Dalit Solidarity Forum USA, for Developing Communities
We at Dalit Solidarity Forum in the USA, Inc. strive to build a cohort of voices and actions to annihilate caste, oppose religion and gender based oppression, to establish human rights of Dalits and all peoples, rights of all beings, and nurture a world of peace, kindness, and compassion.
DSF Statement on New Law against Caste in Seattle:
The Dalit Solidarity Forum in the USA, Inc (DSF) thanks the torch bearers and several others who lined up to gain the victory over caste in Seattle. Founded in 1999, DSF never imagined that a day would come when caste would be a well-fed vicious animal in the United States practiced by those who religiously believe that humans are created unequal.
Caste is the begetter of racism and all other “isms” that dehumanize others on the unthinkable irrational prerogative belief that some people are purer than the polluted others. We saw this pattern of dismissing personhood as perpetrated by colonialism upon the bodies of Native Americans and mostly that of their women who were subject to horrific sexual violence. This is not what we want to see happen again by settler Indian-Americans performing supremacy through their caste identity.
As citizens and residents of the United Sates we must eliminate every possible chance that this casteism would affect our future generations. These perpetrators exhibit an entitlement to caste, and race privileges in the USA in the audacity that there is no legal policy to call them to accountability. The very fact that there was such strong opposition to the passing of this policy on caste is evidence to the determination to ensure the targeting of safe-preys here and face no consequences for it. This cannot be allowed simply because it is an unconscionable practice that is committed to strangle humanity and the sincere efforts of an “outcaste” individual to thrive in America. This is nothing short of a human dignity genocide.
As Dalits Christians we fled India seeking an unburdening of the fear of caste- based violence and discrimination. caste is not a just a Hindu issue but is very much alive in other religions including Indian Christians.
In passing this law the Seattle city council has heroically taken a historical stand to preserve human dignity and justice for all residing in the United States. Dalits and all other vulnerable groups in the USA should be protected under law.
Become our ally.
COLLABORATE WITH US!
Building Dalit Scholarship, USA.
Dalit Scholarship in the US Academia
For centuries, caste has decided who may learn, who may teach and whose knowledge counts. Dalits were denied education for generations, and that exclusion did not end at India’s borders. In U.S. universities, caste was long barely acknowledged as a subject of study, and Dalit scholars who chose to research it often faced dismissal and invisibility. Today, Dalit students still report hiding their identity on campus, and many institutions still leave caste out of their anti-discrimination policies.
Representation changes this. When Dalit scholars stand at the podium, Dalit lives become sources of knowledge rather than subjects of study. Their research names caste where it has been denied and connects it to race, gender, labor and colonialism. It also gives educators, employers and policymakers the evidence they need to recognize and end caste discrimination in America. Anticaste research is not a niche interest. It is essential to understanding inequality in the United States.
Partnering Organizations:
DSF (Dalit Solidarity Forum in the USA, Inc.)
HOPE (Holistic Approach for People’s Empowerment): A Non-Government Organization (NGO) implementing programs to empower women, children, Dalit, and other minorities and fisher folk. https://vrhope.org.
AIMS (Alliance of Climate Frontline Communities): www.climatefrontline.org
RIGHTS: www.rightsfirst.in
Organize Events
We organize forums, discussion groups, and seminars to bring awareness about caste inequalities.
Provide Education
We have established a school for Dalit children and a boarding facility for Dalit girls in India through partnership with local organizations.
Raise Funds
We organize fundraising events for the upliftment of Dalits economically, culturally, socially and politically.