The Indian caste system has created an underclass of ‘outcastes’. These Dalits – formerly known as Untouchables – are subjected to discrimination on the basis of their position in society. Ultimately, this is the cause of much of their poverty and exploitation. Up to 90% of all those trafficked in India are Dalits – almost half of the 27 million people in modern slavery around the world.

[caste system]

Traditionally, Indian society has been organised by a system of caste. It is a rigid system of four castes that determines your place and role in society. In effect it creates a hierarchy, and is rooted in the idea of ritual purity. Brahmins – the priests - are the highest caste, then Kshatriyas – warriors or ruling class, then Vaishyas – the merchants and artisans, and finally the Shudras – unskilled labourers. Within each caste there are many subcastes. For thousands of years, caste has dictated your work, as well as who you can and cannot marry. These four castes, as well as some lower castes classified by the Indian government as Other Backward Classes,  make up 850 million people. But what of the remaining 250 million Indians?

[outcastes]

These are outcastes have been designated as scheduled tribes and scheduled castes by the Indian government. They used to be known as Untouchables, since they are considered to be impure or unclean, and other castes believed they would be polluted if they were touched by them. They have taken the name of Dalits for themselves. Dalit comes from an ancient word meaning ‘broken’, ‘crushed’ or ‘ground’. It sums up how they feel they are treated. The clay cup symbolises the plight of Dalits. In roadside tea houses, Dalits would be forced to use clay cups from which to drink. The cups would then be smashed so that higher castes would not be polluted by cups that had been used by Dalits. This is just one example of discrimination against Dalits.

[discrimination]

Dalits are viewed by some higher castes as being less than human. It would have been better if they had never been born. They have the most degrading, menial jobs in society because caste determines your job. This includes manual scavenging – removing human excretia by hand – a particularly demeaning job. Dalits are often excluded from public parks, restaurants, temples and from using water pumps for fear of ‘polluting’ higher castes. Dalits are often deprived of basic human rights, including access to health, education, justice and even water. Many are attacked simply because they are Dalits.

Discrimination on the basis of caste is outlawed, but it persists particularly in the rural areas where the caste system is strongest. The Indian government has tried to address the issue by reserving a proportion of jobs in the civil service, higher education institutions and politics for Dalits, but many of these are not taken up because Dalits do not have the education they need to do the job.

[ancient roots]

This discrimination lies behind the poverty experienced by so many Dalits. (according to the Multidimensional Poverty Index, 65% of scheduled castes and 81% of scheduled tribes are considered poor compared with 33% of the general population). It is also one reason why the trafficking of Dalits is accepted as an everyday part of life in India, and is allowed to go unchallenged. It may be called modern slavery, but in India it has ancient roots. [Read more...]