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Disadvantages Of The Caste System

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One important element of the caste system is the concept of “begar”, or the requirement of Dalits to provide service without payment. Traditionally, this entailed undertaking the most undesirable jobs as a contribution to the community, a category that includes agricultural work. As a cultural norm, “begar” has endured into modern times, and is often exploited by landowners as a means of sanctioning a system of debt bondage. The fact that Dalits are typically landless means that they are oftentimes entirely dependent upon their landlords economically. This is particularly true of the indigenous Tharu communities in western Nepal, where most of that country’s rice is grown. Within the exploitative debt labor system known as Kamaiya, Tharu families depend upon their landlords for even the most basic food and shelter. Their position at the bottom of the caste system and their complete economic dependence upon landowners make Dalits particularly prone to exploitation. Often they are forced to accept loans from their employers to survive and to meet social obligations associated with death and marriage. These loans are designed to be impossible to pay back, and because Dalits are traditionally denied education, they are left with little recourse but to accept the loans and become indebted to their landlords. Just as one’s position in the caste social hierarchy is inherited, so debts are passed from one generation to the next. Debt bondage in South Asia is implemented with varying

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