The Economist Asia - 27.01.2018

The EconomistJanuary 27th 2018 21

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1

F

OR Dalits, these are the best of times.

Once known as untouchables and re-

viled as ritually unclean, this sixth of In-

dia’s population has never been more inte-

grated. Since the constitution banned

discrimination against untouchables 70

years ago, and with quotas for state

schools, jobs and elected offices giving Da-

lits a leg up, gaps in education, income and

health have steadily shrunk.

Dalits, who in the past feared crossing

certain streets, now have their own mil-

lionaire-filled chamber of commerce,

scores of energeticNGOs to promote their

rights and some 84 of the 545 MPs in the

Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament.

In October a board that manages hundreds

of Hindu temples in the southern state of

Kerala for the firsttime broke one of the last

ancient taboos, inducting six Dalits to

serve as priests. Ram Nath Kovind, who

was elected India’s president in July, was

born into a weaver caste, making him the

second Dalit to serve ashead of state.

But Indian presidents hold little real

power, and there has never been a Dalit

prime minister. That itis the best of times

for Dalits does not necessarily mean that

times are very good. Reservations, as the

government’s quotas are known, have in-

deed given once-unimagined opportunity

to many Dalits. “Without them we would

all be cleaning shit,” says one activist. Yet

Dalits remain markedly poorer, worse edu-

dia’s 1.3bn people.)

The headlines reveal quotidian horrors.

Dalit Woman Raped and Murdered, Man

Poisons Well Used by Dalits, Dalits At-

tacked for Slaughtering Cow, Dalit Youth

Killed For Watching Upper-Caste Cere-

mony, Dalit Forced To Shave Moustache.

Protests and riots by members of higher

castestypically end with politicians and

officials acceding to their demands; similar

actions by Dalits tend to be met with re-

pression. Chandrashekhar Azad, a promi-

nent Dalit activist arrested in May, was or-

dered to be released by a high court in

November, with the judge reprimanding

police for their “politically motivated”

handling of his case. A day later he was re-

arrested under the draconian National Se-

curity Act, intended for terrorist cases, un-

der which he may spend a year in

detention without charge.

Many Dalits have broken professional

barriers, but many more are stuck doing

cated and less healthy than average (see

chart); they are 30% more likely than other

Indians to end up in prison. Out of the 642

faculty members in the country’s top man-

agement schools, which are state-run, only

four are Dalits. Out of 496 vice-chancel-

lors—in effect presidents—of state universi-

ties, just six are from “scheduled” castes, as

the lowest ranks ofthe Hindu caste hierar-

chy are officially known. (“Scheduled

tribes” oradivasis—tribal communities tra-

ditionally excluded from the caste system

altogether—constitute a further 9% of In-

Caste prejudice in India

Unconscionable

Delhi

Dalits are better off than they have ever been—but that’s not saying much

Asia

Also in this section

22 North Korea’s conglomerates

23 The plight of the Rohingya diaspora

24 Banyan: Asia, champion of free trade

Malnourishment

2015-16, %

All manner of abuse

Sources: National Crime Records Bureau; National Family

Health Survey 4; India Human Development Survey; Mint

‡ *Other backward castes †Excluding Muslims

Aged 6-59 months §Aged 15-49 years, BMI below 18.5

India

Number of hate crimes

against Dalits

’000

People living in

poverty, %

Men aged 24-29 with

secondary education

% of total, years ending

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

2011 13 15 16

Murder

Rape

02550

Children‡

Women§

Men§

Dalits Adivasis OBCs*

Higher castes India

0

25

50

75

2005 2012

Higher

castes

OBCs*

Dalits

Adivasis

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1983 90 2000 12

Others†

Dalits

РЕЛИЗ

ГРУППЫ

"What's

News"