Deborah Lynn of Huffington Post is misinformed
Deborah Lynn is correct in asserting that India’s former unouchables (Dalits) are oppressed in parts of India, that state law enforcement agencies either willfully turn a blind eye to atrocities or simply don’t care, and that much needs to be done to improve their situation.
Beyond that, she’s thoroughly misinformed. There is no evidence that Dalits join Islamic terrorist outfits to inflict harm on Hindus (most Dalits are Hindus); and while Dalits do join Maoist organizations, Maoists do not consider their cause a Dalit struggle, for Indian Maoism has always been framed in Marxist class terms.
Also, Dalits are much less oppressed than they were a century ago. India reserves 25 percent of government jobs and 22.5 percent of elite university seats for Dalits. (Contrast India with the United States, where state institutions like the University of California have abolished affirmative action.) It would surprise Ms. Lynn to know that several Dalits have risen to the top of India’s political hierarchy. India’s largest state, Uttar Pradesh, had a woman Dalit Chief Minister (thanks to the glowing political clout of Dalits in North India); and India has also had a Dalit President.
The organization Ms. Lynn touts as "secular" and which appears to be the cause of her awakening-the Dalit Freedom Network- is very much a Christian-funded organization.
