about dalits

Dalits : Means Broken People'

Victims : 160 million people in India

Caste system  
One of the more confusing mysteries of India is her caste system. The caste system, which has existed already for more than 3000 years, has been developed by the Brahmins (priests) in order to maintain their superiority. Eventually, the caste system became formalised into 4 distinct classes (Varnas).

At the top are the Brahmins, the priests and arbiters of what is right and wrong in matters of religion and society. Next come the Kshatriyas, who are soldiers and administrators. The Vaisyas are the artisan and commercial class, and finally, the Sudras are the farmers and the peasant class. These four castes are said to have come from Brahma's mouth (Brahmin), arms (Kshatriyas), thighs (Vaisyas) and feet (Sudras). 

Beneath the four main castes is a fifth group, the Scheduled Caste. They literally have no caste. They are the untouchables, the Dalits, which means oppressed, downtrodden and exploited social group. 

The Dalits  
A Dalit is not considered to be part of the human society, but something, which is beyond that. The Dalits perform the most menial and degrading jobs. Sometimes Dalits perform important jobs, but this is mostly not socially recognised. Dalits are seen as polluting for higher caste people. If a higher caste Hindu is touched by an untouchable or even had a Dalit's shadow across them, they consider themselves to be polluted and have to go through a rigorous series of rituals to be cleansed.

In India there are approximately 240 million Dalits. This means that nearly 25% of the population is Dalit. It also means that in a country, where everybody is supposed to have equal rights and opportunities, 1 out of 4 persons is condemned to be untouchable. 

In general one can say that being a Brahmin means that you are more privileged. This can imply having a good education and, accordingly, a more powerful position in the society. Being born as a Dalit you will be less well off and because of less education you will have a less good job. In daily life there are a lot of consequences of being a Dalit. 

Dalits are poor, deprived and socially backward. Poor means that they do not have access to enough food, health care, housing and/or clothing (which means that their physiological and safety needs are not fulfilled). They also do not have access to education and employment. With deprived we would like to underline the injustice they face in every days life. Officially, everybody in India has the same rights and duties, but the practice is different. Social backwardness, lack of access to food, education and health care keeps them in bondage of the upper castes. 

Nevertheless, in the recent past the Dalit society has also thrown up powerful leaders, like Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. He was on of the most powerful personalities to stand for the rights of Dalits.

Sources used: 
Finlay, Hugh et al, India, Lonely Planet travel survival kit, January 1996, page 48-50  
Kotler, Philip and Gary Armstrong,Principles of Marketing, Maslow's hierarchy of needs, , New Delhi, 1997, page 156.

dalits situation

• Untouchability
• Outcaste
• Manual Scavenging
• Bonded Labour
• Landlessness
• Denied access to natural resources
• Prohibited access to general services
• Denied access to basic needs
• Access to public places prohibited

impact on their lives

• Humiliation & Ill-treatment in everyday life.
• Violence & Atrocities leading to Murders – Mass killings.
• Sexual abuse & Violence on women leading to Gang rapes & Murders.
• Arson of Houses.
• Devastation of property.
• Enforcing Social Boycotts.
• No security to life in village and forced to leave place.
• No easy access to constitutional safeguards.

Issues

• Descent and caste-based discrimination affects all fields of life- social, political, economic, and cultural.
• Dalits are shunned and excluded by other castes in social interaction. Dalits live in separate colonies and have separate drinking wells. Inter-dining and inter-marriage are the two social indicators of inclusion in a caste-based society. All others castes exclude Dalits in in matters related to food, dining and marriage.
• They are restricted from enjoying social rights on equal basis with other castes. In many places they are restricted from using public roads and passages; they must drink out of separate “untouchable” glasses in restaurants; and, they are denied entry to temples.
• They are restricted from enjoying political rights. Their right to vote is often interfered with and Dalit candidates for election face constant and ruthless harassment.
• While they are preferred to do jobs which are considered degrading, they are less preferred than others for jobs which have dignity, status and decent incomes.
• Failure of the following bodies to protect and uphold Constitutional safeguards for Dalits:

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(1) National Parliament

(2) Heads of the Government

(3) The Judiciary

(4) Various Constitutional bodies