untouchability in rural india
TRANSCRIPT
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UNTOUCHABILITY IN RURALINDIA
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Does it still exist?
How widespread is the practice?
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Video Clip
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Who are these Untouchables?
Defined by the Government of India as ScheduledCastes
Dalit (down-trodden) is now the more generallyaccepted term for them
About 150 million Dalits in India (1/6th of entirepopulation)
More than just prohibition of physical contact what
defines the Dalits is a much broader set of socialsanctions
Exclusion
Humiliationsubordination
Exploitation
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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)
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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 9.9Median monthly per-capitaconsumption
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, 55
th
round, 1999-2000
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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
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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 teacherand Dalit teacher in the school
Interaction between upper-caste student and Dalitteacher 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
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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.
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How Prevalent is Untouchability?
The study finds, it is still widely prevalent
Primarily in the interpersonal and cultural-religiousspheres
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
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Treatment in Basic Govt. Services
Form/site of untouchability Percentagewhere it ispracticed
Total Surveyedvillages
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
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Access to Basic Public Services
Form/site of untouchability Percentagewhere it ispracticed
Total Surveyedvillages
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
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Treatment in other Public Services
Form/site of untouchability Percentage where it
is practiced
Total
Surveyed
villages
Denied Barbers services 46.6 (229) 491
Denied washermens services 45.8 (194) 424
Separate seating in restaurants/hotels 32.7 (144) 441
Separate utensils in restaurants/hotels 32.3 (145) 449
Denied Carpenters 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
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Restrictions on Public Behavior
Form/site of untouchability Percentagewhere it ispracticed
TotalSurveyedvillages
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
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Cultural Sanctions
Form/site of untouchability Percentagewhere it ispracticed
TotalSurveyedvillages
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-castesfor marriages
8.6 (41) 478
Forced to seek permission from upper-castes for marriages
8.4 (45) 533
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Access to Work and ResourcesForm/site of untouchability Percentage where it
is practicedTotal Surveyedvillages
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
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The Market Mantra
Can the market force help make the worldflat?
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Dalit Womens Plight
Dalit women under the combined weightof:
Class
Caste
Patriarchy
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Violence Against Dalits
1990-2000: A total of 285,871 cases of variouscrimes against Dalits
On average, more than 28,000 cases of castediscrimination and atrocities against Dalits everyyear (during 1990s)
In 2002, about 90% of the crimes were in the
11 surveyed states
Demands for rights often meet with violence
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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
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Finally
Are there signs of improvement?
Yes, things are definitely better than what theywere 50 years back
They are not passive victims in contemporaryIndia despite tremendous odds, they struggle fortheir life, dignity and equality
However, untouchability is not clearly a fast-fading remnant of our past