Explain economic and social disability suffered by untouchables
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Answer:
1. Religious disabilities:
The untouchables were subject to various religious disabilities in the society. Even though, the untouchables were Hindus by religion, they were not allowed to enter into Hindu temples, monasteries, and pilgrimages and prevented from using those on the plea that those places would become polluted by their contact. Their presence was considered sufficient to defile the gods and goddesses.
For them, the door of the temples were closed. They were also debarred from studying religious books like the Vedas. The untouchables were also deprived of the jajmani service of the Brahmin priests. They were prevented from taking a holy dip in the sacred rivers or taking the dead body to the Ghats used by the upper castes for cremation. An untouchable could not perform any religious ceremony either by himself or by the Brahmin priest. Thus, religious activities remained foreign to him.
2. Social disabilities:
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The untouchables also suffered disabilities in social sphere which are as follows:
(i) Prevention from the use of public roads:
The untouchables were prevented from using public roads. Their physical presence on the roads was considered so derogatory that the untouchables were debarred from using public road in the day time. Therefore they were obliged to do their work at night. Even their shadow was enough to defile the members of the higher castes. Therefore the higher caste people adopted precaution so that their shadow could not touch the member of higher castes. In South Kanara, the untouchables were prohibited from spitting on the highways. They had to spit into the pots suspended to their necks.
(ii) Prevention from the use of public wells:
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The untouchables were not allowed to draw water from public wells. This convention was enforced with a greater or lesser degree of strictness. In some states of India, even they came near to the well but were not allowed to draw water from it. Only a higher caste Hindu could draw water from them.
In some other states the untouchables were not permitted even to approach the well. In the South Kanara, once a group of women were drawing water at a well. A child fell accidentally into the well. The only person available who could have saved the child was a sweeper. He also desired to go down the well to save the child. But the women did not allow him to do so due to the apprehension of defilement of the well.
(iii) Prohibition of untouchables to educational institutions:
The untouchable children were prevented from going to schools. They did not have the right to enter the schools. The reason was that if they study with children of other high castes and come in contact with them, it would defile them. There were also no separate schools for them. The untouchables were forbidden to receive any education.