[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 396 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 396

  Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States should 
        address the ongoing problem of untouchability in India.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 27, 2006

 Mr. Franks of Arizona (for himself, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mrs. Jo 
    Ann Davis of Virginia, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Tancredo, and Mr. Pastor) 
 submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
   the Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the 
Committees on Financial Services, Government Reform, and Education and 
   the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States should 
        address the ongoing problem of untouchability in India.

Whereas the United States and the Republic of India have entered an 
        unprecedented partnership;
Whereas the July 18, 2005, Joint Statement between President George W. Bush and 
        Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated that, ``[a]s leaders of nations 
        committed to the values of human freedom, democracy, and rule of law, 
        the new relationship between India and the United States will promote 
        stability, democracy, prosperity, and peace throughout the world [. . . 
        and] it will enhance our ability to work together to provide global 
        leadership in areas of mutual concern and interest'';
Whereas caste is the socioeconomic stratification of people in South Asia based 
        on a combination of work and descent;
Whereas the ``Untouchables'', now known as the Dalits, and the forest tribes of 
        India, called Tribals, who together number approximately 250 to 300 
        million people, are the primary victims of caste discrimination in 
        India;
Whereas discrimination against the Dalits and Tribals has existed for more than 
        2,000 years and has included educational discrimination, economic 
        disenfranchisement, physical abuse, discrimination in medical care, 
        religious discrimination, and violence targeting Dalit and Tribal women;
Whereas Article 17 of the Constitution of India outlaws untouchability;
Whereas despite numerous laws enacted for the protection and betterment of the 
        Dalits and Tribals, they are still considered outcasts in Indian society 
        and are treated as such;
Whereas the Dalits and Tribals are denied equal treatment under the law;
Whereas the National Commission on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has 
        declared that many of the reported cases of atrocities against Dalits 
        and Tribals end in acquittals;
Whereas Dalit women are often raped with impunity;
Whereas low-caste unborn females are targeted for abortions;
Whereas most Dalits and Tribals are among those poorest of the poor living on 
        less than $1 per day;
Whereas most of India's bonded laborers are Dalits;
Whereas Dalits and other low-caste people are denied equal access to education;
Whereas the Dalits and Tribals maintain higher illiteracy rates than non-Dalit 
        populations;
Whereas the public education afforded Dalits and Tribals, when available at all, 
        is usually inadequate and conducted in regional languages or Hindi, 
        thereby disqualifying them from access to India's public universities 
        which teach in English, and from most government positions and most 
        advanced jobs in India, which require English;
Whereas the HIV/AIDS epidemic in India is massive and underreported;
Whereas the United Nations estimates that approximately 50 million Indians will 
        die from HIV/AIDS in the next 40 years;
Whereas Dalits and Tribals are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and are 
        the largest high risk population in India;
Whereas a rise in religious conversion in response to caste discrimination has 
        led to violence against religious minorities and is further perpetrated 
        by organizations seeking the promotion and protection of caste;
Whereas the Vishva Hindu Parishad (``VHP'') and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh 
        (``RSS'') have been among the organizations perpetrating violence 
        against religious minorities; and
Whereas the VHP and RSS have directly and indirectly financially supported the 
        campaign of violence against religious minorities in India and have 
        distributed weapons for use against religious minorities: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that, as the leaders of the United 
States and the Republic of India have expressed commitment to the 
values of human freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, it is in the 
interests of the United States to address the problem of the treatment 
of the Dalits and Tribals in India in order to better meet mutual 
economic and security goals by--
            (1) raising the issue of caste discrimination and 
        untouchability through diplomatic channels both directly with 
        the Government of India and within the context of international 
        bodies;
            (2) inviting Dalit organizations to participate in the 
        planning and implementation of development projects from the 
        United States Agency for International Development and other 
        United States development organizations;
            (3) prioritizing funding for projects that positively 
        impact Dalit and Tribal communities, specifically projects that 
        implement quality English-based education for the Dalit and 
        Tribal communities;
            (4) ensuring that cooperative research programs targeting 
        rural health care, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and rural technology 
        contain proper focus on the Dalits and Tribals;
            (5) encouraging the World Bank and other relevant 
        international financial institutions to consider caste 
        discrimination when forming and funding development projects;
            (6) ensuring that all United States Government employees 
        and contractors in India--
                    (A) are aware that it is United States Government 
                policy that caste discrimination is unacceptable, and 
                that the United States is committed to eliminating it; 
                and
                    (B) treat all people equally, with regard to caste 
                discrimination;
            (7) ensuring that--
                    (A) qualified Dalits are in no way discouraged from 
                applying for employment with the United States 
                Government or United States Government contractors in 
                India, and that transparent and fair recruitment, 
                selection, and career development processes are 
                implemented, with clear objective criteria; and
                    (B) procedures exist to detect and remedy any caste 
                discrimination in employment conditions, wages, 
                benefits or job security for the employees of the 
                United States Government or United States Government 
                contractors in India;
            (8) encouraging United States businesses to--
                    (A) afford Dalits and Tribals equal opportunity in 
                hiring;
                    (B) actively recruit and train Dalits and Tribals;
                    (C) pay Dalits and Tribals a fair wage; and
                    (D) adopt voluntary employment guidelines to foster 
                the elimination of caste discrimination;
            (9) discussing the issue of caste in the context of 
        congressional delegations; and
            (10) monitoring the activities and funds of the Vishva 
        Hindu Parishad and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in the United 
        States that are used to support groups that have perpetrated 
        acts of violence against Dalits, Tribals, and religious 
        minorities in India.
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