News and Events | Dalit Solidarity Network

International Human Rights Day 10th December 2012

7th January 2013

Human Rights Day 10 December 2012 At a reception to mark the London launch of the UK’s campaign for election to the United Nation’s Human Rights Council at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, DSN-UK and CasteWatch UK continue to take up the cause for Dalit people in the UK and internationally. Here they met with the Ambassador of Nepal; Keith Porteous Wood – Executive Director, National Secular Society; Baroness Sayeeda Warsi – Senior Minister of State for Human Rights, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Baroness Uddin - Politician and Community Activist. Issues discussed included the need for the UK Equality Act [..]

Maria Miller MP publicily urged to act on caste-based discrimination UK

3rd December 2012

[caption id="attachment_2918" align="alignnone" width="150"] Maria Miller MP[/caption] A coalition of community groups, human rights organisations and politicians has renewed its call for the government to tackle caste discrimination in the UK by introducing legal protection for those from traditionally lower status Asian backgrounds. Although a section of the Equality Act 2010 could offer lower-caste Asians a legal safeguard against discrimination, it has not been activated despite repeated demands from campaigners. Supporters of the legislation say the law is needed to prevent discrimination at work, in the classroom and in the health service. Two separate studies – one commissioned by the [..]

Successful meeting at ‘House of Lords’

29th November 2012

Why is the UK Government ignoring Caste based discrimination in the UK ? A 'Joint Statement' urging the Government to act has been signed by a number of Dalit Community and Solidarity organisations; representing the views of the majority of Dalits, themselves, within the UK. It was presented to Baroness Thornton, the shadow spokesperson on Equalities, who urged us to ensure that it was also presented to the Goverment's Equalities Minister : Maria Miller MP [hit the link to view the 'Joint Statement'] Joint Statement on Caste Based Discrimination in the UK 28 November 2012

Please Sign The Petition !

24th October 2012

Please sign the Petition (link at end of page) We need a big result in order to persuade Maria Miller MP to ‘trigger the clause!!’ As you may know, despite the inclusion of caste as a factor of discrimination in the 2010 Equality Act, the lack of Ministerial activation of Clause 9(5)(a) has prevented access to recourse and justice to those who have faced this ‘hidden apartheid’. The importance of this has been exemplified with an on-going employment tribunal - Coventry solicitors Vijay and Amardeep Begraj v. Heer Manak Solicitors. The couple have recorded over 100 instances of discrimination including harassment, reduced [..]

Tesco Supermarkets – India

23rd October 2012

India's 'untouchable' caste has thrown its support behind Tesco and other foreign supermarkets' bid to open stores, believing they could help to lift them out of poverty. Hit the link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/9614912/Tesco-helping-Indias-Dalit-caste-out-of-poverty.html