102-582: Jatav , also known as Jatava / Jatan / Jatua / Jhusia / Jatia / Jatiya , is an Indian Dalit community that are considered to be a subcaste of the Chamar caste, who are classified as a Scheduled Caste under modern India's system of positive discrimination . According to the 2011 Census of India , the Jatav community of Uttar Pradesh comprised 54% of that state's total 22,496,047 Scheduled Caste population. Some Jatav authors have disputed being Scheduled. In
204-542: A temple car procession at a village in Tamil Nadu. In August 2015, it was claimed that a Jat Khap Panchayat ordered the rape of two Dalit sisters because their brother eloped with a married Jat girl of the same village. In 2003, the higher caste Muslims in Bihar opposed the burials of lower caste Muslims in the same graveyard. A Dalit activist was killed in 2020 for social media posts criticising Brahmins. A Dalit
306-645: A 2014 report to the Ministry of Minority Affairs , 33.8 percent of Scheduled Caste (SC) populations in rural India were living below the poverty line in 2011–12. In urban areas, 21.8 percent of SC populations were below the poverty line. A 2012 survey by Mangalore University in Karnataka found that 93 percent of Dalit families in the state of Karnataka live below the poverty line. Some Dalits have achieved affluence, although most remain poor. Some Dalit intellectuals, such as Chandra Bhan Prasad , have argued that
408-512: A 45-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly stripped naked and forced to drink urine by perpetrators in Madhya Pradesh. In some villages of India, there have been allegations that Dalit grooms riding horses for wedding ceremonies have been beaten up and ostracised by upper caste people. In August 2015, upper caste people burned houses and vehicles belonging to Dalit families and slaughtered their livestock in reaction to Dalits daring to hold
510-576: A change in the style of life and a rise in the Indian social system, now composed of both caste and class elements. Most of the Jatavs belongs to the Hindu Religion. Some Jatavs also became Buddhists in 1956, after B. R. Ambedkar converted him to Buddhism. On September 5, 1990, around a thousand members of the Jatav community from village Jaunpur near Agra converted to Sikhism in
612-553: A dispute of allocation of land, is an example of atrocities against Dalit girls and women. In August 2015, due to continued alleged discrimination from upper castes of the village, about 100 Dalit inhabitants converted to Islam in a ceremony at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi . Inter-caste marriage has been proposed as a remedy, but according to a 2014 survey of 42,000 households by the New Delhi-based National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) and
714-764: A greater Hindu nation rather than as in an independent community like Muslims. In addition, many Dalits found, and still find, the term patronizing and derogatory, with some even claiming that the term really refers to children of devadasis . When untouchability was outlawed after Indian independence, the use of the word Harijan to describe ex-untouchables became more common among other castes than within Dalits themselves. In Southern India, Dalits are sometimes known as Adi Dravida , Adi Karnataka , and Adi Andhra , which literally mean First Dravidians, Kannadigas, and Andhras, respectively. These terms were first used in 1917 by Southern Dalit leaders, who believed that they were
816-593: A high number of sexual assaults against Dalit women, which were often committed by landlords, upper-caste villagers, and policemen, according to a study published in 2001. According to the research, only about 5% of assaults are recorded, and police dismiss at least 30% of rape reports as false. The study also discovered that police often seek bribes, threaten witnesses, and conceal evidence. Victims of rape have also been killed. There have been some reports of Dalits being forced to eat human faeces and drink urine by upper caste members in some villages In September 2015,
918-571: A literate cadre of leaders, and they tried to change their position in the caste system through the emulation of upper-caste behavior. As a part of this process, they also claimed not to be Chamars and petitioned the government of the British Raj to be officially classified differently: disassociating themselves from the Chamar community would they felt, enhance their acceptance as Kshatriya. These claims were not accepted by other castes and, although
1020-518: A living by manual casual labour, the figure is 30 per cent for Adivasis. In the past, they were believed to be so impure that upper-caste Hindus considered their presence to be polluting. The "impure status" was related to their historic hereditary occupations that caste Hindus considered to be "polluting" or debased, such as working with leather , disposing of dead animals, manual scavenging , or sanitation work , which in much of India means collection & disposal of faeces from latrines. Forced by
1122-608: A long way towards ending untouchability there. However, educational opportunities for Dalits in Kerala remain limited. Other Hindu groups attempted to reconcile with the Dalit community. Hindu temples are increasingly receptive to Dalit priests, a function formerly reserved for Brahmins. Brahmins such as Subramania Bharati passed Brahminhood onto a Dalit , while in Shivaji's Maratha Empire Dalit warriors joined his forces. However, in
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#17327823744891224-594: A mystical state where there is a union of the truths of the many and the one. Raidas says, what shall I sing? Singing, singing I am defeated. How long shall I consider and proclaim: absorb the self into the Self? This experience is such, that it defies all description. I have met the Lord, Who can cause me harm? Hari in everything, everything in Hari – For him who knows Hari and
