Fwd: Happy Ambedkar Jayanti - End Untouchability

[Sapna Shahani]

Dear Wave friends, 

Please support Video Volunteer's Untouchability campaign by signing the petition at Change.org (link is below). Thanks!

Sapna. 

Sign the ARTICLE 17 Campaign.
End Untouchability

Dear Dr. P.L. Punia,
Resp. Chairperson, National Commission for Scheduled Castes.

 

I have watched the 22 videos included in the "Article 17 Campaign". I believe that they serve as evidence of the continuation of the criminalized practice of "Untouchability". Therefore, I urge you to investigate each of these cases and prosecute the responsible persons.

The 22 cases of "Untouchability" recorded include: 

 

1) Unequal treatment of people as they are denied the service of the local barber.

2) Discrimination of women who are forced to remove their sandals when walking in front of other people's homes.

3) Humiliation of families, where villagers clean public water taps after a Dalit uses them.

4) Segregation of students who are made to sit separately while eating their mid-day meal.

5) Denial of access to temples.

6) Violent reactions against inter-caste marriages where an intercaste couple and their unborn child were the victims of murder.

7) Mutilation in Haryana where one man took the courage to drink from an common water pot and had his hand chopped off. 

8) Hazardous conditions for the sanitation workforce who are forced to work in unsafe health conditions without any safety gear against infectious and contaminated water

 

In addition to prosecuting these cases, I urge you to order the police to proactively enforce Article 17, rather than merely wait for violence to erupt.

 

I also respectfully request the NSCS to undertake campaigns to raise awareness that "Untouchability" is a crime against humanity. Such campaigns should continue until we have ensured the end of "Untouchability". 

 

Looking forward to your urgent action.

 

Sincerely,

 

Sign your name to the petition

--
Siddharth Pillai

Communications Manager


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