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    Untouchability in Rural India

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    shubhamuflex
    This document discusses the prevalence of untouchability in rural India. It begins by defining Dalits as the roughly 150 million people in India who face social exclusion and discrimination as members of the lowest castes. The document then examines the history and current socioeconomic status of Dalits. It provides data from surveys finding that untouchability persists in many villages, with Dalits facing discrimination in access to services, public behavior, the market, and work. While some progress has been made through education and political participation, the document concludes that untouchability remains widespread and Dalit women especially face multilayered discrimination.

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    Untouchability in Rural India

    Uploaded by

    shubhamuflex
    173 views21 pages
    This document discusses the prevalence of untouchability in rural India. It begins by defining Dalits as the roughly 150 million people in India who face social exclusion and discrimination as members of the lowest castes. The document then examines the history and current socioeconomic status of Dalits. It provides data from surveys finding that untouchability persists in many villages, with Dalits facing discrimination in access to services, public behavior, the market, and work. While some progress has been made through education and political participation, the document concludes that untouchability remains widespread and Dalit women especially face multilayered discrimination.

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    Untouchability in Rural India

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    This document discusses the prevalence of untouchability in rural India. It begins by defining Dalits as the roughly 150 million people in India who face social exclusion and discrimination as members of the lowest castes. The document then examines the history and current socioeconomic status of Dalits. It provides data from surveys finding that untouchability persists in many villages, with Dalits facing discrimination in access to services, public behavior, the market, and work. While some progress has been made through education and political participation, the document concludes that untouchability remains widespread and Dalit women especially face multilayered discrimination.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    173 views21 pages

    Untouchability in Rural India

    Uploaded by

    shubhamuflex
    This document discusses the prevalence of untouchability in rural India. It begins by defining Dalits as the roughly 150 million people in India who face social exclusion and discrimination as members of the lowest castes. The document then examines the history and current socioeconomic status of Dalits. It provides data from surveys finding that untouchability persists in many villages, with Dalits facing discrimination in access to services, public behavior, the market, and work. While some progress has been made through education and political participation, the document concludes that untouchability remains widespread and Dalit women especially face multilayered discrimination.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 21

    UNTOUCHABILITY IN RURAL INDIA

    Does it still exist? How widespread is the practice?

    Video Clip

    Who are these Untouchables?


    Defined by the Government of India as Scheduled

    Castes
    Dalit (down-trodden) is now the more generally

    accepted term for them


    About 150 million Dalits in India (1/6th of entire

    population)
    More than just prohibition of physical contact what

    defines the Dalits is a much broader set of social sanctions


    Exclusion Humiliationsubordination Exploitation

    A little History
    Origins:
    Racial theories Religious theories Economic Theories

    Anti-untouchability movements:
    Bhakti Movement (10-13th Century) Arya Samaj Gandhis efforts through Harijan Sevak Sangh

    Anti-Brahmin movement (mid 19th century)


    Mobilization led by Ambedkar (20th Century)

    State Provisions Practice of untouchability is an offence


    Untouchability (Offences) Act (1955)
    Protection of Civil Rights (Amendments) Act (1976) Prevention of Attrocities Act (1989)

    Socio-economic profile
    Indicators Dalits (SCs) Rural Urban Upper Caste Hindus Rural Urban

    Population (%) Below poverty line (%)


    Median monthly per-capita consumption Illiteracy (%) (female/male) Graduates (%) (female/male) Agricultural laborer (%) Self-employed in agriculture (%) Casual Laborer

    20.5 35.9
    Rs. 372 70.2/49.2 0.4/1.2 51.1 19.1 -

    14.4 38.3
    Rs. 512

    22.0 11.7
    Rs. 515

    36.9 9.9
    Rs. 870

    40.1/24.8 45.6/25.8 20.5/12.0 1.8/3.5 28.0 1.7/4.8 15.6 52.0 13.3/19.1 6.0

    * NSSO data, 55th round, 1999-2000

    Forms of Untouchability
    Private sphere:
    Entry into upper-caste house/temple/shop
    Facility for drinking water Exchange of money or merchandise

    Services of the barber/potter/tailor


    Paying wages Working together with upper-caste worker Employment in construction of houses Movement on the public road in the village

    Forms of Untouchability
    Public sphere
    Sitting arrangements in Panchayat, primary school Drinking water facility/mid-day mean in primary school Relationship and interaction between upper-caste teacher

    and Dalit teacher in the school Interaction between upper-caste student and Dalit teacher in the school Relationship between upper-caste and Dalit primary students outside the school Housing for Dalit teacher in the village Post office services mail delivery, buying stamps Travelling by public transport

    Forms of Untouchability
    Other spheres:
    Public distribution shop
    Health services (especially Primary Health Center) Visit of health workers to Dalit households and

    providing services
    Cremation/burial places Wedding, funerals and festivals Teashops and hotels Washing at village stream, etc.

