The Asian Foundation for Philanthropy (AFP) and Connect India is hosting ‘Portraits of a Broken People’; an exhibition documenting the oppression of the Dalit people of India. This will be presented by Nishant Lalwani, AFP returned volunteer. Nishant spent three weeks in India volunteering for the Dalit Foundation. He was assigned to develop a library of photos to help communicate caste oppression in India and the efforts being made to counter it.

The word 'Dalit', in Sanskrit, means oppressed or downtrodden. In Marathi, the language first spoken by Dalit communities, it means 'broken to pieces'. The Dalits are communities of people in India that are regarded as being on the lowest rung of the Hindu caste ladder. Numbering approximately 160 million, Dalits are denied access to land, forced to work in degrading conditions and routinely abused by the police and people from caste groups regarded as 'higher' on the hierarchy. Most Dalits live in extreme poverty, without opportunities for better employment or education. Dalit women, in particular, face the triple burden of caste, class and gender.

Despite the widespread and serious nature of caste discrimination, the Dalit situation is largely unknown, even within India. However, the Dalit Foundation of India is leading the fight against caste discrimination in India, through widespread campaigning and the support of a large number of grassroots NGOs.

The following are Nishant Lalwani's notes to accompany the exhibition 'Portraits of a Broken People'.

FORCED APART

Dalits are forced to live separately from caste Hindus. In cities like Kanpur, the Dalits are made to live in crowded slums on the fringes of the city. Caste Hindus refuse to enter these slums and the majority of Dalit living areas do not come under the jurisdiction of city police.

LIVING OUTCASTES

Dalit slums are invariably the worst parts of any indian city; they are rarely recognised as formal settlements by the government and so lack basic humanitarian services. There is no drainage, no running water, no waste disposal and no legal means of forcing the government to take action.

THE WORKING DAY

Dalit workers wield no power. They are paid by the day, and often only at intervals of several weeks - so they must ensure that they keep on good terms with their employers. This often involves meeting unreasonable demands for working hours and minimum wages.

STONING TO DEATH

Workers in the stone trade are almost all from the Dalit community. Their average life expectancy is 30 - the vast majority die young from respiratory diseases contracted through daily inhalation of stone dust. Others die in landslide and stone transporation accidents. Compensation is rarely, if ever, provided to their families.

WITHOUT WATER

Dalit villages are rarely afforded the privilige of running water. The villagers in the photo have water delivered to them by a government tanker during the dry season. However, local caste landlords have taken to violently diverting the government tankers and stealing water, so the villagers are forced to walk many miles to find an alternative supply.

ADDICTED TO WORK

Many employers who use Dalit labourers encourage them to start using drugs - especially alcohol and marajuana. This allows the employers to pay the workers as little as 5 or 10 rupees a day, plus their drug allowance, while guaranteeing that the addict will come back the next day to work again.

WASTE COLLECTORS

One job invariably allocated to the Dalit community is the collection and removal of waste. They are paid either by the government, or by private parties. Hygeine is a low priority for the employers - Dalits are considered replaceable, and so there is little merit in preventing employee illness.

DISCRIMINATIVE DISCIPLINE

Government schools around India promise open acceptance for all students, but in reality many teachers refuse to teach Dalit children. They cite them as 'unworthy of learning' or a 'waste of teacher time'. Even if they are accepted, Dalit children are not given equal opportunities in many schools.

LEARNING THE TRADE

"What use is school? It's a waste of time and money. Even if our children do get an education, they will never be allowed to use it. If she starts sweeping now, at least she'll learn the trade and be able to make some money for us one day." Rani's mother explains why she handed her daughter a broom when she turned four.

MORNING ROUNDS

Dalit children all over Patna, Bihar, rush to the rubbish dumps at sunrise to get first pickings of the freshly collected household waste. Bottles, paper and plastic are all gathered and sold to private recyclers by the kilo.

Visit www.nishantlalwani.co.uk for further information.

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