Sustainable Development Goals must factor in caste: Dalits

Dalit organisations protested at the U.N. headquarters on Saturday demanding the recognition of caste-based exclusion as a discriminatory factor in development in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Organised by the Asia Dalit Right Forum (ADRF), a network of organisations from across South Asia, the protesters said: “For the SDGs to be transformational to 260 million Dalits across the world, it is essential that the goals, targets and the outcome document take into account the current realities in many parts of the world and include descent [caste]-based discrimination.” “Dalits have been victims of discrimination and hate crimes for centuries and have been considered as impure and polluting. Significance of caste in social exclusion is indeed recognised by Post 2015 development agenda (working committee) but seems to have failed to make into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Targets,” an ADRF statement said.

Source: The Hindu, 28-09-2015