On the occasion of the EU - India Summit, 23 November 2001, the International Dalit Solidarity Network, a body of human rights and development organisations and national Dalit solidarity networks, wish to relay to the Commission our strong recommendation that the issue of caste discrimination be brought into the dialogue between EU and India.

As the chairman of the Summit, we wish to convey to you our sense of urgency on the matter, the plight of 250 million dalits, as well as our concern, that EU and the Commission make every possible effort to help counter and alleviate this gross systematic human rights violation.

In our statement, which is attached herewith, we are taking the liberty to express our strong concern to all participants of the EU-India summit.

On behalf of

Dalit Solidarity Platform, Germany
Dalit Solidarity Network, UK
Dalit Solidarity Alliance/DanChurchAid, Denmark
French Dalit Collective, France
India Committee, the Netherlands
and other members of the International Dalit Solidarity Network



Yours sincerely,

Gerard Oonk India Committee of the Netherlands Mariaplaats 4 3511 LH Utrecht (31) 30 23 21 340

Rikke Nöhrlind Danchurchaid Norregade 13 1165 Kopenhagen (45) 29 70 06 30