hidden apartheid: an evaluation of depressed classes in social ...

International Referred Research Journal, October,2010.ISSN- 0974-2832VoL.II *ISSUE-21
Research Paper—History
Introduction
The Indian societal stratification explains
the social restrictions in which social modules are
defined by thousands of endogamous hereditary
groups that is often termed as jatis or castes. Within a
jati, there subsist exogamous groups known as gotras
which explains the ancestry of an individual. There is
no universally accepted speculation about the
derivation of the Indian social ladder. The Indian classes
are analogous to the ancient Iranian classes
(pistras), wherein the priests are Brahmins, the warriors
are Kshatriya, the merchants are Vastriya, and the
artisans are Huiti. According to the ancient Hindu
scriptures, there are four “varnas”. The Bhagavad
Gita opines that varnas are determined
by Guna (positive behavioral patterns) and Karma (true
efforts). Manusmriti and a few other scriptures cite four
varnas viz. the Brahmins (intellectuals), the Kshatriyas
(battle riders), the Vaishyas (traders) and Shudras
(service providers). This theoretical scheme postulated
Varna categories as ideals and explained the authenticity
of thousands of endogamous Jatis widespreaded in the
countryside. All those including foreigners, tribals and
nomads, who did not subscribe to the norms of the Hindu
culture were attributed as contagious and untouchables.
Methodology
The study has been illuminated through literary sources
of colonial era. The demographic datas of the census of
1891 explains major caste groups which are further
classified in clans or jatis. Ameliorative measures done
in pre independence era are based on literary sources
while post independential reformative measures have
been traced from the Constitution of India, census of
2001 and reports furnished by ST & SC Commission.
46
HIDDENAPARTHEID: AN EVALUATION OF
DEPRESSED CLASSES IN SOCIAL
CONFIGURATION
* Dr. Hareet kumar meena
* H.O.D, Dept. of History Jaimenash College Jamuaramgarh, Jaipur
A B S T R A C T
October, 2010
The rationale of this research paper is to emphasize various rudiments that potray the ideas and ideology of discrimination
or social inequality in Indian societal milieu. Precisely, inequality is of two types: first one is natural (physical
misalignment) and the later one is engraved by society, which in historical epochs has been termed as “Untouchables”
or “Depressed classes”. The paper highlights the conceptuality, instigation and expansion of social segregation since
Vedic cultural phase (Varna system) upto the cataloging of Harijans, a more moderate design coined by Mahatma Gandhi.
Origination and Humiliation of Depressed Classes
The utterance of Depressed Classes belongs to Marathi
tongue that means suppressed, crushed, or broken into
pieces. It was earliest used by Jyotirao Phule in the
nineteenth century, in the context of the oppression
faced by the lowest social strata. According to Victor
Premasagar, the term expresses “weakness, poverty
and humiliation at the hands of the upper castes in the
Indian society.” Mohandas Gandhi coined the
word Harijan, translated roughly as “Children of God”,
to recognize the Depressed Classes. In the locale of
traditional Hindu society, the status of Depressed
Classes has frequently been historically associated
with occupations regarded as ritually impure viz.
leatherwork, butchering, or removal of rubbish and
animal carcasses. Engaging in these activities was
measured to be polluting to the individual and this
pollution was considered contagious. As a result,
Depressed Classes were generally segregated and
banned from full participation in Hindu social life. For
example, they could not enter a temple nor a school, and
were required to stay outside the village. In 18th century,
the castes did not represent a rigid description of the
occupation or the social status of a group. Since British
culture was alienated by class, therefore they attempted
to equate the Indian social arrangement to their own
social class design.In 19th & 20th century the Harijans,
or the populace outside the social structure, had the
lowest social grade. The Harijans, earlier referred to as
untouchables worked in unhealthy, unpleasant or
polluting jobs. They suffered from social segregation
and restrictions, in addition to extreme poverty. They
were not allowed temple worship nor water from the
same sources. Persons of higher castes would not
interact with them. If somehow a member of a higher
caste came into physical or social contact with an
' k k s / k l e h { k k v k S j e wY ; k a d u

International Referred Research Journal, October,2010. ISSN- 0974-2832VoL.II *ISSUE-21
untouchable, the member of the higher caste was defiled, Hinduism. The first temple to welcome Depressed
and had to bathe thoroughly to purge him or herself of Classes was the LaxminarayanTemple in Wardha in the
the impurity. Social discrimination developed even year 1928.The budge was spearheaded by Jamnalal
among the Harijans. Sub-castes among Harijans, Bajaj. Another example was the Temple Entry
like dhobi (waserman), nai (barber) etc. would not Proclamation issued by the last Maharaja of
interact with lower-order Bhangis, who were described Travancore in the Indian state of Kerala in the year
S.No Caste Group Example Population
1. Cultivators Maurya, Kurmi, Mali, Lodha, Kushwaha 20%
2. Village Menials Chamar, Dosadh, Dom 13%
3. Military Jat, Rajput, Nairs, Maratha 12%
4. Artisans Lohar, Sunar, Julaha 12%
5. Pastoral Ahir, Gaderia, Dhangar 7%
6. Forest tribes Santhal, Gond, Bhil 7%
7. Professionals Namboothiri, Brahmbhatt, Kayasth 6%
8. Services Nai, Dhobi, Kandoi 6%
9. Merchants Agrawal, Khatri, Balija, Barnwal 5%
10. Laborers Musahar, Bagdi, Bawari 3%
11. Fishers Kahar, Mallah 3%
12. Other professionals Vaidya, Mirasi, Bhand 2%
13. Vagrants Waddar, Nat, Beldar 1%
as “outcasts even among outcastes”.
