Untouchable

The people of India have lived in accordance with a caste system since 1200 BCE and despite attempts to reform this area of discrimination and segregation, it still appears a guiding force in the day to day life of many.

The caste system is a hereditary, social hierarchy, also known as the Jati system. The system delineates four major classes, or varnas:

• Brahmins - priests and teachers,

• Kshatriyas - warriors and rulers,

• Vaishyas - farmers, traders and merchants, and

• Shudras - labourers.

However, there is a fifth group, completely ostracised from traditional Indian society - the

untouchables. One of the cruellest features of the system, they are now better known as the Dalits and are the lowest caste. This is seen as by many as one of the strongest racist phenomena in the world, with the Dalits being treated by the society as polluting and so were afforded almost no rights and avoided as much as possible.

Many believe that the caste groups originate from Brahma, the Hindu God of creation, with historians suggesting that this system wasn't strictly adhered to until Britain claimed India as a colony. They wrote the caste hierarchy into their laws and from there the system became more rigid. When India gained independence from Britain, it was already ingrained into the

culture.

The caste system has long been most prominent outside of the cities. It was used to arrange the rural communities, with the upper and lower caste almost always living in separate colonies, forbidden from sharing water wells or accepting food from a lower caste. They were also only permitted to marry within their caste. The system bestowed many privileges onto the upper castes and has been heavily criticised for being unjust and regressive, trapping people into fixed social orders which it was virtually impossible to escape from. It has however, remained virtually unchanged for centuries.

The concept of "untouchability" was outlawed in 1955 and in an attempt to help re-integrate lower-castes into modern society, the government implemented an affirmative action such as quotas for certain jobs and university admissions. This has been very limited in success, with the Dalits still being considered impure by large proportions of Indian society, which has led to frequent discrimination, such as segregation from schools and religious temples.

The most telling example of the social exclusion that Dalits suffer was seen in the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami. In the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, it is estimated that over 10,000 people died and at least 650,000 were displaced. In the wake of this disaster, the Dalits of Tamil Nadu were subjected to unimaginable discrimination, excluded from making use of or even entering into makeshift relief camps. Many International Agencies donated large portable water-tanks for all affected by the tsunami but in several instances, Dalits were prevented from drawing water over fear they would pollute it for those of higher-caste. This illustrates how the "untouchability" syndrome continues to dominate the actions of many, even at the time of natural disaster where naturally a sense of community and "pulling together" is seen.

Some argue that the caste system would have disappeared by now if the fires were not regularly fanned by politicians. It can be said with relatively certainty that if the political will of both central and state governments was committed to social justice, much more change would have actualised. Instead there are still many pockets of caste hierarchy that still remain with a politician's caste continuing to be an important decided factor, and marrying or acting outsides of one's caste continues to be taboo in many rural areas.

Furthermore, although the constitutionally guaranteed affirmative action policies have had some positive impact, Dalits continue to the most underprivileged class of Indian society with research in suggesting a wealth gap of 60% still exists between the highest and lowest castes. In general, Dalits continue to survive in inhumane, degrading conditions, with only a small proportion being able to escape the class for a better life. Dalit women have been particularly badly affected with layers of discrimination due to their sex, caste and culture structures, with the stigma of "untouchability" exposing them to an even higher risk of abuse and exploitation. Reports from the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) suggest that less that 2% of rape cases against Dalit women result in convictions, compared with around 25% of women in India generally.

It is clear that although institutions like the caste system have been outlawed, discrimination and segregation still on this basis still happens almost daily. In some areas, many people began just using one name after social reform movements as although some progression has been made, caste identities can remain strong, with last names almost always being an instant indicator of what caste a person belongs to.

For India to become completely caste-free, more education, government policies and social programs may be needed to enact social change and a true abolition of the caste system.