Untouchables or The Children of India's Ghetto

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Contents

Part I: What It Is to be an Untouchable .

Chapter I: Untouchabilityits source
Chapter 2: Untouchablestheir nubers
Chapter ! : "la#es and untouchables
Chapter $ : The Indian %hettothe centre of untouchabilityoutside the fold
Chapter & : Unfit for huan association

P'(T II

P'(T III ) (oots of the Proble

P'(T I* ) What the Untouchables ha#e to face


U+T,UC-'./0" ,( T-0 C-I/1(0+ ,2 I+1I''" G-0TT,


( This is a 208-page MS (Second copy) under the title " Untouchables or The
Children of ndia!s "hetto "# The $hole MS for%s an independent boo& by
itself# t has a ! Table of Contents ! di'ided into ( parts) $hich are further sub-
di'ided into *( chapters# Slight %odifications had to be %ade in the
arrange%ent of the chapters to bring the% in confor%ity $ith that of ! Table of
Contents !# +,cept fe$ corrections in the titles of the chapters) the te,t is
untouched by the author#)

P'(T I

What it is to be an Untouchable .

C-'PT0( I
U+T,UC-'.I/IT3IT" ",U(C0

t is usual to hear all those $ho feel %o'ed by the deplorable condition of the
Untouchables unburden the%sel'es by uttering the cry "-e %ust do so%ething for
the Untouchables"# .ne seldo% hears any of the persons interested in the proble%
saying ! /et us do so%ething to change the Touchable 0indu !# t is in'ariably
assu%ed that the ob1ect to be reclai%ed is the Untouchables# f there is to be a
Mission) it %ust be to the Untouchables and if the Untouchables can be cured)
untouchability $ill 'anish# 2othing re3uires to be done to the Touchable# 0e is sound
in %ind) %anners and %orals# 0e is $hole) there is nothing $rong $ith hi%# s this
assu%ption correct 4 -hether correct or not) the 0indus li&e to cling to it# The
assu%ption has the supre%e %erit of satisfying the%sel'es that they are not
responsible for the proble% of the Untouchables#
0o$ natural is such an attitude is illustrated by the attitude of the "entile to$ards
the 5e$s# /i&e the 0indus the "entiles also do not ad%it that the 5e$ish proble% is
in essence a "entile proble%# The obser'ations of /ouis "oulding on the sub1ect are
therefore 'ery illu%inating# n order to sho$ ho$ the 5e$ish proble% is in its
essence a "entile proble%) he says6
" beg lea'e to gi'e a 'ery ho%ely instance of the sense in $hich consider the
5e$ish 7roble% in essence a "entile 7roble%# 8 close ac3uaintance of %ine is a
certain rish terrier of %i,ed pedigree) the dog 7addy) $ho is to %y friend 5ohn
S%ith as the apple of both his eyes# 7addy disli&es Scotch terriers9 it is enough for
one to pass $ithin t$enty yards of 7addy to deafen the neighbourhood $ith
challenges and insults# t is a practice $hich 5ohn S%ith deplores) $hich)
therefore) he does his best to chec&:all the %ore as the ob1ects of 7addy!s
detestation are often inoffensi'e creatures) $ho seldo% spea& first# ;espite all his
affection for 7addy) he considers) as do) that 7addy!s un%annerly beha'iour is
due to so%e %easure of original sin in 7addy# t has not yet been suggested to us
that $hat is here in'ol'ed is a Scotch Terrier 7roble% and that $hen 7addy
attac&s a neighbour $ho is peacefully engaged in inspecting the e'ening s%ells it
is the neighbour $ho should be arraigned for inciting to attac& by the fact of his
e,istence#"
There is here a co%plete analogy bet$een the 5e$ish 7roble% and the proble% of
the Untouchables# -hat 7addy is to the Scotch Terrier) the "entile is to the 5e$s)
and the 0indu is to the Untouchables# <ut there is one aspect in $hich the 5e$ish
7roble% stands in contrast to the "entile 7roble%# The 5e$s and the "entiles are
separated by an antagonis% of the creeds# The 5e$ish creed is opposed to that of
the "entile creed# The 0indus and the Untouchables are not separated by any such
antagonis%# They ha'e a co%%on creed and obser'e the sa%e cults#
The second e,planation is that the 5e$s $ish to re%ain separate fro% the
"entiles# -hile the first e,planation is chau'inistic the second see%s to be founded
on historical truth# Many atte%pts ha'e been %ade in the past by the "entiles to
assi%ilate the 5e$s# <ut the 5e$s ha'e al$ays resisted the%# T$o instances of this
%ay be referred#
The first instance relates to the 2apoleonic regi%e# 8fter the 2ational 8sse%bly of
=rance had agreed to the declaration of the ! >ights of %an ! to the 5e$s) the 5e$ish
3uestion $as again reopened by the guild %erchants and religious reactionaries of
8lsace# 2apoleon resol'ed to sub%it the 3uestion to the consideration of the 5e$s
the%sel'es# 0e con'ened an 8sse%bly of 5e$ish 2otables of =rance) "er%any and
taly in order to ascertain $hether the principles of 5udais% $ere co%patible $ith the
re3uire%ents of citi?enship as he $ished to fuse the 5e$ish ele%ent $ith the
do%inant population# The 8sse%bly consisting of deputies) %et in the To$n 0all
of 7aris on the 2@th of 5uly *80A) and $as re3uired to fra%e replies to t$el'e
3uestions relating %ainly to the possibility of 5e$ish patriotis%) the per%issibility of
inter-%arriage bet$een 5e$ and 2on-5e$) and the legality of usury# So pleased $as
2apoleon $ith the pronounce%ents of the 8sse%bly that he su%%oned a Sanhedrin
after the %odel of the ancient council of 5erusale% to con'ert the% into the decree
of a /egislati'e body# The Sanhedrin) co%prising of B* deputies fro% =rance)
"er%any) 0olland and taly %et under the presidency of >abbi Sin?hei%) of
Strassburg on Cth =ebruary *80B) and adopted a sort of Charter $hich e,horted the
5e$s to loo& upon =rance as their fatherland) to regard its citi?ens as their brethren)
and to spea& its language) and $hich also pressed toleration of %arriages bet$een
5e$s and Christians $hile declaring that they could not be sanctioned by the
synagogue# t $ill be noted that the 5e$s refused to sanction inter%arriages bet$een
5e$s and non-5e$s# They only agreed to tolerate the%#
The second instance relates to $hat happened $hen the <ata'ian >epublic $as
established in *BC@# The %ore energetic %e%bers of the 5e$ish co%%unity pressed
for a re%o'al of the %any disabilities under $hich they laboured# <ut the de%and for
the fuller rights of citi?enship %ade by the progressi'e 5e$s $as at first) strangely
enough) opposed by the leaders of the 8%sterda% co%%unity) $ho feared that ci'il
e3uality $ould %ilitate against the conser'ation of 5udais% and declared that their
co-religionists renounced their rights of citi?enship in obedience to the dictates of
their faith# This sho$s that the 5e$s preferred to li'e- as strangers rather than as
%e%bers of the co%%unity#
-hate'er the 'alue of their e,planations the "entiles ha'e at least reali?ed that
there rests upon the% a responsibility to sho$ cause for their unnatural attitude
to$ards the 5e$s# The 0indu has ne'er realised this responsibility of 1ustifying his
treat%ent of the Untouchables# The responsibility of the 0indus is %uch greater
because there is no plausible e,planation he can offer in 1ustification of
untouchability# 0e cannot say that the Untouchable is a leper or a %ortal $retch $ho
%ust be shunned# 0e cannot say that bet$een hi% and the Untouchables) there is a
gulf due to religious antagonis% $hich is not possible to bridge# 2or can he plead
that it is the Untouchable $ho does not $ish to assi%ilate $ith the 0indus#
<ut that is not the case $ith the Untouchables# They too are in a different sense an
eternal people $ho are separate fro% the rest# <ut this separateness) their
segregation is not the result of their $ish# They are punished not because they do
not $ant to %i,# They are punished because they $ant to be one $ith the 0indus# n
other $ords) though the proble% of the 5e$s and of the Untouchables is si%ilar in
nature: inas%uch as the proble% is created by others:it is essentially different#
The 5e$!s case is one of the 'oluntary isolation# The case of the Untouchables is
that of co%pulsory segregation# Untouchability is an infliction and not a choice#

