Bangalore: The world-famous National Geographic Magazine for the first time made a cover story of India’s Untouchables, the victims of Hinduism, the religion of its ruling Brahminical Social Order. The article is published in the June 2003 issue of the monthly English journal published from Washington. The article by its staffer, Tom O’Neill, covers 29 pages with fantastic photographs by William Albert Allard.
Closely guarded secret: Journalist O’Neill met the Editor of Dalit Voice, V.T. Rajshekar, last year and had a long interview to get an overall picture of the world’s worst form of racism which India’s Brahminical media has been suppressing from the eyes of the outside world. Editor-in-chief of the 203- year-old journal William L. Allen in his editorial admits that the story of India’s Untouchables is very painful and compares it to the plight of American Blacks. But America has overcome a lot of its prejudice. South Africa has dismantled its Apartheid. But not so Hindu India. The Editor admits this also when he says that Untouchability (racism) is still going strong despite the Constitution of India abolishing it. He also admits that the outside world is still ignorant of the fact that racism is reigning supreme in India. Nay. India, founding father of racism, exported racism to the West.
On behalf of Dalit Voice, we thank the Editor and staffer O’Neill for exposing India’s closely guarded secret to the world. Thinking sections outside now canon longer say they have been ignorant of India’s racism and its victims, the Untouchables, who form 20% India’s 110 crore population, almost the size of Europe.
Those interested may write to us for a photocopy (Rs. 25). Visit: nationalgeographic.com/ngm /0306