1326-537: A parallel between the apartheid system and untouchability. Eleanor Zelliot also notes Singh's 2006 comment but says that, despite the obvious similarities, race prejudice and the situation of Dalits "have a different basis and perhaps a different solution". Though the Indian Constitution abolished untouchability, the oppressed status of Dalits remains a reality. In rural India, stated Klaus Klostermaier in 2010, "they still live in secluded quarters, do
1428-548: A powerful effort (Lynch 1969) could result in nothing but the result in other fields were rewarding and exemplary. Jatav elites using cultural sentiments and striking the chord of psyche succeeded in pursuing several strategies in getting political successes. In the early part of the 20th century, the Jatavs attempted the process of sanskritisation , claiming themselves to be historical of the Kshatriya varna . They gained political expertise by forming associations and by developing
1530-567: A protest against the upper caste people who halted the marriage procession taken out by Jatav Chamar Community. Along with the mainstream religious identity, the Jatav community follows Guru Ravidas as well and gathered in tens of thousands as protestors in Delhi against the demolition of Ravidas Temple . Jatavs are often combined with Chamar , Ahirwar , Ravidassia and other subcastes and are given Scheduled Caste in major North Indian states under India's positive reservation system . As of
1632-427: A struggle within the Indian society, where Ravidas' life gives the means to express a variety of social and spiritual themes. At one level, it depicts a struggle between the then prevalent heterodox communities and the orthodox Brahminical tradition. At another level, the legends are an inter-communal, inter-religious struggle with an underlying search and desire for social unity. At yet another level, states Friedlander,
1734-597: A temple in Karnataka. There have been allegations that Dalits in Nepal are denied entry to Hindu temples. In at least one case, Dalits were reportedly beaten by upper-caste people while attempting to enter a local temple. In 1956, the Dalit jurist Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891–1956) launched the Dalit Buddhist movement , leading several mass conversions of Dalits from Hinduism to Buddhism. Ambedkar's Buddhism
1836-461: Is "unconstitutional" for official documents to do so. In 2004, the NCSC noted that some state governments used Dalits rather than Scheduled Castes in documentation and asked them to desist. Some sources say that Dalit encompasses a broader range of communities than the official Scheduled Caste definition. It can include nomadic tribes and another official classification that also originated with
1938-545: Is a new kind of Buddhism that focuses on social and political engagement . About half a million Dalits joined Ambedkar in rejecting Hinduism and challenging its caste system. The movement is centered in Maharashtra , and according to the 2011 census, there were 6.5 million Marathi Buddhists (mainly Dalit Buddhists) in Maharashtra. Another Dalit Buddhist leader and reformer was Pandit Iyothee Thass , founder of
2040-419: Is a self-applied concept for those called the "untouchables" and others that were outside of the traditional Hindu caste hierarchy. Economist and reformer B. R. Ambedkar (1891–1956) said that untouchability came into Indian society around 400 CE, due to the struggle for supremacy between Buddhism and Brahmanism . Some Hindu priests befriended untouchables and were demoted to low-caste ranks. Eknath , who
2142-513: Is a spin-off religion from Sikhism, formed in the 21st century, by the followers of Ravidas's teachings. It was formed following a 2009 attack on a Ravidassia temple in Vienna by Sikh militants leading to the death of deputy head Ramanand Dass and 16 others injured, where after the movement declared itself to be a religion fully separated from Sikhism. The Ravidassia religion compiled a new holy book, Amritbani Guru Ravidass Ji . Based entirely on
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#17327823744892244-541: Is a term used for untouchables and outcasts , who represented the lowest stratum of the castes in the Indian subcontinent . They are also called Harijans . Dalits were excluded from the fourfold varna of the caste hierarchy and were seen as forming a fifth varna, also known by the name of Panchama . Several scholars have drawn parallels between Dalits and the Burakumin of Japan, the Baekjeong of Korea and
2346-535: Is diminishing. India is home to over 200 million Dalits. According to Paul Diwakar , a Dalit activist from the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights , "India has 600,000 villages and almost every village a small pocket on the outskirts is meant for Dalits." Discrimination against Dalits has been observed across South Asia and among the South Asian diaspora. In 2001, the quality of life of
2448-549: Is generally considered to be the pioneer of the Dalit movement, seeking a society in which they were not discriminated against. Another pioneer was Harichand Thakur (c. 1812–1878) with his Matua organisation that involved the Namasudra ( Chandala ) community in the Bengal Presidency . Ambedkar himself believed Walangkar to be the progenitor. Another early social reformer who worked to improve conditions for Dalits
2550-458: Is highest in Maharashtra (50 percent), Karnataka (36.4 percent) and Madhya Pradesh (36 percent). Dalits have been arrested on false pretexts. According to Human Rights Watch, politically motivated arrests of Dalit rights activists occur and those arrested can be detained for six months without charge. Caste-related violence between Dalit and non-Dalits stems from ongoing prejudice by upper caste members. The Bhagana rape case, which arose out of
2652-466: Is most commonly practised in Madhya Pradesh (53 per cent), followed by Himachal Pradesh (50 per cent), Chhattisgarh (48 per cent), Rajasthan and Bihar (47 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (43 per cent), and Uttarakhand (40 per cent). Examples of segregation have included the Madhya Pradesh village of Ghatwani , where the Scheduled Tribe population of Bhilala do not allow Dalit villagers to use