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U+T,UC-'./0"T-0I( +U4.0("
<efore one tries to &no$ $hat it is to be an Untouchable one $ould li&e to &no$
$hat is the total population of the Untouchables of ndia# =or this one %ust go to the
Census >eport#
The first general census of ndia $as ta&en in the year *88*# <eyond listing the
different castes and creeds and adding up their nu%bers so as to arri'e at the total
figure of the population of ndia the Census of *88* did nothing# t %ade no atte%pt
to classify the different 0indu castes either into higher and lo$er or touchable and
untouchable# The second general census of ndia $as ta&en in the year *8C*# t $as
at this census that an atte%pt to classify the population on the basis of caste and
race and grade $as %ade by the Census Co%%issioner for the first ti%e# <ut it $as
only an atte%pt#
The third general census of ndia $as ta&en in *C0*# 8t this census a ne$ principle
of classification $as adopted na%ely " Classification by Social precedence as
recognised by nati'e public opinion"# To this serious opposition $as raised by high
caste 0indus to the enu%eration by caste in the Census >eport# They insisted on
the o%ission of the 3uestion regarding caste#
This ob1ection did not ha'e any effect on the Census Co%%issioner# n the opinion
of the Census Co%%issioner enu%eration by caste $as i%portant and necessary# t
$as argued by the Census Co%%issioner that " $hate'er 'ie$ %ay be ta&en of the
ad'antages or disad'antages of caste as a social institution) it is i%possible to
concei'e of any useful discussion of the population 3uestions in ndia in $hich caste
$ould not be an i%portant ele%ent# Caste is still !the foundation of the ndian social
fabric! and the record of caste is still !the best guide to the changes in the 'arious
social strata in the ndian Society! +'ery 0indu (using the ter% in its %ost elastic
sense) is born into a caste and his caste deter%ines his religious) social) econo%ic
and do%estic life fro% the cradle to the gra'e# n $estern countries the %a1or factors
$hich deter%ine the different strata of society 'i?# $ealth) education and 'ocation
are fluid and catholic and tend to %odify the rigidity of birth and hereditary position#
n ndia spiritual and social co%%unity and traditional occupation o'erride all other
factors# Thus $here in censuses of $estern countries an econo%ic or occupational
grouping of the population affords a basis for the co%bination of de%ographic
statistics) the corresponding basis in the case of the ndian population is the
distinction of religion and caste# -hate'er 'ie$ %ay be ta&en of caste as a national
and social institution it is useless to ignore it) and so long as caste continues to be
used as one of the distinguishing features of an indi'idual!s official and social identity
it cannot be clai%ed that a decinnial enu%eration helps to perpetuate an undesirable
institution#
This Census of *C0* did not result in fi,ing the total population of the
Untouchables at any e,act figure# This $as due to t$o reasons# n the first place no
e,act tests $ere applied to deter%ine $ho is an Untouchable# Secondly a class of
the population $hich $as econo%ically and educationally bac&$ard but not
Untouchable $as %i,ed up $ith those $ho $ere actually Untouchables#
The Census of *C** $ent a step further and actually laid do$n ten tests to %ar& off
the Untouchables fro% those $ho $ere Touchable# Under these tests the Census
Superintendents %ade a separate enu%eration of castes and tribes $ho (*) denied
the supre%acy of the <rah%ins9 (2) did not recei'e the Mantra fro% <rah%ana or
other recognised 0indu "uru9 (D) denied the authority of the Eedas9 (() did not
$orship the great 0indu "ods9 (@) $ere not ser'ed by good <rah%anas9 (A) ha'e no
<rah%in priests at all9 (B) ha'e no access to the interior of the ordinary 0indu
te%ple9 (8) cause pollution9 (C) bury their dead and (*0) eat beef and do not
re'erence the co$# The separation of the Untouchables fro% the 0indus $as
insisted upon by the Musli%s in a %e%orial to the "o'ern%ent dated 2Bth 5anuary
*C*0 in $hich they clai%ed that their representation in the political bodies of the
country should be in proportion to the population of Touchable 0indus and not
0indus as a $hole because they contended that the Untouchables $ere not 0indus#
<e that as it %ay the Census of *C** %ar&s the beginning of the ascertain%ent of
the population of the Untouchables# +fforts in the sa%e direction $ere continued at
the Census of *C2* and *CD*#
8s a result of these efforts the Si%on Co%%ission $hich ca%e to ndia in *CD0
$as able to state $ith so%e degree of surety that total population of Untouchables in
<ritish ndia $as ((#@ %illions#
Suddenly) ho$e'er) in *CD2 $hen the /othian Co%%ittee ca%e to ndia to
in'estigate the 3uestion of franchise for the refor%ed /egislatures and began its
in'estigation) the 0indus adopted a challenging %ood and refused to accept the
figure gi'en by the Si%on Co%%ittee as a true figure of the Untouchables of ndia# n
so%e pro'inces the 0indus $ent to the length of denying that there $ere any
Untouchables at all# This is due to the fact that the 0indus had by no$ realised the
danger of ad%itting the e,istence of the Untouchables# =or it %eant that a part of the
representation en1oyed by the 0indus $ill ha'e to be gi'en up by the% to the
Untouchables#
The Census of *C(* %ust be left out of consideration# t $as ta&en during the $ar
and it $as a sort of a rough %easure#
The latest Census is that of *C@*# The follo$ing figures are ta&en fro% the
state%ent issued by the Census Co%%issioner# The Census Co%%issioner gi'es
the population of the Scheduled Castes in ndia as @*D la&hs#
The total population of ndia) as sho$n by the *C@* census is D)@AB la&hs)
e,cluding *#D@ la&hs) the enu%eration records in $hose case $ere destroyed by fire
in the Census Tabulation .ffice at 5ullundur#
.ut of the total population of D)@AB la&hs) 2)C(C la&hs li'e in rural areas and A*8
la&hs in the urban areas# The Scheduled Castes in rural areas total (A2 la&hs and in
urban areas their figures are @* la&hs#
2on-agricultural classes for the $hole population total *)0BA la&hs) the Scheduled
Castes *D2 la&hs#
Culti'ators of land) $holly or %ainly o$ned) and their dependants total *)AB( la&hs
for the $hole population) *B( la&hs for the Scheduled Castes#
Culti'ators of land) $holly or %ainly un-o$ned and their dependants are D*A la&hs
for the $hole of ndia) @A la&hs for the Scheduled Castes#
Culti'ating labourers and their dependants are ((8 la&hs for the $hole of ndia)
*(8 la&hs for the Scheduled Castes# =igures for non-agricultural classes are as
follo$s6
7roduction other than Culti'ation6 Total DBB la&hs# Scheduled Castes @D la&hs#
Co%%erce6 Total 2*D la&hs# Scheduled Castes C la&hs# Transport6 Total @A la&hs#
Scheduled Castes A la&hs# .ther ser'ices and %iscellaneous sources6 Total (D0
la&hs) Scheduled Castes A( la&hs#
.ut of a total Scheduled Caste population of o'er @*D la&hs) **( la&hs li'e in
2orth ndia (Uttar 7radesh)9 *28 la&hs in +ast ndia (<ihar) .rissa) -est <engal)
8ssa%) Manipur and Tripura)9 **0 la&hs in South ndia (Madras) Mysore)
Tra'ancore-Cochin and Coorg)9 D* la&hs in -est ndia (<o%bay) Saurashtra and
Futch)9 BA la&hs in Central ndia (Madhya 7radesh) Madhya <harat) 0yderabad)
<hopal and Eindhya 7radesh)9 and @2 la&hs in 2orth--est ndia (>a1asthan) 7un1ab)
7atiala and +ast 7un1ab States Union) 81%er) ;elhi) <ilaspur and 0i%achal
7radesh)#

C-'PT0( !
"/'*0" '+1 U+T,UC-'./0"

