Time to Tear Down the Wall of Caste

In an opinion article, Pillay stated that "the time has come to eradicate the shameful concept of caste," and called on the international community to come together "as it did when it helped put an end to apartheid." She argued that "other seemingly insurmountable walls, such as slavery and apartheid, have been dismantled in the past" and concluded that "we can and must tear down the barriers of caste too."

"Governments in India and other caste-affected countries should support the new UN framework to eliminate caste discrimination," said Rikke Nöhrlind, coordinator, International Dalit Solidarity Network. "It is time for these nations to cooperate with the UN to address a human rights issue that affects 260 million people."

The high commissioner's strong stance has been welcomed by Dalit rights groups, particularly in South Asia. As many as 200 million victims of caste discrimination live in India. Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka also have sizeable Dalit populations, and communities in Africa, Yemen, and Japan are similarly affected.

"Dalits and similarly discriminated-against communities across the globe have been oppressed for thousands of years," said Paul Divakar, general secretary of the NCDHR in India. "India's ban on caste-based discrimination will not be effective unless the government makes it a priority to enforce it. Violence and other human rights abuses against Dalits are still committed with impunity. The government should work with the international community to address this problem."

Read More