2754-413: Is victorious because of divine intervention with miracles such as making a stone float in water, or making river Ganges to reverse course and flow upstream. David Lorenzen similarly states that poetry attributed to Ravidas, and championed by Ravidasi from the 17th- through the 20th-century, have a strong anti-Brahminical and anti-communal theme. The legends, suggests Lorenzen, cannot be separated from
2856-597: The Adi Granth . These poems are one of the oldest attested source of his ideas and literary works. Another substantial source of legends and stories about the life of Ravidas is the hagiography in the Sikh tradition, the Premambodha . This text, composed over 170 years after Ravidas' death, in 1693, includes him as one of the seventeen saints of Indian religious tradition. The 17th-century Nabhadas's Bhaktamal , and
2958-665: The British Raj positive discrimination efforts in 1935, being the Scheduled Tribes . It is also sometimes used to refer to the entirety of India's oppressed peoples, which is the context that applies to its use in Nepalese society. An example of the limitations of the Scheduled Caste category is that, under Indian law, such people can only be followers of Buddhism, Hinduism or Sikhism, yet there are communities who claim to be Dalit Christians and Muslims, and
3060-632: The Dadu Panthi tradition within Hinduism also includes numerous poems of Ravidas. He is also the central figure within the Ravidassia religious movement . The details of Ravidas's life are not well known. Some scholars state he was born in 1377 CE and died in 1528 CE in Banaras at the age of 151 years. Others, such as Amaresh Datta , claim he was born in 1267 and died in 1335. Ravidas
3162-567: The Himalayas . He abandoned saguna (with attributes, image) forms of supreme beings, and focused on the nirguna (without attributes, abstract) form of supreme beings. As his poetic hymns in regional languages inspired others, people from various background sought his teachings and guidance. Most scholars believe that Ravidas met Guru Nanak , the founder of Sikhism . He is revered in the Sikh scripture, and 41 of Ravidas' poems are included in
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3264-603: The Legislative Council . Under the leadership of Jatav Mahasabha in the 1931 census, he took an aggressive stand for his demand to include Jatavs in the Kshatriya class and to rename them as 'Jatav' from Chanwar Chamar. They were successful and in the new census of India the Tanners were called 'Jatav'. Earlier pressing for the Kshatriya status, the new issues emerged among Jatavs in 1944–45. The Jatavs formed
3366-712: The Nirguna philosophy within the Bhakti movement. Multiple manuscripts found in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh , dated to be from the 18th and 19th centuries, contain a debate between Kabir and Ravidas on the nature of the Absolute, more specifically whether the Brahman (Ultimate Reality, Eternal Truth) is monistic Oneness or a separate anthropomorphic incarnate. Kabir argues for the former. Ravidas, in contrast, argues from
3468-644: The Parcais of Anantadas, both contain chapters on Ravidas. Other than these, the scriptures and texts of Sikh tradition and the Hindu Dadupanthi traditions, most other written sources about the life of Ravidas, including by the Ravidasi (followers of Ravidas), were composed in the early 20th century, or about 400 years after his death. This text, called the Parcaīs (or Parchais ), included Ravidas among
3570-607: The Parliament of India passed the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act to address issues regarding the implementation of the POA, including instances where the police put procedural obstacles in the way of alleged victims or indeed outright colluded with the accused. It also extended the number of acts that were deemed to be atrocities. One of those remedies, in an attempt to address
3672-671: The Ramakrishna Mission actively participated in the rights of Dalits. While Dalits had places to worship, the first upper-caste temple to openly welcome Dalits was the Laxminarayan Temple in Wardha in 1928. It was followed by the Temple Entry Proclamation issued by the last King of Travancore in the Indian state of Kerala in 1936. In the 1930s, Gandhi and Ambedkar disagreed regarding
3774-572: The Scheduled Caste Federation of Agra having ties with the Ambedkar -led All India Scheduled Caste Federation . They started recognizing themselves as Scheduled Caste and hence "Dalit". This acceptance is attributed to the protections available to the scheduled castes. According to Owen Lynch : The change is due to the fact that Sanskritisation is no longer as effective a means as is political participation for achieving
3876-509: The University of Maryland , it was estimated that only 5 per cent of Indian marriages cross caste boundaries. The latest data available from India's National Crime Records Bureau is from the year 2000. In that year a total of 25,455 crimes against Dalits were committed; 2 Dalits were assaulted every hour, and in each day 3 Dalit women were raped, 2 Dalits were murdered, and 2 Dalit homes were set on fire. Amnesty International documented
3978-509: The Vedas and the Puranas , but doubt still persists. Skepticism continually dwells in the heart, so who can eradicate egotistical pride ? Outwardly, he washes with water, but deep within, his heart is tarnished by all sorts of vices. So how can he become pure? His method of purification is like that of an elephant, covering himself with dust right after his bath! His spiritual teacher Ramananda
4080-552: The peasant class of the medieval European feudal system . Dalits predominantly follow Hinduism with significant populations following Buddhism , Sikhism , Christianity , and Islam . The constitution of India includes Dalits as one of the Scheduled Castes ; this gives Dalits the right to protection, positive discrimination (known as reservation in India ), and official development resources. The term Dalit