=ar fro% being asha%ed of untouchability) the 0indus try to defend it# The line of
their defence is that the 0indus ha'e ne'er upheld sla'ery as other nations ha'e
done and that in any case) untouchability is not $orse than sla'ery# This argu%ent
$as used by no less a person than the late /ala /a1pat >ai in his boo& called !
Unhappy ndia !# t $ould ha'e been unnecessary to $aste one!s ti%e in refuting this
countercharge had it not been that on account of its plausibility the $orld at large not
ha'ing $itnessed anything $orse than sla'ery is li&ely to belie'e that untouchability
cannot be $orse than sla'ery#
The first reply to the counter-charge is that it is 3uite untrue that sla'ery $as not
recognised by the 0indus# Sla'ery is a 'ery ancient institution of the 0indus# t is
recognised by Manu) the 0indu la$gi'er and has been elaborated and syste%atised
by the other S%riti $riters $ho follo$ed Manu# Sla'ery a%ong the 0indus $as ne'er
%erely ancient institution) $hich functioned) only in so%e hoary past# t $as an
institution $hich continued throughout ndian history do$n to the year *8(D and if it
had not been abolished by the <ritish "o'ern%ent by la$ in that year) it %ight ha'e
continued e'en today#
8s to the relati'e %erits of sla'ery and untouchability) the best $ay to %eet the
counter-charge is to co%pare and contrast untouchability $ith sla'ery as it e,isted in
ancient >o%e and in %odern 8%erica#
-hat $as the de facto condition of the sla'es in the >o%an +%pire4 The best
description &no$ of is to be found in Mr# <arro$!s Slavery in the Roman Empire.
Says
!
Mr# <arro$6
" 0itherto) it is the repulsi'e side of household sla'ery that has been s&etched#
There is also another aspect# The literature re'eals the 'ast household as nor%al# t
is) of course) the e,ception# /arge sla'e staffs undoubtedly e,isted) and they are
generally to be found in >o%e# n taly and the 7ro'inces there $as less need of
display9 %any of the staff of the Eilla $ere engaged in producti'e $or& connected
$ith land and its produce# The old-fashioned relationship bet$een fore%an and
sla'e re%ained there9 the sla'e $as often a fello$ $or&er# The &indliness of 7liny
to$ards his staff is $ell &no$n# t is in no spirit of self-righteousness) and in no $ish
to appear in a fa'ourable light in the eyes of the future generations $hich he hoped
$ould read his letters that he tells of his distress at the illness and death of his
sla'es# The household (or 7liny) is the sla'es! republic# 7liny!s account of his
treat%ent of his sla'es is so%eti%es regarded as so %uch in ad'ance of general or
e'en occasional practice as to be 'alueless as e'idence# There is no reason for this
attitude#
=ro% reasons both of display and genuine literary interest) the rich fa%ilies
attached to their households) sla'es trained in literature and art# Cla'isices Sabinus
is said by Seneda to ha'e had ele'en sla'es taught to recite 0o%er) 0esioid) and
nine lyric poets by heart# ! <oo& cases $ould be cheaper !) said a rude friend# ! 2o)
$hat the household &no$s the %aster &no$s ! $as the ans$er# <ut) apart fro% such
abuses) educated sla'es %ust ha'e been a necessity in the absence of printing9## ##
The busy la$yer) the dilettante poet) the philosopher and educated gentle%en of
literary tastes and need of copyists and readers and secretaries# Such %en $ere
naturally linguistic also9 a librarius $ho dies at the age of t$enty boasts that he $as !
literatus "raecis /atinis !# Amanuenses $ere co%%on enough9 librarians are to be
found in public and pri'ate libraries#### Shorthand $riting $as in co%%on use under
the +%pire) and sla'e Notarii $ere regularly e%ployed# Many free%en) rhetoricians
and gra%%arians are collected by Snetonius in a special treatise# Eerrius =laccus
$as tutor to 8ustus!s grandsons) and at death $as publicly honoured by a statue#
Scribonius 8phrodisius $as the sla'e and disciple of .rbilius and $as after$ards
freed by Scribenia# 0yginus $as librarian of the 7alatine /ibrary) in $hich office he
$as follo$ed by 5ulius Modestus) his o$n free%an# -e hear of free%en historians of
a sla'e philosopher $ho $as encouraged to argue $ith his %aster) friends of sla'es
and freed architects# =ree%en as doctors occur fre3uently in the inscriptions) so%e
of the% specialists) they had been trained in big households as sla'es) as is sho$n
by one or t$o e,a%ples9 after Manu%ission they rose to e%inence and beca%e
notorious for their high fees#"! The tastes of so%e section of society de%anded that
dancer) singers) %usicians) %ounteban&s) 'ariety artists) athletic trainers and
%essieurs should be forthco%ing# 8ll these are to be found in sla'ery often trained
by teachers $ho had ac3uired so%e reputationGf*H# !
The age of 8ugustus $as the beginning of a period of co%%ercial and industrial
e,pansion#### Sla'es had indeed been e%ployed (in arts and crafts) before) but the
sudden gro$th of trade#### their e%ploy%ent in nu%bers that $ould other$ise ha'e
been unnecessary# >o%ans engaged %ore freely and %ore openly in 'arious for%s
of co%%ercial and industrial 'enture# Iet) e'en so) the agent beca%e %ore
i%portant) for co%%ercial acti'ities beca%e %ore $idespread9 and such agents
$ere al%ost necessarily sla'es#### (this is so) because the bonds of sla'ery (are
elastic)# (They could be) so rela,ed as to offer an incenti'e to the sla'e to $or& by
the prospect of $ealth and freedo%) and so tightened as to pro'ide a guarantee to
the %aster against loss fro% the %isconduct of his sla'e# n business contracts
bet$een sla'e and %aster or third person see% to ha'e been co%%on) and the
$or& thus done) and no doubt) the profits $ere considerable#### >enting of land to the
sla'e has already been noticed#### and in industry %uch the sa%e syste% $as used
in 'arious for%s9 the %aster %ight lease a ban&) or a business of the use of a ship)
the ter%s being a fi,ed return or the sla'e being paid on a co%%ission basisGf2H#
The earnings of the sla'e beca%e in la$ his peculiu% $as sa'ed it %ight be used
to a 'ariety of purpose# 2o doubt in %any cases this fund $as e,pended in pro'iding
food or pleasure# <ut peculiu% %ust not be regarded %erely as petty sa'ings)
casually earned and idly spent# The sla'e $ho %ade his %aster!s business yield
profits) to his o$n profit too) 'ery often) had a &een sense of the best use to %a&e up
his o$n %oney# .ften he rein'ested it in his %aster!s business or in enterprises
entirely unrelated to it# 0e could enter into business relations $ith his %aster) fro%
$ho% he ca%e to be regarded as entirely distinct) or he could %a&e contracts $ith a
third person# 0e could e'en ha'e procurators to %anage his o$n property and
interests# 8nd so $ith the peculiu% %ay be found not only land) houses) shops) but
rights and clai%s#
The acti'ities of sla'es in co%%erce are innu%erable9 nu%bers of the% are
shop&eepers selling e'ery 'ariety of food) bread) %eat) salt) fish) $ine) 'egetables)
beans) lupine-seed) honey) curd) ha%) duc&s and fresh fish9 others deal in clothing:
sandals) shoes) go$ns and %antles# n >o%e) they plied their trade in the
neighbourhood of the Circus Ma%i%us) or the 7orticus Trige%i%us9 or the +s3uiline
Mar&et) or the "reat Mart (on the Caolian 0ill) or the Suburra
GfDH
####
The e,tent to $hich sla'e secretaries and agents acted for their %asters is sho$n
'ery clearly in the receipts found in the house of Caecillius 5ucundus at 7o%pei
Gf(H
#
That the State should possess sla'es is not surprising9 $ar) after all) $as the affair
of the State and the capti'e %ight $ell be State-property# -hat is surprising is the
re%ar&able use %ade of public sla'es under the +%pire and the e,traordinary social
position occupied by the%####
" ! 7ublic sla'e ! ca%e to %ean before the +%pire a sla'e of the State e%ployed in
its %any offices) and the ter% i%plied a gi'en occupation and often social position#
The $or& of sla'es of the State) sla'es of the to$nships) and sla'es of Caesar
co%prises %uch of $hat $ould no$ fall to parts of the higher and the $hole of the
lo$er branches of the ci'il ser'ices and of the ser'ants of Municipal Corporations)
$or&ing both $ith head and hands#### n the subordinate le'els (of the Treasury)
there $or&ed nu%bers of cler&s and financial officers) all freed%en and sla'es# The
business dealt $ith %ust ha'e been of 'ast range#### The Mint## ## the i%%ediate
head $as a &night) in charge of the %inting processes#### a freed%an $as placed9
under hi% ser'ed freed%en and sla'es#### =ro% one branch of State ser'ice) at any
rate) sla'es $ere rigorously e,cluded) e,cept on one or t$o occasions of e,ceptional
stress# They $ere not allo$ed to fight in the 8r%y because not thought $orthy of
honour# ;oubtless other %oti'es $ere present also9 it $ould be dangerous
e,peri%ent to train too %any sla'es syste%atically in the use of 8r%s# f) ho$e'er)
sla'es ser'ed rarely in the fighting line) they are regularly to be found in great
nu%bers behind it e%ployed as ser'ants) and in the co%%issariat and transport# n
the fleet sla'es $ere co%%on enough
Gf@H
#"

/et us turn to the de facto position of the 2egro in the United States during the
period in $hich he $as sla'e in the eye of the la$# 0ere are so%e facts
GfAH
$hich shed
a good deal of light on his position6
" /afayette hi%self had obser'ed that $hite and blac& sea%en and soldiers had
fought and %essed together in the >e'olution $ithout bitter difference# ;o$n in
"ran'ille County) 2orth Carolina) a full blooded 2egro) 5ohn Cha'is) educated in
7rinceton Uni'ersity) $as conducting a pri'ate school for $hite students and $as a
licentiate under the local 7resbytery) preaching to $hite congregations in the State#
.ne of his pupils beca%e "o'ernor of 2orth Carolina) another the State!s %ost
pro%inent -hig senator# T$o of his pupils $ere sons of the Chief 5ustice of 2orth
Carolina# The father of the founder of the greatest %ilitary 8cade%y of the State
attended his school and boarded in his ho%e # ## ## Sla'e labour $as used for all
&inds of $or& and the %ore intelligent of the 2egro sla'es $ere trained as artisans to
be used and leased# Sla'e artisans $ould bring t$ice as %uch as an ordinary field
hand in the %ar&et# Master crafts%en o$ned their staff# So%e %asters) as the
syste% beca%e %ore in'ol'ed) hired sla'es to their sla'e artisans# Many sla'e
artisans purchased their freedo% by the sa'ings allo$ed the% abo'e the nor%al
labour e,pected#"
" The ad'ertise%ents for runa$ays and sales are an inde, to this s&ill# They
recei'ed the sa%e or better $ages than the poor $hite labourer and $ith the
influence of the %aster got the best 1obs# The Contractors for %asons! and
carpenters! $or& in 8thens) "eorgia in *8D8 $ere petitioned to stop sho$ing
preference to 2egro labourers# " The $hite %an is the only real) legal) %oral) and
ci'il proprietor of this country and state# The right of his proprietorship reached fro%
the date of the studies of those $hite%en) Copernicus and "alileo) $ho indicated
the sphericity of the earth9 $hich sphericity hinted to another $hite %an) Colu%bus)
the possibility by a $esterly course of sailing) of finding land# 0ence by $hite%en
alone $as this continent disco'ered) the $hite%en alone) aye) those to $ho% you
decline to gi'e %oney for bread or clothes for their fa%ishing fa%ilies) in the logical
%anner of $ithholding $or& fro% the% defending 2egroes too in the bargain#" n
8tlanta in *8@8 a petition signed by 2 $hite %echanics and labourers sought
protection against the blac& sla'e artisans of %asters $ho resided in other sections#
The 'ery ne,t year sundry $hite citi?ens $ere aggrie'ed that the City Council
tolerated a 2egro dentist to re%ain and operate in their %idst# ! n 1ustice to
oursel'es and the co%%unity it ought to be abated# -e) the residents of 8tlanta)
appeal to you for 1ustice !# 8 Census of free 2egroes in >ich%ond County) "eorgia)
in *8*C sho$ed carpenters) barbers) boatcor&ers) saddlers) spinners) %ill$rights)
holsters) $ea'ers) harness %a&ers) sa$%ill attendants and stea%boat pilots# 8
2egro shoe-%a&er %ade by hand the boots in $hich 7resident Munro$ $as
inaugurated# 0arriet Martineau %ar'elled at the sla'e $or&%anship in the delicately
tiled floors of Tho%as 5efferson!s ho%e at Monticello# There still stands in the big
house of the old plantation) hea'y %ar&s of the hands of these 2egro crafts%en)
strong %ansions built of ti%ber he$n fro% the original oa& and pinned together by
$ooden pins# 2egro $o%en s&illed in spinning and $ea'ing $or&ed in the %ills#
<uc&ingha% in *8DC found the% in 8thens) "eorgia) $or&ing alongside $ith $hite
girls $ithout apparent repugnance or ob1ection# 2egro crafts%en in the South) sla'e
and free fared better than their brothers in the 2orth# n *8@A in 7hiladelphia) of *ADB
2egro crafts%en recorded) less than t$o-thirds could use their trades9 !because of
hostile pre1udice !# The rish $ho $ere pouring into 8%erica fro% the 'ery beginning
of the nineteenth century $ere being used in the 2orth on appro,i%ately the sa%e
%oti'es of preference) $hich go'erned 2egro sla'ery# ! 8n rish Catholic) it $as
argued in their fa'our) seldo% atte%pts to rise to a higher condition than that in
$hich he is placed) $hile the 2egro often %a&es the atte%pt $ith success# 0ad not
the old 7uritan .li'er Cro%$ell) $hile the traffic in blac& sla'es $as on) sold all the
rish not &illed in the ;rogheda Massacre) into <arbados4 =ree and fugiti'e 2egroes
in 2e$ Ior& and 7ennsyl'ania $ere in constant conflict $ith this group and the bitter
hostility sho$ed itself %ost 'iolently in the draft riots of the 2e$ Ior&# These
0ibernians controlled the hod carrying and the co%%on labour 1obs) opposing e'ery
approach of the 2egro as a %enace to their slight hold upon 8%erica and upon a
%eans of li'elihood#"

