Fight against untouchability, caste system goes global

Miss Arab USA 2014, Others To Raise Awareness
While a large section of middle-class India remains oblivious to castebased discrimination, the battle against untouchability has drawn a motley crew of supporters from around the world: African-America lawyers, Russian models and `untouchables' of Japan's caste system.

Kevin Brown, a faculty at Indiana University's Maurer School of Law, has connected African-American intellectuals with India's dalit intellectuals. “We want to share our experience of overcoming racism in America with dalits in India. We want to help build a culture of resistance to the caste system,“ says Brown, who first visited India on a Fulbright scholarship, where he grew friendly with S Japhet, the sole dalit faculty member of a law college in Bangalore. Brown has had many interactions with influential members of India's dalit community , including Chandra Bhan Prasad, a proponent of dalit capitalism and mentor for the Dalit India Chamber of Commerce and Industry .

“I spoke to him about the importance of dalits setting up businesses. One thing that helped African-Americans was that they began setting up businesses in the country ,“ says Brown. Jalil Dozier, Brown’s former student at Indiana University and a practicing lawyer in Washington, has researched America’s battle against racism and the Indian caste system.

Retired American social worker Johanna Shafer is part of an advocacy group that raises awareness about the system. She feels discrimination against dalits is a serious violation of human rights.

“There are more opportunities for African-Americans to better their lives than there are for dalits in India,” she adds.

“I’ve heard hair-raising stories of the caste system,” says an American who retired from the fashion industry.

Growing up amidst America’s civil rights movement, the prevalence of caste discrimination in this day and age makes her furious. She now works with dalit women labourers in India, to help them think out of the box and discover their rights through the creative use of art.

“Dalit women often face triple discrimination, based on can’t imagine how hard it can be to be a dalit woman. When I see pictures of the hanging of dalit women in India, carried in US newspapers, I feel very sad,” says model and actress Lika Osipova, founder, producer and director of the Miss Russia Los Angeles beauty pageant, who has thrown her lot behind fighting caste discrimination.

Osipova wants more Bollywood celebrities to stand up against caste discrimination.

“I haven’t heard of Bollywood stars talk of the issue,” she adds.

Hollywood actress Rolita Fakih, winner of the Miss Hollywood Image contest this year, says she can’t believe people still think this way. She hopes to raise awareness about caste discrimination by talking about it wherever she goes and raising the issue at shows where she performs.

Guinwa Zeineddine, winner of the Miss Arab USA 2014 contest, is set to make a video on India’s caste system. “The system forces people to remain separate. It negatively influences people’s social stability. I plan to raise awareness on what’s going on in India because unfortunately, not many are aware of how the system negatively affects others,” she says. “I will promote the cause via social media and speak about it at public platforms,” says Zeineddine.

Sushant Godghate, who has a doctorate in engineering and is based in Japan, is part of the Ambedkar International Mission. Godghate says Japan’s Buraku Liberation League has pledged support for the battle.