26
ISSUES: Racial & Ethnic Discrimination
Chapter 1: Racism & discrimination
into a different social group, people
are confined to their caste group for
life. This meant that there was no
scope for aspiring to climb the social
hierarchy ladder and those in the
lower castes remained where there
were, stalling economic progress.
Dalits faced the worst discrimination,
with a United Nations report in 2005
indicating that there were more than
31,000 violent acts committed against
the ‘Untouchables’ in a single year.
Demolition of the caste system
Following the end of British rule
in India, the Indian constitution
banned discrimination on the basis
of caste. In 1950, authorities also
announced quotas in government
jobs and educational institutions for
those lowest in the caste hierarchy.
The Government divided the lower
castes into ‘Scheduled Castes’ and
‘Scheduled Tribes’. The slightly
higher-ranking castes were classified
as ‘Other Backward Classes’ (OBC) and
were awarded government quotas in
1989.
The person who authored the Indian
Constitution – BR Ambedkar – was a
Dalit himself and the occasion marked
a significant moment for the country.
Ambedkar abandoned his Hindu
faith and converted to Buddhism in
protest over the way that Dalits were
being treated. Mahatma Gandhi also
campaigned heavily for the abolition
of the caste system. It was Gandhi
who renamed the ‘Untouchables’,
‘Harijan’ – the people of God.
Today, particularly in urban areas, the
influence of the Hindu caste system
has greatly declined. Intercaste
marriages
have
become
more
common; however, family names are
often a strong indication of what caste
a person belongs to and continues to
create a strong sense of identity.
Recent caste-related
controversies
Dalit student from
‘untouchable’ caste commits
suicide
In January 2016 a Dalit researcher
at the University of Hyderabad
committed suicide, sparking a debate
on the treatment of the lowest caste
members. Rohit Vemula and four
of his Dalit friends were reportedly
suspended
by
the
university
administration days earlier, being told
that they could attend classes but
were not allowed to enter the hostel
or common areas. Being unable to
afford private housing, the Dalit group
set up camp in front of the university
and began a hunger strike in protest
against their “social boycott”.
Haryana Jat reservation protest
In recent years, a number of
communities have been demanding
the right to be recognised as
OBCs. The most recent was the Jat
community protests in Haryana in
February 2016. At least 18 people
were killed after the protests turned
violent, while protesters cut off a
key water supply to Delhi, leaving
much of the capital without water for
days. The issue caused controversy
among the general public as the
Jat community is regarded as a
prosperous and politically dominant
community. However, Jat leaders
insisted that they should be granted
government quotas as they claim that
large numbers of their communities
are poor.
27 February 2016
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The
above
information
is
reprinted with kind permission
from the
International Business
Times
. Please visit
co.uk for further information.
© International Business Times 2017
“In January 2016 a
Dalit researcher at the
University of Hyderabad
committed suicide,
sparking a debate on the
treatment of the lowest
caste members”
