Thread: The Untouchables

The Untouchables: India's Little Secret (other current features)

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[ under culture ] - 08.01.05 - by: Adrienne-TygerLily Ernst

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In 2004, a Tsunami rocked the coast of India, leaving thousands dead, and countless more without homes. In its aftermath, India has been rebuilding, but one group faces extreme hardship in the face of this tragedy -- the Dalits.

This group engages in a daily struggle to obtain its basic needs. They are being denied access to the essentials such as clean water and food. Even access to communal latrines is denied. Yet as members of a caste that ranks them as less than human, they are expected to fulfill their duties by handling clean up of the victims bodies and waste, even the bodies of family members. However, this kind of persecution isn't new.

* 1955 Mississippi: 14-year-old Emmett Till was murdered in Mississippi after he whistled at a White woman. *

* 2000 India: a teenaged boy was beaten to death for picking flowers from the yard of a member of an upper caste. *

The caste system is an ingrained part of the lives of the Hindu population, used to designate what opportunities will be available to an individual -- from the Brahmans, the top caste, which are destined to become teachers and priests, to the Shudras, the lowest caste, who are known as peasants and workers. Due to the nature of the caste system, to be born an Untouchable is a future of jobs ending life and working with the dead or working with human excrement.

* 1964 Mississippi: three civil rights workers were murdered in Mississippi after campaigning to register Black people to vote. *

* June 4, 2005, India: three Dalit youths shot to death in an area where Dalit killings are on the rise. *

The first Untouchables were Buddhists. Victims of persecution, Buddhists were hated by Hindu leaders hundreds of years ago. As time passed, animosity toward Buddhism grew. A price was placed upon the head of any Buddhist monk; the famous Bodhi tree where the Buddha found enlightenment was uprooted; and the practice of Buddhism in India declined. The term Untouchable continued to refer to those Buddhists who remained.

In addition to Buddhists, some theorize that the origins of the Untouchables lies in descendants of over 400 communities and a multitude of tribes. It is also suggested that Untouchables are men cast off from their tribe, or the result of an Aryan-Sudra union. Others look at the circumstance, such as occupation.

The term Dalit, meaning "Depressed" or "Broken People," was assumed by the Untouchables in the late 1980’s. The replacement was intended to get them out from under a name given because they are considered too impure to touch.

If an upper caste member is touched by a Dalit or gets caught in a Dalits shadow, the person must undergo a purification ritual to absolve the person of this sin. As way to make the upper caste "safe," some Dalits are made to remain indoors until nightfall to protect the upper castes from the threat of contact. Dalits are made to carry pots that will collect their spittle or sweat and carry sticks to brush away their footprints. These actions are to keep anything connected to the Untouchable from potentially coming into contact with members of the upper castes.

* June 26, 2005, India: A Dalit was severely beaten by three of his neighbors, who are members of the upper caste, for touching a public tap designated for non-Dalits only. *

In response to this prejudice, Dalits began converting to other religions, leaving Hinduism to return to Buddhism, or to join the Christian and Muslim religions in an effort to find equality outside of a system that would never allow it.

However, as a result of the interest in conversion, and as a blatant attempt to further control the actions of the Dalits, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a Hindu nationalist party, is advocating the restoration of an antiquated law that penalizes religious conversion and is advocating an anti-conversion campaign.

* June 29, 2005, India: A Dalit youth in Bihar was branded a Maoist, beaten and handed over to the police by upper-caste men for wearing dark glasses, clean clothes and enrolling in college. *

While the nationalist and supremacist groups work to hold the Dalits back, the government of India is making an effort to rectify the wrongs done to the Dalits. Their government developed "Positive Discrimination," a law similar to our own affirmative action. Under positive discrimination positions are set aside in schools and jobs for Dalits.

In 1955 the India Constitution deemed the use of the term Untouchable to be illegal in the India Constitution Untouchable Act. It was this act that essentially abolished the use of the term Untouchable. Later the caste system itself was made illegal. However, government dictating the end of a religious policy that has stood since the inception of Hinduism is not solving the problem. The caste system and its mentality still exist -- legal or not, law or no law.

