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