Despite the country’s surging economy and growing clout at the global geopolitical high table, swathes of India continue to endorse the deeply-entrenched caste system.
This sad reality was highlighted yet again recently in a report by Lucknow University’s department of education. According to the report, 40 percent of the schools across sample districts in Uttar Pradesh -- India’s most populous state, with 199 million people -- teachers and students refuse to partake of government-sponsored free midday meals because they are cooked by dalits (once known as untouchables).
The report adds that upper primary school children take less midday meals than those in the lower grades because the ‘upper primary children…are more aware of the caste system and do not like to take midday meal prepared by SC (scheduled caste) cooks.’
This is all the more ironic considering dalits have revolutionized life in Uttar Pradesh. Many of the state’s top politicians and administrators are dalits, and the state is helmed by the feisty Mayawati, who despite her sometimes arbitrary and vengeful way of governing, has still ushered in meaningful economic change. (Uttar Pradesh is the second largest state economy in India, and contributed 8.34 percent to India’s GDP in the 2010 financial year).
Unfortunately, while the caste system has been officially abolished under the Indian Constitution, there’s still blatant discrimination and prejudice against the Dalits. They are frequently refused entry to temples, schools, eateries and barred from participating in community gatherings. They are sometimes still even ostracized to the point that they are made to live on the outskirts of villages.
The word ‘dalit’ is derived from the Sanskrit word for ‘ground,’ ‘suppressed,’ ‘crushed,’ or ‘broken to pieces.’ In ancient times, dalits were synonymous with lowly occupations such as butchering, making footwear or cleaning toilets and sewers. Engaging in these activities was considered ‘polluting’ to the individual.
Post-independence, the Indian government has done much to try to improve their lot by providing them opportunities for education, health and employment. Clearly, though, there’s still an uphill battle changing people’s mindsets.
Neeta Lal is a New Delhi-based senior journalist.
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Frank
Sooner or later dalits will understand that with WWII rifles in hand, their caste level will be above Brahm or whatever the highest caste is in India.
Then, dalits will need more WWII rifles.
Great business oppotunities.
Give them some WWII rifles for free. Then ask them to pay the rest.
guest
Unhelpful trollshxt as usual Frankieboy.
Frank
You should be grateful that I promote to help you low caste Indians.
Actually, most Indians are lower caste people. Only the middle easterners who occupied Indians for thousands of years are the so called high caste people. They have lighter skins.
Dark skinned “high” caste Indians were actually low caste Indians who choose to kiss the butte to the invaders.
With WWII old rifles, the real Indians can stand up for themselves. The invaders will have the beg “untouchable” to feed them.
Siddharth
Frank- You are wrong.
Caste system exists in Hindu theology. Its not related to invasions.
Hindu traditions are still preserved same as the Chinese traditions are preserved despite the long history of colonial rule by Mongolia and Manchuria!
SanatanaDharmica
Bharata varsha is the greatest land ever. These shudras and chandalas should be grateful that they are allowed to live in this sacred land. The people who are refusing to eat the food are only performing their dharma. Afterall didn’t Lord Krishna say that it is better to perform your own dharma imperfectly than to perform other’s dharma perfectly?
Frank
Light skinned Indians are surely not from India originally.
The Middle East colonists are using the old Hindu believes for the benefit of themselves.
Almost all lower caste Indians are dark. That is not a coincident. How can dark skinned Indians move up their caste ladders?
Only WWII rifles can help them. Actually, India’s polices are also using WWII rifles.
EAM
“These shudras and chandalas should be grateful that they are allowed to live in this sacred land”
You are kidding, right? Go to Naxal country and say this to their face if you have the guts….rather than making appalling comments like this from the safety of your laptop.
Geez, I always thought that only racists in Western countries said things like this to new immigrants.
Anyway don’t they say that they are rightful owners of the country not later arrivals from the north …. and please, no diatribe about “Aryan Invasion Theory”. I make the comment only based on how dalit intellectuals perceive things.
Frank
EAM:
There is a BIG market for WWII rifles in India. Why don’t you make some money and teach these Indian racists a lesson at the same time?
China has millions of those old WWII rifles in storage. Since China is moving from 7.62 mm to 5.8 mm, they need storage space for the AKs they are using now.
