by – A. V. Padmavathi, Vol. III, Issue. XXXIII, October 2017
ABSTRACT
Even after more than sixty years of Independence untouchability is still prevailed in India. No change has existed in the Status of the life of a Dalit. A lot of discrimination and segregation is shown in schools, colleges, workplaces and gram pradhan in most of the villages. Even the government keep a blind eye regarding the cases on Dalits. Segregation is blighting in this generation too. Does Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s dream come true even during this generation? The Dalit struggle against casteist tradition has a long history. In modern times, because of the legacy of Mahatma Phule and Baba Rao Ambedkar, Dalit literature got impetus in Maharastra.Poems, short stories, novels and autobiographies written by Dalit writers provided useful insights on the question of Dalit identity. Because of unchanging social norms and behaviour Dalits are facing physically, emotionally and psychologically harassment from upper castes. Dalit population represents 16% of India’s population and still struggles to achieve social equality. Few of them improved their economic means or social welfare by the study of education. Intolerance, bias and harassment towards Dalits are equally prevalent in institutions by some senior upper-caste students and by some teachers. Education acts as the key to the progress of Dalit or the future of Dalit is only in Education.
Key Words: untouchability, discrimination Segregation, psychological, Intolerance
“The backward classes have come to realize that after all education is the greatest material benefit for which they can fight. We may forego material benefits, we may forego material benefits of civilization, but we cannot forego our right and opportunities to reap the benefit of the highest education to the fullest extent. That the importance of this question from the point of view of the backward classes who have just realized that without education their existence is not safe.”
– Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
Dalits are still segregated with little access to temples, water sources and upper caste areas. And ironically, even in Radhanagar in Hooghly district, the birthplace of social reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy, there are separate crematoria for Brahmins and non-Brahmins. And in a bizarre case in Waganagere village in Gulbarga district of Karnataka, 120 Dalit households were forced to draw water from their well even after a dog fell in and died. During festivities, not only are they served food separately, but they have to bring their own plates and tumblers…
In UP, almost every village has a chamartoli, a place segregated for them. Dalit children are made to sit separately in schools. In Malasa village in Kanpur Dehat, though the post of gram pradhan was reserved for scheduled castes, it has been lying vacant as no Dalit has the courage to contest the election, fearing a backlash from the dominant Thakurs. And when they do, as two Dalits did last year, their candidature was rejected because of no one, not even Dalits, seconded them during the filing of nomination papers. In Rajasthan’s DholeriaShashan village near Pali, newcomers are interrogated and if they are scheduled castes, entry is tough. They also cannot pass upper caste houses wearing footwear or headgear, sayspoetandwriteVinodVithall.
Segregation is also impairing the next generation. In Rajpur tehsil, 60 km from Kanpur, Thakurs withdrew their children from a primary school after a Dalit cook was employed to prepare mid-day meals. D ShyamBabu, senior fellow, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, says authorities often turn a blind eye to caste atrocities. Acts which protect the lower castes aren’t implemented either. In almost all states of India harassment is noticed on Dalits. Dalit means oppressed or broken class of people. In 1930 it was used as the ‘depressed classes’, it has come from a Hindi and Marathi translation, Britishers used Scheduled Castes for the same. Dalit is not a caste. It is a symbol of change and revolution. Even after more than sixty years of Independence untouchability is still prevailed in India. No change has existed in the Status of the life of a Dalit. A lot of discrimination and segregation is shown in schools, colleges, workplaces and gram pradhan in most of the villages. Even the government keep a blind eye regarding the cases on Dalits.
Untouchability has prevailed in India right from the origin of Casteism. Among the writings of Hindu religious texts, the Manusmitri is undoubtedly the most authoritative one, legitimizing social exclusion and introducing absolute inequality as the guiding principle of social relations. Because of the caste system the occupational distribution is by the effect of birth that is education, agriculture, industry, trade, commerce and so on are being enjoyed by the upper castes, this is the main reason for Dalits to settle in menial labour without any freedom of occupation, low earning made them depend on upper castes for their economic existence. Forced exclusion and constant oppression made them stay in below poverty line.
India is still afflicted by the cancer of the caste system even after 60 years of Independence, Dalits remain the most vulnerable, marginalized and brutalised community in the country. It was experienced by Dr. B.R. Ambedhkar from childhood onwards and started fighting for self-respect, social equality, freedom through education. One of the most important Dalit political activists who saw the value of social equity within India was Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, who became the chief architect of India’s constitution after years of social activism ”It is the education which is the right weapon to cut the social slavery and it is the education which will enlighten the downtrodden masses to come up and gain social status, economic betterment and political freedom” – Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
Dr. BhimRao Ambedkar (1891-1956) was a distinguished nationalist, political thinker, consummate scholar, notable statesman, social reformer and revolutionist with impressive ideas who stood up for scientific, social and educational causes in India. Affectionately known as Babasaheb, was one of the most memorable sons of India who gave new dimensions to deprived Indian society. He acclaimed that the lack of education was the foremost cause for the backwardness of underprivileged people. He recognized the importance of education in shaping the future. He put all his efforts to guarantee the education without any discrimination to all the citizens of independent India.
