Untouchability
Encyclopedia
Untouchability is the social practice of ostracizing
a minority group by segregating them from the mainstream by social custom or legal mandate. The excluded group could be one that did not accept the norms of the excluding group and historically included foreigners, nomadic tribes, law-breakers and criminals and those suffering from a contagious disease such as Leprosy. This exclusion was a method of punishing law-breakers and also protected against contagion from strangers and the infected. A member of the excluded group is known as an untouchable.
The term is commonly associated with treatment of the Dalit
communities, who are considered "polluting" among Hindus of India
, Nepal
and Bangladesh
, but the term has been used for other groups as well, such as the Burakumin
of Japan
, Cagots in Europe, or the Al-Akhdam
in Yemen. Untouchability has been made illegal in post-independence India, and Dalits substantially empowered, although some prejudice against them continues, especially in rural pockets dominated by certain other backward caste (OBC) groups.
Untouchability is prompted by the spirit of social exclusion and the belief in purity, contagion and self-righteousness that characterise certain societies. It is generally taken for granted that Dalits pollute people and are at the lowest end of the South Asian society. The jobs considered polluting and impure are expected to be done by Dalits, and many a times Dalits are known to have been prevented from engaging in any work other than removing human waste (known as “manual scavenging
”), dragging away and skinning animal carcasses, tanning leather, making and fixing shoes, and washing clothes. They were supposed to reside outside the village so that their physical presence did not pollute the “main” village. Not only had they been restricted in terms of space, but their houses were inferior in quality and devoid of any facilities like water and electricity.The government of India has, however, introduced many measures like low cost or free housing and free electricity for those below the poverty line, to address these problems.
Untouchability is practised in a number of forms in rural India. At the village level Dalits are sometimes barred from using wells used by non-Dalits, forbidden from going to the barber shop and entering temples, while at the level of job recruitment and employment many Dalits are known to be paid less, ordered to do the most menial work, and rarely promoted, except in the government jobs reserved for them. Even at school, there have been instances of Dalit children being asked to clean toilets and to eat separately, although the government comes down heavily in these cases and punishes the offenders, as soon as these are highlighted by the alert Indian media.
. Here are a few:
legally abolishes the practice of untouchability, and there are constitutional reservations
in both educational institutions and public services for Dalits.
National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have been formed by government.
These measures have not always been effective which is visible from anti-dalit feelings which takes the form of caste violence many a times eg.Kherlanji massacre
of Dalits by the Kunbis and killings of Dalits by Jats in 2010 at Mirchpur.
between 1936 and 1947 that temples were open to all Hindus went a long way towards ending the system of untouchability in Kerala. However some historical forms of untouchability existed in Kerala, among the Nairs and Namboothiris, who constituted the forward castes; they forbade those belonging to lower castes within certain proximity to them, believing that the presence of lower castes would pollute them.
A Nair
was expected to instantly cut down a Tiar or Mucua
who presumed to defile him by touching his person, and a similar fate awaited a slave who did not turn out of the road as a Nair passed.
Historically, the people of the Nayadi, Kanisan and Mukkuvan caste were forbidden to come within 72, 32 and 24 feet respectively from Nairs. In modern India, observance of untouchability is a criminal offence.
Common features seen in caste and analogous systems across the world include the following:
Below is a list of some communities in other countries around the world facing discrimination due to caste or some analogous social hierarchical system:
The voices has been raised by many countries to involve caste in the UN resolution against racism
too.
Social rejection
Social rejection occurs when an individual is deliberately excluded from a social relationship or social interaction. The topic includes both interpersonal rejection and romantic rejection. A person can be rejected on an individual basis or by an entire group of people...
a minority group by segregating them from the mainstream by social custom or legal mandate. The excluded group could be one that did not accept the norms of the excluding group and historically included foreigners, nomadic tribes, law-breakers and criminals and those suffering from a contagious disease such as Leprosy. This exclusion was a method of punishing law-breakers and also protected against contagion from strangers and the infected. A member of the excluded group is known as an untouchable.
