Caste based discrimination has been present in India for about three millenias now. Post independence, the relevance of caste system in Indian society has certainly reduced but not diminished. The most recent incident is the lynching of Dalits by cow-protection groups in Una, Gujarat shows that  it is perpetrating and deeply rooted.

The fact that Dalits are poorly represented in the government services, boards of companies show that they are still economically deprived too. The reformers in post independence period too are relatively less interested in combating Caste discrimination. The 2005 economic census shows that Dalits in India own just 9.8% of enterprises despite constituting 16.4% of the population. And the vast majority of these are small single-person businesses.

Pre-Independence Era:

In the pre-1947 era, eradicating casteism was an important strand of both the freedom struggle and many Hindu reform movements. Efforts by many social reformers like Jyothiba Phule (Satya Shodak Samaj), E.V Ramaswamy Naicker (Self Respect Movement), K Kelappan (Temple Entry movements and Vaikom Satyagraha); Freedom fighters like Gandhiji (Harijan Sevak Sangh), M G Ranade(Prarthana Samaj) and Dr.B.R Ambedkar (Bahishkrith Hitakarni Sabha) etc.

Post – Independence period:

The general population particularly the educated urban class reformers no longer give so much priority to combating discrimination based on caste.

• First, Constitutional provisions and progressive laws are provided and the most abhorrent forms of casteist bias have been criminalised. Example: Article 17 of our constitution abolishes untouchability. Prevention of Atrocities Act, Prevention of Manual Scavenging Act is enacted.
• Second, overt casteism is no longer visible in the anonymity of our cities; atrocities directed at Dalits are largely of rural provenance. Example: The Una incident was in a village.
• The third is the policy of reservations. Affirmative action is perhaps the most important reason why the socially privileged feel absolved of any further responsibility for fighting casteism. Mandatory quotas in universities, government jobs and elected offices are seen as having done enough to create secure pathways for SCs to achieve upward mobility.
• Fourth, multiple government schemes to alleviate the poverty of the SCs and for their socio-economic welfare.
• Many believe that the empowerment of Dalits can be done by themselves. Case Study:              In a 2017 survey by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies and Azim Premji University, nearly half the upper-caste people polled said the reason Dalits lag behind other groups was due to a “lack of effort”. However, the situation of Dalits is still grim.
• Caste discrimination is still all pervasive. Discrimination based on caste status is a root cause of the high poverty levels that caste-affected people experience. Most Dalits, live below the poverty line, earn less than the minimum wage, have no access to education, experience segregation in access to housing and suffer from numerous diseases, not least because of lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation. This inequality is exacerbated by the lack of implementation of existing laws to protect the Dalits.

Way Forward:

• Give a voice to oppressed groups: We can tackle bias against caste and gender first of all by recognising the value and dignity of all work (including unpaid work) and all workers (including those in the most difficult arduous and degraded occupations). Creating Alternative livelihoods by providing skills training to women of the house.
• Political Voice: The reservations provided at the local Self Governments should be filled with true spirit of democracy.
• Review of the Reservation Policy: To ensure that the social and economic justice is granted to the needy and true beneficiaries.
• Protective Legislations should be strictly enforced, so that no offender is left scot-free
• Private sector companies, schools, and colleges should extend reservations to SCs.
• Sensitization of Kids at schools about the ills of caste discrimination.
• SHG’s, NGOs can play a vital role at the grassroots level to create awareness and uplift the people discriminated by caste. They can be the “voice of the voiceless”. Mass movements on Social Media like #MeToo can be started to spread awareness of the perpetuating caste discrimination issues.

Conclusion:

India’s battle against caste discrimination remains tragically incomplete, casting an aspersion on our status as a civilised liberal democracy. It is to be ensured that the steps taken to undo the harm done by such medieval practices are made more effective and do not create further inequality in the society.