What are the problems faced by untouchables in the society?
Answers
Answer:
- Prohibition from eating with other members
- Provision of separate cups in village tea stalls
- Separate seating arrangements and utensils in restaurants
- Segregation in seating and food arrangements at village functions and festivals
- Prohibition from entering places of public worship
- Prohibition from wearing sandals or holding umbrellas in front of higher caste members
- Prohibition from entering other caste homes
- Prohibition from using common village paths
- Separate burial/cremation grounds
- Prohibition from accessing common/public properties and resources (wells, ponds, temples, etc.)
- Segregation (separate seating area) of children in schools
Answer:
untouchables were subjected to all forms of discrimination, they hardly enjoyed any privileges. The nature, content and incidence of maltreatment of untouchables might have varied in time and space.
However, some of the most pronounced and common features of this barbaric practice are as follows:
1. Social Disabilities:
From the social point of view, the untouchables suffered from the following disabilities.
(i) Lowest Social Status:
Since social status was fixed for different castes, the untouchables were placed at the lowest position in the caste hierarchy and they enjoyed lowest status in the society. Their social status was just like a golden zero. Moreover, they were considered as the symbol of pollution by the higher caste people. Consequently, the untouchables were deprived of all kinds of commensal contacts.
(ii) Educational Disabilities:
Traditionally, the untouchables were forbidden from receiving education. They were ‘not entitled to acquire the knowledge of the Vedas. Even, they were not permitted to touch the religious test. The untouchables were not allowed to get education from the public institutions. Only recently they have been given educational facilities.
(iii) Disabilities relating to Social Habits:
Till recently, the untouchables faced several problems with regard to social habits like food, drink and social intercourse. They were not permitted to take food or drink from the house’ of higher caste people. They ate only ‘Kachha’ foods. They also faced the same problem as regards social intercourse.
(iv) Prohibition in the use of Public Places:
In the past, the untouchables were not allowed to use village wells, ponds, public hospitals, roads and so on. They were not permitted to live in those places where the higher caste people resided. The untouchables were forced to live in the worst type of village slums. Moreover, they were leading a life just like the domestic animals.
2. Economic Disabilities:
Economically the position of the untouchables was very pitiable. They were ‘deprived of all kinds of economic privileges in the society. Following are the main economic disabilities of the untouchables.
(i) No Right to Property:
Traditionally, the untouchables were not allowed to have any land or property of their own. They were prevented from entering into various type of enterprises They were not permitted to acquire wealth or to buy land in the village. Even the untouchables had no right to sell their landed property to anyone. Moreover, they were deprived of all sorts of right to property.
(ii) No Right to choose Occupation:
In the past, the untouchables were not allowed to engage themselves in occupations which were reserved for the members of higher castes they were compelled to stick to their traditional occupations. They were large were engaged in agricultural and other associated works as wage-earners. The untouchables were traditionally associated with lower occupations like scavenging leather works, basket making and so on. From generation to generation, hey lived with half belly with no hope of getting some testy food. Even now their position is not very much different from what it had been in the past. Most of them are still below the poverty-line.
(iii) Landless Labourers:
The untouchables were traditionally known as landless because they had no land in the village. Before the abolition of Zamindar, system their primary’ duty was to work for a landlord without any remuneration. Thus their position was just like a slave and in certain circumstances worst than lave in this context, Gandhiji has said that “The untouchables performed the most essential services of society, yet at the same time they were the lowest paid ones, Only such amount of wages is given to them that is necessary to unite their crushed souls and their physical frames’.
3. Religious Disabilities:
Though, the untouchables are known as the Hindus by religion, yet they were not permitted to enter into the Hindu temples or shrines or other places of worship. They were not allowed to study religious books. They were also deprived of becoming the jajman of Brahmin priests. For example, a Brahmin never performed the religious ceremony of an untouchable. They were also deprived of services provided by Barbers, Washermen etc. Only recently, efforts have been made by the Government for removing these religious, disabilities by legislations.
4. political disabilities:
In the past, the untouchables were also deprived of all kinds of political privileges. They were not allowed to participate in politics, and administration. They were also not permitted to hold any public post. Only during the British rule, they for the first time, got the right to vote. But, now-a-days, they enjoy political rights. But it is doubtful, whether they can properly utilise this political right without their economic development.
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