Reformation of Depressed Classes in Pre-
Independence era
Gautama Buddha and Mahaveer Swami, the founders
of Buddhism and Jainism respectively, were perhaps the
initial opponents of any sort of caste configuration.
Some other movements in Hinduism have also welcomed
lower-castes into their fold, the earliest being the Bhakti
movements of the medieval period. Many bhakti saints
such as Kabir, Nanak and Caitanya rejected all castebased
discrimination and accepted disciples from all
the castes. Nandanar, a low-caste Hindu cleric, also
rejected casteism and accepted Depressed Classes.In
19th Century, the Brahmo Samaj under Raja Ram Mohan
Roy, enthusiastically campaigned against
untouchability and Casteism. The Arya Samaj founded
by Swami Dayanand renounced discrimination against
DepressedClasses.Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and
his utmost partisan Swami Vivekananda founded
the Ramakrishna Mission that participated in the
emancipation of Depressed Classes.Upper caste
Hindus,such as Mannathu Padmanabhan participated
in movements to abolish Untouchability
through opening his temple for Depressed Classes for
worship. Narayana Guru, a pious Hindu and an authority
on the Vedas, criticized casteism and campaigned for
the rights of lower-caste Hindus within the context of
R E F E R E N C E
1936. The Maharaja proclaimed that
“outcastes should not be denied the
consolations and the solace of
the Hindu faith”.B. R. Ambedkar,
born in Hindu Depressed Class
community, was a weighty censor of
casteism. He pioneered the Neo-
Buddhist lobby in India, and asked
his followers to leave distorted
Hinduism. Jawaharlal Nehru also
spread information about the dire
need to eradicate untouchability for
overall social advancement that will ultimately escort to
National development. Ameliorative measures in
Post-Independence era
Until the mid-1970s, the politics of independent India
was principally dominated by economic issues and
questions of corruption. In 1980, the commission’s
testimony affirmed the practice under Indian law
whereby members of lower castes were given exclusive
admission to a certain portion of government jobs.In
1989,when V.P. Singh Government tried toexecute the
recommendations of Mandal Commission enormous
protests were held in the country. Many alleged that the
politicians were trying to encash caste-based
reservations for solely pragmatic electoral purposes.
Although Indian constitution sought to abolish cast
discrimination and the practice of untouchability, the caste
system remains severely deep-rooted in Hindu culture
and is still widespread, especially in rural depots.
Suggestions
Historically, the Depressed classes limited themselves
in isolated areas, therefore for their climb they need a
psychological environment for full social mingling.
Constitutional bodies guard their interest but there is
a greater need to change the social outlook. Moreover,
the individuals related to this social stratification have
to prove themselves on political and economic fronts.
1. Govind Sadashiv Ghurye (1980), The Scheduled Tribes of India, Transaction Publishers. 2. New Book: Anthropology of
Primitive Tribes in India. 3.Edwin Bryant and Laurie L. Patton (2005), The Indo-Aryan Controversy, Routledge. 4. Ludwig
Gumplowicz and Irving Louis Horowitz (1980), Outlines of Sociology, Transaction Publishers.5. Spencer Wells (2002), The
Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey, Princeton University Press.6. Mohandas.K. Gandhi (1968), The Selected Works of
Mahatma Gandhi , Navjivan Publishing House. 7. Lok Sabha Debates ser.10 Jun 41-42 1995 v.42 no.41-42, Lok Sabha Secretariat,
Parliament of India.
S H O D H S A M I K S H A A U R M U L Y A N K A N 47