Statewide Seminars on Caste based violence, Atrocities, practice of untouchability and Manual Scavenging

Manuski project is working on the issues of caste based violence, Atrocities, practice of untouchability and manual scavenging. These inhuman practices and violence is the outcome of the three millennium old caste system in India.  The caste system is not only the longest surviving system of slavery in the world, but also the most exploitative religious scheme to exploit humans treated as polluted and lower than animals.

Though Indian economy is surging ahead on the stock indices, the traditional forms of atrocities continue and poverty is ever increasing. The peaceful social revolution based on the Constitution drafted by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and Buddhism is often met with violence, social boycott and deprival of basic human rights to the lower castes.  Manuski campaigned after the horrible Khairlanji massacre involving killing of 4 members of the Buddhist family. This case is just one of the hundreds of cases of violence against the people classed as the untouchables.

Recent months saw killings of the leading community leaders who were trying to lead the community out of caste structure and embracing Buddhism. To start the state level discussion on the abolition of caste and practice of untouchability, whose worst manifestation is the manual scavenging where people are forced to carry human excreta on their heads, Manuski is working closely with a grass root level organisation Campaign for Human Rights (CHR) led by Eknath Awad, a leader of the many dispossessed castes in the state of Maharashtra.

The purpose of this series is to disseminate information, reasons and finding on issues of social exclusion and discrimination, caste and untouchability based discrimination, manual scavenging in Indian society and other Human rights organisations.

It is hoped that the series of seminars will be beneficial not only to activists but also to students, academicians and civil society organisations. The seminars will be conducted in four places in Maharashtra State as mentioned below:


1. Milind Mahavidyalay, Aurangabad 28th Septermber, 2008

2. Yeshwantrao Chauvan Social Work College, Satara 19th October, 2008

3. Nagarjuna Institute, Nagaloka, Nagpur 2nd November, 2008

4. Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai 9th November, 2008

Activists, academicians and students are requested to present a paper, article, case studies on the aforementioned subject and be present to nearest place from their residence. The articles can be mailed at eknathawad@gmail.com or pktelang@gmail.com. The report will be published on the eve of Human Rights Day, and will be submitted to Government and various agencies working on Human Rights.

This proposal requests £3000 for series of seminars at four places in Maharashtra. So far £100 has secured for implementation of this program. Thank you for your interest on the issue of Human Rights and Dalits in India. Please do forward it to your near and dear ones.


Sincerely,

Team @ Manuski
www.manuski.net