Dalits and Tribes of India

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Dalits and Tribes are the most disadvantaged group. They are treated as untouchables and outcaste. Emancipating them from the clutches of traditional bondages is the first step towards empowerment. Simply, they have to be treated as human beings on par with other in the civilised cultured modern society.

Even then dalits and tribes are subjected to systematic human rights violation on the basis of caste-based discrimination. The discrimination impinges their civil, political, religious, socio-economic and cultural rights and their rights to freedom of choice to develop as individuals. They are discriminated in the schools and colleges. They are discriminated against even in employment. Dalits are denied jobs other than scavenging-manual scavenging of night soil-sweeping, tanning and other sanitary works.

Dalits and Tribes of India is a book covering the various areas of their backwardness, economic, social, religious, political and cultural. They are considered as the most marginalised group and are subject to all types of discrimination and atrocities. They are trying to empower and emancipate from their bandage. But, they are still at the lowest ladder of the development. Materials on Dalits and tribes covering all the above aspects are very scarce and hence an attempt is made to publish the papers presented in a three-day UGC Sponsored Seminar Organised by J. Cyril Kanmony.

J. CYRIL KANMONY (b. 1956), M.A., M.Phil., M.Ed., B.G.L., Ph.D., is Reader in the Department of Economics, Scott Christian College (Autonomous), Nagercoil, Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli.

He did his post-graduation and research in Scott Christian College, Nagercoil, then affiliated to Madurai University, Madurai. He has published 21 learned articles in various journals and books and has, to his credit, 27 well-researched papers presented in various Seminars and Conferences. He has co-authored "Economic Statistics", "Mathematical Methods, "Human Rights Education" and authored "Economics of Human Rights Violation" and edited "Economics of Human Rights and Health Care". He has also edited proceedings of three seminars, one sponsored by the Planning Commission, Government of India and the other two sponsored by the University Grants Commission. He has completed two UGC funded projects, 'Human Rights Violation and Its Economic Significance with Special Reference to Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli Districts' and 'Drinking Water Management: Problems and Prospects'.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. There should not be any caste-based discrimination. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedom without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status (Articles 1 & 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948). The Indian Constitution also ensures equality before law (Article 14), prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, caste, sex or place of birth (Article 15), equality of opportunity in matters of public employment (Article 16) and abolition of untouchability (Article 17). Even then dalits and tribes are subjected to systematic human rights violation on the basis of caste-based discrimination. The discrimination impinges their civil, political, religious, socio-economic and cultural rights and their rights to freedom of choice to develop as individuals.

They are treated as outcastes or exterior castes They are called Harijans, Chandalas, Panchamas, Antyaj, Avarnas and Varna Sankaras. They are politically powerless, socially untouchable, culturally inferior, ritually unclean, educationally illiterate and economically backward. They don't have access to temples and puja-pandals. They are not allowed to worship even the gods like the Lord Shiva. The enrolment rate of dalits in educational institutions is very low even at the primary level. They are discriminated in schools and colleges. They are discriminated against even in employment. They live in hamlets, sometimes amidst pigs and dogs. The hamlets are segregated from other villages, on the leeward side to prevent the wind that touches their bodies from defiling the upper-caste. In the segregated hamlets even the basic amenities are absent Hence, they suffer from diseases, which are caused by contaminated water and filthy and unhygienic environment Dalits are denied jobs other than scavenging-manual scavenging of night soil - sweeping, tanning and other sanitary works Over the generation they became landless and resourceless. They are not allowed to use the community property. They are not allowed to draw water from common wells and take bath in the common ponds/tanks.

Emanicipation and empowerment of vulnerable and marginalised people are the order of the day. Dalits and Tribes are the most disadvantaged group. They are treated as untouchables and outcaste. It is necessary to uplift them socially, economically, politically, religiously and culturally. Emanicipating them from the clutches of traditional bondages is the first step towards empowerment. Simply, they have to be treated as human beings on par with others in the civilised cultured modern society. Discrimination on the basis of caste must be stopped at all cost. India, as a welfare state, is taking every step to include these violence-prone people in the process of great economic development. The University Grants Commission, by taking the importance of the theme into consideration, sanctioned a grant for holding a three-day national seminar on Agenda for Emanicipation and empowerment of Dalit and Tribes. The seminar attracted a wide range of papers from various sections, particularly acadamia and NGOS and from various fields such as education, religion, politics, history and economics. All the papers have been compiled and brought out in the form of a book Dalits and Tribes in India with a view to taking it to the larger audience.