P. A. Chacko
The UN proclamation of 21 March as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination calls on all people, communities and nations to respect people as human beings and not to judge people according to colour, caste, creed or community.
The inhuman ‘Pass Laws Act of 1952 in South Africa required the black South Africans over the age of 16 to carry a pass book as identity and internal passport. It was to contain more detailed information than a normal passport. It was meant to segregate the black people from the ‘noble white’ race.
On 21 March, 1960 the police opened fire on people demonstrating against the Pass Laws Act and 69 people were killed. Hence, the UN Assembly decided to mark 21 March as the day to call on all people to respect people as human beings and to fight against the cancer of discrimination.
Communities and nations have a long way to go in getting out of a mentality fostered by discrimination of various kinds: Racial, cultural, caste, religious etc. In some countries, minority communities are ill treated and kept as second rate citizens due to majoritarian megalomania.
Very often migrants are viewed with discrimination. Discrimination of various kinds takes place at different levels. We see it in families where girl children are less preferred, in public life, in job allocations, in schools, even in religious and charitable institutions, in work places, in wage systems and the like.
It is not just racial discrimination. Discrimination at various levels has a cancerous growth. Men and women of conscience, organisations and leaders have come forward to fight this cancer.
