Monday, June 20, 2011

Dalits in Disasters-the Forsaken ones


Though disasters are not caste prejudiced, but the bitter fact is that the ethnic minorities in the country, the Dalits and Tribes, with their women, children, disabled and aged turn out to be most vulnerable of the vulnerable. Here are some findings of the monitoring studies that were undertaken by National Dalit Watch along with its state allies in Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Delhi, to assess the inclusion of the Dalits and other marginalised sections in disaster risk reduction and disaster relief and rehabilitation measures. These findings speak volumes of the existing menace in our country which opposed and supported the annihilation of aparthied in S. Africa.