Thane Cyclone and Brutal Caste Atrocity against Dalits in Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu states

Find here the link to a fact finding report titled ‘Thane Cyclone and Brutal Caste Atrocity against Dalits in Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu’, conducted by Tamil Nadu based organisation, SASY (Social Awareness Society for Youths), in the wake of the Thane cyclone that hit the state in December end. This report once again brings to the forefront, the ongoing atrocities committed against Dalits, (the former ‘untouchables’) even in the backdrop of natural calamities.

Thane Social Audit

Find linked here the Press releases of  Thane cyclone social audit, Tamil Nadu, conducted by National Dalit Watch of NCDHR, which re-confirms the same tragic state of affairs for Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, as established conclusively by experiences of past disasters (the Gujarat earthquake (2001), the Tsunami (2004), and the Bihar floods (2007 and 2008), Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka floods (2009), Assam floods (2010 and 2011) and Orissa floods (2011) ) that disasters magnify the existing caste based discrimination, leading to extreme forms of exclusion, thus exacerbating their vulnerability manifold. 


Press release 2

National Consultation on 'Addressing Caste Based Discrimination in Disaster Response', 14-15 December 2011

A coalition of civil society organisations, together with National Dalit Watch of NCDHR and Sphere India are organising a National Consultation on ‘Addressing caste based discrimination in Disaster Response’, on 14-15 December 2011, in New Delhi. This consultation is a follow up to what was held last year together with Sphere India, in the presence of Prof. Vinod K. Menon (former member, NDMA). A set of declarations had emerged from the consultation for more inclusive disaster response and disaster risk reduction. 

The National Consultation will aim at (i) taking stock of the emerging context of inclusion in DR-DRR; (ii) deliberating on the significant developments made over the last one year (iii) coming out with recommendations for the civil society organisations and the government to make inclusion possible. The broader objective is to facilitate a Government-Civil Society nexus to explicitly recognise the issue and the need to weed out exclusionary practices by acknowledging caste based discrimination in the disaster management law and policy guidelines.


Venue: India International Center, Conference Room Number – 1
40, Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi - 110003
Phone – 011-24619431

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.

Waters of Despair

A documentary on Bihar Flood, 2008, by Praxis India

Training of Task Force Members on Vulnerability Mapping (VM)- Inclusion Monitoring(IM) in Karnataka & Assam

These trainings were held in Karnataka and Assam for the identified villager, comprising Dlit youth, women and men. While NDW aims to capacitate task forces, a cadre of 25-30 volunteers in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Assam, initially, where it is currently operating, it also expects other humanitarian agencies working on DRR to work on such a model and replicate the same in their field of operation. For NDW, the task force would comprise community (Dalit) leadership, NGO personnel and social activists. This task force is equipped to intervene through vulnerability mapping in normal times as well as emergencies in emergencies – to undertake monitoring of exclusion of Dalits, with adequate training in using the tools and following up with the governments on the information so generated. The objectives of the workshop were (i) to develop a clear conceptual and practical understanding of exclusion of Dalit communities in disasters and learn methods to monitor and record such practices of exclusion; and (ii) to equip the state / organizational representatives to train their front line staff in inclusion monitoring during and after disasters.