Hindu Social Order And Human Rights Of Dalits
By Sukhadeo Thorat
A discussion on how the Hindu social order (particularly its main pillar, the caste system and untouchability) in its classical form comes in direct conflict with the universal human rights framework.

Cover photograph by Sudharak Olwe

Descent-based Discrimination
Compiled by Henri Tiphagne
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination at its sixty first session adopted its General Resolution on “ descent-based discrimination”.

No Right to be Human?
By Lalit P. Khandare
When our national leaders and constitution makers were occupied with the thought of securing economic and social justice for the various people subjected to centuries of exploitation they were clear that it was impossible without ensuring special treatment for the deprived.

India’s Hidden Apartheid
By Jayshree Mangubhai
When the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) was initiated, the goal was to put an end to the silence that surrounds India’s hidden apartheid.

Reservations and Recent Judicial Trends
By Mihir Desai
Even amongst Dalit activists and academicians the issue of reservations in employment and educational seats has been much debated. I believe that to whatever limited extent, reservations are a useful tool to enhance the social and economic status of dalits.

Portrait of Exploitation and Corruption
An investigation into caste-based atrocities In Varanasi.

Navleen Kumar – Voice Muzzled by Land Mafia
Social activists in Mumbai were shocked to hear of the tragic and heinous murder of activist Navleen Kumar on 19th June, 2002. Navleen had been working for the rights of the marginalised sections of society in the suburbs of Mumbai. Jaya Menon profiles her.

Rising from the Ash Heap
Ashoka Fellow Milind Ranade works for the empowerment of the waste collectors. He strives to give their lives dignity, by organising them and helping them assert their rights.

Editorial

Letters to the Editor

The Least of the Oppressed
By Dr. Vimal Thorat
The New Economic Policy has affected the pattern of livelihood for Dalit women in ways that have not been studied or understood.

Persecution of Dalits in Punjab
By Anurjeev Singh Walia
The high-handedness of the Punjab police has found a new target: Dalit youth

Caste in Africa
A case study from Nigeria, Kenya and Somalia.

Other issues:

sexual minorities
The Twilight Zone of Transsexuals –II
By Hari Gopala Krishna and Satyajit Gupta
The second and final part on the male to female transsexuals peculiar to the Indian subcontinent.

state repression
The Tortured and the Damned
The chilling tale of the torture of a Chief Judicial Magistrate by officers of the Assam Rifles.

Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance in Kashmir
By Parvez Imroz
‘Disappearance’—that dreaded term for a crime against humanity, not permissible even in war times.

environment
Public Involvement in Environmental Decision Making
By Leo F. Saldhana

globalisation
A Monstrosity of Ignorance and Narrow Interest
The second and final part of the critique of the Electricity Bill, 2001 prepared by the National Working Group on Power Sector.

judiciary & polity
Dealing with ‘Pornography of Power’
By K.G. Kannabiran
The Right to Vote should be treated as a Fundamental Right.

Putting the Right to Life in Abeyance
The SC judgment sought to prevent torture in police custody and illegal detention but the West Bengal reality does not reflect this.

adivasis
Defying Samatha with Impunity
By Shruti Pandey
Five years after the SC pronounced the Samatha judgment, it remains a dead letter.

Tribals Face Genocide
By Pradip Prabhu
Ironically, the tribals who have helped conserve forests all these years through their nature-friendly lifestyles are being hounded as encroachers on forest land while the contractors’ mafia goes scot-free.

disability
In Our Image: Persons with Special Challenges
By Neeru Vaid
‘Disability’ is not an individual but a social condition and therefore,
the need is for collective responsibility.