LONDON, ENGLAND, July 26, 2001: A condemning Amnesty International report on racism around the world has attacked India for its “hidden apartheid” against 160 million Dalits. “Despite the abolition by law of untouchability, Dalits continue to be discriminated against on the basis of their descent,” Amnesty said in its report, released the day Phoolan Devi was shot dead. “They are marginalized, particularly in rural areas,” the report said. “Among the violations persistently reported are torture including rape, arbitrary arrests and extra-judicial executions.” Amnesty said Dalits also suffer violence in the community. “Abuses against Dalits frequently go unpunished, with local police frequently refusing to record complaints by Dalits,” Amnesty said. The report comes ahead of the world conference on racism in Durbaqn due in the first week of September and days before a preparatory meeting in Geneva.
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