Dr. Ambedkar gave the slogan of Educate, Agitate and Organize. The slogan has a deep-rooted meaning that can be understood as under: Educate As education directly influence the human civilization, it is essential to educate each and every citizen of the country. Therefore the education is indispensable for the state to realize the goal of growth and sustainable development. Agitate is mental uprising, not physical agitation. According to Ambedkar an educated man, by understanding his thoughts and strategy can initiate agitating mentally. The agitated mind would drive educated people to form associations/organizations and eventually they would take action to fix the problems. Organize Educated and agitated minds will certainly organize for a common mission. All of us must get ourselves educated resulting in agitating thoughts so as to collectively organize. The agitated minds for a universal mission would help the people to unite, strive & struggle for the common goal.
Indian Constitution has framed in a way to uplift the deprived classes in the society. Even with this promise of upliftment through the reservation, Dalits continue to be discriminated throughout the country. The number of atrocity cases against Dalits and the practice of untouchability continues to occur at alarming rates throughout the country. Dalit population represents 16% of India’s population and still struggles to achieve social equality.
Urbanisation is one of the most significant indicators of geographical and economic mobility and therefore over-all economic progress but in India even after all this happened still Dalits are in below poverty line. Education plays a crucial role in development. Education fills the gap between different social strata. Education can be a way to increase the incomes of impoverished people. Education helps to ensure that benefits of growth are experienced by all. Economic perspectives see education as a means to make individuals more productive in the workplace and at home. It can also be seen as a means of empowering socially and economically deprived groups into seeking political reform. A reason to study education is its ability to empower the individual to strive for an improved quality of life. Education is necessary to individuals who want to escape themselves from poverty and social oppression. The government has to focus first on increasing access to primary education before moving onto to increase levels of education. Dr B.R.Ambedkar suggested it is only the higher education that would act as the key to the Dalit progress.
The suggestions are as follows:
I Educated Dalits must undertake a mass movement to encourage literacy among the Dalit communities.
ii All school and college going – Dalit boys and girls must devote some of their time to help their illiterate fraternity to become literate.
iii All Dalit voluntary organizations must make serious efforts to enhance the school attending rates and prevent high drop-out.
iv Even after 50 years of independence the country could not achieve more than 52 percent literacy rate. All deprived sections and particularly Dalit men and women are the main victims of illiteracy. This makes imperative that all Dalits struggle and pressurize the Government for making free primary education to all.
v Dalits must come forward and establish secondary schools and colleges on a co-operative basis.
vi They should undertake to establish other educational institutions which could conduct professional courses in finance, marketing, management, information technology, journalism, mass media and so on. These vocational courses would enable Dalit boys and girls to acquire access to skills which are very much essential in the contemporary economy demanding skilled personnel.
vii The Dalit organizations, institutions and academicians must concentrate on establishing and running residential hostels in every taluka in the country. They must bring pressure on the Government to adopt such poor-friendly educational policy and spend more and meaningfully on the education of the poor and particularly the Dalits.
viii Such comprehensive, long-drawn and sustained educational campaign and programme will certainly usher new dawn in the midst of the present stalement created by all sorts of unfavourable factors. Education is thus not only a means of livelihood but also an effective instrument for social transformation. It is only the access to better education that would enable the Dalits to exercise their human rights in more effective and meaningful manner.
ix This calls for co-operation of all international Dalit organizations
Ambedkar dedicated a significant portion of his life to improving the quality of life and social status of Dalit Indians. He established the People’s Education Society in 1945 which believed that increasing access to education to the Dalits would increase their empowerment. He thought that a higher level of education would cause the Dalits to realize their position so that they would aspire to the highest of Hindu positions, and that they would consequently use political power and influence as the means to an end to their oppression.
The Dalit struggle against casteist tradition has a long history. In modern times, because of the legacy of Mahatma Phule and B.R.Ambedkar, Dalit literature got impetus in Maharastra.Poems, short stories, novels and autobiographies written by Dalit writers provided useful insights on the question of Dalit identity. Because of unchanging social norms and behaviour Dalits are facing physically, emotionally and psychologically harassment from upper castes.
Dalit writing is a post-Independence literary phenomenon. Arjun Dangle has defined Dalit literature as “Dalit literature is one which acquaints people with the caste system and untouchability in India… It matures with a sociological point of view and is related to the principles of negativity, rebellion and loyalty to science, thus finally ending as revolutionary. “Some of the important writers whose writings will find a place are Mahasweta Devi, NamdeoDhasal, Daya Pawar, Arjun Dangle, SachiRautray, Rabi Singh, BasudevSunani, Bama, Abhimani, Poomani, Imayam, Marku, MangalRathod, Neerave Patel, Perumal Murugan, Palamalai, Sudhakar, D. Gopi and others.
There have been many attempts over the past one hundred and fifty years to help the quality of life of the Dalits of India but still, only one-fourth of them benefitted and most of the Dalits are not using the benefits what the government is giving, lack of proper implementation is also one of the drawbacks.
Introduction to the Author:
A V Padmavathi is an assistant professor, English Literature, at Vignan’s Lara Institute of Technology and Science, Guntur. She is interested in writing research articles and papers on various literary and social issues and this paper is one of those.
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