28-09-2009 Dalit community in Nepal was particularly susceptible to various kinds of diseases because their houses did not have stoves and toilets. All that is now changing with the untiring effort from a Member of Parliament, who also happens to be a gay, writes Sudeshna Sarkar.
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11-08-2009 Fourteen NGOs have opposed the manner in which the United Progressive Alliance government in India has been rushing through the restructuring of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. They say it is against the spirit of the law and to the detriment of dalits and the poor.
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25-06-2009 As part of its corporate social responsibility, a pharmaceutical company has come forward to promote self-employment among dalit villagers in western Indian state of Rajasthan. Women’s self-help groups are manufacturing ready-made garments and other items to augment family income.
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16-06-2009 In a small but significant departure from tradition, dalit women, sex workers and transgenders are being engaged in managing restaurants and coffee shops in India. Considered as untouchable and social outcasts, these groups are now presented with opportunities to try out new professions.
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28-04-2009 Dubbed as Durban II, the UN organised anti-racism conference held in Geneva last week adopted a document that emphasised on the need to fight all forms and manifestations of racism, xenophobia and related intolerance globally. Representatives of India’s marginalised sections were unhappy that caste-based discrimination was not equated with racism.
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23-03-2009 With the help of a local NGO, a collective of dalit women in India’s southern state is able to grow as many as 19 varieties of crops on arid and degraded land. This dry land agriculture is worth emulating when climate change is posing a serious threat to food security.
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24-02-2009 Reinforcing Dalit's Leadership and Mainstreaming in Nepal: Learning from across the Border is the outcome of a India visit by Nepalese delegation. This publication by Panos South Asia aims to reinforce the role of dalits in Nepal's democratisation efforts, and offers policy recommendations for their effective inclusion.
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05-02-2009 Carrying forward its campaign for drafting All India People’s Manifesto, anti-poverty network Wada Na Todo Abhiyan organised local hearings in northern India. Improved economic opportunities and better housing facilities for weaker sections emerged as some of the key popular demands.
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27-01-2009 Taking strict note of dowry-related violence and caste-based discrimination faced by dalits, Nepal’s prime minister Prachanda has made such practices criminal offence under the country's law. The move comes amidst growing discontent over the government’s performance to win public support.
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29-12-2008 Bihar's flood submerged farmlands will make land reallocation a difficult task for the state government, says an independent fact-finding report. Millions of poor villagers in eastern India rendered homeless by the Kosi river's change of course lack formal land records, and still await state relief.
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