The MGR Govt, in TN is well known as a Brahmin stooge. The Chief Minister’s party legislators have been demanding that Dalit converts to other religion should be hanged in public, meaning that those who quit Hinduism ceased to be humans. The cry to punish the converts became loudest during the 1981 Meenakshi Puram mass conversion of Dalits to Islam. Now the TN Govt. has issued orders “that any person getting selected under the Scheduled Caste quota for public service, changes his religion any time after his entry into public service, he should have his selection cancelled”. (Indian Express, Oct. 18. This is a fit case for a writ before the Supreme Court.
Untouchability is widely practised. A mild and harmless law which was neither educative nor awarded deterrent punishment was enacted in 1955 under the title, ‘Untouchability Offences Act, 1955’ This was amended and passed as ‘Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1976’, providing for minimum punishment. Owing to the illiteracy of the Untouchables, very few cases are reported and a still less reach the law courts. Untouchability in worst form is practised in the Hindi region but the largest number of cases are registered in those States where the Untouchables are awakened and better organized. Of all the countries where untouchability is practised, India has. the best of laws and the most generous provision in its Constitution. Yet it is in India the largest number of atrocities are committed.
The British had introduced quota system with a view to giving share in administration to all religious groups and other minorities. Untouchables were, however, denied a share on the plea that there were no educated candidates available. Through the efforts of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar ‘reservation’ in services was introduced for Untouchables also in 1943 during the vice-royalty of Lord Linlithgow. Later on, provision was made in the Constitution for Untouchables and Tribes but the reservation for other minorities was abolished.
During the early years after “independence” there was little resistance because very few qualified people were available to fill up the reserved seats. Resistance was offered by non-implementation of Govt. orders or by declaring that suitable candidates were not available or if available, ‘not found suitable’ & also through courts of law by filing writ petitions. Since 1974 organized resistance is being offered by the upper caste employees who have been enjoying the monopoly of all Govt. jobs.
The private sector does not employ the Untouchables excepting in the lowly, low-paid and degrading posts. The table below gives some idea of the success on the part of the opponents of the “reservation” Discriminatory treatment is being meted out to the Untouchables even in recognizing their unions on the plea that ‘communal’ organisations of employees will not be “recognised” by the Govt. But Hindu employees’ unions opposed to reservation have the support and blessing of the Govt. as well as political parties Scheduled Castes’ (SC) is an artificially created minority under the Constitution. Names of such castes can be deleted or added by the President. Pressure is mounting now, through the Press to delete the names of the more awakened and better organised castes.
Majority of the Untouchables (about 76%) live in the 568,000 villages of India. In some places they are allotted Govt. land. Dr. Ambedkar had demanded nationalisation of land with ‘collectivisation’ or allotment on cooperative basis. But the Govt. favoured small holdings and peasant proprietors. Fragmentation of land is non-productive but the Untouchable farmers, who never owned land because of the laws prohibiting possession of land in some States, desire to own land. The land-holding dominant upper castes do everything possible to obstruct distribution of land. Even if land is allotted Hindu landlords do not allow the Untouchables to cultivate it. If Untouchables demand higher wages or even the minimum wages fixed by the Govt., Hindu landlords resort to murders, torture, arson, rape etc ., to terrorise the poor ignorant Untouchables.
Bonded Labour and Prostitution: Thousands of men and women are employed as bonded labourers and kept away from the cities, police etc. Hundreds of women are forced into prostitution by exploiting their ignorance, poverty and superstitious beliefs and sold into the brothels of Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Kanpur and Delhi.