    How Prevalent is Untouchability?


    The study finds, it is still widely prevalent
    Primarily in the interpersonal and cultural-religious

    spheres

    More than 50% of the villages surveyed:


    Denied entry into non-Dalit houses Prohibitions against food sharing Denied entry into places of worship Treatment of women by other women

    Treatment in Basic Govt. Services


    Form/site of untouchability Percentage where it is practiced 27.6 (109) 25.7 (129) 19.2 (82) 18.4 (90) 18.1 (68) 14.4 (72) 12.3 (53) Total Surveyed villages 395 502 427 490 375 499 431

    Entry into police station Entry into ration shop Entry into Post office Access to public roads Entry into Primary Health Care Entry into panchayat office Entry into polling booths

    Access to Basic Public Services


    Form/site of untouchability Percentage where it is practiced 48.4 (255) 35.8 (186) 25.6 (92) 21.3 (74) 9.2 (41) 3.2 (6) Total Surveyed villages 527 519 359 348 447 187

    Denied access to water facilities No entry into village shops No access to restaurants/hotels No entry into private health center No access to public transport No entry/seating in cinema halls

    Treatment in other Public Services


    Form/site of untouchability Percentage where it is practiced 46.6 (229) 45.8 (194) 32.7 (144) Total Surveyed villages 491 424 441

    Denied Barbers services Denied washermens services Separate seating in restaurants/hotels

    Separate utensils in restaurants/hotels


    Denied Carpenters services Tailor will not take measurements Potter will not sell pots

    32.3 (145)
    25.7 (117) 20.8 (96) 20.5 (75)

    449
    455 462 365

    Untouchability during transactions in shops

    18.5 (87)

    470

    Restrictions on Public Behavior


    Form/site of untouchability Percentage where it is practiced 47.4 (229) 25.6 (136) 23.8 (114) 19.0 (101) 16.7 (82) 13.7 (66) 10.6 (47) 7.1 (32) Total Surveyed villages 483 532 478 531 490 481 443 448

    Ban on Marriage processions on public roads Forced to stand in front of upper caste men Ban on festival processions on public roads Cannot wear new/bright clothes Cannot use umbrellas on public roads Cannot wear dark glasses, smoke etc. Cannot use chappals on public roads Cannot use bicycles on public roads

    Cultural Sanctions
    Form/site of untouchability Percentage where it is practiced 73.0 (314) 70.1 (305) 63.9 (337) 48.9 (256) 8.6 (41) 8.4 (45) Total Surveyed villages 430 435 527 524 478 533

    Denied entry into upper-caste houses Social sanctions against inter-dining Denied entry into public places of worship Denied access to cremation/burial grounds Forced to seek blessings of upper-castes for marriages Forced to seek permission from uppercastes for marriages

    Access to Work and Resources


    Form/site of untouchability Denied work as agricultural laborer No touching when paying wages Paid lower wages for the same work Dalits not employed in house construction Denied access to irrigation facilities Denied access to grazing/fishing grounds Not allowed to sell to milk cooperatives Prevent from selling in local markets Not allowed to buy from milk cooperatives Percentage where it is practiced 35.5 (158) 37.1 (174) 24.5 (119) 28.7 (152) 32.6 (152) 20.9 (76) 46.7 (162) 35.4 (165) 27.8 (100) Total Surveyed villages 445 469 486 529 466 364 347 466 360

    The Market Mantra


    Can the market force help make the world

    flat?

    Dalit Womens Plight


    Dalit women under the combined weight

    of:
    Class Caste

    Patriarchy

    Violence Against Dalits


    1990-2000: A total of 285,871 cases of various

    crimes against Dalits


    On average, more than 28,000 cases of caste

    discrimination and atrocities against Dalits every year (during 1990s)

    In 2002, about 90% of the crimes were in the

    11 surveyed states
    Demands for rights often meet with violence

    Signs of Change
    Demanding rights, equality and dignity

    Striving for education Symbols and rituals Dalit literature Dalit organizations Political participation Using the law and state provisions Awareness and assertion

    Finally
    Are there signs of improvement?
    Yes, things are definitely better than what they

    were 50 years back


    They are not passive victims in contemporary

    India despite tremendous odds, they struggle for their life, dignity and equality

    However, untouchability is not clearly a fast-

    fading remnant of our past

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