People & Their Problems

New Delhi, 20 June 2009

Wanton Discrimination

UPLIFT OF LOWER CASTES CRITICAL

By Dhurjati Mukherjee

Notwithstanding Indian democracy completing another cycle of elections and a stable government in place, reports of caste-based discrimination in the country continue to make its presence felt. Undeniably, thanks to an imbalanced development there has been widespread poverty and squalor. The pro-urban bias in planning and the lack of spread of education has accentuated the underdevelopment of the villages, where caste-based discrimination has been glaringly evident.

In spite of increasing reservations, sociologists feel that with every passing year discrimination has only increased. In fact, it is being said that it has found a new lease of life in the overarching politico-cultural ideology of Hinduism.    

Delving into history, it is a known fact that the dominant social groups capture and appropriate both the traditional and rational legal orders – be it in the government, bureaucracy, colleges and universities, hospitals or even the judiciary. The other aspect of wanton discrimination can be found in the fact that since Independence large tracts of land belonging to the tribals and dalits were taken away without appropriate rehabilitation and livelihood security to sustain them and their families.

Though these lands were taken for building and/or expanding roads, and construction of dams etc, these normally would benefit the upper and middle income sections. Worse, the value given to the owners put them in severe distress – a significant number of who were already entrenched in poverty. There was no rehabilitation policy worth the name even in the 90s and the question of livelihood security for the land losers was never considered by the planners, mostly from the dominant social groups.  

Though these groups did want to remove economic inequities, the country failed in implementing land reforms and the land ceiling Acts differed in various parts of the country and were not being implemented in letter and spirit. Access to education through reservations was very poor and even if it did help, the standards were appalling in most of the backward districts. There was literally no professionalism.

Discrimination towards the low castes and the adivasis was very much apparent. It is pertinent to mention here that India is perhaps the only country in the world to have created multitudes of educational institutions that correspond with various social groups, thus creating a social segmentation in society.

This segmentation has been aggravated by different political parties, which have time and again exploited the caste factor to their advantage. Sadly even the leaders of the lower caste have done very little for their community and generally aligned themselves with the dominant social groups. On the other hand, the reservation of SCs and STs in government jobs (all through their career) has helped only a small section of the low castes and the majority has not been able to enter society’s mainstream.     

This is manifest from the fact that a very insignificant section of SC and ST students are found to enter higher education even after six decades of Independence. Thus, in spite of efforts, which have of course been half-hearted, the conditions of dalits and adivasis have remained more or less unchanged. 

Media reports reveal increasing casteism in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, but also in States such as Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Worse, most governments, both at the Centre and States have found it convenient to keep the caste factor alive to their advantage. Added to this, the lack of education has all contributed to the discrimination against the lower castes. One such example could be of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which is said to be a party for the dalits, but the recent Lok Sabha polls expose its poor performance and expose its true character of a corrupt leadership.

The crucial question then is: will the spread of education check the caste-based politics and curb casteist violence? Both the political analysts and sociologists today must look for answers. If governance does not change and the bureaucracy, dominated by the upper castes, and the political system, controlled by the same people are not responsive and sincere in bringing about the necessary transformation, the situation is unlikely to improve for the lower castes.   

In the immediate future, it is very difficult to comprehend the state of development on the social and economic front for the lower castes. The increasing violence in the backward and the tribal-dominated districts, which are mostly located in the Hindu heartland, bear testimony to the fact that adivasis and dalit groups have revolted against their exploitation. This is expected to increase in the coming years as militant groups, specially the Maoists, have come forward in a big way to take up their cause.

The problem and the need for change are being echoed for quite some time but the ways and means have not been specifically outlined or implemented with the right earnest. Resources are, no doubt, a big problem more so because a major part of this is spent on expenditure to satisfy the upper echelons of society.

Having such large number of government employees and increasing their salaries from time to time for the meagre work they put in or beautifying the cities should not be priorities at this juncture. It is indeed easy to say that we need urban development, infrastructural improvements and rural transformation but all these are difficult to accomplish within a time span of five to seven years.

The priorities need to be decided and emphasis shifted to the rural sector – whether it is electrification of villages, building roads, providing safe potable water or overhauling the education system, so that the poor and the lower castes are motivated to join.

Accomplishing the above objectives must be kept in mind by the present UPA government and  the year-based target set to ensure welfare aimed at the lower castes and the tribals and, of course, the minorities. It is absolutely imperative at this juncture that unproductive expenditure is curtailed and development-oriented planning aimed at the poor is worked out so that social harmony and stability increases. This challenge has to be accepted by the new genre of parliamentarians keeping in view the country’s emergence as a major world power in the not-so-distant future.—INFA

 (Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)