Indian Government Accuses Dalit Poet and Activist of Provoking Class Warfare

From Uprising Radio

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We now turn to India, and a case that reflects the ongoing hypocrisy of the Indian Caste system. The Indian caste system is a system of social stratification and social restriction in India in which communities are defined by social categories that define both their job and status in life but also their spiritual purity. This system which weaves race, religion, and class into one oppressive noose has also led to the oppression of many but in particular a group of people know as the Untouchables who are systematically discriminated again because of their impure jobs. Untouchables, or as they prefer to be called, Dalits number over 200 million people and face a staggering amount of discrimination including the horrifying statistic that ever hour 2 Untouchables are killed, 3 women are raped, and 2 houses are burnt. It is into this environment that we bring our next Guest Dalit Poet and activist Meena Kandaswamy who while based in the UK has now been embroiled in a case in the Indian judicial system where she is being accused of inciting communal or caste tensions between communities. We go now to Meena. Good Morning Meena, and welcome to Uprising.

GUEST: Meena Kandaswamy, Dalit poet and activist

Read Meena’s writing at: meenu.wordpress.com

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