ll

Such $as the de facto condition of the >o%an sla'e and the 8%erican 2egro
sla'e# s there anything in the condition of the Untouchables of ndia $hich is
co%parable $ith the condition of the >o%an sla'e and the 8%erican 2egro sla'e4 t
$ould not be unfair to ta&e the sa%e period of ti%e for co%paring the condition of
the Untouchables $ith that of the sla'es under the >o%an +%pire# <ut a%
prepared to allo$ the co%parison of the condition of the sla'es in the >o%an +%pire
to be %ade $ith the condition of the Untouchables of the present day# t is a
co%parison bet$een the $orst of one side and the best of the other) for the present
ti%es are supposed to be the golden age for the Untouchables# 0o$ does the de
facto condition of the Untouchables co%pare $ith the de facto condition of the
sla'es4 0o$ %any Untouchables are engaged as the sla'es in >o%e $ere) in
professions such as those of /ibrarians) 8%anuenses) Shorthand $riters4
0o$ %any Untouchables are engaged) as the sla'es in >o%e $ere) in such
intellectual occupations as those of rhetoricians) gra%%arians) philosophers) tutors)
doctors and artists4 0o$ %any Untouchables are engaged) as the sla'es in >o%e4
Can any 0indu dare to gi'e an affir%ati'e ans$er to anyone of these 3ueries4 The
Untouchables are co%pletely shut out fro% any of these a'enues in $hich the sla'es
found so large a place# This pro'es ho$ futile is the line of defence adopted by the
0indus to 1ustify untouchability# The pity of the %atter is that %ost people conde%n
sla'ery si%ply because they hold that for one %an or class to ha'e by la$ the po$er
of life and death o'er another is $rong# They forget that there can be cruel
oppression) tyranny) and persecution) $ith the train of %isery) disappoint%ent and
desperation e'en $hen there is no sla'ery# Those $ho $ill ta&e note of the facts
stated abo'e relating to the de facto condition of the sla'es $ill ad%it that it is idle to
conde%n sla'ery lightly or hurriedly on the %ere de jure conception of it# -hat the
la$ per%its is not al$ays e'idence of the practices pre'alent in society# Many a
sla'e $ould readily ha'e ad%itted that they o$ed e'erything to sla'ery) and %any
did so $hether they $ould ha'e ad%itted it or not#
Sla'ery) it %ust be ad%itted) is not a free social order# <ut can untouchability be
described as a free social order4 The 0indus $ho ca%e for$ard to defend
untouchability no doubt clai% that it is# They) ho$e'er) forget that there are
differences bet$een untouchability and sla'ery) $hich %a&es untouchability a $orse
type of an un-free social order# Sla'ery $as ne'er obligatory# <ut untouchability is
obligatory# 8 person is permitted to hold another as his sla'e# There is no co%pulsion
on hi% if he does not $ant to# <ut an Untouchable has no option# .nce he is born an
Untouchable) he is sub1ect to all the disabilities of an Untouchable# The la$ of
sla'ery per%itted e%ancipation# .nce a sla'e al$ays a sla'e $as not the fate of the
sla'e# n untouchability there is no escape# .nce an Untouchable al$ays an
Untouchable# The other difference is that untouchability is an indirect and therefore
the $orst for% of sla'ery# 8 depri'ation of a %an!s freedo% by an open and direct
$ay is a preferable for% of ensla'e%ent# t %a&es the sla'e conscious of his
ensla'e%ent and to beco%e conscious of sla'ery is the first and %ost i%portant step
in the battle for freedo%# <ut if a %an is depri'ed of his liberty indirectly he has no
consciousness of his ensla'e%ent# Untouchability is an indirect for% of sla'ery# To
tell an Untouchable !you are free) you are a citi?en) you ha'e all the rights of a
citi?en !) and to tighten the rope in such a $ay as to lea'e hi% no opportunity to
realise the ideal is a cruel deception# t is ensla'e%ent $ithout %a&ing the
Untouchables conscious of their ensla'e%ent# t is sla'ery though it is untouchability#
t is real though it is indirect# t is enduring because it is unconscious# .f the t$o
orders) untouchability is beyond doubt the $orse#
2either sla'ery nor untouchability is a free social order# <ut if a distinction is to be
%ade:and there is no doubt that there is distinction bet$een the t$o:the test is
$hether education) 'irtue) happiness) culture) and $ealth is possible $ithin sla'ery
or $ithin untouchability# 5udged by this test it is beyond contro'ersy that sla'ery is
hundred ti%es better than untouchability# n sla'ery there is roo% for education)
'irtue) happiness) culture) or $ealth# n untouchability there is none# Untouchability
has none of the ad'antages of an un-free social order such as sla'ery# t has all the
disad'antages of a free social order# n an un-free social order such as sla'ery there
is the ad'antage of apprenticeship in a business) craft or art or $hat 7rof# Mures
calls !an initiation into a higher culture !# 2either the crushing of untouchability nor the
refusal of personal gro$th $as necessary inherent in sla'ery) especially sla'ery as it
e,isted in >o%an +%pire# t is therefore o'er hasty to say that sla'ery is better than
untouchability#
This training) this initiation of culture $as undoubtedly a great benefit to the sla'e#
+3ually it in'ol'ed considerable cost to the %aster to train his sla'e) to initiate hi%
into culture# !There can ha'e been little supply of sla'es educated or trained before
ensla'e%ent# The alternati'e $as to train the% $hen young sla'es in do%estic $or&
or in s&illed craft) as $as indeed done to so%e e,tent before the +%pire) by Cato)
the +lder) for e,a%ple# The training $as done by his o$ner and his e,isting staff####
indeed the household of the rich contained special pedagogue for this purpose#
Such training too& %any for%s) industry) trade) arts and letters !#
The reason $hy the %aster too& so %uch trouble to train the sla'e and to initiate
hi% in the higher for%s of labour and culture $as undoubtedly the %oti'e of gain# 8
s&illed sla'e as an ite% $as %ore 'aluable than an uns&illed sla'e# f sold) he $ould
fetch better price) if hired out he $ould bring in %ore $ages# t $as therefore an
in'est%ent to the o$ner to train his sla'e#
n an un-free social order) such as sla'ery) the duty to %aintain the sla'e in life and
the body falls upon the %aster# The sla'e $as relie'ed of all responsibility in respect
of his food) his clothes and his shelter# 8ll this) the %aster $as bound to pro'ide#
This $as) of course) no burden because the sla'e earned %ore than his &eep# <ut a
security for boarding and lodging is not al$ays possible for e'ery free%an) as all
$age earners no$ &no$ to their cost# -or& is not al$ays a'ailable e'en to those
$ho are ready to toil and a $or&%an cannot escape the rule according to $hich he
gets no bread if he finds no $or&# This rule:no $or& no bread:has no applicability
to the sla'e# t is the duty of the %aster to find bread and also to find $or&# f the
%aster fails to find $or&) the sla'e does not forfeit his right to bread# The ebbs and
tides of business) the boo%s and depressions are 'icissitudes through $hich all free
$age earners ha'e to go# <ut they do not affect the sla'e# They %ay affect his
%aster# <ut the sla'e is free fro% the%# 0e gets his bread) perhaps the sa%e bread)
but bread $hether it is boo% or $hether it is depression#
n an un-free social order) such as sla'ery) the %aster is bound to ta&e great care
of the health and $ell being of the sla'e6 The sla'e $as property of the %aster# <ut
this 'ery disad'antage ga'e the sla'e an ad'antage o'er a free%an# <eing property
and therefore 'aluable) the %aster for sheer self-interest too& great care of the
health and $ell-being of the sla'e n >o%e) the sla'es $ere ne'er e%ployed on
%arshy and %alarial land# .n such a land only free%en $ere e%ployed# Cato
ad'ises >o%an far%ers ne'er to e%ploy sla'es on %arshy and %alarial land# This
see%s strange# <ut a little e,a%ination $ill sho$ that this $as 3uite natural# Sla'e
$as 'aluable property and as such a prudent %an $ho &no$s his interest $ill not
e,pose his 'aluable possession to the ra'ages of %alaria# The sa%e care need not
be ta&en in the case of free%an because he is not 'aluable property# This
consideration resulted into the great ad'antage of the sla'e# 0e $as cared for as no
one $as#
Untouchability has none of the three ad'antages of the un-free social order
%entioned abo'e# The Untouchable has no entry in the higher arts of ci'ilisation and
no $ay open to a life of culture# 0e %ust only s$eep# 0e %ust do nothing else#
Untouchability carries no security as to li'elihood# 2one fro% the 0indus is
responsible for the feeding) housing and clothing of the Untouchable# The health of
the Untouchable is the care of nobody# ndeed) the death of an Untouchable is
regarded as a good riddance# There is a 0indu pro'erb) $hich says !The
Untouchable is dead and the fear of pollution has 'anished !#
.n the other hand) untouchability has all the disad'antages of a free social order#
n a free social order the responsibility for sur'i'al in the struggle for e,istence lies
on the indi'idual# This responsibility is one of the greatest disad'antages of a free
social order# -hether an indi'idual is able to carry out this responsibility depends
upon fair start) e3ual opportunity and s3uare deal# The Untouchable) $hile he is a
free indi'idual) had neither fair start) nor e3ual opportunity nor s3uare deal# =ro%
this point of 'ie$) untouchability is not only $orse than sla'ery but is positi'ely cruel
as co%pared to sla'ery# n sla'ery) the %aster has the obligation to find $or& for the
sla'e# n a syste% of free labour $or&ers ha'e to co%pete $ith $or&ers for obtaining
$or&# n this scra%ble for $or& $hat chances has the Untouchable for a fair deal4 To
put it shortly) in this co%petition $ith the scales al$ays $eighing against hi% by
reason of his social stig%a he is the last to be e%ployed and the first to be fired#
Untouchability is cruelty as co%pared to sla'ery because it thro$s upon the
Untouchables the responsibility for %aintaining hi%self $ithout opening to hi% fully
all the $ays of earning a li'ing#
To su% up) the Untouchables unli&e the sla'es are o$ned by the 0indus for
purposes $hich further their interests and are diso$ned by the%) $hen o$ning the%
places the% under burden# The Untouchables can clai% none of the ad'antages of
an un-free social order and are left to bear all the disad'antages of a free social
order#
C-'PT0( $