4182-476: The sants whose biography and poems were included. Over time new manuscripts of Parcais of Anantadas were reproduced, some in different local languages of India. Winnand Callewaert notes that some 30 manuscripts of Anantadas's hagiography on Ravidas have been found in different parts of India. Of these four manuscripts are complete, collated and have been dated to 1662, 1665, 1676 and 1687. The first three are close with some morphological variants without affecting
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4284-457: The 1920s, Jatavs claimed to be survivors of the ancient war between Parashuram , the legend of the Brahmins , and Kshatriyas , forced into hiding. Their proof of ancestry is a series of correspondences or status similarities between Jatav and other Kshatriya clans. According to Owen Lynch, "These included identical gotras , and such Kshatriya-like ceremonies as shooting a cannon at weddings and
4386-650: The 19th century, Dalits in the Mahar Regiment of British Bombay , defeated the oppressive rule of the Peshvas . The fight for temple entry rights for Dalits continues to cause controversy. In a 2015 incident in Meerut , a Dalit belonging to the Valmiki caste was denied entry to a Hindu temple; he went on to convert to Islam . In September 2015, four Dalit women were fined by the upper-caste Hindus for entering
4488-461: The 2011 Census, there were 22,496,047 Jatav/Chamars in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, of whom 22,371,352 declared themselves as Hindu, 113,765 declared themselves as Buddhist, and 10,930 declared themselves as Sikh. According to this census, Jatavs make 11.25% of the State's population. Dalit Dalit ( English: / ˈ d æ l ɪ t / from Sanskrit : दलित meaning "broken/scattered")
4590-610: The 20th-century texts by Dalits provide another. According to Bhaktamal text, Ravidas was of pure speech, capable of resolving spiritual doubts of those who held discussions with him, was unafraid to state his humble origins and real caste. Further, the Bhaktamal text states that Ravidas' teachings agreed with Vedic and ancient scriptures, he subscribed to nondualism , discussed spiritual ideas and philosophy with everyone including Brahmins without gender or caste discrimination, and his abilities reflected an individual who had reached
4692-421: The 6–59 months age group were anaemic in 2015. Dalits comprise a slightly disproportionate number of India's prison inmates. While Dalits (including both SCs and STs) constitute 25 percent of the Indian population, they account for 33.2 percent of prisoners. About 24.5 percent of death row inmates in India are from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes which is proportionate to their population. The percentage
4794-546: The Constitution which outlawed Untouchability. After India's independence in 1947, secular nationalism based on a "composite culture" made all people equal citizens. Most Dalits in India are Hindu. There have been incidents which showed that Dalits were restricted from entering temples by high-caste Hindus, and participation in religious processions . In the 19th century, the Brahmo Samaj , Arya Samaj and
4896-478: The Dalit community have believed Ravidas was an idol worshipper (saguni bhakti saint) while other 20th century texts assert that Ravidas rejected idolatry. For example, the following hymn of Ravidas, present in Guru Granth Sahib, support such claims where he rejects Vedas and the belief that taking a ritualistic bath can make someone pure. One may distinguish between good and evil actions, and listen to
4998-480: The Dalit population in India was worse than that of the overall Indian population on metrics such as access to health care, life expectancy, education attainability, access to drinking water and housing. According to a 2007 report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), the treatment of Dalits has been like a "hidden apartheid" and that they "endure segregation in housing, schools, and access to public services". HRW noted that Manmohan Singh , then Prime Minister of India , saw
5100-522: The Government of India issued an advisory to all media channels in September 2018, asking them to use "Scheduled Castes" instead of the word "Dalit". Scheduled Caste communities exist across India and comprised 16.6% of the country's population, according to the 2011 Census of India. Uttar Pradesh (21%), West Bengal (11%), Bihar (8%) and Tamil Nadu (7%) between them accounted for almost half
5202-561: The Hindu warrior-ascetic group Dadupanthi are the two oldest attested sources of the literary works of Ravidas. In the Adi Granth, forty one of Ravidas's poems are included, and he is one of thirty six contributors to this foremost canonical scripture of Sikhism. This compilation of poetry in Adi Granth responds to, among other things, issues of dealing with conflict and tyranny, war and resolution, and willingness to dedicate one's life to
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#17327823744895304-609: The Sakya Buddhist Society of Tamil Nadu . The Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Act, 1990 granted reservation to Dalit Buddhists and recognized their SC status. Guru Nanak in Guru Granth Sahib calls for everyone to treat each other equally. Subsequent Sikh Gurus , all of whom came from the Khatri caste, also denounced the hierarchy of the caste system. Despite this, social stratification exists in
5406-771: The Sikh community. The bulk of the Sikhs of Punjab belong to the Jat caste; there are also two Dalit Sikh castes in the state, called the Mazhabis and the Ramdasias . Guru Ravidas Ravidas or Raidas (1267–1335 ) was an Indian mystic poet-saint of the Bhakti movement during the 15th to 16th century CE. Venerated as a guru (spiritual teacher) in the modern regions of Uttar Pradesh , Bihar , Rajasthan , Gujarat , Maharashtra , Madhya Pradesh , Punjab , and Haryana , he