* An 18-year-old Dalit woman was kidnapped, tortured and set on fire. *

* A four-year-old Dalit girl was sacrificed by a 40-year-old man. *

* A Dalit family was stripped, beaten and forced to parade in front of their village because they chased away hens picking at their crops. *

* When a Dalit man refused to hand over his land to an upper caste family he was tortured, humiliated and shot to death. *

It was in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s that led the United States to experience a change in how we live. There was a mass movement to end the beatings, lynching and other forms of torture and humiliation that was commonplace for African-Americans. Though the examples I have provided here are reminiscent of our own past, they are the experiences of Dalits today. These atrocities are happening now.

While here in the U.S. blacks have obtained most of the freedoms that were fought for not so long ago, the Dalits continue to struggle with a history that mirrors our own. They remain trapped under the weight of an oppressive system.







by the way folks, there are comments attached, but I did not include them, knowing that our fellow World Affairs Board members have more intriguing comments. By the way, I did not read the article, since I am going to work right now. So goodbye

damn, interesting stuff.

Ok, I don't know if this is the right thread to ask this.. But I really need help. Not Literally, so no one try to Punk me on this LOL... But honestly, I need to know what is a Dalit? And where they originated from? Whats their race, background, etc,?? This site is the first time I heard of these "Dalits".. Are these people the ones that got away from China? The Dalai Lama's people?

I dont know alot about it either but one thing i know is that those who burn hindu dead bodies are considered untouchable in India. I saw it in a documentary in National Geographic. And at that time i felt sorry for those guys. Had it not been for them, india would have huge mountains of bones and unburned bodies.

Btw Muslims are also considered untouchables by Hindu's. During the Agra summit when Musharraf visited home in dehli and Mr. Gandhi's grave, Shiv Sena leaders said he has made them Napak (dirty------------ dont know the exact word for this) and then they cleaned it with Cow urine to make it Pavitar (clean). Whats wring with this chaps. did they actually clean it or made it dirty by doing so

A large part of the Hindu population who could not stand up to the rules of the Moguls emperors like the insufferable jezia tax, not being allowed to pass the same path as the Moslems etc converted to Islam to avoid such gross inequalities and harsh life that brought them to penury.

The large majority who thus converted from Hinduism to Islam were the Untouchable.

Therefore, the large part of undivided India who converted were the Untouchable.

Of course, to avoid the stigma, they all claim Arab descent. If that were so i.e. they were Arabs, then who are those who converted during the Islamic times in India?

It will be observed that there is a distinct attempt amongst undivided India Moslems to avoid their history and instead lean heavily on being Arab or Aryan etc. The article that Pajee of Lahore posted where the Pakistani origin second generation Britisher are more keen to be Arabs than Pakistani is a case in point to illustrate the psyche.

This forced or coerced conversion in Islamic India as per the Moslem injunctions, I believe is as per the what the scriptures ordains. It was applied wherever the Islamic hordes invaded. This was also a way to increase the Moslem population.

This caste system is near similar to the class divisions that are in England. It was conceived like the Guild system of ancient England so that the expertise gained in the profession was passed to the son and the cycle ensured high skills and expertise in the selected profession. Like everything else, as time went on competition between the various classes degrade the system to the creating social classes.

Mr Gandhi was cremated and so there is no grave.

To the best of my knowlege Napak is not an Indian word, but I could be wrong. Pak is an Urdu word if I am not mistaken.

Originally Posted by Lord General

Ok, I don't know if this is the right thread to ask this.. But I really need help. Not Literally, so no one try to Punk me on this LOL... But honestly, I need to know what is a Dalit? And where they originated from? Whats their race, background, etc,?? This site is the first time I heard of these "Dalits".. Are these people the ones that got away from China? The Dalai Lama's people?

Never heard of them either, but I think that its a local community or someting.
Article is refering to them as:
The term Dalit, meaning "Depressed" or "Broken People," was assumed by the Untouchables in the late 1980’s. The replacement was intended to get them out from under a name given because they are considered too impure to touch.

Originally Posted by Ray

Mr Gandhi was cremated and so there is no grave.

To the best of my knowlege Napak is not an Indian word, but I could be wrong. Pak is an Urdu word if I am not mistaken.

