REASONS FOR INEQUALITY AND DISCRIMINATION
Discrimination happens when people act on their prejudices or stereotypes. If you do something to put other people down, if you stop them from taking part in certain activities and taking up jobs, or stop them from living in certain neighbourhoods, prevent them from taking water from the same well or hand pump, or not allow them to drink tea in the same cups or glasses as others, you are discriminating against them.
Discrimination can take place because of several reasons. You probably recall from the previous chapter that Samir Ek and Samir Do were different from each other in many ways. For example, they belonged to different religions. This is an aspect of diversity. However, this diversity can also be a source of discrimination. Groups of people who may speak a certain language, follow a particular religion, live in specific regions, etc., may be discriminated against as their customs or practices may be seen as inferior.
Another difference between the two Samirs was in their economic backgrounds. Samir Do was poor. This difference, as you have read earlier, is not a form of diversity but of inequality. People who are poor do not have the resources or the money to meet their basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter. They experience discrimination in offices, hospitals, schools, etc., where they are treated badly because they are poor.
Some people may experience both kinds of discrimination. They are poor and they belong to groups whose culture is not valued. Tribals, some religious groups, and even particular regions, are discriminated against for one or more of these reasons. In the following section, we will look at how a famous Indian was discriminated against. This will help us understand the ways in which caste was used to discriminate against large numbers of people.
Discuss
1. What is the difference between discrimination and stereotypes?
2. How do you think a person who is discriminated against might feel?
Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK
ON BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST
People are engaged in different kinds of work like teaching, carpentry, pottery, weaving, fishing, farming, etc. to earn a livelihood. However, certain kinds of work are valued more than others. Activities like cleaning, washing, cutting hair, picking garbage are seen as tasks that are of less value, and people who do this work are seen as dirty or impure. This belief is an important aspect of the caste system. In the caste system, communities/ groups of people were placed in a sort of ladder where each caste was either above or below the other. Those who placed themselves at the top of this ladder called themselves upper caste and saw themselves as superior. The groups who were placed at the bottom of the ladder were seen as unworthy and called "untouchables".
Caste rules were set which did not allow the so-called "untouchables" to take on work, other than what they were meant to do. For example, some groups were forced to pick garbage and remove dead animals from the village. But they were not allowed to enter the homes of the upper castes or take water from the village well, or even enter temples. Their children could not sit next to children of other castes in school. Thus upper castes acted in ways, which did not give the so-called "untouchables" the same rights as they enjoyed.
Dalit
Dalit is a term that people belonging to so-called lower castes use to address themselves. They prefer this word to 'untouchable'. Dalit means those who have been 'broken'. This word according to Dalits shows how social prejudices and discrimination have 'broken' the Dalit people. The government refers to this group of people as Scheduled Castes (SC).
Discuss
1. In addition to the lower castes being discriminated against, there are also various other communities that are subject to discrimination.
2. Can you think of a few other examples of discrimination?
3. Discuss the ways in which persons with special needs might be subject to discrimination.
Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK
ABOUT BHIM RAO AMBEDKAR
Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar (1891-1956) is considered the father of the Indian Constitution and is also the best-known leader of the Dalits. Dr. Ambedkar fought for the rights of the Dalit community. He was born into the Mahar caste, which was considered untouchable. The Mahars were poor, owned no land, and children born to them also had to do the work their parents did. They lived in spaces outside the main village and were not allowed into the village.
Dr. Ambedkar was the first person from his caste who completed his college education and went to England to become a lawyer. He encouraged Dalits to send their children to school and college. He also urged Dalits to take on different kinds of government jobs in order to move out of the caste system. He led many efforts of Dalits to gain entry into temples. Later in life, he converted to Buddhism in his search for a religion that treated all members equally.
Dr. Ambedkar believed that Dalits must fight the caste system and work towards a society based on respect not just for a few but for all persons.
Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK
SAD JOURNEY OF AMBEDKAR
Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, one of the greatest leaders of India, shares his first experience of caste-based discrimination, which took place in 1901 when he was just nine years old. He had gone with his brothers and cousins to meet his father in Koregaon which is now in Maharashtra.
Long did we wait, but no one turned up. An hour elapsed and the station- master came to enquire. He asked us for our tickets. We showed them to him. He asked us why we tarried. We told him that we were bound for Koregaon and that we were waiting for father or his servant to come, but that neither had turned up and that we did not know how to reach Koregaon.
We were well-dressed children. From our dress or talk, no one could make out that we were children of the untouchables. Indeed, the stationmaster was quite sure we were Brahmin children and was extremely touched at the plight in which he found us. As is usual among the Hindus, the stationmaster asked us who we were. Without a moment's thought, I blurted out that we were Mahars. (Mahar is one of the communities which were treated as untouchables in the Bombay Presidency.) He was stunned. His face underwent a sudden change. We could see that he was overpowered by a strange feeling of repulsion. As soon as he heard my reply, he went away to his room and we stood where we were. Fifteen to twenty minutes elapsed; the sun was almost setting. Our father had not turned up nor had he sent his servant, and now the stationmaster had also left us. We were quite bewildered, and the joy and happiness, which we felt at the beginning of the journey, gave way to a feeling of extreme sadness.
After half an hour the stationmaster returned and asked us what we proposed to do. We said that if we could get a bullock-cart on hire we would go to Koregaon, and if it was not very far we would like to start straight away. There were many bullock-carts plying for hire. But my reply to the station master that we were Mahars had gone round among the cart men and not one of them was prepared to suffer being polluted and to demean himself carrying passengers of the untouchable classes. We were prepared to pay double the fare but we found that money did not work. The stationmaster, who was negotiating on our behalf, stood silent, not knowing what to do.
Imagine how difficult it would be if people could not move easily from one place to the other, how insulting and hurtful it is to have people move away, refuse to touch you, or allow you to drink water from the same source as they do.
This small incident shows how a simple task of going from one place to another in a cart was not available to the children – even though they could pay the money. All the cart men at the station refused to take the children. They acted in a discriminatory manner.
So, clearly, as this story shows us, caste-based discrimination is not only limited to preventing Dalits from undertaking certain economic activities but it also denies them the respect and dignity given to others.
Discuss
1. Despite the children offering money, the cartmen refused them. Why?
2. How did people at the station discriminate against Dr. Ambedkar and his brothers?
3. How do you think Dr. Ambedkar felt as a child when he saw the stationmaster's reaction to his statement that they were Mahars?
4. Have you ever experienced prejudice or witnessed an incident of discrimination? How did this make you feel?
Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK