Standing by our Dalit Buddhist Brothers and Sisters

by Visakha Kawasaki, Colombo,Sri Lanka, The Buddhist Channel, Oct 25,2006

Thank you for your editorial "Dalit Buddhists killed because of their caste." This atrocity is all the more shocking because it happened during the Buddha Jayanti and the Golden anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar's conversion in nearby Nagpur.
We cannot too strongly condemn the barbarous Hindus who act violently towards Dalits; nor can we be too vocal in declaring that casteism is a violation of human rights akin to slavery.

For a graphic picture of the evils of caste in Hinduism, readers might benefit from viewing the video "I am Dalit. How are You?" at

Gandhi was cunning when he appropriated the Buddhist concept of "ahimsa" all the while clutching the Gita with its praise of war as duty. Dr. Ambedkar, the great liberator of Dalits, both taught and practiced ahima consistently throughout his life.

Truly we international Buddhists must stand together with our Dalit Buddhist brothers and sisters as they struggle to free themselves from the curse of caste.
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