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Fakir Hassen in Durban
Post-independence India and South Africa's approaches to racism have been totally different, Minister of State for External Affairs Omar Abdullah said on Thursday.
"When we gained Independence in India, the protection of the rights of every individual was written into our Constitution. But in South Africa, the (ruling white minority) government of the day actually wrote Apartheid into their statute books," Abdullah told IANS at a reception in honour of the Indian delegation to the World Conference on Racism.
The Indian High Commissioner to South Africa, Shiv Mukherjee, hosted the reception attended by leading figures from the South African-Indian community.
More than 13,000 delegates have gathered here for the conference, which starts with addresses by South African President Thabo Mbeki and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the International Convention Centre.
Among the issues expected to be hotly debated is the scourge of "untouchability" in India.
About 200 representatives from the socially underprivileged Dalit community in India have been protesting here all week to have the issue included on the agenda of the conference, but the Indian government said there was no need for this.
"We accept that the issue of caste does exist in India, as indeed also elsewhere in the world. It would be senseless to think we could just wish it away. But the approach being used (by Dalit representatives) is questionable," Abdullah said.
"Legislation in India prohibits this discrimination and they should be using existing avenues and platforms to further their cause," he added.
Earlier on Thursday, a number of landless people from India joined thousands of their compatriots from all over South Africa in a protest to create awareness of their plight.
The conference continues until next week with a number of sessions to discuss various themes relating to racism.
Indo-Asian News Service
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