...166,635,700 of them Impoverished and excluded Abused and humiliated Denied justice Exploited Untouchable HOW CAN THIS STILL BE GOING ON IN THE 21ST CENTURY? DALITS OF INDIA 9 What is the caste system? Historically the caste system has formed the social and economic framework for the life of the people in India. In its essential form, caste as the system of social and economic governance is based on principles and customary rules that: < Involve the division of people into social groups (castes) where assignments of rights are determined by birth, are fixed and hereditary. < The assignment of basic rights among various castes is unequal and hierarchical, with those at the top enjoying most rights coupled with least duties and those at the bottom performing most duties coupled with no rights. < The system is maintained through the rigid enforcement of social ostracism (a system of social and economic penalties) in case of any deviations. Thus the doctrine of inequality is the core and heart of the caste system. Supported by philosophical elements, it constructs the moral, social and legal foundations of Hindu society. What is caste-based discrimination? The UN defines this kind of problem as ‘discrimination on the basis of work and descent’. It is an ancient form of oppressive, hierarchical social organisation that ordered people according to their family of birth. It has remained in place despite its legal abolition because of its religious sanction, the social...
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...Michael Kropac Dalit Empowerment and Vocational Education An Impact Study © 2006 by Michael Kropac Winkelriedplatz 2 4053 Basel, Switzerland 0041 (0)61 361 36 03 Mail: kropac@gmail.com For all people of Navsarjan who resolutely follow their ideal of an egalitarian society Preface and Acknowledgements Preface and Acknowledgements The present work is based on my thesis submitted to the University of Basel (Switzerland) in December 2005. Ever since I have started to study Geography, I wanted to write a thesis that would be read by more people than only my supervisors and would prove to be useful in some way. A traineeship during my studies as well as various projects and a general interest to discover the ‘mystery’ called India had brought me to the subcontinent several times since 2002, and it was soon clear to me I would focus on a topic in the Indian context. Even before I visited India for the first time I knew that it was not only about the Taj Mahal, tigers and finding enlightenment in some yoga class, but also about development, poverty and caste. Once in India, the contrast between vibrant economic development and widespread poverty became more than obvious, but the idea of caste remained somehow ambiguous. As foreigners are often only able to speak English, they can only communicate directly with those strata of society who also speak this language – most often these are not the poor or deprived of the Indian society, but those at the ‘upper’...
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...modern the world many live in multicultural societies, therefore I have chosen to represent caste discrimination as an important personal trouble I have personally been a victim of; I have also found this to be a public issue as many people are also deeply affected by this. Due to being of Indian ethnicity and British nationality, I looked into the Hindu caste system; a system of social stratification derived from occupation. All Indians of any faith identify themselves with the caste system to some degree. The effects of the caste system are still hugely influential in India and still resonate with many Indian migrants hence has followed them to western countries. I am associated with an occupation which did the dirtiest jobs, called a ‘Dalit’. At school many people knew what caste they belonged to as did I, being questioned as to which caste I belonged to I felt ashamed and embarrassed to share. Those who knew what caste I came from often looked at me in disgust and would refuse to sit...
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...New Social Movements In Nepal Introduction Nepal has undergone three major movements during and after the end of the hundred years of Rana Oligarchy in 1950, 1990 and 2006. These movements did not only change the political power, but also substantively affected the structure of the prevalent Nepalese society. Hereupon, ethnic, Dalit, women and Madesh movement with the demand of identity and inclusion have been reaching their peak in these recent years. We can analyze all these movements of Nepal under the important and essential theory of New Social Movement. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) fought twelve years People's war under the doctrine developed by Mao Tse-tung of China, but raised many issues highly influenced by the New Social Movement such as ethnic, gender, Dalit and Madesh related to the identity and human rights, not based on socialism or communism. The article 'New Social Movements: of the Early Nineteenth Century' written by Craig Calhoun is important to make our perception on the various social movements of Nepal. It is new concept in the sociological theory which was developed after only 1968, different than old social movements like the Marxism, socialism and labour movement of the past. Most of the contemporary social movements are emerged outside the mainstream political system, political parties and formal institutional life and inspired by the non-hierarchical, participatory form of democracy, human rights, social justice, environmental preservation...
