Question

Explain different forms of untouchability.

Answer 1

Caste system has been well entrenched in Indian society from time immemorial and has brought about worst kind discrimination and exclusion of the out caste group who were subjected to inhuman treatment and injustice. The worst form of social practice followed in India was untouchability, which became evident in many forms:

a. Refusal to touch people belonging to lower castes.
b. Denying interaction with people belonging to lower castes.
c. Denying access to public places to them.
d. Untouchability got reflected in everyday life. For example, in tea stalls separate cups were kept for dalits.
e. Dalit students were made to sit separately in classrooms.
f. Barbers refused to serve dalits.
g. Dalit grooms were not allowed to have marriage processions.
h. Dalits were not allowed to use hand pumps, anything they touched was considered to be polluting it, and was washed thoroughly to purify it.
All the above forms prevented their integration with the rest of the society.
 

Answer 2

Caste system has been well entrenched in Indian society from time immemorial and has brought about worst kind discrimination and exclusion of the out caste group who were subjected to inhuman treatment and injustice. The worst form of social practice followed in India was untouchability, which became evident in many forms: