Dr. Ashwini K.P from India has recently been appointed as the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance by the UN Human Rights Council. 

Dr. Ashwini holds a Masters degree in Political Science from St. Joseph’s College and Ph.D. in South Asian Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. As a student at JNU, Ashwini was actively involved with the students group United Dalit Students Forum (UDSF), a socio-cultural organization formed in 1991. She is also a founder member of Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association, a student organization founded in 2014 in JNU.

In 2015, during the Dalit History Month celebrations, Ashwini said, “I feel the creation of the Indian constitution is one of the significant events in the Dalit history. It is the first legal document that has criminalized caste discrimination and untouchability. It is a matter of pride then to be part of that Dalit milestone for it is a reminder that Dalit history is a history of assertion. It is a revolution for equality and justice.” 

Four years later, in 2019, as a lead researcher and content writer, Ashwini produced a lot of valuable articles to the Dalit History Month. Today, with the news of her appointment to the UN, we see Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s dream coming true. With the help of the constitutional rights and her own hard work, Ashwini made history and she will be written down in the Dalit History as the first Indian woman, first Dalit to be appointed as UN Special Rapporteur and the first Asian to hold the position of Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

In an interview with The News Minutes Dr. Ashwini said, “Since the Durban Conference, caste has been a subject of discussion at the UN and many other global platforms. As an academic and an activist, I will certainly work on highlighting the issue of caste and the need to internationally recognise it as an aspect of discrimination.”

We are extremely proud to have a Project Mukti Alumni achieve great heights! We wish you all the best in your new role, Dr. Ashwini KP.