It is very logical to empty those WWII rifles to India.
“Untouchables” need them.
EAM
Frank, xie xie – thanks for the offer of the business opportunity … but I am pretty confident that the dalits can look after themselves quite well … through the franchise, amazingly! The fact that they make food for the general community in the way described in the article speaks volumes on far things have gone. If people with fancy notions of superiority like the fellow above do not want to eat what they make, they do not have to and can simply strave if they like. It is their choice.
Quoting scriptures in this way is truly appalling, but in fairness, the Christian Bible also has statements supporting slavery and female subordination. For that matter Confucius did not have nice things to say about the “xiao ren”. The point through is to read these passages in context and take what is good and relevant to our lives today.
One of the many voices of India I guess – but there are plenty of other voices which are good – just like in China.
Frank
EAM:
You understand nothing about China if you do not understand what “xiao ren” mean.
It means the dog like people who behave like high caste Indians.
Confucius said:
Xiao ren (a disgusting man) is a person with words, no actions. A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.
Many high caste Indians match Confucius’ description as Xiao Ren.
EAM
Yes – yours is an accepted interpretation today. However, I was referring to the way in which Confucius was received in Chairman Mao’s day where the term was said to refer to common people as opposed to “gentleman” as a criticism of the feudal mentality of Confucianism. I am not saying I agree with Chairman Mao’s views on the point but this view has some truth to it.
“Common man” by the way is still an accepted English translation of “xiao ren”
http://www.class.uidaho.edu/mickelsen/Phil%20103/outlines/olconfucius.htm
The very fact of broadly dismissing whole categories people as “dogs” or “xiao ren” is problematic without look closely at their situation.
Yes – I do not know China as well as you – but my point stands.
John Chan
As per Frank’s explanation we can say “honey words and pious gesture” = Xiao Ren(小人).
EAM, English can accept “Xiao Ren” as “Common Man”, but definitely Chinese won’t accept “common man” as “xiao ren”, if you call Chinese “common man” as “xiao ren”, then you are rude and mostly likely you will receive very unfriendly treatment in return in a flash.
I don’t believe you have it right about “xiao ren” during Mao’s day. Mao only use Confucius as a tool for his culture revolution movement. Mao may label Confucius as “xiao ren” for political purposes during the culture revolution, but the meaning of “xiao ren” never change.
The amount of English writing about Chinese, its culture, philosophy, science, etc. written by non Chinese I have read, their accuracy sometimes is really worrisome, but all those writers have all kind of credentials to support their authority on the subjects. The amount of hostility the non-Chinese held against China makes me wonder how much is contributed by those inaccuracies.
EAM
John Chan, thank for the clarification. I do not have sufficient scholarly background in the subject and accept what you say. Certainly, in contemporary Shangai, “xiao ren” is a bad word and insult, and does mean something like “dog”. However, Mao era writings certainly saw in Confucius’ distinction between the “gentleman” and the “xiao ren”, a feudal attitude towards the masses. However, I also accept that politically motivated representations of Confucius during the Mao era and just that and should not be taken as scholarship.
As for the inaccuracy of Western representations of China, I agree with that also. But hopefully, as Chinese more actively present their own representations of their country and history, this will change. And there is a great appetite in Western countries for more of that and also a recognition of the deficiences in older scholarship in English. It just takes time though.
Nick Greyden
This is actually really sad. I see this going the way of the USA’s civil unrest in the 1960’s. I only hope they would have the peaceful leaders like King Jr to lead them, and not a war leader as Frank tends to think the answer will be.
It has been around 50 years here in the states, and our second class citizens have all but been stamped out. There are still a few that hate a race, religion, or ethnicity and not a man, yet I have hope for our future that those numbers continue you fall as each new generation is born and I wish the same empathy and healing for India.
Doug
Okay, the children refuse to eat food made by another human being because they think they’re better? let em stave. might as well let them die. it’s suicide because i guess they’re too good to live.
Frank
This article is NOT about China. It is about India’s caste system.
We should help India’s low caste people by providing WWII rifles free of charge.
Later, we can charge a little after they earned enough gold.
sam
@Frank
:Xiao ren (a disgusting man) is a person with words, no actions. A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.”
Well said. We know well how many words you spew and your lack of actions.