T-0 I+1I'+ G-0TT,T-0 C0+T(0 ,2 U+T,UC-'.I/IT3:
,utside the 2old

-hat is the position of the Untouchables under the 0indu social order4 To gi'e a
true idea of their position is the %ain purpose of this chapter# <ut it is not easy to
stri&e upon the best %eans of con'eying a realistic and concrete picture of the $ay
the Untouchables li'e or rather are %ade to li'e under the 0indu social order to one
$ho has no conception of it# .ne $ay is to dra$ a %odel plant so to say of the 0indu
social order and sho$ the place gi'en to the Untouchables therein# =or this it is
necessary to go to a 0indu 'illage# 2othing can ser'e our purpose better# The 0indu
'illage is a $or&ing plant of the 0indu social order# .ne can see there the 0indu
social order in operation in full s$ing# The a'erage 0indu is al$ays in ecstasy
$hene'er he spea&s of the ndian 'illage# 0e regards it as an ideal for% of social
organisation to $hich he belie'es there is no parallel any$here in the $orld# t is
clai%ed to be a special contribution to the theory of social organisation for $hich
ndia %ay $ell be proud of#
0o$ fanatic are the 0indus in their belief in the ndian 'illage as an ideal piece of
social organisation %ay be seen fro% the angry speeches %ade by the 0indu
%e%bers of the ndian Constituent 8sse%bly in support of the contention that the
ndian Constitution should recognise the ndian 'illage as its base of the
constitutional pyra%id of autono%ous ad%inistrati'e units $ith its o$n legislature)
e,ecuti'e and 1udiciary# =ro% the point of 'ie$ of the Untouchables) there could not
ha'e been a greater cala%ity# Than& "od the Constituent 8sse%bly did not adopt it#
2e'ertheless the 0indus persist in their belief that the ndian 'illage is an ideal for%
of social organisation# This belief of the 0indus is not ancestral belief) nor does it
co%e fro% the ancient past# t is borro$ed fro% Sir Charles Metcalfe:a ci'il ser'ant
of the +ast ndia Co%pany# Metcalfe) $ho $as a re'enue officer) in one of his
>e'enue 7apers described the ndian 'illage in the follo$ing ter%sGfBH6
"The 'illage co%%unities are little republics) ha'ing nearly e'erything they $ant
$ithin the%sel'es and al%ost independent of any foreign relations# They see% to
last $hen nothing else lasts# ;ynasty after dynasty tu%bles do$n) re'olution
succeeds to re'olution9 0indu) 7athan) Moghul) Maratha) Si&h) +nglish) all are
%asters in turn) but the 'illage co%%unities re%ain the sa%e# n ti%es of trouble
they ar% and fortify the%sel'es# 8n hostile ar%y passes through the country) the
'illage co%%unities collect their cattle $ithin their $alls and let the ene%y pass
unpro'o&ed# f plunder and de'astation be directed against the% sel'es) and the
forces e%ployed be irresistible) they flee to friendly 'illages at a distance9 but $hen
the stor% has passed o'er) they return and resu%e their occupations# f a country
re%ains for a series of years the scene of continued pillage and %assacre so that
the 'illages cannot be inhabited) the scattered 'illagers ne'ertheless return
$hene'er the po$er of peaceable possession re'i'es# 8 generation %ay pass a$ay)
but the succeeding generation $ill return# The sons $ill ta&e the place of their
fathers9 the sa%e site for the 'illage) the sa%e position for their houses) the sa%e
lands $ill be reoccupied by the descendants of those $ho $ere dri'en out $hen the
'illage $as repopulated9 and it is not a trifling %atter that $ill dri'e the% out) for they
$ill often %aintain their post through ti%es of disturbances and con'ulsion) and
ac3uire strength sufficient to resist pillage and oppression $ith success# This union
of the 'illage co%%unities) each one for%ing a little state in itself) has) concei'e)
contributed %ore than any other cause to the preser'ation of the people of ndia)
through all the re'olutions and changes $hich they ha'e referred) and is in a high
degree conduci'e to their happiness and to the en1oy%ent of a great portion of
freedo% and independence#" 0a'ing read this description of an ndian 'illage gi'en
by a high-placed %e%ber of the go'erning class) the 0indus felt flattered and
adopted his 'ie$ as a $elco%e co%pli%ent# n adopting this 'ie$ of the ndian
'illage) the 0indus ha'e not done any 1ustice to their intelligence or their
understanding# They ha'e %erely e,hibited the $ea&ness co%%on to all sub1ect
people# Since %any foreigners are led to accept this idealistic 'ie$ of the ndian
'illage) it $ould be better to present a realistic picture of the Society as one finds it in
an ndian 'illage#
The ndian 'illage is not a single social unit# t consists of castes# <ut for our
purposes) it is enough to say:
*# The population in the 'illage is di'ided into t$o sections:() Touchables and (ii)
Untouchables#
# The Touchables for% the %a1or co%%unity and the Untouchables a %inor
co%%unity#
# The Touchables li'e inside the 'illage and the Untouchables li'e outside the
'illage in separate 3uarters#
E# +cono%ically) the Touchables for% a strong and po$erful co%%unity) $hile the
Untouchables are a poor and a dependent co%%unity#
E# Socially) the Touchables occupy the position of a ruling race) $hile the
Untouchables occupy the position of a sub1ect race of hereditary bonds%en#
-hat are the ter%s of associated life on $hich the Touchables and Untouchables
li'e in an ndian 'illage4 n e'ery 'illage the Touchables ha'e a code $hich the
Untouchables are re3uired to follo$# This code lays do$n the acts of o%issions and
co%%issions $hich the Touchables treat as offences# The follo$ing is the list of such
offences6
*# The Untouchables %ust li'e in separate 3uarters a$ay fro% the habitation of the
0indus# t is an offence for the Untouchables to brea& or e'ade the rule of
segregation#
2# The 3uarters of the Untouchables %ust be located to$ards the South) since the
South is the %ost inauspicious of the four directions# 8 breach of this rule shall be
dee%ed to be an offence#
D# The Untouchable %ust obser'e the rule of distance pollution or shado$ of
pollution as the case %ay be# t is an offence to brea& the rule#
(# t is an offence for a %e%ber of the Untouchable co%%unity to ac3uire $ealth)
such as land or cattle#
@# t is an offence for a %e%ber of the Untouchable co%%unity to build a house
$ith tiled roof#
A# t is an offence for a %e%ber of an Untouchable co%%unity to put on a clean
dress) $ear shoes) put on a $atch or gold orna%ents#
B# t is an offence for a %e%ber of the Untouchable co%%unity to gi'e high
sounding na%es to their children# Their na%es be such as to indicate conte%pt#
8# t is an offence for a %e%ber of the Untouchable co%%unity to sit on a chair in
the presence of a 0indu#
C# t is an offence for a %e%ber of the Untouchable co%%unity to ride on a horse
or a palan3uin through the 'illage#
*0# t is an offence for a %e%ber of the Untouchable co%%unity to ta&e a
procession of Untouchables through the 'illage#
**# t is an offence for a %e%ber of the Untouchable co%%unity not to salute a
0indu#
*2# t is an offence for a %e%ber of the Untouchable co%%unity to spea& a
cultured language#
*D# t is an offence for a %e%ber of the Untouchable co%%unity) if he happens to
co%e into the 'illage on a sacred day $hich the 0indus treat as the day of fast and
at or about the ti%e of the brea&ing of fast) to go about spea&ing) on the ground that
their breath is held to foul the air and the food of the 0indus#
*(# t is an offence for an Untouchable to $ear the out$ard %ar&s of a Touchable
and pass hi%self as a Touchable#
*@# 8n Untouchable %ust confor% to the status of an inferior and he %ust $ear the
%ar&s of his inferiority for the public to &no$ and identify hi% such as: (a) ha'ing a
conte%ptible na%e# (b) not $earing clean clothes# (c) not ha'ing tiled roof# (d) not
$earing sil'er and gold orna%ents# 8 contra'ention of any of these rules is an
offence# 2e,t co%e the duties $hich the Code re3uires %e%bers of the Untouchable
co%%unity to perfor% for the Touchables# Under this head the follo$ing %ay be
%entioned6
*# 8 %e%ber of an Untouchable co%%unity %ust carry a %essage of any e'ent in
the house of a 0indu such as death or %arriage to his relati'es li'ing in other
'illages no %atter ho$ distant these 'illages %ay be#
2# 8n Untouchable %ust $or& at the house of a 0indu $hen a %arriage is ta&ing
place) such as brea&ing fuel) and going on errands#
D# 8n Untouchable %ust acco%pany a 0indu girl $hen she is going fro% her
parent!s house to her husband!s 'illage no %atter ho$ distant it is#
(# -hen the $hole 'illage co%%unity is engaged in celebrating a general festi'ity
such as 0oli or ;asara) the Untouchables %ust perfor% all %enial acts $hich are
preli%inary to the %ain obser'ance#
@# .n certain festi'ities) the Untouchables %ust sub%it their $o%en to %e%bers of
the 'illage co%%unity to be %ade the sub1ect of indecent fun# These duties ha'e to
be perfor%ed $ithout re%uneration#
To realise the significance of these duties) it is i%portant to note $hy they ha'e
co%e into being# +'ery 0indu in the 'illage regards hi%self as a superior person
