Improve record on caste system

The leader made these remarks at a hearing of the House International Relations Sub-committee on Global Human Rights, and International Operations on "India's Unfinished Agenda: Equality and Justice for 200 million victims of the caste system."

"As the world's largest democracy, India must radically improve this terrible situation," he said.

"This hearing is important because it provides opportunity for leaders in the struggle for human rights for India's Dalits and tribals to describe the situation in India and to focus international attention to a problem that has oppressed millions of people," Smith added.

He noted that while India's government has made strides to open its economy and improve the lives of its citizens, the best laws in the world are useless unless there is vigorous enforcement. Enforcement of laws protecting human rights has been weak or non-existent, he added.

We must not lose sight of India's serious human rights problems. These problems have been amply documented in three State Department reports -- the 2004 Human rights Report on India, the 2005 Report on Trafficking in Persons and the 2004 Report on Religious Freedom, all three, he said, are massive catalogues of human rights violations which the government of India condones, ignores and in some instances has even promoted.

"The government of India does not fully comply with the minimum standards for elimination of trafficking. India was placed on 'Tier 2 Watch

List' for human trafficking for second consecutive year in 2005. Many of us however believe it should be a tier III country," Smith said.