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...Foundation Course 1 Human Rights, Gender & Environment Understanding Patriarchy Suranjita Ray• Subordination of women to men is prevalent in large parts of the world. We come across experiences where women are not only treated as subordinate to men but are also subject to discriminations, humiliations, exploitations, oppressions, control and violence. Women experience discrimination and unequal treatment in terms of basic right to food, health care, education, employment, control over productive resources, decision-making and livelihood not because of their biological differences or sex, which is natural but because of their gender differences which is a social construct. “Sex is considered a fact - one is born with either male or female genitalia. Gender is considered a social construction - it grants meaning to the fact of sex. Conversely, it could be said that only after specific meanings came to be attached to the sexes, did sex differences become pertinent” (Geetha, 2002: 10). Gender based discriminations and exploitations are widespread and the socio-culturally defined characteristics, aptitudes, abilities, desires, personality traits, roles, responsibilities and behavioral patterns of men and women contribute to the inequalities and hierarchies in society. Gender differences are man made and they get legitimised in a patriarchal society. This paper attempts to link the theoretical dimensions of patriarchy with its empirical experiences to engage in the ongoing...
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...Coca-Cola in Plachimada, Kerala in 1999 had sucked the local aquifers dry. The Coke-induced water scarcity had hit the indigenous peoples (Adivasi’s) belonging to the Eravalar and Malasar tribes, and the Dalit (oppressed castes) community who lived around the factory the worst. The people of Plachimada saw their wells dry out even as truck loads of soft drinks made their way from the factory to distant markets. Complaints and requests to the company and the Government went futile. On 22nd April,2002, faced with the prospect of a summer without water, the indigenous peoples and the Dalits began an indefinite strike outside the factory gates demanding its closure. After numerous confrontations with the police, on June 9th, the police finally acted openly in favour of the Coca-Cola company by arresting 130 peaceful protestors, including 30 women and 9 children (mostly infants). Center for Science and Environment (CSE) findings In early 2003(CSE), a highly reputable NGO in New Delhi, released a study which documents extraordinarily high and dangerous levels of pesticide, including banned carcinogens such as Heptachlor and Malathion, in all tested samples of Coke. CSE’s scientists tested 57 samples of Coke from 25 different bottling plants across most of India, and in some cases found pesticide residues 24 times higher than standards adhered to by the European Union and proposed by the Bureau of Indian Standards Communities Reject Coca-Cola in India (2003) The communities in and...
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...how Indian women are the poorest of the poor and are excluded from society. They have limited education or access to justice and have been taught for generations that they are worthless, less than human. They have no idea they have rights. Dalit women are pressured to India’s human trafficking because they have no political voice, no protection by law enforcement, and no access to the courts. Human trafficking is the third largest profitable industry in the world. India is the epicenter of human sex trafficking. The latest figures estimate that over 1.2 million children are trafficked worldwide every year and child prostitution contains the highest trafficked children. Trafficking is one of the hardest crimes to track and investigate due to the lack of data. India is the most dangerous country for women today, according to the UN. “By bringing an end to human trafficking in the number one source and destination for human trafficking victims in the world, we can end trafficking around the globe.” (Fox News) The challenge still remains of how to end this worldwide issue. History/Background According to article “Cross-Border Trafficking in Nepal and India-Violating Women’s Rights” human trafficking is both a human rights violation and the fastest growing criminal industry in the world. Human trafficking is the third largest organized crime after drugs and arms trafficking. (US Department of State) Men and women can both be victims but the major population are women and girls...