The term is commonly associated with treatment of the Dalit
Dalit
Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
communities, who are considered "polluting" among Hindus of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
and Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, but the term has been used for other groups as well, such as the Burakumin
Burakumin
are a Japanese social minority group. The burakumin are one of the main minority groups in Japan, along with the Ainu of Hokkaidō, the Ryukyuans of Okinawa and Japanese residents of Korean and Chinese descent....
of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Cagots in Europe, or the Al-Akhdam
Al-Akhdam
Al-Akhdam or Akhdam is a social group in Yemen distinct from the majority by their more African features. They are considered to be at the very bottom of the social ladder in Yemen...
in Yemen. Untouchability has been made illegal in post-independence India, and Dalits substantially empowered, although some prejudice against them continues, especially in rural pockets dominated by certain other backward caste (OBC) groups.
Untouchability in South Asia
Untouchability is not merely the inability to touch a human being of another caste or sub-caste, it is an attitude on the part of a whole group of people that relates to a deeper psychological process of thought and belief, invisible to the naked eye, translated into various physical acts and behaviours, norms and practices.Untouchability is prompted by the spirit of social exclusion and the belief in purity, contagion and self-righteousness that characterise certain societies. It is generally taken for granted that Dalits pollute people and are at the lowest end of the South Asian society. The jobs considered polluting and impure are expected to be done by Dalits, and many a times Dalits are known to have been prevented from engaging in any work other than removing human waste (known as “manual scavenging
Manual scavenging
Manual scavenging is manual removal of excreta from "dry toilets", i.e., toilet without the modern flush system, especially in the Indian subcontinent....
”), dragging away and skinning animal carcasses, tanning leather, making and fixing shoes, and washing clothes. They were supposed to reside outside the village so that their physical presence did not pollute the “main” village. Not only had they been restricted in terms of space, but their houses were inferior in quality and devoid of any facilities like water and electricity.The government of India has, however, introduced many measures like low cost or free housing and free electricity for those below the poverty line, to address these problems.
Untouchability is practised in a number of forms in rural India. At the village level Dalits are sometimes barred from using wells used by non-Dalits, forbidden from going to the barber shop and entering temples, while at the level of job recruitment and employment many Dalits are known to be paid less, ordered to do the most menial work, and rarely promoted, except in the government jobs reserved for them. Even at school, there have been instances of Dalit children being asked to clean toilets and to eat separately, although the government comes down heavily in these cases and punishes the offenders, as soon as these are highlighted by the alert Indian media.
Untouchability practices and discrimination
In the name of untouchability, Dalits face nearly 140 forms of work & descent-based discrimination at the hands of the dominant castesSanskritisation
Sanskritization or Sanskritisation is a particular form of social change found in India and Nepal. It denotes the process by which castes placed lower in the caste hierarchy seek upward mobility by emulating the rituals and practices of the upper or dominant castes. It is a process similar to...
. Here are a few:
- Prohibited from eating with other caste members
- Separate glasses for Dalits in village tea stalls
- Discriminatory seating arrangements and separate utensils in restaurants
- Segregation in seating and food arrangements in village functions and festivals
- Prohibited from entering into village temples
- Prohibited from wearing sandals or holding umbrellas in front of dominant caste members
- Devadasi systemDevadasiIn Hinduism, the devadasi tradition is a religious tradition in which girls are "married" and dedicated to a deity or to a temple and includes performance aspects such as those that take place in the temple as well as in the courtly and mujuvani [telegu] or home context. Dance and music were...
- the ritualized temple prostitution of Dalit women - Prohibited from entering dominant caste homes
- Prohibited from riding a bicycle inside the village
- Prohibited from using common village path
- Separate burial grounds
- No access to village’s common/public properties and resources (wells, ponds, temples, etc.)
