Dalits in India

Letters to the Editor-Dawn,Pakistan
June 27, 2007


This letter bears reference to the article "A broken People in Booming India" dated June 22nd. The writer it seems has concluded that India's economic boom has not benefited its dalits based on a few stray incidents of discrimination. I would like to inform your readers that this is a gross exaggeration and misrepresentation of the truth.

Firstly the caste system was not an integral part of Hinduism which traces its origins to 3000 B.C. The oldest Hindu texts: the four Vedas, the Upanishads, the Shastras and the Sutras bear no reference to castes. People in ancient Hindu civilizations were segregated based on their occupation. Nobody was born into any caste nor did they inherit their caste from their parents. Later certain vested interests hijacked this system of maintaining social order and used it to retain a monopoly over education,politics and trade for themselves. Thus a large majority of the population was discriminated against and the Dalits were born.This argument can be substantiated by the fact that many venerated Hindu saints like Adi Shankara and Ramanujacharya were severely critical of the caste system and called it non-Hindu.

The writer goes on to say that dalits face rampant discrimination in India today in education.The fact is in India 22% of seats in all schools and colleges is reserved for dalits.The Govt. heavily subsidizes their education and provides free mid-day meals in schools and aids&grants in colleges.Such affirmative action is hardly any discrimination. Dalits do not face political discrimination too.The four southern states are ruled by dalit parties.Mayawati, a dalit woman is the CM of Uttar Pradesh.The former President of India Dr. K.R.Narayanan was a dalit. The present Chief Justice of India Justice K.G.Balakrishnan is a dalit. The civil,police,judicial and military services have numerous dalits in their top ranks.

Lastly, in modern India, discrimination against dalits is weaning not due to the compulsions of a capitalist economy as stated in the article. It is purely due to conviction on the part of the people. With the spread of education and awareness, people have realized the evils of the caste system. There can be certain stray incidents of discrimination but the reader must understand that a system that is thousands of years old cannot be done away with in a jiffy. Even the so called 'epitome of democracy', the USA, has not been able to do away with discrimination against the African-Americans as the world witnessed in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

India is a juggernaut and its people have realized the benefits of a free and open society. If any belief or system stunts the growth of the country, the people themselves will overthrow the system. Such is the fate awaiting the caste system.