Outcast (caste)

General caste system

In the caste system of India, outcast, untouchable, dalit, harijan, or panchamas (Hindi: दलित) is a person who, according to traditional Hindu beliefs, is considered to be outside of the traditional four varnas, or levels above it. Varna refers to the belief that many humans were created from different parts of the body of the deity Purusha, and the part from which each varna was created defines a person's social status in relation to with aspects such as who you can marry and what professions you can play.

Being outside the varnas, pariahs have historically only been allowed to do more marginal jobs. They include leather workers (called chamar), poor farmers, and landless day laborers, street artisans, popular artists, clothes washers and others.

Traditionally they were isolated in their own communities, to the point that the upper classes avoided contact with their shadows. Discrimination against Dalits still exists in rural areas and in the private sphere. However, it has disappeared in urban areas and in the public sphere, in terms of freedom of movement and access to education.

The earliest expression of discrimination, at least in spiritual aspects, dates back to the Bhagavad-gita (religious-epic text from the 3rd century BC), where it is stated that for the untouchables, women and foreigners enlightenment is not achievable.

Dalits are often victims of violence, such as frequent lynchings, murders and rapes. In the state of Rajasthan, between 1999 and 2003 alone there were more than 143 outcasts raped and 93 murdered. Massacres that used to include the rape of women and the murder of Dalit men and women are reported in the 20th century in Chundur, Neerukonda, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Kherlanji, the most recent being Maharastra in 2006 and Rajasthan in 2008..

This phenomenon is not unique to India, however, as similar groups exist in Bangladesh (known as arzal), Yemen (known as al-akdham) and Japan (where they are called burakumin).

Politics

Currently, the dalits are in the period of organization, and political movements have emerged that have drawn millions of people. Even a Dalit woman has come to govern one of the Indian states, Uttar Pradesh, and a Dalit was President of the Republic of India, K. R. Narayanan. Dalit radicals propose the creation of an independent state called Dalitstan, and for this Shri Ram Vilas Paswan created the organization Dalit Sena ('dalit army').

On the other hand, in 1984 the Majority Society Party was founded in India to represent Dalits and other low caste populations. Since 1991, the party began to seek alliances and in 1995 it allied itself with the Bharatiya Janata Party, but in the 1996 elections it again ran alone, just as it did in the 1999 elections, with good results. The elephant is the traditional symbol of Dalits, and the party often uses it as a badge on its flag, white on a blue background.

Religion

The majority religion among Dalits or outcasts is Buddhism (40%), followed by Sikhism (31%), Hinduism (20%) and finally Christianity (9%). Buddhism, Sikhism and Christianity all condemn the Hindu caste system. However, converting to another religion does not prevent them from suffering discrimination (perhaps not by their co-religionists but by the majority Hindu society).

The preaching of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, a Buddhist leader (albeit born into a poor family of Dalit Hindus) who rejected caste discrimination has led to a revival of Buddhism among Dalits and other lower castes, could explain the pre-eminence of Buddhism among Dalits.

Famous Dalits

• Phoolan Devi (1963-2001), an Indian bandit and politics that reached a seat in Parliament, although he began his career as a kind of figure that stole those of high castes to give it to those of low castes. She was kidnapped and raped repeatedly by men in command of the local landlord and was later sold killing many of her rapists. She was killed when she was still a congressman.
• Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891-1956), Buddhist and political philosopher of India.
• Kocheril Raman Narayanan (1920-2005), was the tenth President of India between 1997 and 2004.

ADDITIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY

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