Dalit

• 1. Origins And Etymology

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  The word Dalit comes from the Sanskrit root dalita, meaning broken or scattered. In 1890, Jyotirao Phule used this Marathi term to describe outcasts who were oppressed within Hindu society. Before that time, these groups were often called untouchables. The British Raj classified them as Depressed Classes in the census prior to 1935. By the 1970s, activist groups like the Dalit Panthers invigorated the use of the word. It became a political tool for asserting rights and demanding equality. Some scholars argue the term carries deep roots in radical politics inspired by B.R. Ambedkar. Others suggest it risks labeling all untouchable populations with a single political identity.

• 2. Historical Reform Movements

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  Gopal Baba Walangkar lived between 1840 and 1900 and is considered the pioneer of the Dalit movement. He sought a society where discrimination did not exist. Harichand Thakur founded the Matua organization around 1812 to involve the Namasudra community. Jyotirao Phule worked tirelessly to improve conditions for marginalized people during the late nineteenth century. Mahatma Gandhi began the Harijan Yatra in 1933 to help Dalits but faced opposition from those wanting a complete break from Hinduism. The Poona Pact signed in 1932 between Gandhi and Ambedkar changed the legal landscape forever. This agreement reserved seats in legislatures while rejecting separate electorates. Ambedkar himself believed Walangkar was the progenitor of modern resistance efforts against caste oppression.

• 3. Constitutional Protections

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  India adopted its Constitution in 1950, which included measures to improve socio-economic conditions for Dalits. It banned untouchability and created the classification of Scheduled Castes. By 1995, Dalits held 10.1 percent of Class I federal government jobs and 27.2 percent of Class IV positions. Despite these numbers, only 1 percent of senior government agency roles were held by them after forty years. The Prevention of Atrocities Act came into force on the 31st of March 1995, to curb violence. In 2015, Parliament passed an amendment to address implementation issues like police obstruction. Special Courts were mandated to try cases under this act, though progress remained unimpressive as of April 2017. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry issued an advisory in September 2018 asking media to use Scheduled Castes instead of Dalit.

• 4. Socioeconomic Conditions

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  A 2014 survey found that 33.8 percent of Scheduled Caste populations in rural India lived below the poverty line. In urban areas, 21.8 percent fell below that threshold. A Mangalore University study from 2012 revealed 93 percent of Dalit families in Karnataka lived in poverty. Health field workers did not visit 65 percent of Dalit settlements during a sample survey conducted over several months in Madhya Pradesh. In Haryana state, 49 percent of children under five were underweight while 80 percent aged six to fifty-nine months suffered from anemia in 2015. About 45 percent of Scheduled Caste households are landless and earn a living through manual casual labor. An estimated 40 to 60 percent of 6 million Dalit households engage in sanitation work as of 2019.

• 5. Religious Conversions

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  In 1956, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar launched the Dalit Buddhist movement leading mass conversions from Hinduism. About half a million Dalits joined him in rejecting the caste system. The 2011 census recorded 6.5 million Marathi Buddhists primarily belonging to Dalit communities. Pandit Iyothee Thass founded the Sakya Buddhist Society of Tamil Nadu as another reformer leader. Mass conversions also occurred among Chuhras of Punjab and Chamars of North India who sought escape from discrimination. Some Dalits converted to Christianity believing it offered protection and material aid. Even after conversion, many faced residual practices like separate seating or being called New Christians. A 75 percent share of India's Muslim population consists of Dalits descended from local converts.

• 6. Political Representation

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  K.R. Narayanan became India's first Dalit President when elected in 1997. Mayawati served multiple terms as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh through the Bahujan Samaj Party. In 2017, Ramnath Kovind was elected as the second Dalit President of the country. Jagjivan Ram emerged as the first scheduled caste leader at the national level from Bihar between 1908 and 1986. About 8 percent of seats in National and State Parliaments are reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates. Votebank politics often rely on these groups but sometimes parties reneged on election promises made during campaigns. The SC/ST Sub-Plan law enacted in May 2013 aimed to prevent diversion of welfare funds meant specifically for Dalits.

• 7. Global Diaspora And Discrimination

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  A 2009 report alleged that caste discrimination is rife within the United Kingdom workplace and healthcare system. In late June 2020, California filed a lawsuit against Cisco Systems alleging discrimination faced by a Dalit engineer. Equality Labs released a report in 2018 finding one in two Dalit Americans live in fear of their caste being outed. Sixty percent have experienced discriminatory jokes while 25 percent suffered verbal or physical assault due to their background. Between 1001 and 1026, Romani people fought under Hindu rulers against Ghaznavids before migrating northward. An estimated third of immigrants arriving in the Caribbean around 1883 were Dalits who gradually broke down barriers through shared exploitation experiences.