Author: M. S. Prabhakara
Publication: The Hindu
Date: August 31, 2001
Introduction: Durban Meet/ Caste
issue left out
The United Nations Secretary-General,
Mr. Kofi Annan, today declined to respond to the demand from the Dalit
activists that the issues of caste and untouchability should find a place
on the agenda of the World Conference Against Racism, opening here tomorrow.
The occasion was Mr. Annan's plenary
with the NGO Forum, where the issues of caste and untouchability in India
and elsewhere in South Asia have figured and continue to figure prominently.
Mr. Annan's listing of people still suffering discrimination took note
of the Roma, the Sinti and people of African descent in the U.S., but did
not mention any other people. During the questions that followed, one person
identifying himself as an untouchable from India, asked Mr. Annan how this
``evil'' could be eradicated. Mr. Annan did not respond. Later, another
person pointedly asked why the issues of discrimination against the Dalits
did not find a place in the listing of the sources of discrimination or
sources of multiple discrimination in the WCAR's Draft Declaration. To
this too, Mr. Annan did not respond, except to say that he had noted that
his interlocutor had made a statement.
At this point, there were noisy
interruptions from the Dalit activists as well as some others. This drew
the following admonition from Mr. Annan: ``You come here to listen to each
other, not to behave as you are doing.'' To further noisy protests, he
only said that he had heard what the questioners had to say and the message
will be passed on.
The Dalit activists to whom this
correspondent spoke after the Plenary were quite upset over the failure
of Mr. Annan to respond to their pleas. One of them described Mr. Annan
as arrogant.
Others maintained that the questions
had been framed badly. Ms. Smitha Narula, an activist who has been speaking
on the issue in the South African media, said she had no comment to make
because she was not present.
