Untouchability Practices in India

The caste system created a division where people from lower castes, who were involved in menial jobs, were deemed 'untouchables'. The system forced these individuals into the most undesirable and hazardous jobs, including forced and bonded labour. Such social exclusion limited their access to resources, services, and development, leading to a cycle of poverty. The lower castes were economically dependent on the higher castes, which affected their lifestyle and access to basic necessities such as food, education, and health.

Here are some common practices of untouchability in India:

1. Segregation of houses, schools, and cremation grounds based on caste.
2. Prohibition of inter-caste marriages.
3. Denial of land ownership rights to lower castes.
4. Denying access to public services such as water supply, healthcare, and education.
5. Restricting entry to public places like roads, temples etc.

Why Does Caste Inequality Persist in India?

• Caste-based differences divided society into touchable and untouchable categories.
• Religious texts and literature often portrayed a rigid and biased view against the lower castes.
• For instance, the Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras depicted an ideal social order where Brahmanas were ranked first, and this order was deemed divinely ordained. Shudras and "untouchables" were placed at the bottom of this order, and their position was determined by birth.
• The Manusmriti assigned specific "duties" to the chandalas, such as living outside the village, using discarded utensils, wearing clothes of the dead and iron ornaments, and serving as executioners. They were also prohibited from walking about in villages and cities at night.
• The Indian society functioned within a deep-rooted caste system, with strict rules about endogamous marriages.
• Despite education, societal and cultural attitudes towards the lower castes have not changed significantly due to habitual obedience.
• Some social scientists believe that the lower castes' poverty and illiteracy resulted in a lack of resources, hindering economic upliftment. Most of the jobs like manual scavenging and cleaning sewage drains are done by people of lower castes.

Challenges Faced by Backward Castes

Historians and social scientists note that the backward castes face several challenges, including:

1. Denial of access to public facilities such as wells, roads, post offices, and courts.
2. Denial of access to temples, as their presence might "pollute" the deity and higher caste worshippers.
3. Relegation to dirty and menial occupations, such as manual scavenging.
4. Denial of access to services such as those provided by barbers, laundrymen, restaurants, shops, and theatres, or the requirement of using separate utensils and facilities within such places.
5. Restrictions on lifestyle, such as the use of goods indicating comfort or luxury.
6. Requirement of differential forms of address, language, sitting, and standing in the presence of higher castes.
7. Restrictions on movement, with SCs not being allowed on roads and streets within a prescribed distance of houses or persons of higher castes.
8. Increased vulnerability to bonded labour.

Discrimination Against Backward Castes: The Data

• The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report of 2019 indicates a rise in violence against SC/STs.
• Crimes against SCs increased by over 7% and crimes against STs increased by 26% in 2019 as compared to 2018.
• Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of crimes against SCs in 2019, followed by Rajasthan and Bihar.
• Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest number of cases against STs, followed by Rajasthan and Odisha.
• Between 2006 and 2016, as many as 422,799 crimes against Dalits or SCs and 81,332 crimes against adivasis (STs) were reported.
• A crime is committed against a Dalit every 15 minutes, and six Dalit women are raped every day.
• Between 2007 and 2017, there has been a 66% growth in crime against Dalits.

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The following are some measures that can help eliminate caste discrimination:

1. Ensure equal access to education, especially in rural areas where the majority of the Indian population resides.
2. Provide better access to skilled jobs along with adequate training.
3. Provide housing facilities, as many lower-caste individuals live in slums with limited access to basic amenities like electricity, water, and sanitation facilities.
4. Eliminate jobs like manual scavenging completely.
5. Use mass media to create more awareness about discrimination.

Addressing Manual Scavenging

To eliminate manual scavenging, the Government of India enacted the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013. Various United Nations organizations like UNICEF, ILO, and UNDP are working with different stakeholders to end manual scavenging and rehabilitate the communities, providing them access to decent employment.

In December 2015, the Indian Parliament passed the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Amendment Act, 2015. This act aims to prohibit and punish offences committed against members of SC and ST. It provides for the establishment of special courts for the trial of such offences and the rehabilitation of victims.

Provisions in the Indian Constitution for Upliftment of SC/ST

1. Article 17 – Abolishes Untouchability
2. Article 46 – Promotes and protects the educational and economic interests of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes
3. Article 16 (4A) – Provides for reservation for Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes in matters of promotion in state services.
4. Articles 330 and 332 – Provides for the reservation of seats for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in the Parliament, state legislative assemblies, municipalities, and Panchayats.
5. Article 338 – Provides for the establishment of a National Commission to safeguard the interests of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Get important articles of the Indian Constitution in the linked article.

State Efforts to Address Caste Inequality

1. Political representation of Backward castes in state assemblies and in the parliament.
2. Education and development initiatives such as scholarships, hostels for boys and girls, and financial assistance to pursue professional courses at elite institutions.
3. Prevention of untouchability and atrocities against Dalits through the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1974 and the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989.
4. Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana, which aims at the integrated development of SC majority villages.
5. The Stand Up India scheme, which facilitates bank loans to SC/ST and women entrepreneurs.
6. The 102nd Constitutional Amendment Act provided constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes.

To download the UPSC notes on Vulnerabilities Due to Caste, click here.

The above details would help candidates prepare for UPSC 2022.

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