abo'e the Untouchables# 8s an o'erlord) he feels it absolutely essential to %aintain
his prestige# This prestige he cannot %aintain unless he has at his co%%and a
retinue to dance attendance on hi%# t is in the Untouchable that he finds a ready
retinue) $hich is at his co%%and and for $hich he does not ha'e to pay# The
Untouchables by reason of their helplessness cannot refuse to perfor% these duties
and the 0indu 'illager does not hesitate to e,act the% since they are so essential to
the %aintenance of his prestige#
These offences are not to be found in the 7enal Code) enacted by the <ritish
"o'ern%ent# 2onetheless so far as the Untouchables are concerned) they are real#
8 breach of any of the% in'ol'es sure punish%ent for the Untouchables# 0o$ they
are enforced $ill be clear fro% Chapter @ J A#
8nother i%portant thing to note is that the punish%ent for these offences is al$ays
collecti'e# The $hole co%%unity of Untouchables is liable for punish%ent though the
offence %ay ha'e been co%%itted by an indi'idual#
0o$ do the Untouchables li'e4 0o$ do they earn their li'ing4 -ithout a
&no$ledge of the $ays of earning a li'elihood $hich are open to the Untouchables it
$ould not be possible to ha'e a clear idea of their place in the 0indu Society#
n an agricultural country) agriculture can be the %ain source of li'ing# <ut this
source of earning a li'ing is generally not open to the Untouchables# This is so for a
'ariety of reasons# n the first place purchase of land is beyond their %eans#
Secondly e'en if an Untouchable has the %oney to purchase land he has no
opportunity to do so# n %ost parts the 0indus $ould resent an Untouchable co%ing
for$ard to purchase land and thereby trying to beco%e the e3ual of the Touchable
class of 0indus# Such an act of daring on the part of an Untouchable $ould not only
be fro$ned upon but %ight easily in'ite punish%ent# n so%e parts they are disabled
by la$ fro% purchasing land# =or instance in the 7ro'ince of 7un1ab there is a la$
called the /and 8lienation 8ct# This la$ specifies the co%%unities $hich can
purchase land and the Untouchables are e,cluded fro% the list# The result is that in
%ost part the Untouchables are forced to be landless labourers# 8s labourers they
cannot de%and reasonable $ages# They ha'e to $or& for the 0indu far%er for such
$ages as their %asters choose to gi'e# .n this issue the 0indu far%ers can
co%bine to &eep the $ages to the lo$est le'el possible for it is to their interests to do
so# .n the other hand the Untouchables ha'e no holding po$er# They %ust earn or
star'e# 2or ha'e they any bargaining po$er# They %ust sub%it to the rate fi,ed or
suffer 'iolence#
The $ages paid to the Untouchables are either paid in cash or in corn# n parts of
the Uttar 7radesh the corn gi'en to the Untouchables as their $ages is called "
"obaraha "# " "obaraha " %eans pri'y corn or corn contained in the dung of an
ani%al# n the %onth of March or 8pril $hen the crop is fully gro$n) reaped and
dried) it is spread on the threshing floor# <ulloc&s are %ade to tread o'er the corn in
order to ta&e the corn out of hus& by the pressure of their hoo'es# -hile treading
o'er the corn) the bulloc&s s$allo$ up the corn as $ell as the stra$# 8s their inta&e
is e,cessi'e they find it difficult to digest the corn# 2e,t day) the sa%e corn co%es
out of their sto%ach along $ith their dung6 The dung is strained and the corn is
separated and gi'en to the Untouchable $or&%en as their $ages $hich they con'ert
into flour and %a&e into bread#
-hen the agricultural season is o'er the Untouchables ha'e no e%ploy%ent and
no %eans of earning a li'ing# n such seasons they subsist by cutting grass and
fire$ood fro% the 1ungle and sell it in a nearby to$n# +'en $hen it is open it depends
upon the forest guard# .nly if he is bribed he $ill let the% ta&e so%e grass and
fire$ood fro% the "o'ern%ent forest# -hen it is brought to the to$n they ha'e
al$ays to face a buyer!s %ar&et# The 0indus $ho are the %ain body of buyers $ill
al$ays conspire to beat do$n the $ages# 0a'ing no po$er to hold out) the
Untouchables ha'e to sell their stuff for $hate'er is offered to the%# .ften ti%es they
ha'e to $al& *0 %iles each $ay fro% the 'illage to the to$n and bac& to sell their
stuff#
There is no trade in $hich they are engaged the%sel'es as a %eans of earning a
li'elihood# They ha'e not the capital for it and e'en if they had) no one $ould buy
fro% the%#
8ll these sources of earning are ob'iously precarious and fleeting# There is no
security# There is only one secure source of li'elihood open to the Untouchables in
so%e parts of the country &no$n to %e# t is the right:to beg food fro% the 0indu
far%ers of the 'illage# +'ery 'illage has its %achinery of ad%inistration# The
Untouchables of the 'illage are hereditary %enials e%ployed in the 'illage
ad%inistration# 8s part of their re%uneration the $hole body of Untouchables get a
s%all parcel of land assigned in the ancient past $hich is fi,ed and is ne'er
increased and $hich the Untouchables prefer to lea'e unculti'ated because of its
e,cessi'e frag%entation# Coupled $ith this is gi'en to the% the right to beg for food#
Shoc&ing as it %ay see%) this has beco%e a custo%ary right of the Untouchables
and e'en "o'ern%ent ta&es into account the 'alue of the food obtained by the
Untouchables by begging in fi,ing the re%uneration of an Untouchable if he $ere to
be e%ployed in "o'ern%ent 1ob#
This right to beg for food fro% the Touchables is no$ the principal %eans of
li'elihood for A0 %illions of Untouchables in ndia# f anyone $ere to %o'e in a
'illage after the usual dinner ti%e) he $ill %eet $ith a s$ar% of Untouchables
%o'ing about the 'illage begging for food and uttering the for%ula#
This statutory beggary as a %eans of li'elihood for the Untouchables has been
reduced to a syste%# The Untouchable fa%ilies are attached to different Touchable
fa%ilies in the 'illage as did the serfs and 'illains to the /ords of the Manors in
Medie'al +urope# The Untouchable fa%ilies attached to the Touchable fa%ilies are
at the co%%and of the latter# This relationship has beco%e so personal that one
al$ays hears a Touchable spea&ing of an Untouchable as !%y %an ! as though he
$as his sla'e# This relationship has helped to syste%atise this %atter of begging
food by the Untouchables fro% the Touchable households#
This is the Eillage >epublic of $hich the 0indus are so proud# -hat is the position
of the Untouchables in this >epublic4 They are not %erely the last but are also the
least# 0e is sta%ped as an inferior and is held do$n to that status by all $ays and
%eans) $hich a %a1ority can co%%and# This inferiority is the destiny not %erely of
an indi'idual but of the $hole class# 8ll Untouchables are inferior to all Touchables
irrespecti'e of age or 3ualification# 8 Touchable youth is abo'e an aged Untouchable
and an educated Untouchable %ust ran& belo$ an illiterate Touchable#
The established order is the la$ %ade by the Touchables# The Untouchables ha'e
nothing to do $ith it e,cept to obey it and respect it#
The Untouchables ha'e no rights against the Touchables# =or the% there is no
e3ual right) no 1ustice by $hich that $hich is due to the Untouchables is allo$ed to
the%# 2othing is due to the% e,cept $hat the Touchables are prepared to grant# The
Untouchables %ust not insist on rights# They should pray for %ercy and fa'our and
rest content $ith $hat is offered#
This established order is a hereditary order both in status as $ell as in function#
.nce a Touchable) al$ays a Touchable# .nce an Untouchable) al$ays an
Untouchable# .nce a <rah%in) al$ays a <rah%in# .nce a s$eeper) al$ays a
s$eeper# Under it) those $ho are born high) re%ain high9 those $ho are born lo$)
re%ain lo$# n other $ords) the established order is based on an ine,orable la$ of
&ar%a or destiny) $hich is fi,ed once for all and can ne'er be changed# This destiny
has no relation to the %erits of the indi'iduals li'ing under it# 8n Untouchable
ho$e'er superior he %ay be %entally and %orally) is belo$ a Touchable in ran&) no
%atter ho$ inferior he %ay be %entally or %orally# 8 Touchable ho$e'er poor he
%ay be %ust al$ays ta&e ran& abo'e an Untouchable) ho$e'er rich he %ay be#
Such is the picture of the inside life in an ndian 'illage# n this >epublic) there is no
place for de%ocracy# There is no roo% for e3uality# There is no roo% for liberty and
there is no roo% for fraternity# The ndian 'illage is the 'ery negation of a >epublic# f
it is a republic) it is a republic of the Touchables) by the Touchables and for the
Touchables# The republic is an +%pire of the 0indus o'er the Untouchables# t is a
&ind of colonialis% of the 0indus designed to e,ploit the Untouchables# The
Untouchables ha'e no rights# They are there only to $ait) ser'e and sub%it# They
are there to do or to die# They ha'e no rights because they are outside the 'illage
republic and because they are outside the so-called republic) they are outside the
0indu fold# This is a 'icious circle# <ut this is a fact $hich cannot be gainsaid#

