Who Are Dalits? A Dalit?

The Caste system has aroused much controversy than any other feature of India’s society. Every day, Dalits are butchered, assaulted, abused, raped, lynched, shot or openly mutilated without considering any consequences of the offenders. The deaths of pregnant women who are not able to pay the bribes at government hospitals, some boys with eyes raised completely out for falling in love with a girl of a superior caste, and horrid stories of employees boiled to death because of spewing out arguments with the boss are continuously reported in mainstream newspapers. After years of democracy, the social structure stands to practice the caste system disregarding abolishment laws. Every international or national effort to abolish caste differentiation and segregation has been proven ineffective. The caste system of India is a deeply inculcated social problem requiring immense commitment domestically and internationally in understanding what has stopped the measures to get rid of this ancient system and what measures are needed to complete elimination of the system.

Much of human life is “given” to us but we are still placed into systems whether we like it or not. We have it here in America as well in other countries. Traditional Hinduism organized social life according to a caste system. Purity determined hierarchy of castes. The circumstances of birth determined the caste a person was in. The occupations were associated with the level of purity of each class. Brahmin is the highest class, and are the priests. The lowest in the hierarchy are the “untouchables”, who had occupations that excluded from the social life, such as tanning, and scavenging. After 1950, untouchability was outlawed and the name was changed to the “scheduled” class. However, they prefer to prefer themselves as Dalit, the “downtrodden”.

Amazingly, the Caste System in India has been around for thousands of years. The caste system places you in a social class with specific duties you must perform. Secondly, the system places you in the social class of

The caste system has been extremely stable in India for over two thousand years. It is only since the more modern, independent state of India was formed that the system has come under any scrutiny at all. It is presently outlawed, but many of the practices, attitudes and traditions remain ingrained in Hindu society (University of Wyoming, 1997).

In India, we can categorize marginalized people based on caste, gender, disabled, minorities (religious, linguistic, regional), etc. Hindu people come under the majority of population, and this religion is a very fragmented religion due to Varna system, because they have adopted the Varna system. According to their occupation, before Uttar Vedik Era, its function was very smooth and there was no concept of untouchability but after this era, it continued practicing. Due to different occupations, there was the existence of caste system in Hindu religion. People can change their religion but caste can’t be changed. Because of this,

Firstly, the caste system reflects the inequality of Indian society. Although religion in India is characterized by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices, majority of Indian population follow Hinduism. Therefore, the dominance of Hinduism beliefs is common in India. There is a belief in caste system, as Brood said, “a system of hierarchical social organization”1. Hindu society is divided into four main classes; the priestly class, the warrior and administrator class, the producer class who is farmers and merchants and the servant class. The remaining group of people who is “outcastes” is called “untouchables” or dalit. Brodd recognizes “dalits continue to suffer terrible oppression, especially in rural communities in India”. I still could not imagine how terrible this bottom class suffers until reading Max Bearak article. All sufferings of Rohith Vemula, from the hardships of growing up poor, interactions with society in caste to scholarship revoke and suicide, happened tragically because he was born in a dalit family. This is the

Untouchability as claimed by the Indian government is said to be abandoned 60 years ago, however still 40% of Dalits are illiterate (Around 70 million). This tells us that the caste system unfortunately still exists. The caste system is a system of class and hierarchy, it divides people in terms of classes called castes which usually determines their status in the community and therefor their livelihoods. The caste system still exists and if not constitutionally definitely socially. The caste system presence keeps different communities separated, lowers national GDP (Economic activity/development), discriminates against those of the lower caste, slows the development procedure and creates unlimited social consequences.

The caste system is a “complex system of social divisions that pervades life in India” (The Mauryan and Gupta Empires of India). The Hindu people are spread out among four different varnas and there is also a fifth group of Hindu’s called the untouchables. The four different varnas are called the Brahmins, the Kshatriya, the Vaishya and the Sudra. These four castes all have different labels to describe them. The Brahmins are the traditional priest class, the Kshatriya group is the warrior class, the Vaishya’s are the workers and the Sudras serve the three higher classes. The lowest of the low is the untouchables. It is said that they are dirty and poor from birth and they are assigned jobs to benefit the higher varnas. Each varna is divided into jati which are kinship groups with similar roles within the community and Hindu’s traditionally marry within their own

groups. It is a system inspired by Hindu scriptures in what the leaders wanted to create a society where jobs and functions were assigned to specific classes. These classes include the highest class, Brahmin made of those who are priests and educated individuals, Kshatriyas otherwise known as the warrior caste, Vaishya this was the trade and commerce class, Shudras, unskilled laborers; the agricultural or manual labor class. This class also includes all others who do not fit into any of the other classes but not to include the “untouchables”. The untouchables are not a caste class they are the rock-bottom of social order. The untouchables or Dalit, are those who are assigned and are forced into occupations that are unclean, defiling or are not members of the caste system, the lowest of the low. It is a handicap to be an untouchable in the eyes of

Although every caste in the World State is meticulously conditioned to accept the hand they are given, there are still many citizens who are dissatisfied with the quality of life available to them in society. Knowingly or unknowingly, these outliers reject their conditioning and strive for something more, whether it be adversity, danger, or passion.

India has an ancient caste system that separates Hindus into different classes. The Untouchables are below the 4 caste categories and are treated terribly. They are denied many jobs, and on a daily basis men and women are assaulted. The world Social Forum was made aware of the situation, yet not much has changed. Mahila Jagruthi is an untouchable women, otherwise known as a Dalit who has informed the world through her paper Commodification of Women Due to Imperialist Globalization.The protest so far has not resulted in a fair system. Most forms of protest are non violent. The resistance is found through forums, and world organizations. Many Dalits work to help the situation by going directly to government officials. Jagruthi wrote her paper

In the Book of Manu, the caste system is broken down into 5 levels. The first level or top level is the Brahmins, the priest and scholars of the Hindu faith. The second level is the Kshatiyas, the warriors and rulers of the Hindu people. Vaishyas is the third level of people, these are the merchants and landowners. These top three levels in the caste system are people that are twice born. The term twice born means they are permitted to participant in the Hindu life, and all that it entitles. Members of this group can be recognized by the cord that is looped around their shoulder. The Shudra is the fourth level of the castle system; they make up the workers on behalf of the top three levels. Finally, the fifth group are the Dalits, these are the untouchables of the caste system. These people are intrinsically unclean and if the can find work, it is the the jobs that are thought to defiling. The caste system was set up as a way to ensure that people could focus on one job and not have to worry about other activities, such as if a person was a banker he would have to worry about making horse shoes for his horse. With all things that was intended for good, the caste system has turned out bad, by keep the two low levels from ever being able to improve their status. In the article “Untouchability and Social Exclusion in Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things” by

The caste system is a widely accepted form of oppression. Traditionally the oppression was unseen, with the modernization of the world in the last century the system and its oppression has come to light. While many people do see the oppression, it rarely gets mentioned due to the traditional beliefs that have been in practice for thousands of years. The modernization of not only the culture, but the Hindu beliefs, have encourage the oppression even more so than tradition with the increased political influences.

The Indian Constitution: A Case Study of Backward Classes by Ratna G. Revankar(83). deals with the problems of the Backward Classes in the vast subcontinent of India. Specific discussions concentrate on social-reform particulars such as housing, social services, industrial and agricultural participation, and especially, educational opportunities.Valuable information regarding the caste system in India from ancient days to now.

A few disadvantages of India’s social system are that Religion, caste, and language are major determinants of social organizations. According to the US Department of State-Background Notes website, even though the government has declared the caste system as illegal, it still has a presence in occupational and societal hierarchies (The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs, 2010).