5508-857: The birth of Ravidas. Medieval era texts, such as the Bhaktamal suggest that Ravidas was the disciple of the Brahmin bhakti -poet Ramananda . He is traditionally considered as Kabir 's younger contemporary. However, the medieval text Ratnavali says Ravidas gained his spiritual knowledge from Ramananda and was a follower of the Ramanandi Sampradaya tradition. His ideas and fame grew over his lifetime, and texts suggest Brahmins used to bow before him. He travelled extensively, visiting Hindu pilgrimage sites in Andhra Pradesh , Maharashtra , Gujarat , Rajasthan , and those in
5610-403: The cases filed under this Act are as neglected as the victims". While Dalit rights organisations were cautiously optimistic that the amended Act would improve the situation, legal experts were pessimistic. Discrimination is illegal under Indian law by the Removal of Civil Disabilities Act (Act 21 of 1938), the Temple Entry Authorization and Indemnity Act 1939 (Act XXII of 1939) and Article 17 of
5712-918: The circumstances of their birth and poverty, Dalits in India continue to work as sanitation workers: manual scavengers, cleaners of drains and sewers, garbage collectors, and sweepers of roads. As of 2019, an estimated 40 to 60 percent of the 6 million Dalit households are engaged in sanitation work. The most common Dalit caste performing sanitation work is Valmiki (also Balmiki) caste. Discrimination against Dalits exists in access to healthcare and nutrition. A sample survey of Dalits, conducted over several months in Madhya Pradesh and funded by ActionAid in 2014, found that health field workers did not visit 65 per cent of Dalit settlements. 47 per cent of Dalits were not allowed entry into ration shops, and 64 per cent were given fewer grains than non-Dalits. In Haryana state, 49 per cent of Dalit children under five years were underweight and malnourished while 80 percent of those in
5814-407: The cleaner critical version of Anantadas's parcais suggests that there is more in common in the ideas of bhakti movement's Ravidas, Kabir and Sen than previously thought. Khare similarly has questioned the textual sources on Ravidas, and mentions there are few "readily available and reliable textual sources on the Hindu and Untouchable treatment of Ravidas." The Adi Granth and the Panchvani of
5916-439: The country's total Scheduled Caste population. They were most prevalent as a proportion of the states' population in Punjab, at about 32 per cent, while Mizoram had the lowest at approximately zero. Similar groups are found throughout the rest of the Indian subcontinent; less than 2 per cent of Pakistan's population are Hindu and 70–75 per cent of those Hindus are Dalits, in Nepal, Bangladesh had 5 million Dalits in 2010 with
6018-407: The declaration that there is no Guru after Guru Granth Sahib. We respect Guru Granth Sahib because it has our guru Ji's teachings and teachings of other religious figures who have spoken against caste system, spread the message of NAAM and equality. As per our traditions, we give utmost respect to contemporary gurus also who are carrying forward the message of Guru Ravidass Ji. The Ravidassia religion
6120-558: The demeaning Dalit masses. James Lochtefeld, a professor of religion and Asian studies, said in 2002 that the "adoption and popularization of [the term Dalit ] reflects their growing awareness of the situation, and their greater assertiveness in demanding their legal and constitutional rights". India's National Commission for Scheduled Castes considers official use of dalit as a label to be "unconstitutional" because modern legislation prefers Scheduled Castes ; however, some sources say that Dalit has encompassed more communities than
6222-484: The dirtiest work, and are not allowed to use the village well and other common facilities". In the same year, Zelliot noted that "In spite of much progress over the last sixty years, Dalits are still at the social and economic bottom of society." According to the 2014 NCAER/University of Maryland survey, 27 per cent of the Indian population still practices untouchability; the figure may be higher because many people refuse to acknowledge doing so when questioned, although
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#17327823744896324-423: The entire population of untouchables in India as being united by a radical politics. Anand Teltumbde also detects a trend towards denial of the politicised identity, for example among educated middle-class people who have converted to Buddhism and argue that, as Buddhists, they cannot be Dalits. This may be due to their improved circumstances giving rise to a desire not to be associated with what they perceive to be
6426-513: The foundations of buildings, thus wiping out generations of Dalits. Under the rule of Baji Rao, if a Dalit crossed in front of a gym, they would cut off his head and play "bat and ball" on the ground, with their swords as bats and his head as a ball. Under these 17th century kings, human sacrifice of untouchable persons was not unusual. They also created intricate rules and operations to ensure that they stayed untouchables. George Kunnath claims that there "is and has been an internal hierarchy between
6528-433: The full development of the Chamar community as a quam (separate religion and nation), as envisioned by the Ad Dharm (original people) movement. According to these separatist Ravidasias, the only way for Chamars to progress is to pursue an independent religious path focused exclusively on the figure of Guru Ravidas. Ravidas is revered as a saint and well respected by his believers. He is considered by his devotees as someone who
6630-400: The government was amenable, no official reclassification as a separate community occurred due to the onset of World War II. An organisation of young Jatavs, called the Jatav Vir, was formed in Agra in 1917, and a Jatav Pracharak Sangh was organised in 1924. They joined with local Banias to establish a front and thus one of them won the seat of the mayor in Agra, and another became a member of
