Dalit: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 15:39, 17 May 2006

In South Asia's caste system, a Dalit — formerly called untouchable — is a person outside the four castes, and considered below them. Included are leather-workers, scavengers, street handicrafters, poor farmers and laborers.

Other terms have been used to refer to Dalits in recent times. Harijan was the polite form for untouchable coined by Mahatma Gandhi which means "Children of God" (Hari is another name for God Vishnu). ( This term had already been used by the medieval philosopher Ramanuja as 'Thirukulattar'- People of Holy clan. He was probably the first to allow the untouchables into temples, albeit for limited periods.) Many Dalits consider "Harijan" condescending and prefer the term Dalit (Hindi: दलित), translated as "crushed", "stepped on" or "oppressed".

The term scheduled castes/scheduled tribes (SC/ST) is also used in the Indian legal system to refer to this group along with non-caste tribes. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, a Dalit, and one of the leaders of India's Independence movement, is considered the chief architect of the Indian Consitution, Article 17 of which abolishes untouchability.

Social background and origins

In the context of traditional Hindu beliefs, Dalit status has often been historically associated with occupations regarded as ritually impure: any occupation involving killing or handling of animal dead bodies. Engaging in these activities was considered to be polluting to the individual who performed them, and this pollution was considered to be 'contagious'. As a result, Dalits were commonly banned from fully participating in Hindu religious life (they could not enter the premises of a temple), and elaborate precautions were sometimes observed to prevent incidental contact between Dalits and higher-caste Hindus.

Historically, there may not have been clear demarcation between Dalit castes and the lowest Shudra castes. Before the freezing of lands and territories during the British colonial period, it may have been possible for Dalits to move up the ladder as Shudras or higher castes. In the same way, some people from the lowest Shudra communities may have been reduced in status to that of the Dalits. Culturally there appears to be continuity across the caste spectrum.

In modern India the word 'Dalit' has been applied to all people who do not belong to any of the four castes of Hinduism. Defined in this way, 'Dalit' includes not only low-caste or outcaste Hindus, but also aboriginal followers of animist religions, and possibly may have included immigrant communities that subscribed to beliefs that were seen as incompatible with orthodox brahmanist and Hindu traditions.

Dalits are not a single identifiable race or caste. Instead, they are divided into various subcastes known as or 'jatis', the lowest ranking of which is generally considered to be the Bhangis. Most genetic studies have found no significant evidence that members of 'untouchable' groups are substantially different from other groups in similar locations. Castes within a region are probably less genetically different from people of the same caste across different regions. While at least one study found a correlation between caste status and genetic markers seeming to indicate a more European lineage, no clear biological basis for caste distinctions has been conclusively revealed.

The absence of strong genetic differentiation between Dalits and non-Dalits is often regarded as evidence that the caste barrier was historically more permeable than commonly perceived. Intermarriage (which is again growing in popularity in Indian society), or sexual infidelity (the prevalence of which is difficult to assess) across caste lines may be more common than was previously thought. Additionally, Dalit diversity may be due to newly outcaste individuals or communities over the years. It is noteworthy that certain regional tribes that are considered Dalits are sometimes seen by Indians as racially distinct- they are often regarded as more closely related to Burmese, Thais, and other Southeast and East Asians.

Many Dalits who have converted to other religions in the past few centuries continue to retain their Dalit identity. In the 1991 census, Dalits constituted more than 16% of India's population, [1] with the greatest numbers living in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Bihar. They are also found in Nepal. In Pakistan, more than 60% of all Dalits are Hindus, keeping in mind that Pakistan is predominantly Muslim.

Dalits and Indian politics

M.K. Gandhi made it part of the Indian National Congress's mission to eradicate untouchability. For this reason, untouchability has been officially abolished in India, although social practice still exists today, particularly in rural villages. In these extremely traditional villages, Dalits are still not allowed to let their shadows fall upon Brahmins for fear of ritually contaminating them; and they are still required to sweep the ground where they walk to remove the 'contamination' of their footfalls. In some of these villages, rural Dalits are forbidden to worship in temples or draw water from the same wells as caste Hindus, and they usually live in segregated neighbourhoods outside the main village. In urban areas and most villages the old concepts of a rigid caste system and untouchability usually no longer exist, though most Indians still voluntarily hold on to their caste origins.

Some seats in the National and State Parliaments are reserved for Scheduled Caste and Tribe candidates, a measure sought by B.R. Ambedkar and other Dalit activists in order to ensure that Dalits would obtain a proportionate political voice.

Dalits and religion

One of the tougher questions in modern Indian society is whether the Dalits are really Hindus. Traditionally, Dalits have been barred from many activities that were seen as central to Vedic religion and Hindu practices. The wide variety of practices and beliefs observed in Hinduism makes any clear assessment difficult. Defined narrowly as the practice of rituals associated with the Vedic teachings and Brahmin-centered orthodox religious complex, then many Dalits would be classified as non-Hindus. But if 'Hinduism' is viewed in wider terms as simply a convenient label for the full range of Indian religious practices, then most Indians- including Dalits- would fit into that category.