- Segregation (separate seating area) of Dalit children in schools
- Prohibited from contesting in elections and exercising their right to vote
- Forced to vote or not to vote for certain candidates during the elections
- Prohibiting from hoisting the national flag during Independence or Republic days
- Sub-standard wages
- Bonded Labor
- Face social boycotts by dominant castes for refusing to perform their "duties"
Government Action in India
The 1950 national constitution of IndiaConstitution of India
The Constitution of India is the supreme law of India. It lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles, establishes the structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions, and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties of citizens...
legally abolishes the practice of untouchability, and there are constitutional reservations
Reservation in India
Reservation in India is a form of affirmative action designed to improve the well being of socially backward and underrepresented communities of citizens in India. There are laws in place, wherein a certain percentage of total available slots in Jobs and Education are set aside for people from...
in both educational institutions and public services for Dalits.
National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have been formed by government.
These measures have not always been effective which is visible from anti-dalit feelings which takes the form of caste violence many a times eg.Kherlanji massacre
Kherlanji massacre
The Kherlanji massacre refers to the 2006 lynching-style murders of a Dalit family by members of the politically dominant, but backward Kunbi caste. The killings took place in a small village in India named Khairlanji, located in the Bhandara district of the state of Maharashtra...
of Dalits by the Kunbis and killings of Dalits by Jats in 2010 at Mirchpur.
Untouchability in Kerala
The declaration by princely states of KeralaKerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
between 1936 and 1947 that temples were open to all Hindus went a long way towards ending the system of untouchability in Kerala. However some historical forms of untouchability existed in Kerala, among the Nairs and Namboothiris, who constituted the forward castes; they forbade those belonging to lower castes within certain proximity to them, believing that the presence of lower castes would pollute them.
A Nair
Nair
Nair , also known as Nayar , refers to "not a unitary group but a named category of castes", which historically embody several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom bore the Nair title. These people historically live in the present-day Indian state of Kerala...
was expected to instantly cut down a Tiar or Mucua
Mukkuvar
Mukkuvar also Mukkuva are a social group or caste primarily a fishing community, living in the coastal districts of Kerala, south Tamil Nadu in India and also in Sri Lanka. It is a community that has differing ethnic identities based on the state or country of domicile...
who presumed to defile him by touching his person, and a similar fate awaited a slave who did not turn out of the road as a Nair passed.
Historically, the people of the Nayadi, Kanisan and Mukkuvan caste were forbidden to come within 72, 32 and 24 feet respectively from Nairs. In modern India, observance of untouchability is a criminal offence.
Analogous systems of discrimination in other countries
Caste and analogous systems of social hierarchy operate across the world, particularly in Asia and Africa, subjecting millions to inhuman treatment on the basis of being born into a certain caste or similar social group. Though the communities themselves may be indistinguishable in appearance from others, unlike with race or ethnicity, socio-economic disparities are glaring, as are the peculiar forms of discrimination practiced against them. It is approximated that around 250 – 300 million people across the world suffer from caste, or work and descent based discrimination, a form of discrimination that impinges on their civil, political, religious, socio-economic and cultural rights.Common features seen in caste and analogous systems across the world include the following:
- Physical segregation
- Social segregationSocial apartheidSocial apartheid refers to de facto segregation on the basis of class or economic status, in which an underclass is forced to exist separated from the rest of the population...
, including prohibition on inter-marriages between caste groups - Assignment of traditional occupations, often being occupations associated with death or filth, coupled with restrictions on occupational mobilityCaste system in IndiaThe Indian caste system is a system of social stratification and social restriction in India in which communities are defined by thousands of endogamous hereditary groups called Jātis....
- Pervasive debt bondageDebt bondageDebt bondage is when a person pledges him or herself against a loan. In debt bondage, the services required to repay the debt may be undefined, and the services' duration may be undefined...
due to poor remuneration for lower-caste occupations - High levels of illiteracy, poverty and landlessness as compared to so-called higher castes *(f) Impunity for perpetrators of crimes against low-caste communities
- Use of degrading language to describe low-caste communities, based on notions of purity and pollution, filth and cleanliness
- Double or triple discrimination against and exploitation of women of low castes on the basis of sex, class and caste.
