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Background
The Dalits
Prevalent in Dharmapuri and the utmost focus of HART’s partner the Operation Mercy Charitable Company (OMCC) are the most marginalized and oppressed people of India. The Dalits, number approximately 250-300 million throughout India, are outside and below the Hindu Caste system, which is 'officially' forbidden by the Indian constitution, and upheld by decisions of the Supreme court, including ones in favour of Dalits specifically.
In practice, the Caste system, and the oppression of the Dalits, still exerts power economically, educationally, socially, politically and of course religiously. Although theoretically Hindu, there are nearly total restrictions on their entering temples and participating in religious festivals. Because of their low social standing, affluent parts of society deny the Dalits their basic human rights, causing them to suffer socially and economically.
 Unable to access education and because of the social stigma of “untouchability”, Dalits are forced to take up the lowest paid jobs which do not provide enough income for the most fundamental of commodities: food, clothing, shelter, medical care, or an education for their children.
Shackled to a social and religious system that removes personal freedom, the Dalits are victims of a form of modern-day slavery that, without intervention, results in a vicious cycle of poverty and discrimination through the generations. The restrictions on their walking through the main street of a town or village, thereby polluting it is claimed to no longer apply with such vehemence, and they are no longer generally required to attach and drag a broom behind them to cleanse where they have walked. However, access to health and educational opportunities continues to be a nearly universal problem.
HART and HIV Rehabilitation
More widely considered an African or American disease, AIDS has now plundered the country of India as well. An estimated two to five million people are infected with HIV in India today, with another 50,000-100,000 people suffering from full-blown AIDS. HART is working with a locally run organisation in Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu where the HIV rate is so high that only the metropolis of Mumbai is estimated to have more carriers per head of population.
The city of Dharmapuri has a population of 1,300,000 with an estimated 80,000 people infected with HIV. The Dalit community, already marginalised and denied education and healthcare, are even more vulnerable to the HIV problem than other members of society and are in desperate need of assistance.
 HART supports a rehabilitation and curative clinic established by one local family. With its unique holistic approach, the clinic aims to help communities to help themselves as much as possible, to treat patients compassionately and restore their sense of dignity. The HIV project includes emotional counselling, awareness seminars, vocational training for HIV patients well enough to work, schooling for the children of HIV patients and Self Help Groups (Self savings/self loaning locally- run groups) for the families of HIV patients (as well as clinical care). In addition to the basic medical help for HIV patients, the project also subsidises more advanced procedures.
 In partnership with Operation Mobilisation (OM) we have begun to support a clinic for Dalits. The clinic will have a small capacity for residential care for six. The main work will be with out-patients. Non-Dalit persons, happy to be treated simultaneously with Dalits, will also be able to make use of the facilities. It is deliberately sited in an area with a significantly large percentage of Dalits- and will minister to a population of over 50,000.
Hart and Advocacy in the State of Orissa
In October 2008 HART visited, at very short notice, the State of Orissa where violence by Hindu extremists against non-Hindus, in particular, Christians, had broken out again in August, after a period of relative calm since the violence in December 2007, which had claimed eleven lives and destroyed 107 churches. By comparison, the violence of August, whose epicentre was in Kandhamal, resulted in:
In Orissa state, 65 identified people killed and 85 still unaccounted for. Among those killed were one man buried alive near the village of Rundangla; several people burnt to death and others cut into pieces.117 churches of all Christian denominations destroyed. Not a single Hindu temple has been destroyed- despite allegations of retaliation by Christians.Approximately 5,000 homes destroyed.An unspecified number of Christian businesses destroyed, with the loss of livelihood.54,000 people displaced from their homes, forced to take shelter in 14 state-sponsored relief camps in Kandhamal district; together with many hundreds living in non-state camps, including 2 ‘camps’ in densely overcrowded buildings in Cuttsack town.It is estimated to be 20,000 approx, living in the jungle or to have fled to big cities. Some may be living with relatives elsewhere.In addition to the violence in Kandhamal District, two other Districts, Japati and Baragras District, have also experienced similar atrocities, including killings, looting and the burning of churches and homes. Two relief camps have been established for approximately 27,000 people who have had to flee their homes.
Advocacy: HART is working with groups within India; in the British Parliament and with Ministries; with the Indian High Commission; and with other groups within the U.K. to encourage a return to normalcy and to the re-establishment of “the rule of law” within Orissa State, and to secure the return of displaced thousands to their homes, land and property, involving reconstruction and compensation as well as security.
Aid: Our present resources do not enable us to give Aid to the displaced, widowed and orphaned, but we are pressing the Indian authorities at National and State level to improve conditions in the camps and to provide security to enable people to return to their homes.
HART, India and the Future
HART is seeking financial support to enable us:
To continue to support the Dalit project in DharmapuriTo continue to exert pressure upon the Indian Government, via the British Government, and upon the UK DFID (Department for International Development) to improve conditions in the camps for Displaced Persons in OrissaTo explore any possibility of Aid from ourselves or donors to help the displacedTo continue Advocacy for Christians and others persecuted by extremists
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