6732-631: The indigenous inhabitants of India. The terms are used in the states of Tamil Nadu , Karnataka , and Andhra Pradesh / Telangana , respectively, as a generic term for anyone from a Dalit caste. In Maharashtra , according to historian and women's studies academic Shailaja Paik, Dalit is a term mostly used by members of the Mahar caste, into which Ambedkar was born. Most other communities prefer to use their own caste name. In Nepal, aside from Harijan and, most commonly, Dalit , terms such as Haris (among Muslims), Achhoot , outcastes and neech jati are used. Gopal Baba Walangkar (c. 1840–1900)
6834-468: The inner content state of the highest ascetic . The 20th-century version, prevalent in the texts of Dalit community, concurs with the parts about pure speech and resolving spiritual doubts. However, they differ in the rest. The texts and the prevalent beliefs of the Dalit community hold that Ravidas rejected the Hindu Vedas, he was opposed by the Brahmins and resisted by the caste Hindus as well as Hindu ascetics throughout his life, and that some members of
6936-439: The latter premise to the effect that both are one. In these manuscripts, Kabir initially prevails, Ravidas accepts that Brahman is monistic, but till the end Kabir didn't accept worshipping a divine avatar ( sagun conception). Ravindra Khare states that there are two divergent versions that emerge from the study of texts relating to Ravidas's philosophy. The 17th century Bhaktamal text by Nabhadas provides one version, while
7038-417: The living standards of many Dalits have improved since the economic system became more liberalised starting in 1991 and have supported their claims through large surveys. According to the Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011 , nearly 79 percent of Adivasi households and 73 percent of Dalit households were the most deprived among rural households in India. While 45 percent of SC households are landless and earn
7140-738: The majority being landless and in chronic poverty, and Sri Lanka. They are also found as part of the Indian diaspora in many countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Singapore, and the Caribbean. While discrimination against Dalits has declined in urban areas and in the public sphere, it still exists in rural areas and in the private sphere, in everyday matters such as access to eating places, schools, temples and water sources. Some Dalits successfully integrated into urban Indian society, where caste origins are less obvious. In rural India, however, caste origins are more readily apparent and Dalits often remain excluded from local religious life, though some qualitative evidence suggests that exclusion
7242-479: The meaning, but the 1687 version systematically inserts verses into the text, at various locations, with caste-related statements, new claims of Brahmins persecuting Ravidas, notes on the untouchability of Ravidas, claims of Kabir giving Ravidas ideas, ridicules of nirguni and saguni ideas, and such text corruption: Callewaert considers the 1676 version as the standard version, his critical edition of Ravidas's hagiography excludes all these insertions, and he remarks that
7344-440: The methodology of the survey was also criticised for potentially inflating the figure. Across India, Untouchability was practised among 52 per cent of Brahmins , 33 per cent of Other Backward Classes and 24 per cent of non-Brahmin forward castes . Untouchability was also practised by people of minority religions – 23 per cent of Sikhs, 18 per cent of Muslims and 5 per cent of Christians. According to statewide data, Untouchability
7446-478: The most senior jobs in government agencies and government-controlled enterprises, only 1 per cent were held by Dalits, not much change in 40 years. In the 21st century, Dalits have been elected to India's highest judicial and political offices. In 1997, India elected its first Dalit President, K. R. Narayanan . Many social organisations have promoted better conditions for Dalits through education, healthcare and employment. Nonetheless, while caste-based discrimination
7548-405: The official term of Scheduled Castes and is sometimes used to refer to all of India's oppressed peoples. A similar all-encompassing situation prevails in Nepal. Scheduled Castes is the official term for Dalits in the opinion of India's National Commissions for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), who took legal advice that indicated modern legislation does not refer to Dalit and that therefore, it says, it
7650-577: The outcome of the Pact – the Government of India Act 1935 – introduced the new term of Scheduled Castes , as a replacement for the term Depressed Classes , and also reserved seats for them in the legislatures. Soon after its independence in 1947, India introduced a reservation system to enhance the ability of Dalits to have political representation and to obtain government jobs and education. The 1950 Constitution of India included measures to improve
7752-468: The power and political situation of this era, and they reflect a strong element of social and religious dissent by groups marginalised during a period when Indian society was under the Islamic rule and later the colonial rule. The songs of Ravidas discuss Nirguna-Saguna themes, as well as ideas that are at the foundation of Nath Yoga philosophy of Hinduism. He frequently mentions the term Sahaj ,
7854-634: The public borewell for fetching water and thus they are forced to drink dirty water. In metropolitan areas around New Delhi and Bangalore , Dalits and Muslims face discrimination from upper caste landlords when seeking places to rent. In 1855, Mutka Salve, a 14-year-old student of Dalit leader Savitribai Phule , wrote that during the rule of Baji Rao of the Maratha Empire , the Dalit castes were chased away from their lands to build large buildings. They were also forced to drink oil mixed with red lead causing them to die, and then they were buried in
