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Untouchability is the tragic outcome of Hinduism and the Indian caste system. The term comes from the fact that Hindus are not allowed to touch the individuals at bottom rung of the caste system, directly or indirectly. The term for untouchables in India is Dalits. Touch is, however, only part of the social conventions. It is a pervasive system as to most Hindus relate to the bottom group. It is actually deeper than Western racism. It is a deeply embedded psychological process of thought validated by religious belief and social custom. The results are a wide range physical acts and behaviors, social norms and cultural practices. Untouchability is founded on beliefs of purity and pollution that is a central element of casteism. Upper class Hindus believe that Dalits are polluted people which is why they are at the lowest level of the Indian Hindu caste levels. There are severe economic ramifications to untouchability. Untouchables are excluded from most jobs. The jobs open to them are those seen as polluting and impure. They have traditionally been prevented from engaging in other work. The actual jobs include removing human waste ('manual scavenging'), removing and skinning animal carcasses, tanning leather, making and fixing shoes, and washing clothes. Untouchables were made to live outside village so that their physical presence would not pollute the village and the people in it. And it was not just a spatial matter. Untouchables might be attacked if their houses were not inferior to those of higher status Hindus. Even electricity and tinning water could mean trouble. Untouchability affected virtually every aspect of an individual's life. There were endless ways in which could be expressed. It is today most prevalent in rural areas. In villages, untouchable are not allowed to use village wells, banned from barber shops, and especially barred from temple and shrines. They are commonly not chosen by private employers. If hired they are paid less and given th most menial work. Promotions are rare. And untouchable children even experience discrimination at school. There are reports that they are made to clean toilets and eat their lunches apart from the other children. The process begins at an early age. An untouchable web site reports, "As an instrument of casteism, untouchability also serves to instill caste status to Dalit children from the moment they are born. Kachro (filth), melo (dirty), dhudiyo (dusty), gandy (mad), ghelo (stupid), punjo (waste) are just some of the names given to Dalit boys in Gujarat. Of course, names with similar meanings are given to Dalit girls too." [Navsarjan]
Untouchability is the tragic outcome of Hinduism and the Indian caste system. The term comes from the fact that Hindus are not allowed to touch many close contact of the individuals at bottom rung of the caste system, directly or indirectly. Untouchability is founded on beliefs of purity and pollution that is a central element of casteism. Upper class Hindus believe that Dalits are polluted people which is why they are at the lowest level of the Indian Hindu caste levels.
The term for untouchables in India is Dalits.
Touch is, however, only part of the social conventions. It is a pervasive system as to most Hindus relate to the bottom group. It is actually much deeper than Western racism ever was. It is a deeply embedded psychological process of thought validated by religious belief and social custom. The results are a wide range physical acts and behaviors, social norms and cultural practices.
There are severe economic ramifications to untouchability. Untouchables are excluded from most jobs. The jobs open to them are those seen as polluting and impure. They have traditionally been prevented from engaging in other work. The actual jobs include removing human waste ('manual scavenging'), removing and skinning animal carcasses, tanning leather, making and fixing shoes, and washing clothes. Untouchables were made to live outside village so that their physical presence would not pollute the village and the people in it. And it was not just a spatial matter. Untouchables might be attacked if their houses were not inferior to those of higher status Hindus. Even having electricity and running water could mean trouble for ubtouchables.
Untouchability affected virtually every aspect of an individual's life. There were endless ways in which could be expressed. It is today most prevalent in rural areas. In villages, untouchable are not allowed to use village wells, banned from barber shops, and especially barred from temple and shrines. They are commonly not chosen by private employers. If hired they are paid less and given th most menial work. Promotions are rare.
And untouchable children even experience discrimination at school. There are reports that they are made to clean toilets and eat their lunches apart from the other children. The process begins at an early age. An untouchable web site reports, "As an instrument of casteism, untouchability also serves to instill caste status to Dalit children from the moment they are born. Kachro (filth), melo (dirty), dhudiyo (dusty), gandy (mad), ghelo (stupid), punjo (waste) are just some of the names given to Dalit boys in Gujarat. Of course, names with similar meanings are given to Dalit girls too." 【Navsarjan】
There are many Dalit communities ecompassing a range of ethnic groups. One of these is the Musahar people. Musahar/Mushahar मुसहर जाति) are a Dalit community in Bihar and other states in the eastern Gangetic plain and the Terai--baically ense populated eastern India. For some reson there are many reason for these people used in various different areas (Banbasi, Bhuiyan, Manjhi, Rajawar, Rishidev, and Sada). The word Musahar according to one authoriyy is said in Bihar to have evolved from Bhojpuri meaning rat eater. This wasdue because of their traditional roles as rat catchers. There are other possible origins based on other forms of meat eating. One local legend depicts Lord Brahma creating man and providing him a horse to ride. According to this legend, the very first Musahar dug holes in the belly of the horse to accomodate his feet whe riding. This angered Lord Brahma, who cursed him and his descendants turning them into rat-catchers. 【Sharda】 One early ethnologust studying Bengal, Herbert Hope Risley, concluded that peculated that the Musahars were related to thee hunter-gatherer Bhuiya people from the Chota Nagpur Plateau who had migrated to the Gangetic plains. 【Mukul, p. 3465.】 Modern DNA studies gives some credence to this. 【Chaubey】
Chaubey, Gyaneshwer. "Language shift by indigenous population: A model genetic study in South Asia" International Journal of Human Genetics.Vol. 8, No. 8 (February 2008).
Mukul (1999). "The untouchable present: Everyday life of Musahars in North Bihar," Economic and Political Weekly Vol. 34, No. 49 (December 1999), pp. 3465-70.
Navsarjan. This is the main untouchable advocay group in Gujarat.
Sharda, Shailvee. "UP elections 2017: Plagued by 'divine curse', Musahars see no redemption in new politicians," The Times of India (March 2, 2017).
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