M A I N   N E W S

NHRC support for Dalits wins plaudits
France, EU threaten to pull out of racism meeting

Durban, September 5
The National Human Rights Commission’s support for the inclusion of the Dalit issue, contrary to the government’s stand, on the agenda of the ongoing world conference against racism came in for praise by the UNHCR which said for the first time the matter had been highlighted at an international fora.

“I congratulate the principled stand taken by the NHRC which stood up to help the Dalits and extended moral support,” UNHRC chief Mary Robinson told reporters here.

“The NGOs have raised what they called discrimination against Dalits in India and the issue has been brought before the international community,” she said yesterday.

Ms Robinson maintained that delegations from across the world had never before heard about the age-old discrimination based on caste and the NGOs by holding marches and rallies had succeeded in incorporating the cause in their declaration at a parallel conference here.

Dalit NGOs have been demanding that casteism be equated with racism in the WCAR final declaration, a move objected to by the official Indian delegation, which is at present being led by Foreign Secretary Chokila Iyer.

In another development in what could further derail the world conference against racism here, France and the European Union on Wednesday threatened to pullout if no progress was made to remove anti-Israel language from the draft declaration as delegates raced against time to evolve a consensus on the issue.

Another controversial issue dogging the WCAR is the African demand for apologies from countries involved in slave trade and reparation for slavery.

“If the final resolution continues to assimilate Zionism and racism, France and the EU delegation will consider leaving the conference following consultation with our European partners,” French premier Lionel Jospin’s spokesperson quoted him as saying at a Cabinet meeting in Paris. The spokesman said a decision on whether France and the EU delegation would leave the conference would be taken within hours. PTI

Jesse Jackson to press for reparations

Durban, September 5
US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson said today that he would make reparations for the past enslavement of African-Americans a priority when he returns to the USA from a world racism conference.

“It is the issue of repair for damage done,’’ Jackson told Reuters on the sidelines of a UN conference on racism.

“We (African-Americans) have fewer services and less education. We are disproportionately jailed and killed by the state. We have shorter life spans. We have less access to capital,’’ Jackson said. Reuters