Spurred on by U.S. anti-racism protests, Dalit campaigners on June 10 called on India to acknowledge centuries of oppression they have endured and recognise that “every life matters”. Dalit campaigners said they supported the Black Lives Matter protests in response to the death of African-American George Floyd after he was knelt on by a white police officer, and hoped it would ignite a similar conversation in India. “In India, people need to admit their role in everyday discrimination faced by Dalits and only then can a dialogue for change be initiated. Over 300 people have signed a Change.org petition emphasising that the “lives of Dalits and minorities matter too” and urging Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “admit ... that caste discrimination is included in racial discrimination”. “It is the same as how so-called ‘untouchables’ are treated in India.”

Source: The Hindu June 10, 2020 17:07 UTC