On October 6, the House International Relations Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights, and International Operations held a hearing on human rights abuses against members of India’s lowest caste, the Dalits, who also are known as “untouchables.”
In his opening remarks, Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ) detailed abuses committed against Dalit women, including rape and human trafficking: “Dalit girls have been forced to become temple prostitutes as devadasis, or ‘servants of god,’ a practice where they are ‘married’ to a deity or temple where they are then forced to have sex with upper caste men and are eventually sold into prostitution. In 2001, more than 40,000 tribal women were forced into situations of economic and sexual exploitation.” He also expressed his concern regarding the high incidence of “sex-selective” abortions, stating, “As many as 50 million girls and women are missing from India’s population as a result of infanticide and abortion. In most countries in the world, there are approximately 105 female births for every 100 males. In India, there are less than 93 women for every 100 men in the population. In one wealthier area of the capital of New Delhi, the sex ratio at birth has dropped to 762 girls for every 1,000 boys, one of the lowest in the entire country.” He added, “India banned sex-selective abortions in 1996, but the health minister recently admitted that not a single person has ever been convicted or otherwise punished for having carried out sex-selective abortions. UNICEF [the United Nations Children’s Fund] has warned that unless steps are taken to address the problem, India will soon face severe social problems.”
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) explained that Mahatma Gandhi raised global awareness about the “social injustices” of the Indian caste system, which led to a national constitution forbidding the practice of “untouchability.” Nonetheless, she noted that “discrimination still exists,” and a person’s caste is still an “indicator of economic opportunity in India.” Rep. Lee said that Dalit women, in particular, are targeted with sexual violence, and young girls are often forced into prostitution.
Indira Athwale, general secretary of the All India Conference of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes Organizations, said that Dalit women “are daily the victims of atrocities, slavery, and exploitation related to the ongoing practice of caste. Her oppression is threefold: as a woman, as a Dalit, and as the poor. The Dalit woman must fight at all three levels every day.” She explained that the constitution reserves a percentage of the seats in local governing bodies for women on the basis of caste, stating, “Many Dalit and Tribal women have become Sarpanch (head of the village governing council); however, as there has been no change in the Manuvadi Brahmin [the highest caste] mentality, these women have been humiliated and attacked also. There is a greater conspiracy to end [her] political aspirations by not paying any respect to her constitutional status. Moreover, they have been abused, physically attacked and threatened with death as well.” Ms. Athwale said that Dalit women should be given the right to own land, caste courts in India should be closed down, foreign aid should be targeted towards helping Dalit and Tribal women attend school, and a national women’s commission should be established in India.
T. Kumar, advocacy director for Asia and the Pacific at Amnesty International USA, criticized Indian authorities for allowing abuse against Dalits to occur: “Physical and verbal abuse and intimidation of individuals by police on the basis of their caste, ethnicity, religion or gender is commonplace not only for detainees but also for those who visit the police station to make a complaint. Amnesty International is also aware of many incidents in which police have reportedly beaten members of the Dalit community, including women, following requests by members of upper caste communities that they be punished. Dalit women are particularly vulnerable to sexual torture by law enforcement officials, often as a means of punishing male relatives or ‘teaching their community a lesson.’” He said that Dalit women “become an easy target for exploitation and violence. Given that women embody the concept of honor, violence against women becomes a symbolic gesture of exploitation and discrimination within Dalit communities. Thus, sexual harassment by landowners, moneylenders and their hired thugs is common. Rape, gang rape, [the] parading of women through the streets naked, and beatings are common actions taken against women and girls by both the police and members of upper castes. Reasons for these practices vary from using violent means of punishment, to viewing sexual relations with Dalit women as their caste right, to using sexual torture as a means of embarrassing and punishing the woman’s family.” He also noted, “Many women don’t approach police for fear of dishonor or that they will be dismissed or further abused. An activist working with Dalit women in Uttar Pradesh estimated that only 5% of cases of violence against women are registered. Many Dalits are not aware of their rights under special legislation designed to protect them, and it is rare for police to voluntarily inform them.” Mr. Kumar urged Congress to raise awareness about discrimination and violence in India, and to encourage American-owned businesses and U.S. agencies in India to hire Dalits, especially women.
During the question and answer session, Rep. Smith asked the panel to comment on infanticide and sex-selective abortion. Witnesses said that the male-to-female ratio in India has become a “monumental social problem,” explaining that there will not be enough women for men to marry in urban areas, which will lead to more violence against women and trafficking of women from rural areas.
