Traversing Caste within the Legal System with Manjula Pradeep
In this episode, Advocate Manjula Pradeep illustrates the nexus between the upper castes and our socio-legal institutions. We will discuss the dynamics of caste as reflected in refusal to file an FIR, reluctance to apply relevant sections such as the Prevention of Atrocities Act, and straightaway ill-treatment of Dalits in police stations and courts. We will dive deeper into the double burden of caste and gender on Dalit women, especially in the context of caste-based sexual violence. Manjula walks us through what it takes to navigate a system that continues to perpetuate caste-gender hierarchies.
Manjula Pradeep is currently the Director of Campaigns in Dalit Human Rights Defenders Network Project, which covers five states of India. Manjula has also founded the Wise Act of Youth Visioning and Engagement (WAYVE) Foundation (www.wayve.net.in) which works for the empowerment and rights of marginalized youth in India building their leadership and building awareness about Constitutional Rights.
Apart from that, Manjula is involved with the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights. She also served as a member of the executive group of the International Dalit Solidarity Network and the Secretary of the Executive Committee of the National Center for Advocacy Studies, India. She also represents issues facing Dalits and Dalit women in international forums, such as the United Nations and the European Union.