Satyawan Verma

Trading in a career as a Sarpanch (village council chief) to liberate the voices of his community wasn’t an easy decision for Satyawan Verma to make, but it was the most beneficial one for him and his community. Foregoing the pressures of politics to become an India Unheard Community Correspondent has enabled Satyawan to combat gender discrimination and caste-based violence as well as instill in the people of his village the importance of education and awareness.

A village oppresses its Dalit community by cutting them off from social, economic and political processes and spaces. The caste system seeks to maintain the status quo of keeping “highs” high and “lows” low.  The paranoia of the other castes against Dalits manifests itself in bullying, boycott, force and violence.

ARTICLE 17

A Campaign to End Untouchability

ARTICLE 17 is a campaign launched by Video Volunteers on April 14^th, 2012, to urge the National Commission for Schedule Castes, (the government body that is constitutionally appointed to direct and implement the safeguards against untouchability), to prosecute cases of untouchability. Community Correspondents across the country are documenting video testimonies of different forms of untouchability. The first 22 videos are featured here and more will be added as the campaign continues.

We want to give viewers the responsibility, as witnesses, to end this age-old oppression once and for all.

Sign the petition being sent to the National Commission on Scheduled Castes.