Announcement
[Text of Press Release from the Office of U.S. Congressman Trent Franks]
House Passes Congressman Franks’s Dalit Resolution
Resolution Receives Bi-partisan Support in Addressing the Issue of “Untouchability” in India
Contact: Bethany Barker 202-225-4576
July 23, 2007— The House of Representatives today passed a resolution authored by Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-02), the first of its kind in the United States Congress, urging that the United States work with India to address the problem of “untouchability,” or the inhumane treatment of the more than 250,000,000 Dalits and Tribals, in light of our shared commitment to the values of human freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.
“It is almost unbelievable that in an age of astounding technological and economic advancement, the world remains asleep to the fact that there are today millions upon millions of people who not only endure staggering conditions of poverty, but are completely ostracized from their own society, treated as almost less than human. I believe this resolution lays the groundwork for increasing awareness on this issue, which will in turn ensure that the desperate needs of these impoverished people are not ignored or forgotten as our nations continue working together economically and politically.
“Today marks a victory for the cause of human freedom, and sheds a new light of hope on the 250 million souls who continue to suffer the abuses of caste discrimination in India. These people are continually subjected to mind-numbing atrocities and physical abuses, as well as educational, economic, and religious discrimination. The cornerstone of our democratic heritage is the core belief that “all men are created equal”, and as India continues growing in its global presence and economic prosperity, this crumbling pillar of their social structure must be brought to reflect their commitment to individual freedom.
“I truly believe that a caste system that places human beings into a category of “untouchables” is a social aberration that is destined to fade once and for all into the pages of history; and this resolution takes us one step closer to that day.”
Congressman Franks was joined by thirty-three leading human rights advocates in Congress in co-sponsoring the legislation, including Congressman Tom Lantos, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The bill includes a lengthy findings section detailing the effects of untouchability and caste abuse on outcastes in India, and calls on the United States government to work with India to raise the issue of caste discrimination through diplomatic channels and encouraging US businesses, USAID, the State Department, and other US programs and organizations seeking to avoid discrimination against the Dalits in India.
A copy of the Resolution is posted here.
Congressman Franks is serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives, and is a member of the Committee on Armed Services, Strategic Forces Subcommittee, Readiness Subcommittee, Committee on the Judiciary, and is Ranking Member on the Constitution Subcommittee.
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