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... Indian Feminism Pg.9 6. Where feminism goes wrong Pg.14 7. Bibliography Pg.20 ABSTRACT Women have always been an integral part of society. However, more often than not their contribution in the human society has been ignored. This gave rise to the need of empowering women and hence the feminist movement. This research project aims to comprehend and analyze the very essence of Feminism in terms of the 3rd wave and in Indian context. It also analyses the myths associated with feminism and the flaws which lead to the ambiguity in the whole concept of feminism. Further, the paper discusses as to whether the term “feminism” can be brought under one general definition or there is much more to it. INTRODUCTION DEFINITION "A woman should be barefoot, pregnant and chained to a stove," stated Ben Glantz, a high school senior. Drew Pershing, another senior, also shared a joke, "What does a woman do after she leaves a battered shelter? The dishes...if she knows what's good for her!" Daily jokes and comments such as these, no matter how harmless, are detrimental to the status of women and a dangerous undermining of their accomplishments. Shared by both genders, sexually discriminative comments are widely accepted in society as normal and harmless. "I didn't mean anything by that; I was just kidding," whimpered Ben Glantz after receiving several cold stares from young women who overheard his bashing, sexist comment. The word ‘Feminism’ seems to refer to an intense awareness...
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...7/20/2014 Crime Against Women In India By Ajay Kumar Ranjan Like Share 24 Home Printer Friendly Version Crime Against Women In India By Ajay Kumar Ranjan 30 January, 2013 Countercurrents.org “A society that is unable to respect, protect and nurture its women and children loses its moral moorings Support Us Popularise CC Join News Letter CounterSolutions CounterImages CounterVideos Editor's Picks Press Releases Action Alert Feed Burner Read CC In Your Own Language Bradley Manning India Burning Mumbai Terror Financial Crisis Iraq AfPak War Peak Oil Globalisation Localism Alternative Energy Climate Change US Imperialism US Elections Palestine Latin America Communalism Gender/Feminism Dalit Humanrights Economy India-pakistan Kashmir Environment and runs adrift.” (The Hindu- Opinion Sept, 15 2012 ) Introduction: Centuries have come, and centuries have gone, but the plight of women is not likely to change. T ime has helplessly watched women suffering in the form of discrimination, oppression, exploitation, degradation, aggression, humiliation . In Indian society, woman occupies a vital position and venerable place. The Vedas glorified women as the mother, the creator, one who gives life and worshipped her as a ‘Devi' or Goddess. But their glorification was rather mythical for at the same time, in India women found herself totally suppressed and subjugated in a patriarchal society. Indian women through the countries remained subjugated and oppressed because society...
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...Empowerment Status of Women Presidents of Village Panchayats in Tamil Nadu and Kerala: A Comparative Study The 73rd constitutional amendment act is open an alleyway for a growth model with inclusive democracy in Indian political development. Therefore people are participated in the political affairs regardless of gender, race and other identities, because the seventy- third constitutional amendments act providing the devolution of power to the people. The basic indent includes thirty three per cent seats for adult females, similar reservation for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in proportion to their population, statutory requirement to hold periodic elections under the supervision of State Election Commissions, transfer of funds...
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...INTRODUCTION A very simple understanding of Human Rights is that the rights which are inherent to all human beings, whatever be the nationality, Place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion or any other status and discrimination should not be there among the people. “The concept of human rights, though the British claim that they knew from the time of their Magna Carta(1215),were to incorporated in the Indian Police Act,1861 and as such the accountability of the police for human rights violation as not at all a concern for the English at a time when they drafted the Indian Police Act in 1861.When India became independent, most of the Indian states drafted their State Police Acts and even there, the experts who drafted the Acts was concerned with the drafting of the Acts in tune with the Colonial Indian Police Act rather than doing the same keeping in mind the principles of the Human Rights as guaranteed by Indian Constitution and Police Accountability”. “Under the Police Act 1861,which is still in force, Police in India is nothing more than a government department lacking the autonomy under rule of law that exists for the police in other leading democracies. No doubt the Constitution of India is the supreme law of the land but the police are governed by the repressive 1861 Police Act and the regressive Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC)”. Police are the important mass of the justice system so it is their responsibility to protect...
