often misrepresent, oversimplify, or entirely overlook the rich and diverse experiences of those who lived it.”
DSN UK wants to reiterate that although the Black History Month ends tomorrow – 31st October for this year, our commitment and journey together for freedom continues until everyday racism and casteism is wiped out, until the last person in bondage and discrimination is liberated. Narratives reclaimed will ensure what the Black people want to be share to reclaim not just their narratives but their genuine identity of who they were in history, what are their contributions despite being enslaved and their vision as to why do they want justice. The yearning and hope for reclaiming identities and experiencing life in all its fulness will help us move forward together to realise our dream for a better tomorrow for every human being in this world.
Dr Elizabeth Joy
Director DSN UK
30th October 2024
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.
Please apply at: The Guardian or CharityJob
Office Administrator:
We are now seeking a part-time Office Administrator for 2 days/week, initially for one year with a possibility of renewal.
London-based but hybrid-working arrangements (from home and on site) will be considered. Deadline for applications: 13 June 2024.
Please apply at: CharityJob