IV 
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) sub-
mitted 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 juris-
diction 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 Presi-
dent 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 
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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 edu-
cational 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 un-
touchability; 
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 ac-
quittals; 
Whereas Dalit women are often raped with impunity; 
Whereas low-caste unborn females are targeted for abortions; 
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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 mi-
norities and is further perpetrated by organizations seek-
ing 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 re-
ligious minorities; and 
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Whereas the VHP and RSS have directly and indirectly fi-
nancially supported the campaign of violence against reli-
gious 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 free-
dom, democracy, and the rule of law, it is in the interests 
of the United States to address the problem of the treat-
ment 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 di-
rectly 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 Inter-
national Development and other United States devel-
opment organizations; 
(3) prioritizing funding for projects that posi-
tively impact Dalit and Tribal communities, specifi-
cally projects that implement quality English-based 
education for the Dalit and Tribal communities; 
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(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 rel-
evant international financial institutions to consider 
caste discrimination when forming and funding de-
velopment projects; 
(6) ensuring that all United States Government 
employees and contractors in India— 
(A) are aware that it is United States Gov-
ernment policy that caste discrimination is un-
acceptable, and that the United States is com-
mitted to eliminating it; and 
(B) treat all people equally, with regard to 
caste discrimination; 
(7) ensuring that— 
(A) qualified Dalits are in no way discour-
aged 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 
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