Caste Catharsis in India

Politics took a concrete shape in Indian society during the national freedom struggle in the 19th century. It was meant to be a negotiation between the two sides - the imperial forces and the national front represented by Indian National Congress. What politics meant to achieve was equality, which had been compromised by the socio-economic spheres. Through politics, our leaders decided to introduce provisions to uphold principles of equality irrespective of one’s gender, caste, or race. Has the political struggle yielded catharsis?

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Running hot in the theaters is the film Article 15, directed by Anubhav. The film has once again brought the timeless debate to the fore. How a section of society continues to bear the brunt of the prevalent caste system devised by the affluent. As per the Indian constitution, Article 15 quotes: “The state shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of race, religion, caste, sex and place of birth”. 

 

Approximately 25% of the Indian population continues to choke with the indignified malpractice of caste discrimination. This constitutes 16% of scheduled castes and 8% of scheduled tribes, according to the 2011 census. 

 

A fundamental change in the socio-economics of India is long due. The constitution makers dreamt of a reality far from being actuated despite 76 years ahead of independence.

Rituals like Rajasuya, Asvamedha and Vajpeya were prestigious acts that signified grandeur and royal power. The kings from the later Vedic period (1000-600 BC) performed these acts to prove their might. This practice established the dominance of people and set a domino effect for the rest to accept them as the higher social hierarchy. 

 

This age also established the four varnas - Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. These distinctions had further distinctions where the lowest carried the burden of their social identity and pushed them to the margins of society. It set in motion a trail of injustice that would be practiced further for the next two thousand years. 

 

Mahars was an Indian caste found largely in the state of Maharashtra and neighboring areas. They were considered an ‘untouchable’ community by the upper caste Hindus. Living on the outskirts of villages, their duties involved those of village watchman and trackers of thieves, messenger, wall mender, adjudicator of boundary disputes, street sweeper, supplying coarse cloth to the village and removers and processors of carcasses. In return for these services, the village granted them a watan, or rights to a small piece of land, to do their own cultivation.

 

Mahars were segregated and were expected to maintain a physical distance from the ‘purer’ castes. Other Hindus were prohibited from eating meals cooked by them. Moreover, Mahars weren’t allowed to draw water from public wells or walk the public road. This blatant discrimination gradually turned the Mahars to rise and fight the oppressive regime.

 

When Babasaheb Ambedkar (Indian social reformer) started the Mahar Satyagrah, it was seen as a revolutionary move to annihilate the caste system. The Mahars marched together to the tank and drew water from the common well. This shook the Hindu society and invited a widespread backlash from the upper castes. 

 

Ambedkar saw liberation in quitting menial jobs and giving up liquor. He urged the people of his community to make education their primary tool for emancipation and class upgradation. Eventually, Ambedkar became the face of the Mahar revolution. He single-handedly installed a systemic change to reclaim the status of Dalits (lower caste Hindus) through his relentless work. 

 

Years later, his dream for a quarter of Indian society to achieve their full personhood still remains a dream. 

 

One of the rampant manifestations of caste hierarchy, is the insidious job of manual scavenging. According to government statistics: approximately one worker dies every five days due to the foul practice of entering the potholes for cleaning. What amplifies the problem is how Indians reinforce this practice. 

The problem is far from a solution due to a multitude of factors - amoral bureaucracy, lack of political will, deep-rooted casteism and the ill-fated Dalit society. The apathy is that the municipality employs 98% of people from the Dalit community for this job. This institutional bias propagates discrimination in everyday life and normalises caste-based exploitation.

 

The National Commission for Safai Karamchari gives an estimate of 800+ people who have died since 1993 due to asphyxiation. Many develop fatal diseases and unimaginable trauma that continues for generations. When Babasaheb said he was not proud of the Indian village system due to the casteism and inequality it breeds, he expressed his deep vision of how the caste system will only multiply in times to come.

 

The growth of a nation is value-neutral but development has a certain value, either positive or 

negative. When we refer to India as a developing nation, we miss out on many problems plaguing society. Gut-wrenching episodes like rape and murder of Dalit girls, forceful feeding of urine on the streets, and public flogging have come to light in recent years. Despite constitutional provisions, there has been a consistent rise in atrocities committed against Dalits. So much so that even the bureaucracy has dirtied its hands by failing to take legitimate action. 

 

It is safe to assume that both the state as well as society are complicit in Dalit belittling. The constitutional means to fight this systemic violence, the Prevention of Atrocities Act 1992, got revoked in an outrageous verdict in 2018. The supreme court of India ruled that this act was misused by Dalits and that there should be a preliminary enquiry carried out before arresting the accused. After a huge backlash from Dalit society and the pro-Dalit agenda of the BJP government, the court restored the original provisions of the act. 

 

The term ‘Dalit’ literally means broken. The community takes pride in this name and calls it a positive identifier. The symbolism behind the word is more powerful than the alleged shame attached to it. When the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a notice to media houses to avoid the use of the word “Dalit’ and instead use terms like ‘Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe’ - the community rebelled. It was perceived as another attempt by the state to choke their existence. The word ‘Dalit’ represents a timeless struggle of thousands subjected to acute discrimination. 

 

Caste emancipation will take more than just reclaiming the identity for the Dalit movement. To begin with, India needs to adopt a mechanistic order and discard the deplorable act of manual scavenging. Automation, provision of safety gears and waste disposal management needs to be institutionalized. With the right investment, more dignified opportunities can arise and elevate the living standards for all. 

The constitutional guarantee of no discrimination needs to be actuated in true essence. Stricter norms, faster disposal of cases and a responsible bureaucracy can aid justice delivery. Social sensitization as a nationwide program needs to be installed to educate the masses on the ideals of equality, diversity and inclusion. Every Indian citizen needs to develop an inherent sense of respect for people from diverse communities and faiths. 

 

“The means are just if the end is just”, implied Babasaheb Ambedkar.