Problems and Prospects of Scheduled Castes
Definition:-the term Scheduled Caste is the
legal and administrative term used by the British Raj in 1935 to designate for
the purpose of special assistance. Those castes within the orbit of Hindu
religion whose low virtual status , poverty and lack of oppertunities resulted
in their social and civil disabilities.
After Independence
the term has been include in the Indian constitution in a specific manner. They
come from communities listed by the central government notification. The list
can be revised only by the presidential authority. Conceptually they are
‘Avarnas’ – literally without caste. They are considered ‘untouchables’. Their
disadvantageous position was due to social sanctions. Their jobs were unclean
but socially indispensable. Example:- dead body disposal (cremation).
Problems:-
a)Economical:-
these problems include landlessness, poverty
and unemployment. In the Pre-British village economy ‘Harijans’ were wholly
agricultural labourers, many of whom living in serf bondage. British and
attempts by the governments of free India has taken measures to pull
them up from their low status. Inspite of, these efforts the 6th 5
year Plan document accepted the fact that they are still below the poverty line.
b) Uneven educational attainment:-
Some S.C.’s & S.T.’s are educated and in an
economically better position from the majority of their counterparts. These so
called ‘elites’ include S.C. and S.T. members of the parliament and state
legislatures, doctors and government employees etc. these elite group has been
created due to faulty implementation of government plans/policies/programmes.
This group hindered
the broad based action for the grass root level development of their section
due to lack of tenacity in their fighting spirit.
c) Absence of grass root level leadership:-
Those who receive education leave their village
homes and migrate to the cities for employment. This leaves that S.C. or S.T.
village with the absence of ‘leaders’ to guide them to economic freedom by the
virtue of personal experience.
d) Dominance, violence and suppression y the
higher castes:-
Administrative and legal machinery is rendered
ineffective by the higher castes due to fear of loss of their own personal
privileges and power.However,this scenario is true for remote villages and not
for the megacities and even for the big towns and is totally absent in West
Bengal. They appoint armed gangs to suppress ‘Dalits’, ‘Harijans’ etc.
Eg:-‘Ranvir Sena’ appointed by the ‘thakur’ clas (landlord class) in Bihar, Jharkhand etc.
Police department comprising of the upper castes fail to provide the
security. Eg:-When a Harijan occupied a chair in front of the O.C. Mr. Giri of Kolubothan P.S., Dhanbad, now in
Jharkhand became so infuriated that he forced the harijan to drink the urine
of one guard.(Report:- the statesman, 22
July,1995).
d)Channels of mobility to the upper caste in
the traditional status system is narrow:-
Advancement into upper strata of the society
through politics is bleak for the majority. It’s the opportunity that the few
can avail. Otherwise, rise in social status other than by economic means is
virtually impossible. (However, in big cities there are
several instance of changing the caste or even the religion to avail the
facilities in government jobs etc has attracted many families to change their
caste even their religion to get the lower caste tag or the minority religion
tag with the aforesaid intention by an affidavit in the court of law).
e) Lack of proper political platform:-
Republican party of India (a scheduled caste political
outfit merged with the Congress party.
In the early 1970’s Dalit Panthers (a militant scheduled caste party) also
merged with the Congress party. May 1981, ‘Dalit Sangharsh Samiti’ failed to
protect the scheduled castes of the Karnataka against upper caste atrocities.
Power,
lust and opportunism of the S.C. and S.T. political leads failed to give S.C.’s
a political platform. However, limited political impact were made in areas
where there are a lot of S.C.’s . Eg:- Uttar Pradesh.
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