Another disadvantage of outsourcing has been discovered-untouchables suffer employment prejudice in silence
Next time you use HSBC, Talk Talk or Dell for instance and the call is re-routed to Delhi consider this thought: of the 100,000 employed working for UK firms not one is an untouchable or dalit according to Amicus.
Untouchables are those treated by the Indian caste system as the lowest of the low. Typically they are forced to do the most menial jobs and are precluded from call centre jobs by way of prejudice.
They cannot progress in life according to Orthodox Hinduism and the vast bulk of the 300 million dalits remain stuck in their position as do their children and children’s children. Opponents of the caste structure argue the system was introduced long ago by invaders to India who used the system to subjugate the local population.
The Dalit Solidarity Network UK and Amicus are urging UK companies to improve the plight of the dalits. Such companies have corporate responsibility statements and talk of diversity and human rights yet so far none have stood up for the oppressed who suffer inequality, injustice, harassment and crime as police and the courts are said to turn a blind eye to their condition. Though local laws exist to improve the condition of untouchables they are often weak and ineffective.
Ethical outsourcing would seek to challenge these prejudices and would aim to enforce quotas as they do in the US.
Although the concept of “untouchability” was abolished in 1950 this form of apartheid lingers and has been condemned by India’s PM Manmohan Singh though actual tangible progress remains elusive.
So readers can do their bit by asking their service providers if they do outsource to India what proof they can provide that they are not perpetuating a system condemned as a “modern apartheid”. Progressive companies can sign up to set of principles promoted by the Dalit Solidarity Network and executives are urged to go on awareness courses to be educated on the position affecting the dalits and ehat can be done to improve their position.
