Valmiki caste

Valmiki is an Indian caste or jāti, that was previously treated as untouchable before its abolition upon independence. They prefer to be known as Balmiki,Ratnakar or Valmiki. They were historically restricted to three occupations:sweeping, and scavenging (which sometimes involves handling dead bodies). In India as in anywhere else, historically, professions were passed on from parents to children, thus a child born in Valmiki family was forced into this profession mostly for economic reasons.

Efforts have been made to improve sanitation systems in India, including laws that ban the construction of dry toilets, and the manual removal of human waste. However some Valmikis, found throughout India, continue to work in their traditional roles and they continue to face severe social barriers and discrimination. The Valmiki community includes a number of subdivisions such as the Hela.

Relations to other castes

Backward Dalit castes such as Dhobi (washer-men), Kumawats (Bikhari) and Vankar are considered socially above the Valmiki-caste. These upper sub-castes among Dalits would not interact with lower-order Valmikis, who have been described as "outcasts even among outcasts". Even though most Valmikis are devout Hindus, some Valmikis have converted to other religions in an attempt to escape the social stigma. However, such attempts generally do not bring any positive material impact on their socioeconomic condition.

However, in Karnataka Valmiki-caste is considered as soldier community, they ruled Karnataka over several years as Nayakas, no one from Valmiki community sweepes or scavenges in Karnataka. The main occupation of Valmiki community was hunting in olden days.

Achievements

Although the Valmikis traditionally had a lower status, there have been several Valmikis that have been universally recognized as Hindu saints. For example, Maharshi Naval kumar and his successors Daya kumar Maharaj (his son),Bakshi Maharaj and the present-day Badri kumar Maharaj are important Hindu figures. Saint Umaid kumar Maharaj and his successors Suresh kumar Maharaj, Deepak kumar Maharaj and the present-day Mangeshwar kumar Maharaj are important Hindu figures as well.

In Gujarat, Makarand Paranjape, when he was researching the Valmikis of the Swadhyaya tradition, a Valmiki caste member said to him, "I am a Bhangi, but I also do the work of a Brahmin. A Brahmin is one who spreads knowledge, sanskars; so I too am a Brahmin. I go on Bhakti pheris to spread the liberating message of Swadhyaya. So I am also a Brahmin."

Notables

• Prem Goel(Balmiki),President,Rashtriya Antyodaya Congress Party
• Kamlesh Balmiki, former MP from Bulandshahr (Lok Sabha constituency)
• Om Prakash Valmiki, writer
• Mansukh lal Valmiki,Social Worker
• Bahujan Party,Centrel office kanpur
• Suraj Pal Chauhan, writer
• Dev Kumar, writer & dramastic
• Yuvraj Valmiki, Indian field hockey player
• Mohammad Yousuf, Pakistani cricketer, formerly Yousuf Youhana. He was actually born in a Hindu Balmiki family in the slums of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. As he claims, he had two religious conversions (first from Hinduism to Christianity, and then from Christianity to Islam).

• Aacharya Nafe Singh Dhilod Charak, Writer

External links

• Lesser Humans — Review of a documentary film on the Bhangis