7956-741: The retention of the Varna system. Whilst Ambedkar wanted to see it destroyed, Gandhi thought that it could be modified by reinterpreting Hindu texts so that the untouchables were absorbed into the Shudra varna. It was this disagreement that led to the Poona Pact. Gandhi began the Harijan Yatra to help the Dalits, but ran into some opposition from Dalits that wanted a complete break from Hinduism. The declaration by princely states of Kerala between 1936 and 1947 that temples were open to all Hindus went
8058-612: The right cause. Ravidas's poetry covers topics such as the definition of a just state where there are no second or third class unequal citizens, the need for dispassion, and who is a real Yogi . Jeffrey Ebbesen notes that, just like other Bhakti saint-poets of India and some cases of Western literature authorship, many poems composed by later era Indian poets have been attributed to Ravidas, as an act of reverence, even though Ravidas has had nothing to do with these poems or ideas expressed therein. Peter Friedlander states that Ravidas' hagiographies, though authored long after he died, depict
8160-768: The schools studied Dalit children are forbidden from touching mid-day meals . They are required to sit separately at lunch in 35 percent of schools and are required to eat with specially marked plates in 28 percent. There have been incidents and allegations of SC and ST teachers and professors being discriminated against and harassed by authorities, upper castes colleagues and upper caste students in different education institutes of India. In some cases, such as in Gujarat, state governments have argued that, far from being discriminatory, their rejection when applying for jobs in education has been because there are no suitably qualified candidates from those classifications. According to
8262-535: The sense of self, no other testimony is needed: the knower is absorbed. David Lorenzen states Ravidas's poetry is imbued with themes of boundless loving devotion to God, wherein this divine is envisioned as Nirguna . In the Sikh tradition, the themes of Nanak 's poetry are very broadly similar to the Nirgun bhakti ideas of Ravidas and other leading north Indian saint-poets. Most postmodern scholars, states Karen Pechilis, consider Ravidas's ideas to belong to
8364-525: The slow process of cases, was to make it mandatory for states to set up the exclusive Special Courts that the POA had delineated. Progress in doing so, however, was reported in April 2017 to be unimpressive. P. L. Punia , a former chairman of the NCSC, said that the number of pending cases was high because most of the extant Special Courts were not exclusive but rather being used to process some non-POA cases, and because "The special prosecutors are not bothered and
8466-607: The socioeconomic conditions of Dalits. Aside from banning untouchability, these included the reservation system, a means of positive discrimination that created the classification of Scheduled Castes as Dalits. Communities that were categorised as being one of those groups were guaranteed a percentage of the seats in the national and state legislatures, as well as in government jobs and places of education. By 1995, of all federal government jobs in India – 10.1 per cent of Class I, 12.7 per cent of Class II, 16.2 per cent of Class III, and 27.2 per cent of Class IV jobs were held by Dalits. Of
8568-450: The stories describe the spiritual struggle of an individual unto self. There is no historical evidence to verify the historicity in these hagiographies, which range from Ravidas's struggle with Hindu Brahmins, to his struggle with Muslim Sultan Sikander Lodi . Friedlander states that the stories reflect the social dynamics that influenced the composers of the hagiographies during the 17th- to 20th-century. These are legends where Ravidas
8670-449: The term had become "intensely political ... While the use of the term might seem to express appropriate solidarity with the contemporary face of Untouchable politics, there remain major problems in adopting it as a generic term. Although the word is now quite widespread, it still has deep roots in a tradition of political radicalism inspired by the figure of B. R. Ambedkar." They went on to suggest that its use risked erroneously labelling
8772-427: The tribal communities often practise folk religions . The term Harijan , or 'children of God', was coined by Narsinh Mehta , a Gujarati poet-saint of the Bhakti tradition, to refer to all devotees of Krishna irrespective of caste, class, or sex. Mahatma Gandhi, an admirer of Mehta's work, first used the word in the context of identifying Dalits in 1933. Ambedkar disliked the name as it placed Dalits in relation to
8874-416: The use of the bow and arrow at the birth saṃskāra ". According to M. P. S. Chandel Jatavs pressed hard for their (Kshatriya) claim. But as is said many times earlier that in the caste federal system of India, changes seldom occur and in case of scheduled castes as also established by M. N. Shrinivas there are no chances at all. So the caste of Jatavs went to a predestined end. It is unfortunate that such
8976-712: The various Dalit castes". According to Kunnath, the Dusadhs are considered the highest while the Musahars are considered the lowest within the Dalit groups. According to an analysis by The IndiaGoverns Research Institute, Dalits constituted nearly half of primary school drop-outs in Karnataka during the period 2012–14. A sample survey in 2014, conducted by Dalit Adhikar Abhiyan and funded by ActionAid , found that among state schools in Madhya Pradesh , 88 percent discriminated against Dalit children. In 79 percent of
9078-405: The writings and teaching of Ravidas, it contains 240 hymns. Niranjan Dass is the head of Dera Sachkhand Ballan. Kathryn Lum summarises the dynamics behind the separation of Ravidassia and Sikhism, and its focus on Ravidas, as follows: Ravidasia believe that the best way forward for Chamars is to claim and assert their own identity. For this more independent camp, Sikhism is viewed as obstructing