Many Dalits continue to debate whether they are 'Hindu' or 'non-Hindu'. Some have successfully integrated into urban Indian society, where caste origins are less obvious and less important in public life. In rural India, caste origins are more readily apparent, and Dalits remain excluded from local religious life.

Because many Dalits feel they must have a formal religion, they have been drawn to other religions to improve their social and economic standing by removing them from a religious environment where they are excluded and denigrated. Dalit politician and activist Dr B.R. Ambedkar was influential in encouraging many Dalits to convert to Buddhism in order to escape the inequities of the caste system. Ambedkar himself converted to Buddhism shortly before his death. The interpretation of Buddhism popularized by Ambedkar and his followers borrowed heavily from the Theravada tradition and emphasized the Buddha's teachings on social equality, particularly his rejection of castes for Sangha members, and the Buddhist teaching that the 'true Brahman' is one who engages in ethical behaviour, regardless of birth. This movement is sometimes called Neo-Buddhism.

In recent years, the use of mass conversion as a Dalit political tactic (often to Christianity or Buddhism) has become controversial -- some politicians called for bans on mass conversion ceremonies.

Dalits and social policy

The central government and many state governments reserve places for Dalits in all educational courses and government jobs, but many poor Dalits remain poorly educated. Most Dalits, like other poor Indians, cannot afford private schools and tutoring. The improvement of public education remains a priority for many Dalit activists, who believe that the poor quality of public primary schools prevents Dalits from taking advantage of the educational opportunities supposedly provided for them by quotas and preferred admission to institutions of higher learning. Education of rural Dalits remains particularly problematic. Additionally, a recent Supreme Court decision removed the quota system from private and unaided professional colleges, limiting preferred admissions criteria for Dalit students to government-run and funded educational institutions.

Some Dalits believe that the jobs traditionally reserved for Dalits are no longer lucrative, and should be supplemented by reserved jobs in the private sector. Recently, some Dalit politicians attempted to secure action from international business groups and the World Bank that would provide reserved jobs for Dalits in foreign funded development projects, and foreign business investments [2]. The Asian Development Bank has however mentioned that any reservations in the private sector would be anticompetitive, and Industry leaders have maintained that they will hire on the basis of competence, and not on arbitrary caste considerations.

Rural Dalits face many of the problems as other poor, rural Indians. Dalits in poor communities may be the target of the frustration and fear of non-Dalits. These individuals, often desperately poor themselves, may target Dalits who are seen as living 'above their station'- either through economic prosperity, or by acting without regard for traditional caste restrictions on behaviour and relationships (see [3] and [4] for examples).

Famous Dalits

Late Brajendra Nath Seal, leading philosopher and thinker of the Brahmo Samaj, Vice Chancellor of Visva Bharati University and later the University of Mysore
Late B.R. Ambedkar, chief architect of the Indian Constitution, first Union Law minister of India and founder of Neo-Buddhism
Late Ayyankali, activist for Dalits' rights
Late Palwankar Baloo, ex-cricketer and Dalit activist
Late K.R. Narayanan, tenth President of India
Kanshi Ram, leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party
Damodaram Sanjivayya, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister
Bangaru Laxman, Bharatiya Janata Party leader
Late Jagjivan Ram, former Deputy Prime Minister of India
Kancha Ilaiah, author, political scientist and commentator on religion and culture
Late Chuni Kotal, student of anthropology at Vidyasagar University, who committed suicide
Late Guru Ravidas - Guru
Late Amar Singh Chamkila - Panjabi Folk Singer
Rajeev Kumar, Famous activist and Educationist. Founder of Movement and Action for Social Services( MASS ) Delhi, India.
Kumari Selja, union cabinet minister of india, M.P. from Ambala, Haryana.
Buta Singh, Governor Bihar.
Satnam Singh Kainth, MP & President, Bahujan Samaj Morcha.
Late Phoolan Devi, former Bandit Queen, ex-Member of Parliament, India
Mayawati Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

External links

Why do India's Dalits hate Gandhi?
http://www.idsn.org International Dalit Solidarity Network
http://www.dalits.org National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights
http://www.dalits.nl Dalit Network Netherlands
http://www.dalitvoice.org/
http://www.ambedkar.org
Ambedkar Center for Justice & Peace
Dalit - Directory listing at Open Directory Project
Dalit Freedom Network
Dr. Bahaseb Ambedkar and His People
Anti-Caste Information Page On caste, communalism, and class struggle.
Untouchable @ National Geographic Magazine
Scheduled Castes Federation of Pakistan
personal family history of a dalit writer from Andhra Pradesh
On discrimination against dalit survivors of the South Asian tsunami
News about caste, communalism, and class struggle in South Asia

@@ Line 80: / Line 80: @@
 ==External links==
+*[http://www.onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_603.shtml Why do India's Dalits hate Gandhi?]
 *http://www.idsn.org International Dalit Solidarity Network
 *http://www.dalits.org National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights