Professor Ragui Assaad has been awarded a mini grant from the University of Minnesota's Human Rights Initiative to support his research project, “Land Rights as Human Rights: Struggles and Resistance of Landless Dalits in India.” 

Although the Indian government abolished caste discrimination and implemented land reforms, the Dalits or "untouchables" still face discrimination and violence when attempting to reclaim their land. This project will explore the reasons why, and how human rights organizations have responded. 

The Human Rights Initiative is a joint effort of the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) and the Humphrey School.