C-'PT0( &
U+2IT 2,( -U4'+ '"",CI'TI,+

The Untouchables as e,plained in the last Chapter are outside the 0indu fold# The
3uestion ho$e'er re%ains 0o$ far re%o'ed are they fro% the 0indus4 -hat
respect) $hat consideration do the 0indus sho$ to the% as hu%an beings if not as
0indus4 -ithout an ans$er to these 3uestions) one cannot get a co%plete picture of
the life of the Untouchables# The ans$er is there for anyone $ho cares to note it#
The only difficulty is ho$ to present it# There are t$o $ays of presenting it# +ither in
the for% of a state%ent or by citation of cases# $ill adopt the latter# do not $ish to
$eary the reader $ith %any cases# $ill cite only a fe$) $hich are 3uite telling# The
first case is fro% the State of Madras# n the year *C0C an appeal $as filed in the
Madras 0igh Court by Mr# Een&ata Subba >eddy and others all of $ho% $ere
0indus against their con'iction by the Magistrate under section DDC) ndian 7enal
Code) for causing obstruction to the co%plainant and his party $ho $ere also caste
0indus# The 1udg%ent
Gf8H
of the Madras 0igh Court $hich gi'es the facts of the case
and illustrates the position of the Untouchables 'is-K-'is the 0indus in a 'ery stri&ing
%anner# The 1udge%ent is therefore $orth 3uoting# t is as follo$s6
"The 8ppellants (Een&ata Subba >eddy and others) ha'e been con'icted of
$rongful restraint for ha'ing caused certain 7ariahsGfCH to stand in the public street in
the 'icinity of a te%ple $ith the ob1ect of pre'enting the co%plainant fro% conducting
a procession fro% the te%ple through the street# t is found that the co%plainant)
deterred by fear of the pollution $hich he $ould ha'e suffered had he passed near
the Pariahs, did not conduct the procession) and that the accused %aliciously
caused the Pariahs to ta&e up their positions in the street $ith the sole ob1ect of
deterring the co%plainant fro% going $here he had a right to go#
-e do not thin& that the accused has co%%itted the offence of $rongful restraint9
in our opinion this act did not a%ount to an obstruction $ithin the %eaning of section
DDC# The 7ariahs $ere no obstruction9 in fact there $as nothing to pre'ent the
co%plainant fro% ta&ing his procession past the% and they had a right to be $here
they $ere9 and it is not suggested that their presence $as intended to cause fear of
physical in1ury or any fear that anything $ould happen to the co%plainant e,cept the
pollution of the procession by their presence#
t $as not the presence of the Pariahs but the co%plainant!s o$n disinclination to
go near the% $hich pre'ented hi% fro% going $here he $ould9 it $as his o$n
choice $hich &ept hi% fro% lea'ing the te%ple as Mr# Fuppus$a%i 8iyer put it) it
$as $ith his o$n consent that he re%ained there and there $as no fear of in1ury
$ithin the %eaning of the 7enal Code $hich $ould pre'ent that consent fro% being
a free consent# f it $ere other$ise) it $ould follo$ that a person in the position of the
co%plainant $ould be 1ustified in co%plaining of $rongful restraint against any
Pariah, $ho ha'ing been la$fully in the public street on his o$n business) refused to
%o'e $hen directed to re%o'e hi%self to a distance) &no$ing that if he re%ained)
the co%plainant $ould be deterred by fear of pollution fro% passing near hi%#
t is clear that there $ould be no $rongful restraint in such a case and $e thin&) it
%a&es no difference that the Pariahs $ere posted by the accused
Gf*0H
#
-e therefore set aside the con'iction and sentence and direct refund of the fines if
paid#"
The case is 'ery illu%inating# There $ere in this case t$o parties# Een&ata Subba
>eddy $as the leader of one party# <oth parties $ere caste 0indus# The 3uarrel
bet$een the parties $as o'er the right to ta&e out a procession# Een&ata Subba
>eddy $anted to stop his opponents fro% ta&ing out a procession and did not &no$
ho$ best to do it# t struc& hi% that the effecti'e $ay $ould be to get a fe$
Untouchables and as& the% to stand on the road and hold fast to it# The tric&
succeeded and his opponents could not dare to go in the procession for fear of
being polluted# The fact that the Madras 0igh Court ga'e a 1udg%ent to the effect
that %a&ing the Pariahs stand on the road does not constitute obstruction in the
legal sense of the ter% is another %atter# The fact re%ains that the %ere presence
of the Pariahs $as enough to dri'e the 0indus a$ay# -hat does this %ean4 t
%eans that the 0indus ha'e an absolute feeling of re'ulsion to$ards the
Untouchables#
The ne,t case is e3ually illu%inating# t is a case of an Untouchable school teacher
in a 'illage in Fathia'ar and is reported in the follo$ing letter $hich appeared in the !
oun! "ndia# a 1ournal published by Mr# "andhi in its issue of *2th ;ece%ber *C2C# t
e,presses the difficulties he had e,pressed in persuading a 0indu doctor to attend to
his $ife $ho had 1ust deli'ered and ho$ the $ife and child died for $ant of %edical
attention# The letter says6
" .n the @th of this %onth a child $as born to %e# .n the Bth) she fell ill and
suffered fro% loose stools# 0er 'itality see%ed to ebb a$ay and her chest beca%e
infla%ed# 0er breathing beca%e difficult and there $as acute pain in the ribs# $ent
to call doctor:but he said he $ould not go to the house of a 0ari1an nor $as he
prepared to e,a%ine the child# Then $ent to 2agarseth and "arasia ;arbar and
pleaded the% to help %e# The 2agarseth stood surety to the doctor for %y paying
his fee of t$o rupees# Then the doctor ca%e but on condition that he $ould e,a%ine
the% only outside the 0ari1an colony# too& %y $ife out of the colony along $ith her
ne$ly born child# Then the doctor ga'e his ther%o%eter to a Musli%) he ga'e it to
%e and ga'e it to %y $ife and then returned it by the sa%e process after it had
been applied# t $as about eight o!cloc& in the e'ening and the doctor on loo&ing at
the ther%o%eter in the light of a la%p said that the patient $as suffering fro%
pneu%onia# Then the doctor $ent a$ay and sent the %edicine# brought so%e
linseed fro% the ba?aar and used it on the patient# The doctor refused to see her
later) although ga'e the t$o rupees fee# The disease is dangerous and "od alone
$ill help us#
The la%p of %y life has died out# She passed a$ay at about t$o o!cloc& this
afternoon#"
The na%e of the Untouchable schoolteacher is not gi'en# So also the na%e of the
doctor is not %entioned# This $as at the re3uest of the Untouchable teacher $ho
feared reprisals# The facts are indisputable#
2o e,planation is necessary# The doctor) $ho in spite of being educated refused to
apply the ther%o%eter and treat an ailing $o%an in a critical condition# 8s a result of
his refusal to treat her) the $o%an died# 0e felt no 3ual%s of conscience in setting
aside the code of conduct) $hich is binding on his profession# The 0indu $ould
prefer to be inhu%an rather than touch an Untouchable# The third case is ta&en fro%
$Pra%ash# of 2Drd 8ugust *CD26
" n the 'illage of 5ag$al) tahsil 5afar$al on the Ath 8ugust) a calf fell into a $ell#
>a%%ahashaya) a ;o%
Gf**H
by caste $as standing nearby# 0e at once 1u%ped into the
$ell and caught the calf in his ar%s# .n three or four %en co%ing to help) the calf
$as safely rescued fro% the $ell#.

