Casteism a global problem
P.D. JOHN, FEDERATION OF INDIAN AMERICAN CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATIONSOF NORTH AMERICA, WASHINGTON DC
We appeal on behalf of over 200 million peoples in 4South Asia that India’s caste system should be ‘included in the agenda of the United Nations Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance to be held between Aug.28 and Sept.1 at Durban. The Christian church in India has spoken against social injustice in every forum for centuries and now also it speaks out against the evils of caste system in India.
Caste discrimination is not an internal matter of India as the Hindu nazi government in India wants us to believe. Casteism exists in mild or wild form everywhere. Over 200 million people affected by the caste system alone constitute the fourth largest “nation” in the world. Thus, casteism is a global problem that demands attention by global ‘forum.
Failure of Govt.: The Indian Government may claim that they have their own constitutional remedies for the ills of casteism. However, this does not prevent India from receiving global solidarity, expertise and help to address this multinational problem as we do in the case of other global issues like child labour, women, AIDS, ecology, human rights etc.
Tens of thousands of atrocities and human rights violations against women, children, bonded laborers and the indigenous peoples of India cannot be adequately addressed as per the UN Charter unless casteism is recognized by the UN as the root cause for these problems in South Asia.
Like racism, casteism is based on the UN definition of “colour (varna), descent and ethnos” fortified by 3 million years of strictest rules of endogamy, social segregation, pollution and subjugation by the upper caste Brahmins who were canonized by divine interdiction to preserve purity of blood and ethnic superiority.
So, both casteism and racism are identical social, economic, educational, and all other emancipatory problems, which are global concerns.
