Untouchables: the lowest caste in India

It is difficult to imagine that a person may not be allowed to walk on the street or go to the store because he was not born in that family. And the untouchables in India are accustomed to the fact that they shy away from like the plague. Power in the last decade trying to get rid of these terrible practices, but success is still very far.

Who are the Dalits, and where they came from

Untouchables, now called Dalits, for common versions are the descendants of the indigenous Indian tribes before the conquest of the Aryans. Today, it is one in five Indian. Conquered India, arias decided that the indigenous population is not necessary to start up in society, and it is better to use it to perform the most menial jobs. Aborigines were expelled from the main settlements in the beggarly peculiar ghetto.

In India, there is another version of the appearance of the untouchables - the descendants of the children who were expelled from the community because of their origin, that is, those unfortunates whose parents violated the principles of caste, for example, the mother of the upper caste, and father of the lowest.

Today they are called Dalits as untouchables - it's too offensive, in their opinion. But the name is nothing in comparison with the facts about the real life of these people who can plunge into shock civilized man.

Do not touch the

Representatives of other castes contemptuously refer to these people, but at the same time are afraid of them. The point of vandalizing. If a Dalit man touches the upper caste (even if it touches the edge of the garment), then defiled will have to devote many years clearing their karma from the contamination.

Maybe it's here and that Dalits engaged in the dirtiest work in India, in particular, their efforts to clean public toilets are cleaned and dead animals. They can not go to church, they are not even allowed to set foot on the territory of the houses of other castes. They can be beat, insult or kill. Even just for the fact that they are lowered into the well of his public bin. They are born outcasts and bear his cross, regardless of the desires and aspirations.

However untouchable can humiliate and rape, not caring about the desecration of karma. The case when in New Delhi, died 14-year-old girl trapped in sexual slavery to the neighbor. For a whole month she had been abused. When the crime was discovered, there was a trial, after which the neighbor was released on bail. And all because the victim - a Dalit, and her life is not worth a rupee.

The Shocking Facts

Today, India's constitution does not recognize the caste, but the majority of the population actually longer honors the ancient tradition. In small towns and villages, nothing has changed, the untouchables remain outside of society. Sidewalks and public wells - not for them - representatives of the higher castes are afraid of contamination. If Dalit visited the temple (and it is allowed to do only a few times a year), then the long sanctuary purified by conducting special rituals.

to the settlement of the untouchables are treated with disgust. There was even a case where the settlement was surrounded by a three meter wall with railing at high voltages. As a result, the wire of the trial was removed, but the wall did not destroy.

Despite the law on fines for the owners of canteens for refusing to serve the Dalits, they are fed reluctantly. At best, there are special dishes, in the worst - people will eat on the street. To buy something in a shop, a Dalit leaves money on the threshold, where he and will make a purchase.

In 2005, the peasants were beaten teenage Dalit, who spoke to a woman of the higher caste. In 2008, the Indian threw into the fire by the road a little girl, because her mother had accidentally pushed it. It is known that a journalist from the UK Ramit Nava was filming a documentary about the untouchables, and was struck to the heart. Kids playing dog corpse, children, roasting and eating rats, female, hand-cleaning public toilet - all familiar to Dalits and wild to civilization.

How to escape from the untouchables

The percentage of illiteracy among Dalits reaches up to 70%, as to make bullying at school can not all children. Dalits continue to work on the most menial and dirty work, many - unemployed.

Among them are millionaires and politicians, but they are few. For example, Ashok khadi, which belonged to the caste of tanners and put superhuman effort to learn and get the profession of engineer. Today he owns a million revolutions.

The most glaring example - Kocheril Raman Narayanan. This man of the untouchables was able to become the President of India and held the post from 1997 to 2002.

The easiest way to escape from the caste of untouchables - to change religions. In the early 19th century, the Dalits have been actively convert to Buddhism, thus saying "goodbye" degrading caste system. Some accept Islam and Christianity, but Buddhism is one of the traditional religions of the country, the former is preferred by most of the Dalits.

And there are illegal ways, for example, forgery. Many names like "tied" to the caste. But people who have decided on it, often run out of places to know their ancestors.

Marriages untouchables

"Raise" caste, married or married, you can not. But lower - possible. If love is pushed Brahmana to communicate with the untouchable, it threatens the family scandal, and sometimes even expulsion. Of course, it all depends on how progressive family, which views it adheres as reveres tradition. Because before you decide on a desperate act, men and women are trying to soberly weigh the consequences.

Child as previously recorded for the lowest caste, but today he is credited with the caste status of father. Only in Kerala - for the mother. Choose the best caste child can try through the courts, there were such cases, but not too often.

Nonresistance Dalits

Why did Dalits do not revolt, demanding change, and limited to occasional protests? It affects hammered into the consciousness of timidity, humility, and some people simply are satisfied. There are separate quarters and home churches, there is a community that can help in severe cases, communication occurs only among their own, and to the other castes and do not care. About this situation is added to the untouchables, who do not want to become part of society.

Many travelers who visited India and seen the Dalits were amazed by their smiles and happy faces on the background of dirt, poverty, poor housing and garbage dumps. Maybe in their own untouchable happy in his strange, incomprehensible to many existence?