Below is a list of some communities in other countries around the world facing discrimination due to caste or some analogous social hierarchical system:
- BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
: Mehtor community (traditionally sweepers and manual scavengers) - Burkina FasoBurkina FasoBurkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
: Bellah community (traditionally slaves, unpaid manual laborers, to other caste ‘owners’) - Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
: Roma Gypsies. - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: Roma Gypsies are being officially thrown out of France. - JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
: Buraku community (at the bottom of the Japanese class system; traditionally viewed as filthy and/or non-human) - KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
: Watta community (traditionally considered low, worthless, and consigned to a life of servitude from birth) - MauritaniaMauritaniaMauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
: Haratin community (these ‘black moors’ are considered slaves to the Bidan, or ‘white moors’, in Mauritanian society) - NepalNepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
: Dalit community (situation is essentially the same as that of Dalits in India) - NigeriaNigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
: Osu community (traditionally the Osu people are ‘owned’ by deities and considered as outcaste, untouchable, and sub-human) - PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
: Christians are killed for drinking tea from a cup meant for Muslims only. They are forbidden to eat in many public eating houses, Christian students are forbidden to drink water in a glass in which Muslim students drink water. Even flood aid is denied to Christians and Dalits, although it comes mostly from Christian charities and countries. This is because most of the Christians are converted Dalits, who are despised. - RwandaRwandaRwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
: Twa community (at bottom of social hierarchy with no legal protections from discrimination and no representation in positions of power/authority) - SenegalSenegalSenegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
: Neeno & Nyamakalaw communities (largely blacksmiths and leatherworkers, they are considered impure and face explicit segregation and exclusion) - SomaliaSomaliaSomalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
: Midgan community (minority outcaste group facing violence, refusal of rights, and possessing no legal protections) - Sri LankaSri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
: Rodi/Rodiya & Pallar/Paraiyar communities (these groups face discrimination in employment, practices of social distance, and denial of access to resources)
The voices has been raised by many countries to involve caste in the UN resolution against racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
too.
Untouchable groups
- DalitDalitDalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
, in India and Nepal - Al-AkhdamAl-AkhdamAl-Akhdam or Akhdam is a social group in Yemen distinct from the majority by their more African features. They are considered to be at the very bottom of the social ladder in Yemen...
in Yemen - BurakuminBurakuminare a Japanese social minority group. The burakumin are one of the main minority groups in Japan, along with the Ainu of Hokkaidō, the Ryukyuans of Okinawa and Japanese residents of Korean and Chinese descent....
in Japan - BaekjeongBaekjeongThe baekjeong were an “untouchable” outcaste group of Korea, often compared with the burakumin of Japan and the dalits of India and Nepal.-Social history:...
in Korea - EzhavaEzhavaThe Ezhavas are a community with origins in the region presently known as Kerala. They are also known as Ilhava, Irava, Izhava and Erava in the south of the region; as Chovas, Chokons and Chogons in Central Travancore; and as Tiyyas, Thiyas and Theeyas in Malabar...
in Kerala and Sri Lanka. - Cagots in France
- Vaqueiros de alzadaVaqueiros de alzadaThe Vaqueiros d'alzada were a northern Spanish nomadic people in the mountains of León and Asturias, who practiced transhumance, i.e...
in Spain - Madhiban in Somalia
- Ragyabpa in Tibet (see Social classes of TibetSocial classes of TibetThere were three main social groups in Tibet prior to 1959, namely ordinary laypeople , lay nobility , and monks...
)
See also
- CasteCasteCaste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
- Balinese caste systemBalinese caste systemThe Balinese caste system is a system of social organization similar to the Indian caste system. However, India's caste system is far more complicated than Bali's, and there are only four Balinese castes.The four castes of Bali are:...
- Caste system in IndiaCaste system in IndiaThe Indian caste system is a system of social stratification and social restriction in India in which communities are defined by thousands of endogamous hereditary groups called Jātis....
- Caste in Sri Lanka
- Caste system in AfricaCaste system in AfricaCountries in Africa who have societies with caste systems within their borders include Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Niger, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Algeria, Nigeria, Chad, Ethiopia, and Somalia....
- Balinese caste system
- Outcast (person)
- Homo sacerHomo sacerHomo sacer is a figure of Roman law: a person who is banned, may be killed by anybody, but may not be sacrificed in a religious ritual....