India: Update to IND43308 of 13 January 2005 on the impact of the 26 December 2004 tsunami on human rights conditions (14-20 January 2005)

Dalits

Human rights sources of 14 to 19 January 2005 continued to report that Dalits (formerly known as "untouchables") were being discriminated against (HRW 14 Jan. 2005; Rocky Mountain News 15 Jan. 2005; AFP 17 Jan. 2005). According to information provided to Human Rights Watch (HRW) by the Indian-based National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR), Dalits were reportedly being refused emergency shelter and food, some were receiving less assistance than other non-Dalit victims, Dalit communities were generally "the last to have electricity and water supplies restored," and some Dalit families who suffered deaths in their family were being denied compensation (HRW 14 Jan. 2005). Agence France-Presse (AFP) cites the case of a Dalit family that was "asked to leave a relief camp" in Tamil Nadu (17 Jan. 2005). The US-based Dalit Freedom Network also reported that Dalits were not receiving medical treatment and provisions in some tsunami refugee camps (Rocky Mountain News 15 Jan. 2005). HRW further noted that Dalit discrimination was apparently being carried out by "the authorities, as well as by some aid groups and local communities" (HRW 14 Jan. 2005).

In a 14 January 2005 press release, HRW called on the Indian government to take measures against discrimination based on caste in the post-tsunami relief and reconstruction process. On 17 January 2005, an HRW spokesperson indicated that according to Dalit groups working in Tamil Nadu, the local government had set up "monitoring cells" to "try and ensure that there is no discrimination" (Daily Times 19 Jan. 2005).

Corruption

With regard to corruption, news sources reported on cases of misuse and theft of humanitarian aid (AP 13 Jan. 2005; ibid. 14 Jan. 2005; DPA 15 Jan. 2005; IPS 16 Jan. 2005). In one incident that took place on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (an Indian federal territory), villagers attacked a district official when it was discovered that he had used 12,000 litres of mineral water, intended for tsunami victims, to bathe in (AP 13 Jan. 2005). In other incidents, the Indian Red Cross accused the government of seizing Red Cross relief materials in order to take charge of the distribution (ibid.), while Inter Press Service (IPS) reported that grain intended for victims in Tamil Nadu was instead being sold on the black market elsewhere in India (16 Jan. 2005). Deutsche Presse-Argentur (DPA) reported in addition that tsunami survivors in some Tamil Nadu villages had no place to store all the food they had received and were selling some of it to local vendors (15 Jan. 2005).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection.

References

Associated Press (AP). 14 January 2005. Emma Ross and Jim Gomez. "Malaria Threat Emerges in Tsunami Stricken Indonesia." (Dialog)
_____. 13 January 2005. Neelesh Misra. "Red Cross Says Officials 'Hijacked' Aid Supplies in India's Andaman Islands." (Dialog)

Agence France-Presse (AFP). 17 January 2005. "Rights Body Demands Fair Aid For India's "Untouchable" Tsunami Victims." (Dialog)

Daily Times [Lahore]. 19 January 2005. "HRW Demands Faire Aid for 'Untouchables'". [Accessed 18 Jan. 2005]

Deutsche Presse-Argentur (DPA). 15 January 2005. "India Set Up Panel to Coordinate Long-Term Relief Measures." (Dialog)

Human Rights Watch (HRW). 14 January 2005. "India: End Caste Bias in Tsunami Relief." (ReliefWeb) [Accessed 18 Jan. 2005]

Inter Press Service (IPS). 16 January 2005. Ranjit Devraj. "Tsunami Impact: Corruption Threatens Quality of Indian Mercy." [Accessed 19 Jan. 2005]

Rocky Mountain News [Denver]. 15 January 2005. David Montero. "Waves of Hope: Mission to India A Plea From the World's 'Least'." [Accessed 18 Jan. 2005]