Correct, Pak is Pavitar in Hindi

Ray, what's the demographic percentage of untouchables in India?
Do you think that their social situation will improve as India is now developping faster than ever?
It's all matter of changing mentality, isn't it?

The term Dalit, meaning "Depressed" or "Broken People," was assumed by the Untouchables in the late 1980’s. The replacement was intended to get them out from under a name given because they are considered too impure to touch.

First of all the issue of Untouchable should be seen from the period when such classification was made.

The so called Untouchable or as you state "impure" worked in professions which were susceptible to infirmities i.e. work with leather and carcasses, cremate the dead (the dead burnt may have died because of serious disease) etc etc. One must understand the hygenic conditions prevailing in those times and not compare it with contemporary times.

With time, they (the Untouchables) developed natural immunity and they were not affected by the hazards of their profession

An modern Example to explain this:

A westerner coming to third world countries is very careful about drinking water and they get an upset stomach very easily even with bottled water.

They also take a whole lot of shots before coming and many pills while in the third world countries to protect themselves from a variety of disease.

This is amusing to the native population and to the sensitive amongst the native population, insulting.

While it may be amusing or insulting, yet the real reason is that the foreigners do not have the natural immunity that the natives have. Therefore, while a native is OK, the foreigner is delicate!

Likewise, in those times when the medical science was not that advanced, it was thought to be prudent to avoid contact. Logically a correct decision, but from the modern social standpoint, quite disgusting.

That is the plausible reason for Untouchable.

BTW, I was commissioned and lived, ate and stayed with an Untouchable unit. I found no reason to ever realise that they were of the archaic classification - Untouchable!

Eat this :

Per the Hindu scriptures ; any Brahmin is NOT supposed to decline an invitation from the so called lowest caste.He ought to eat there , with meat.

....He could not refuse to eat , when invited , at the house of sac-chudras ( good sudras who followed samanya dharmas or the basic moral code in their life ) especially if they were his employees or family friends

An Introduction to Hindu Culture
Swami Harshananda

Originally Posted by Lord General

Ok, I don't know if this is the right thread to ask this.. But I really need help. Not Literally, so no one try to Punk me on this LOL... But honestly, I need to know what is a Dalit? And where they originated from? Whats their race, background, etc,?? This site is the first time I heard of these "Dalits".. Are these people the ones that got away from China? The Dalai Lama's people?

Dalits are supposed to be low-caste Hindus. Racially, there is no difference between say a Dalit and a Brahman from Bihar or UP. Most Indians will claim to be Aryan's by ancestry but truth is that over 90% of India is basically of Dravidian stock and Dravidian blood is thickest in their veins. This is true for not just people of south india but also for the bulk central india, Hindustan (Uttar Pradesh and Behar) and eastern india (Orissa, Bengal etc). They are all of more-or-less the same stock and ancestry.

These Brahman and Baniya types from Gujjurat or UP can claim all they want that they are 'Aryans' but they are basically the same race, culture, identity as Dalits, ie, Dravidians and aboriginal sudroids.

A large number of these also live in the Punjab and Haryana states and in Delhi. Although in Punjab the differences are racial that is why it is claimed that Punjab state has the highest population of so-called 'Dalits' (Maybe as high as 30 to 35% according to one report on the Tribune).

Regards,

This is also applicable to those who went to Pakistan., but they were the real Untouchables.

Punjab you have confirmed what I wrote earlier.

Originally Posted by Ray

This is also applicable to those who went to Pakistan., but they were the real Untouchables.

Punjab you have confirmed what I wrote earlier.

I dont know about the Sindhis or the Muhajirs but Punjabi Muslims are largely converted from Rajput and Jatt castes/tribes. Neither of those two groups have been considered as 'untouchables' or 'Dalits'. Rajputs are high castes among Hindus. Virtually all of the Rajput tribes of the Punjab plains became Muslims. It was the small remainder of Rajputs in the Punjab Hills that are still largely Hindus.

Other 'high caste' Punjabis like the Khatris also became Muslims in significant number.

There are of course Chamars and other so-called 'low castes' of Punjabi society that became Muslim but if you think this was all done by the whip you are blissfully unaware of the spread of Sufism in Punjab long before the Mughal empire.