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 Humiliation–subordination Exploitation

A little History Origins:

Racial theories

Religious theories

Economic Theories

Anti-untouchability movements:

Bhakti Movement (10-13th Century)

Arya Samaj

Gandhi’s 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) Upper Caste Hindus

Rural Urban Rural Urban

Population (%) 20.5 14.4 22.0 36.9

Below poverty line (%) 35.9 38.3 11.7 9.9

Median monthly per-capita consumption

Rs. 372 Rs. 512 Rs. 515 Rs. 870

Illiteracy (%) (female/male) 70.2/49.2 40.1/24.8 45.6/25.8 20.5/12.0

Graduates (%) (female/male) 0.4/1.2 1.8/3.5 1.7/4.8 13.3/19.1

Agricultural laborer (%) 51.1 - 15.6 -

Self-employed in agriculture (%) 19.1 - 52.0 -

Casual Laborer - 28.0 - 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

Total Surveyed villages

Entry into police station 27.6 (109) 395

Entry into ration shop 25.7 (129) 502

Entry into Post office 19.2 (82) 427

Access to public roads 18.4 (90) 490

Entry into Primary Health Care 18.1 (68) 375

Entry into panchayat office 14.4 (72) 499

Entry into polling booths 12.3 (53) 431

Access to Basic Public Services

Form/site of untouchability Percentage where it is practiced

Total Surveyed villages

Denied access to water facilities 48.4 (255) 527

No entry into village shops 35.8 (186) 519

No access to restaurants/hotels 25.6 (92) 359

No entry into private health center 21.3 (74) 348

No access to public transport 9.2 (41) 447

No entry/seating in cinema halls 3.2 (6) 187

Treatment in other Public Services

Form/site of untouchability Percentage where it

is practiced

Total

Surveyed

villages

Denied Barber’s services 46.6 (229) 491

Denied washermen’s services 45.8 (194) 424

Separate seating in restaurants/hotels 32.7 (144) 441

Separate utensils in restaurants/hotels 32.3 (145) 449

Denied Carpenter’s services 25.7 (117) 455

Tailor will not take measurements 20.8 (96) 462

Potter will not sell pots 20.5 (75) 365

Untouchability during transactions in shops 18.5 (87) 470

Restrictions on Public Behavior

Form/site of untouchability Percentage where it is practiced

TotalSurveyed villages

Ban on Marriage processions on public roads 47.4 (229) 483

Forced to stand in front of upper caste men 25.6 (136) 532

Ban on festival processions on public roads 23.8 (114) 478

Cannot wear new/’bright’ clothes 19.0 (101) 531

Cannot use umbrellas on public roads 16.7 (82) 490

Cannot wear dark glasses, smoke etc. 13.7 (66) 481

Cannot use chappals on public roads 10.6 (47) 443

Cannot use bicycles on public roads 7.1 (32) 448

Cultural Sanctions

Form/site of untouchability Percentage where it is practiced

TotalSurveyed villages

Denied entry into upper-caste houses 73.0 (314) 430

Social sanctions against inter-dining 70.1 (305) 435

Denied entry into public places of worship 63.9 (337) 527

Denied access to cremation/burial grounds 48.9 (256) 524

Forced to seek ‘blessings’ of upper-castes for marriages

8.6 (41) 478

Forced to seek permission from upper-castes for marriages

8.4 (45) 533

Access to Work and ResourcesForm/site of untouchability Percentage where it

is practicedTotal Surveyed villages

Denied work as agricultural laborer 35.5 (158) 445

No touching when paying wages 37.1 (174) 469

Paid lower wages for the same work 24.5 (119) 486

Dalits not employed in house construction 28.7 (152) 529

Denied access to irrigation facilities 32.6 (152) 466

Denied access to grazing/fishing grounds 20.9 (76) 364

Not allowed to sell to milk cooperatives 46.7 (162) 347

Prevent from selling in local markets 35.4 (165) 466

Not allowed to buy from milk cooperatives 27.8 (100) 360

The Market Mantra

Can the ‘market force’ help make the world ‘flat’?

Dalit Women’s 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 ChangeDemanding 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