Martin Macwan Biography
Courtesy of The Robert F. Kennedy MemorialA powerful advocate for the human rights of the Dalits, Martin Macwan works to end discrimination and violence against the "untouchable" caste of Indian society. Martin is the Founder and Director of the Navsarjan Trust, a group based in the west Indian state of Gujarat. Navsarjan Trust is organizing Dalits in 2,000 villages to fight the practice of "Untouchability" and to improve their socioeconomic conditions. For his leadership and commitment to securing the rights of the Dalits, Martin was elected by a national coalition of organizations to be the National Convenor of the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights.
Martin was born to a poor Dalit family and became a child laborer. After overcoming early difficulties and receiving a bachelor's degree in 1980, Martin started his career focused on rural development and community organizing. He became an advocate for Dalit rights after four of his colleagues were brutally murdered in 1986 while trying to organize a Dalit community to exercise their land rights. In 1989, Martin founded Navsarjan Trust to address issues of violence, land rights, minimum wages, women's rights, and organizing the poor. Navsarjan Trust has had a special focus on training grassroots community leaders. Today, more than 187 activists, who were formerly day laborers and brick makers with little education, have received training and now serve as leaders of the Dalit movement.India's caste system assigns individuals a certain status according to Hindu beliefs. Traditionally, there are four principal castes (divided into many sub-categories) and one category of people who fall outside the caste system—the Dalits. As members of the lowest rank of Indian society, Dalits face discrimination at almost every level: from access to education and medical facilities to restrictions on where they can live and what jobs they can have. The discrimination against the Dalits is especially significant because of the number of people affected. There are approximately 160 million Dalits in India, constituting fifteen percent of the total population.
Within the Dalit community, there are many divisions into sub-castes. Dalits are divided into leather workers, street sweepers, cobblers, agricultural workers, and manual "scavengers." The latter group, considered the lowest of the low and officially estimated at one million, traditionally are responsible for digging village graves, disposing of dead animals, and cleaning human waste. Approximately three-quarters of the Dalit workforce are in the agricultural sector of the economy. A majority of the country’s forty million people who are bonded laborers are Dalits. These jobs rarely provide enough income for the Dalits to feed their families or to send their children to school. As a result, many of the Dalits are impoverished, uneducated, and illiterate.
Under Martin's leadership, the Navsarjan Trust has been one of the leading organizations in the advancement of Dalit rights. The organization promotes the use of non-violent action to protest the Dalit situation and provides legal services to both Dalits and non-Dalits. In particular, Martin has focused much of his work on the rights of scavengers. Navsarjan Trust provides scavengers with training in legal skills, leadership development programs, and basic necessities. Martin and his colleagues also have lobbied the government to end manual scavenging, correct land reform violations, and implement minimum wage standards.The 1950 national constitution of India legally abolishes the practice of "untouchability," and there are constitutional reservations in both educational institutions and public services for the Dalit. Unfortunately, these measures have not changed the reality of daily life for most Dalits, as the Indian government frequently tolerates oppression and open discrimination aimed at this group. As Indian President K.R. Narayanan, himself a Dalit, noted in his public address to the nation on the eve of Republic Day, January 25, 2000, "these [Constitutional] provisions remain unfulfilled through bureaucratic and administrative deformation or by narrow interpretations of these special provisions." Dalits usually live in separate areas away from the caste Hindu communities, and they are often forbidden to access public wells. In many areas, when Dalits eat in public restaurants or patronize street vendors, they must use a special glass for drinking tea or coffee to prevent sharing between Dalits and caste Hindus. Dalits in different parts of India cannot enter Hindu temples or Christian churches, and some religious leaders forbid inter-caste marriages.
Should a Dalit break one of these rules, frequently the entire Dalit community will be punished for the perceived individual transgression. Punishment can take the form of denial of access to land or employment, physical attacks on Dalit women, and the burning down of Dalit homes. Despite a clear record of violence against the Dalits, there are numerous reports that police officials have refused to register complaints about violations of the law or to prosecute those responsible for the abuses. With little knowledge of their rights, limited access to attorneys, and no money for hearings or bail, Dalits are easy targets for human rights violations.In addition to his work with Navsarjan Trust, Martin has undertaken the responsibility of leading the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights. One of the current objectives of the Campaign is to place the issue of caste-based discrimination on the agenda of the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, which will be held in South Africa in August 2001. The Campaign also conducts public awareness programs and activities in eleven of the twenty-four states in India.
Last updated on Friday, September 26, 2008.
