Dalits in India: Human Discrimination

DALITS IN INDIA
A CHALLENGE BEFORE MISSION

Who are Dalits?
The word Dalit is derived from the root dal, and that gives meanings as crack, open, slit, etc. As noun and adjective the Sanskrit root gives meanings as burst, split, broken or torn asunder, downtrodden, scattered, crushed, destroyed, etc. A Marathi social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule used this word Dalit, to describe outcastes and untouchables as victims of caste-ridden society. It has been believed that Dr. B.R.Ambedkar was the first person to use this word.

Other names used for them
Depressed Classes, Exterior Castes, Untouchables, Scheduled Castes, Harijans, Dalits

Reasons for Inhuman Attitude
G.C. Warner reports the implications of the word untouchables as, “The word untouchable means exactly what to appear to mean. Those to whom the word is applied are not to be touched. Contact with the body or clothes of one of them causes pollution. Even accidental contact requires a ceremonial cleansing and a bath.” In some cases it is said as the result of their occupation. The other reason for the origin of caste and untouchables is said as the method adopted by Aryans who invaded India around 1500 BC to relate themselves with the people of India. With the continuous conflict with the indigenous people Aryans looked at them as inferior and excluded them as ritually unclean. According to Varna theory (Manusmruthi) there are four varnas which were divinely ordained. The out castes were the result of alliances between the original four varnas. During the years followed by 200 AD the practice of untouchablity was intensified and chandala (impure) became the label. The label as untouchables became hereditary to some communities.

Dalit Pathos
John E.Clough who is well known in relation to mass movements among Telugu people says about a Dalit community as ,
The Madigas, as I found them were in a condition almost of serfdom. In the communal life of the village, they not only did the leather work, which to the caste people meant pollution, they did every thing else that others did not want to do. They were scavengers of the village. They had to bear burdens from place to place. They were oppressed and downtrodden and there was no one to help them.
Regarding their eating and health conditions he says,
Going hungry many a day in the year produced a willingness to eat what no one else would have touched. The consequence was that the men and women had poisoned blood in their veins. The children were full of sores. The Madiga hamlet was a place which no one wanted to enter.

Unfortunately after Independence, the changes occurred in India could not influence the life situations of rural Dalits. According to the recent (1990) study, information presented by L. Stanislaus quoting from Report of the Commissioner for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (New Delhi: Ministry of Home Affairs, 1991), in Andhra Pradesh, among surveyed 60 villages, 17 wells, 16 temples, 14 hotels, 18 barbers, and 46 laundries were not accessible to the Dalits.

Dalit Religions
It is so upsetting to learn that Dalit religious traditions are called as ‘little traditions’ giving inferior status compared to the religious traditions of the caste people as great traditions. Instead of using degrading labels the traditions can be called as ‘Sanskrit traditions’ and ‘non- Sanskrit traditions. It is the fact that Dalits are marginalized by the caste people even in religious matters.

Generally Dalit deities are not attached with holiness either regarding to the places of worship or symbols associated to it. The images of deities are shapeless stones and some times they are weapons. Women’s participation is another unique feature of Dalit worship traditions. Women deities are having prominent place in Dravidian worships especially in South India. Among them seven sisters who are known as Poleramma, Ankamma, Muthyalamma, Dilli Polasi, Bangaramma, Mathamma, and Renuka are familiar. Saktis is the name commonly heard among all female Dravidian deities. Goddess of any village is generally called as Shakti. The term is usually applied to a fiercer one and having no fixed temple or image and one not having any incarnation.

Western Christian Missionaries’ Ministry
Indian mass movements are the evidential records saying how the depressed classes responded to the Gospel as groups and in large numbers. Mass movement converts experienced God’s love in many aspects of their lives. Social emancipation of the Dalit converts is a significant change.