9180-545: Was Jyotirao Phule (1827–1890). The present system has its origins in the 1932 Poona Pact between Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi , when Ambedkar conceded his demand that the Dalits should have an electorate separate from the caste Hindus in return for Gandhi accepting measures along these lines. The notion of a separate electorate had been proposed in the Communal Award made by the British Raj authorities, and
9282-463: Was a Brahmin and his disciple Mirabai was a Rajput princess. The difference between the Ravidassia and Sikhism, as described by a post made by Shri Guru Ravidass Temple in Ontario is as follows: We, as Ravidassias have different traditions. We are not Sikhs. Even though, we give utmost respect to 10 gurus and Guru Granth Sahib, Guru Ravidass Ji is our supreme. There is no command for us to follow
9384-409: Was a poet, social reformer and spiritual figure. The life details of Ravidas are uncertain and contested. Some scholars believe he was born in 1433 CE. He taught removal of social divisions of caste and gender, and promoted unity in the pursuit of personal spiritual freedom. Ravidas's devotional verses were included in the Sikh scriptures known as Guru Granth Sahib . The Panch Vani text of
9486-515: Was an excommunicated Brahmin, fought for the rights of untouchables during the Bhakti period . In the late 1880s, the Marathi word 'Dalit' was used by Jyotirao Phule for the outcasts and untouchables who were oppressed and broken in the Hindu society. Dalit is a vernacular form of the Sanskrit दलित ( dalita ). In Classical Sanskrit, this means "divided, split, broken, scattered". This word
9588-436: Was born in the village of Sir Gobardhanpur , near Varanasi in what is now Uttar Pradesh, India . His birthplace is now known as Shri Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan . His birthday is celebrated as Ravidas Jayanti and important temple is Ravidas Temple . Mata Kalsi was his mother, and his father was Santokh Dass. His parents belonged to a leather-working Chamar community, an untouchable caste. While his original occupation
9690-511: Was determined that neither of those Acts were effective, so the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989 (POA) came into force. The POA designated specific crimes against SCs and STs as "atrocities" – a criminal act that has "the quality of being shockingly cruel and inhumane" – which should be prosecuted under its terms rather than existing criminal law. It created corresponding punishments. Its purpose
9792-607: Was killed in 2019 for eating in front of upper-caste men. The Government of India has attempted on several occasions to legislate specifically to address the issue of caste-related violence that affects SCs and STs. Aside from the Constitutional abolition of untouchability, there has been the Untouchability (Offences) Act of 1955, which was amended in the same year to become the Protection of Civil Rights Act. It
9894-462: Was leather work, he began to spend most of his time in spiritual pursuits at the banks of the Ganges . Thereafter he spent most of his life in the company of Sufi saints, sadhus and ascetics. At the age of 12, Ravidas was married off to Lona Devi. They had a son, Vijay Dass. The text Anantadas Parcai is one of the earliest surviving biographies of various Bhakti movement poets which describes
9996-571: Was popularised by Ambedkar, himself a Dalit, who included all depressed people irrespective of their caste into the definition of Dalits. It covered people who were excluded from the fourfold varna system of Hinduism and thought of themselves as forming a fifth varna, describing themselves as Panchama . In the 1970s its use was invigorated when it was adopted by the Dalit Panthers activist group. Socio-legal scholar Oliver Mendelsohn and political economist Marika Vicziany wrote in 1998 that
10098-738: Was prohibited and untouchability abolished by the Constitution of India , such practices are still widespread. To prevent harassment, assault, discrimination and similar acts against these groups, the Government of India enacted the Prevention of Atrocities Act , also called the SC/ST Act, on 31 March 1995. In accordance with the order of the Bombay High Court , the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B Ministry) of
10200-417: Was repurposed in 19th-century Sanskrit to mean "(a person) not belonging to one of the four Varnas ". It was perhaps first used in this sense by Pune -based social reformer Jyotirao Phule , in the context of the oppression faced by the erstwhile "untouchable" castes from other Hindus . The term Dalits was in use as a translation for the Indian census classification of Depressed Classes prior to 1935. It
10302-620: Was the living symbol of religious protest, and not as the spiritual symbol of any ultimate unifying cultural principle. A political party was founded in India in 2012 by the followers of Ravidass, with the word Begumpura ( Be-gam-pura , or "land without sorrow"), a term coined in a poem by Ravidas. The term means the city where there is no suffering or fear, and all are equal. There is a small chhatri (pavilion) in front of Meera's temple in Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan which bears Ravidas' engraved foot print. Legends link him as
10404-471: Was to curb and punish violence against Dalits, including humiliations such as the forced consumption of noxious substances. Other atrocities included forced labour, denial of access to water and other public amenities, and sexual abuse. The Act permitted Special Courts exclusively to try POA cases. The Act called on states with high levels of caste violence (said to be "atrocity-prone") to appoint qualified officers to monitor and maintain law and order. In 2015,
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