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...ARE WOMEN SAFE IN INDIA? The condition of women in India has always been a matter of grave concern. Since the past several centuries, the women of India were never given equal status and opportunities as compared to that of their male counterparts. The patriarchal nature of Indian society, which even though gives respect to women as they are our mothers and sisters, has greatly hampered both the independence as well as the safety of women. One of the main reasons of violence against women is the mentality which deems women inferior of men and merely limits their importance to the maintenance of the household, the upbringing of children and pleasing their husbands and serving other members of the family. Even in today's times of modernization of society, many working women are still subjected to immense pressure to shoulder the dual responsibility of a housewife and a working woman simultaneously with little or no help from their husbands. It is the same mentality which, some generations ago, used to think of women as mere objects of attaining sexual pleasure and a servant of the husband, who was considered "parameshwar" which literally translates to "supreme God". Times have changed but the mentality still prevails in the mindsets of several narrow minded Indians. The recent incident in which a 23 year old paramedical student was gang-raped by 6 men inside a moving bus near a posh Delhi locality and thrown off the bus naked after herself and her male friend were...
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...Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (pronounced [ˈmoːɦənd̪aːs ˈkərəmtʃənd̪ ˈɡaːnd̪ʱi] ( listen); 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the preeminent leader of Indian nationalism in British-ruled India. Employing non-violent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. The honorific Mahatma (Sanskrit: "high-souled," "venerable"[2])—applied to him first in 1914 in South Africa,[3]—is now used worldwide. He is also called Bapu (Gujarati: endearment for "father,"[4] "papa."[4][5]) in India. Born and raised in a Hindu, merchant caste, family in coastal Gujarat, western India, and trained in law at the Inner Temple, London, Gandhi first employed non-violent civil disobedience as an expatriate lawyer in South Africa, in the resident Indian community's struggle for civil rights. After his return to India in 1915, he set about organising peasants, farmers, and urban labourers to protest against excessive land-tax and discrimination. Assuming leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1921, Gandhi led nationwide campaigns for easing poverty, expanding women's rights, building religious and ethnic amity, ending untouchability, but above all for achieving Swaraj or self-rule. Gandhi famously led Indians in challenging the British-imposed salt tax with the 400 km (250 mi) Dandi Salt March in 1930, and later in calling for the British to Quit India in 1942. He was imprisoned for many years, upon many occasions, in both...
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...ARE WOMAN REALLY SAFE IN INDIA? The condition of women in India has always been a matter of grave concern. Since the past several centuries, the women of India were never given equal status and opportunities as compared to that of their male counterparts. The patriarchal nature of Indian society, which even though gives respect to women as they are our mothers and sisters, has greatly hampered both the independence as well as the safety of women. One of the main reasons of violence against women is the mentality which deems women inferior of men and merely limits their importance to the maintenance of the household, the upbringing of children and pleasing their husbands and serving other members of the family. Violence against women is present in every country, cutting across the boundaries of culture, class, education, income, ethnicity and age. Even though it is now forbidden in most parts of the world, the reality is that violations against women’s rights are often sanctioned under the garb of cultural practices and norms or through misinterpretation of religious tenets. Moreover, when the violation takes place within the home, as is very often the case, the abuse is effectively condoned by the tacit silence and the passivity displayed by the state and the law-enforcing machinery. In India even in the 21st century, women cannot step out of their house at any given time, assured of her physical and sexual safety. Everyday women in this society face more problems than men.The...
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...INTRODUCTION Poverty in India is widespread, with the nation estimated to have a third of the world's poor. In 2010, the World Bank reported that 32.7% of the total Indian people fall below the international poverty line of US$ 1.25 per day (PPP) while 68.7% live on less than US$ 2 per day.[1] According to 2010 data from the United Nations Development Programme, an estimated 29.8% of Indians live below the country's national poverty line.[2] A 2010 report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) states that 8 Indian states have more poor people than 26 poorest African nations combined which totals to more than 410 million poor in the poorest African countries.[3][4] A 2013 UN report stated that a third of the worlds poorest people live in India.[5] According to a 2011 poverty Development Goals Report, as many as 320 million people in India and China are expected to come out of extreme poverty in the next four years, while India's poverty rate is projected to drop to 22% in 2015.[6] The report also indicates that in Southern Asia, however, only India, where the poverty rate is projected to fall from 51% in 1990 to about 22% in 2015, is on track to cut poverty by half by the 2015 target date.[6] However, this decline in poverty is debatable given the fact that there are question marks on methodology of evaluating poverty. Indian journalist Ravi S Jha writes in the Guardian[7] on the need of measuring poverty by segregating India's poor in different groups...
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