Other side of the caste debate: When Dalits turn against their own

Recent SC order allowed states to implement sub-classification of reservations

Sub-categories within the Scheduled Caste community often face discriminatory practices from other sub-castes considered higher in the hierarchy. Such ‘horizontal discrimination’ affects key aspects of life, including food, religion, birth (midwives), and death (access to burial grounds).

This is illustrated by data from the January 2010 study, Understanding Untouchability: A Comprehensive Study of Practices and Conditions in 1,589 Villages in Gujarat, authored by Dave Armstrong of the University of Western Ontario and Christian Davenport of the University of Michigan.

The study was cited in a Supreme Court judgment delivered earlier in August, which allowed states to implement sub-classifications of reservations to benefit the more underprivileged among Scheduled Castes. The study is a rare instance of empirical data on such discrimination.

The Supreme Court’s judgment noted that a lower sub-caste Dalit could receive water from a higher sub-caste Dalit in only 12 per cent of villages, according to the study. In addition, access to all-Dalit burial grounds was impacted by sub-caste considerations in 92.4 per cent of villages. Additional data from the study showed that around 72.1 per cent of villages practiced ‘Dalit-to-Dalit’ discrimination regarding temple entry.

Discrimination was also found in many villages for practices such as shaking hands (39.6 per cent), mid-day meals (17.4 per cent), access to public grazing (gauchar) land (59.2 per cent), and village assembly (gram sabha) meetings to address public grievances (63.8 per cent). Restrictions on midwives assisting with births were noted in 31.7 per cent of villages.

Raees Muhammad (earlier known by the name Ravichandran Bathran), whose work was also cited in the Supreme Court judgment, said that there has been a tendency to monopolise benefits, which could change with the ruling. 

Muhammad, a post-doctoral fellow who runs a septic tank cleaning business and participates in the work alongside his employees, believes that those lower in the hierarchy among Scheduled Castes now have better opportunities for representation in academia, bureaucracy, and politics.

“They will have voices,” he says.

Dalit-to-Dalit discrimination is more pronounced when political power is involved, such as during panchayat meetings, accessing the panchayat office, or the availability of water for panchayat members. Panchayats are the governing bodies for villages.

Legislation provides for Dalit members and the election of a Dalit head of council. Even if a Dalit is the head of the council, Dalits are often forced to sit on the floor where untouchability is practiced. In some villages, Dalits are not allowed to enter the panchayat office.

Horizontal discrimination is not recorded if all Dalits protest against any discrimination.

Another form of discrimination involves separate water pots for Dalits and non-Dalits; however, there is no horizontal discrimination if all Dalit panchayat members use the same pot. The majority of panchayats experience horizontal discrimination in all three categories. While the empirical evidence pertains to Gujarat, similar practices have been noted elsewhere. The Justice Usha Mishra Report on the National Commission to Examine Issues of Sub-Categorisation highlighted similar practices in Andhra Pradesh, according to an excerpt in the apex court judgment.

“The Malas, higher-caste Dalits, do not accept food or water from the Madigas, lower-caste Dalits. Mala Jangam, Mala Dasari, and Mithal Ayyalvar do not eat or drink with Malas, Madigas, and Dakkal. Dakkals have to take food or water while standing outside Madiga houses. Thus, higher-caste Dalits do not drink or dine in common... (and) indicate the foundation of Panchama hierarchy and heterogeneous caste cleavages within Scheduled Castes in Andhra Pradesh,” the report observed.
 

In the second week of August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly ruled out creating exclusions for sub-categories that are doing relatively better, the ‘creamy layer’ among Scheduled Castes, which finds mention in the Supreme Court judgment.