All Indian citizens are equal. There is a constitutional guarantee for the equality. There is a definite anti-discriminatory law to ensure that nobody is treated as untouchable, passed as early as 1955.
There were several sections of Indian society that were treated as untouchables. Gandhiji who wanted to eliminate the evil of such discrimination, termed them as Harijans meaning to highlight that they are not lower than any other member of the society.
The caste system that divided the people of India originated in India when the professions were mostly hereditary. Some sections of the society were treated as outcastes and untouchables because of the menial jobs done by them.
There are 170 million people in India now, who belong to the communities once considered untouchables. They are known as Dalits. About 21% of the Dalit people live in Uttar Pradesh. Though it is against law some people are treated as untouchables by others thereby violating specific provisions of law.
A Dalit woman protester argues with a police officer during a protest against desecration of a statue of a leader of low-caste people, in Mumbai (File)
Human Rights activists claim that the law against the discrimination of the Dalits is only on paper and that attacks against Dalits do occur frequently with the knowledge of the authorities who are supposed to protect them. Rajni Tilak, a Dalit activist has said that while the laws have changed, the mindset of Indian people has not.
Bal Gangadara Tilak expressed the view that there is a political will in India strong enough to end such discrimination; but unfortunately the prejudices against Dalits have not gone out of the social structure even now!
A recent survey has found that in 38 percent of government schools, Dalit children are made to sit separately at meals. In 20 percent of schools, Dalit children are not even permitted to drink water from the same source as other students.
Dalits, who traditionally were engaged in works like handling animal carcasses or cleaning latrines, were shunned by high castes because their occupations were regarded as ‘polluting’. But now the opportunities are available for them to come up in the social ladder. Mayavati, a Dalit lady is now the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. There are several ministers in the States and in the Union government coming from Dalit communities. But we have to go a long way before the equality of all Indian citizens becomes a reality. One major obstacle is the fact that claiming to do away the injustices of past the government have almost perpetuated the caste system.
After Independence the Congress enjoyed unlimited powers and the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was referred to as the uncrowned king of India. The caste system could have been totally eliminated legally by constitutional means and different approaches could have been adopted to rectify the past injustices. For the politicians, the continuance of the caste system is very convenient to keep the people of India permanently divided and play politics against different sections of the people. So on one hand they keep on talking of social justice and on the other they run the entire political and administrative machinery on caste lines. This is like a thief shouting ‘thief, thief’ while running to escape. The onlookers would think that the thief was actually running ahead of him and would leave the real thief undisturbed.
The Youth have to study such social problems objectively and in detail without being carried away by political chicanery and try to empower themselves to bring about justifiable and effective solutions.
Source
http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=2153BA4:F7F0B63DAB0DE8EE9250BF72307F27E10531BB26A5003E7B&
There were several sections of Indian society that were treated as untouchables. Gandhiji who wanted to eliminate the evil of such discrimination, termed them as Harijans meaning to highlight that they are not lower than any other member of the society.
The caste system that divided the people of India originated in India when the professions were mostly hereditary. Some sections of the society were treated as outcastes and untouchables because of the menial jobs done by them.
There are 170 million people in India now, who belong to the communities once considered untouchables. They are known as Dalits. About 21% of the Dalit people live in Uttar Pradesh. Though it is against law some people are treated as untouchables by others thereby violating specific provisions of law.
A Dalit woman protester argues with a police officer during a protest against desecration of a statue of a leader of low-caste people, in Mumbai (File)
Human Rights activists claim that the law against the discrimination of the Dalits is only on paper and that attacks against Dalits do occur frequently with the knowledge of the authorities who are supposed to protect them. Rajni Tilak, a Dalit activist has said that while the laws have changed, the mindset of Indian people has not.
Bal Gangadara Tilak expressed the view that there is a political will in India strong enough to end such discrimination; but unfortunately the prejudices against Dalits have not gone out of the social structure even now!
A recent survey has found that in 38 percent of government schools, Dalit children are made to sit separately at meals. In 20 percent of schools, Dalit children are not even permitted to drink water from the same source as other students.
Dalits, who traditionally were engaged in works like handling animal carcasses or cleaning latrines, were shunned by high castes because their occupations were regarded as ‘polluting’. But now the opportunities are available for them to come up in the social ladder. Mayavati, a Dalit lady is now the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. There are several ministers in the States and in the Union government coming from Dalit communities. But we have to go a long way before the equality of all Indian citizens becomes a reality. One major obstacle is the fact that claiming to do away the injustices of past the government have almost perpetuated the caste system.
After Independence the Congress enjoyed unlimited powers and the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was referred to as the uncrowned king of India. The caste system could have been totally eliminated legally by constitutional means and different approaches could have been adopted to rectify the past injustices. For the politicians, the continuance of the caste system is very convenient to keep the people of India permanently divided and play politics against different sections of the people. So on one hand they keep on talking of social justice and on the other they run the entire political and administrative machinery on caste lines. This is like a thief shouting ‘thief, thief’ while running to escape. The onlookers would think that the thief was actually running ahead of him and would leave the real thief undisturbed.
The Youth have to study such social problems objectively and in detail without being carried away by political chicanery and try to empower themselves to bring about justifiable and effective solutions.
Source
http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=2153BA4:F7F0B63DAB0DE8EE9250BF72307F27E10531BB26A5003E7B&
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