The attitude of the so-called higher castes began to change. They understood that the life situation may rapidly change in the course of time. Where ever Christian worship has firmly established there beneficial social changes are seen. Their strengthened belief in God through worship helped them to sense their value and to empower their lives. Self confidence was improved instead of self pity. There is a significant increase in their self- respect. Feelings of inferiority were shading away from their minds. They are becoming conscious that they became children of God. Many are coming out of degrading traditional occupations and better fields of work were open to them. People of other communities began to show respect what they deserved from the ages. Focus on cleanliness and beauty is increased. This reflected on both the places of worship and worshippers. Homes and their surroundings are also becoming clean. Women are taking active participation in the worship. Love for education is increasing. They started to adopt better marriage customs forbidding evil practices like child marriages. These are the observations made by foreign missions. However, the people those who were marginalized from the ages even in the religious matters, found Christianity as the source that which enhances their human dignity. This made the depressed classes to opt for Christianity accepting it as groups and in big numbers.

Indian Dalits Today
Today more than 90% of Dalits live in villages. When 67% of Indian population lives depending on agriculture, in the case of Dalits it is 95%. Their source of earning is as agriculture laborers. Even they toil in the fields for generations, it is pathetic to learn that they never had a chance to own that land.

Dalits were denied literacy and education for nearly two thousand years. Even today in spite of various educational opportunities offered by the government, rate of literacy among rural Dalits is considerably low. Higher castes are able to have greater access to higher education compared to Dalits.

The present endangering situation of Dalits is atrocities over them. All most in all cases major atrocities are targeted to prevent social mobility of Dalits. A noteworthy survey made on the nature of atrocities draws conclusion as, “Given the relatively more frequent occurrence of atrocities on Dalits in the rural belt, the ability of the community to experience upward mobility is affected significantly.”

India under the subjection of globalization and new economic policies, is encountering new challenges. Ultimately this situation is influencing and affecting the lives of rural Dalits. Because of this new situation emerged basing on the trend of privatization, the influence of public sectors is decreasing that which contributes for the healthy living of Dalits. Consumerism is being enhanced at both urban and rural levels. This market force is enslaving people with new wants and desires.

The other challenge thrown up to rural Dalits is the influence of media. The ongoing of communication evolution is reducing the world as global village. Ultimately this evolution is resulting in the erosion of local cultures in thriving for global culture. Regarding TV commercials, John Vilanilam rightly comments as, “The greatest harm done to the cultural environment in India through TV commercials is the creation of a world of fantasy and irrelevance which will ultimately widen the gap between the haves and the have-nots still further.”

The above are few remarks about Dalits situation.

Challenges before Indigenous Missions
There is an ongoing debate on “relevant Gospel”. In one way Dalit Christians has to learn how Black Churches in the American context emerged, how relevant theologies are developed, and how effective indigenous skills are adapted for the communication of the Gospel. In common it is said that preachers for Black congregations come from same cultural background. The index for their competence is determined basing on their political and social activity among their congregations. These preachers were so active in anti- slavery movement .

There should be some relevant mission methods have to be developed for Dalits’ context. It seems that enough study in this particular context doesn’t exist.

Grace Gospel Mission Society
It is an indigenous body, under rural Dalit leadership, utilizing local resources struggling to communicate relevant Gospel. Even it is working for four decades; it emerged as a registered body in 1997.

What GGMS Doing?
-Evangelism among rural Telugu Dalits through Preaching
-Pastoral care to the established rural Dalit congregations
-Periodical short-term training to rural Dalit Evangelists
-Producing helpful literature in vernacular language (Telugu)
-Preaching through local cable net work in people’s language (Reaching 10 towns and 52 village audience on Sunday morning)
-Staying and working with rural Dalits at the time of their need
-Supporting rural Dalits at times of crisis

Praying for urgent needs…
- For enhanced evangelism
- Electronic instruments for audio visual presentations (like Vedeo Camera, LCD Projector, etc.)
- Travel expenses for rural Dalit evangelists to attend periodical Bible Training programs
- Support for Tele Preaching over local Cable net work (3,000 US$ for One Year)




Prepared by,
Rev.A.John Prabhakar
Researcher at SATHRI
Founding President
Grace Gospel Mission Society


For further details please contace:
Rev.A.John Prabhakar,
Grace Gospel Mission Society,
Polavaram (P.O), Mundlamur (Mandal),
Prakasam (Dist), Andhra Pradesh, India.
PIN: 523 265
e-mail: ajprabhakar@hotmail.com
Gracegospel53@rediffmail.com
Phone: 91-9440238782
91-8592-223782