Whether you love them or hate them, general elections provide a great opportunity for the electorate to be heard. Therefore, it gives us the chance to put Dalit trafficking on the political agenda by raising it with our local candidates.

The cause of the Dalits was raised in the House of Lords on 5 March. Lord Alton, supporting the Anti-Slavery Day Bill, talked about the oppression of the Dalits:

“Tens of millions of India's citizens are subject to many forms of highly exploitative forms of labour and modern-day slavery.... The caste system also plays into people trafficking, another form of slavery which affects millions in India... These statistics are hugely significant: the situation in India simply must be at the heart of the fight globally against trafficking.”

Now is our opportunity to add to Lord Alton’s voice in Parliament by raising the issue of Dalit trafficking with our local parliamentary candidates during the election campaign. By raising the issue now, before the election, we will highlight Dalit trafficking as a concern of us as constituents and start a dialogue which can be continued once the successful candidate is in Government.

How To Guide

DFN UK has published an Action Sheet (in the Resource Download section on the 'What can I do?' menu) detailing how you can...

• Write to your local candidates to raise the issue
• Raise the question at a local election forum or hustings
• Submit a question to TV or radio debates, including the televised Prime Ministerial debates (22 April is the most appropriate)
• Raise the issue with the political parties

In addition, if your local candidate comes knocking on your door, why not raise the issue with them face to face, and ask them what they would do to tackle the problem of Dalit trafficking if they are elected?

The election campaign is one of the few times when our future MPs are not only more accessible but are keen to hear our views and concerns. The campaign period provides a perfect opportunity to raise awareness of Dalit trafficking and start a dialogue which can continue once the election is over and MPs are established in Parliament. Please don’t let this opportunity pass by - just one question, one conversation, could open a door which may make a huge difference to Dalits in the future.