The 0indus of the 'illage) ho$e'er) raised a hue and cry that their $ell had been
defiled and 'icti%ised the poor %an# =ortunately) a barrister had co%e to the scene#
0e soundly rebu&ed the %en $ho $ere tor%enting Sadhura% and thus brought
the% to their senses# Thus) the %an!s life $as sa'ed other$ise no one &no$s $hat
%ight ha'e happened#"
-hat is i%portant6 sa'ing of the calf by the Untouchable and his polluting the $ell
or the death of the calf and sa'ing the $ell fro% being polluted by the Untouchable4
=ro% the point of 'ie$ of the 0indus) it $ould be better if the calf had died than an
Untouchable e'en for the purpose of sa'ing the calf should ha'e polluted the $ell#
8nother case of si%ilar sort is reported in the ! &ombay Samachar # of *Cth
;ece%ber *CDA6
" n Faladi) a 'illage of Calicut) the child of a young $o%an fell into a $ell# The
$o%an raised an alar% but none present dared to go do$n the $ell# 8 stranger $ho
$as passing by 1u%ped into the $ell and rescued the child# /ater) $hen the people
as&ed the benefactor $ho he $as) he said) he $as an Untouchable# Thereupon
instead of being than&ful) the %an $as fully abused and assaulted as he had
polluted the $ell#"
0o$ unclean and unfit for association an Untouchable is to a 0indu be e'ident
fro% the follo$ing incident reported in the ! Adi 'indu# of /uc&no$ for 5uly *CDB6 t
says6
" 8n e%ployee of the Madras 0ol%es Co%pany) $ho clai%ed to be one of the high
caste persons) passed a$ay recently# -hen at the cre%ation ground his pyre $as
set fire to) his friends and &ins%en thre$ rice on it# 8%ong these friends
unfortunately there $as an Untouchable) an 8di-;ra'ida of Madras# 0e also 1oined in
the thro$ing of the rice# 8t this) the high caste 0indus rebu&ed hi% for defiling the
pyre# This led on to a heated argu%ent and the upshot $as that t$o %en $ere
stabbed in the sto%ach) one of the% died at once upon reaching the hospital and
the condition of the other one is said to be critical#"
There is one other incident %ore telling than this# .n the Ath of March *CD8) a
%eeting of the <hangis $as held at Fasar$adi (behind -oollen Mills) ;adar)
<o%bay) under the Chair%anship of ! Mr# ndulal Iadni&# n this %eeting) one
<hangi boy narrated his e,perience in the follo$ing ter%s6
" passed the Eernacular =inal +,a%ination in *CDD# ha'e studied +nglish up to
the (th Standard# applied to the Schools Co%%ittee of the <o%bay Municipality for
e%ploy%ent as a teacher but failed) as there $as no 'acancy# Then) applied to
the <ac&$ard Classes .fficer) 8h%edabad) for the 1ob of a Talati ('illage 7at$ari)
and succeeded# .n *Cth =ebruary *CDA) $as appointed a Talati in the office of the
Ma%latdar of the <orsad Talu&a in the Fheda ;istrict#
8lthough %y fa%ily originally ca%e fro% "u1arat) had ne'er been in "u1arat
before# This $as %y first occasion to go there# Si%ilarly) did not &no$ that
untouchability $ould be obser'ed in "o'ern%ent offices# <esides in %y application
the fact of %y being a 0ari1an $as %entioned and so e,pected that %y colleagues
in the office $ould &no$ before-hand $ho $as# That being so) $as surprised to
find the attitude of the cler& of the Ma%latdar!s office $hen presented %yself to
ta&e charge of the post of the Talati#
The Far&un conte%ptuously as&ed) " -ho are you 4 " replied) " Sir) a% a 0ari1an
"9 0e said) ! "o a$ay) stand at a distance# 0o$ dare you stand so near %e# Iou are
in office) if you $ere outside $ould ha'e gi'en you si, &ic&s) $hat audacity to co%e
here for ser'iceL " Thereafter) he as&ed %e to drop on the ground %y certificate and
the order of appoint%ent as a Talati# 0e then pic&ed the% up# -hile $as $or&ing in
the Ma%latdar!s office at <orsad e,perienced great difficulty in the %atter of getting
$ater for drin&ing# n the 'erandah of the office there $ere &ept cans containing
drin&ing $ater# There $as a $ater%an in-charge of these $ater cans# 0is duty $as
to pour out $ater to cler&s in office $hene'er they needed it# n the absence of the
$ater%an they could the%sel'es ta&e $ater out of the cans and drin& it# That $as
i%possible in %y case# could not touch the cans for %y touch $ould pollute the
$ater) had therefore to depend upon the %ercy of the $ater-%an# =or %y use there
$as &ept a s%all rusty pot# 2o one $ould touch it or $ash it e,cept %yself# t $as in
this pot that the $ater%an $ould dole out $ater to %e# <ut could get $ater only if
the $ater%an $as present# This $ater%an did not li&e the idea of supplying %e $ith
$ater# Seeing that $as co%ing for $ater he $ould %anage to slip a$ay $ith the
result that had to go $ithout $ater and the days on $hich had no $ater to drin&
$ere by no %eans fe$#
had the sa%e difficulties regarding %y residence# $as a stranger in <orsad# 2o
caste 0indu $ould rent a house to %e# The Untouchables of <orsad $ere not ready
to gi'e %e lodgings for the fear of displeasing the 0indus $ho did not li&e %y
atte%pt to li'e as a cler&) a station abo'e %e# =ar greater difficulties $ere $ith
regard to food# There $as no place or person fro% $here could get %y %eals#
used to buy !<ha1has! %orning and e'ening) eat the% in so%e solitary place outside
the 'illage and co%e and sleep at night) on the pa'e%ent of the 'erandahs of the
Ma%latdar!s office# n this $ay) passed four days# 8ll this beca%e unbearable to
%e# Then $ent to li'e at 5entral) %y ancestral 'illage# t $as si, %iles fro% <orsad#
+'ery day had to $al& ele'en %iles# This did for a %onth and a half#
Thereafter the Ma%latdar sent %e to a Talati to learn the $or&# This Talati $as -in
charge of three 'illages) 5entral) Fhapur and Sai1pur# 5entral $as his head3uarters#
$as in 5entral $ith this Talati for t$o %onths# 0e taught %e nothing and ne'er once
entered the 'illage office# The head%an of the 'illage $as particularly hostile# .nce
he had said !you fello$) your father) your brother are s$eepers $ho s$eep the
'illage office and you $ant to sit in the office as our e3ual4 Ta&e cares) better gi'e
up this 1ob#!
.ne day the Talati called %e to Sai1pur to prepare the population table of the
'illage# =ro% 5entral $ent to Sai1pur# found the 0ead%an and the Talati in the
'illage office doing so%e $or&# $ent) stood near the door of the office and $ished
the% !good %orning ! but they too& no notice of %e# stood outside for about *@
%inutes# $as already tired of life and felt enraged at being thus ignored and
insulted# sat do$n on a chair that $as lying there# Seeing %e seated on the chair
the 0ead%an and the Talati 3uietly $ent a$ay $ithout saying anything to %e# 8 short
$hile after) people began to co%e and soon a large cro$d gathered round %e# This
cro$d $as led by the /ibrarian of the 'illage library# could not understand $hy an
educated person should ha'e led this %ob# subse3uently learnt that the chair $as
his# 0e started abusing %e in the $orst ter%s# 8ddressing the >a'ania ('illage
ser'ant) he said !$ho allo$ed this dirty !dog of a <hangi to sit on the chair4! The
>a'ania unseated %e and too& a$ay the chair fro% %e# sat on the ground#
Thereupon the cro$d entered the 'illage office and surrounded %e# t $as a furious
cro$d raging $ith anger) so%e abusing %e) so%e threatening to cut %e to pieces
$ith ;harya (a sharp $eapon li&e the s$ord)# i%plored the% to e,cuse %e and to
ha'e %ercy upon %e# That did not ha'e any effect upon the cro$d# did not &no$
ho$ to sa'e %yself# <ut an idea ca%e to %e of $riting to the Ma%latdar about the
fate that had befallen %e and telling hi% ho$ to dispose of %y body in case $as
&illed by the cro$d# ncidentally) it $as %y hope that if the cro$d ca%e to &no$ that
$as practically reporting against the% to the Ma%latdar they %ight hold their hands#
as&ed the >a'ania to gi'e %e a piece of paper $hich he did# Then $ith %y fountain
pen $rote the follo$ing on it in big bold letters so that e'erybody could read it6

"To
The Ma%latdar) Talu& <orsad#

Sir)

<e pleased to accept the hu%ble salutations of 7ar%ar Falidas Shi'ra%# This is to
hu%bly infor% you that the hand of death is falling upon %e today# t $ould not ha'e
been so if had listened to the $ords of %y parents# <e so good as to infor% %y
parents of %y death# "
The /ibrarian read $hat $rote and at once as&ed %e to tear it off) $hich did#
They sho$ered upon %e innu%erable insults# !Iou $ant us to address you as our
Talati4 Iou are a <hangi and you $ant to enter the office and sit on the chair4 !
i%plored for %ercy and pro%ised not to repeat this and also pro%ised to gi'e up the
1ob# $as &ept there till se'en in the e'ening $hen the cro$d left# Till then the Talati
and the Mu&hiya had not co%e# Thereafter too& fifteen days! lea'e and returned to
%y parents in <o%bay#" There is another facet of the social outloo& of the 0indus
to$ards the Untouchables) $hich cannot be neglected# This outloo& is best
illustrated by a study of the follo$ing cases# n the ! Alf(al$ of 8th Septe%ber *C(D6
" t $as reported fro% 2asi& on *st Septe%ber that the 0indus of a 'illage attac&ed
an 8chchut fa%ily9 tied the hands and feet of an elderly $o%an) placed her on a pile
of $ood $hich $as subse3uently set on fire# 8ll this because they thought she $as
the cause of the Cholera in the 'illage#" The #)imes of "ndia# of 8ugust 2C) *C(A#
"The 0ari1an 3uarters of a 'illage in Faira ;istrict are reported to ha'e been raided
by Caste 0indus on suspicion that the 0ari1ans $ere causing the death of cattle by
$itchcraft#
t is alleged that about 200 'illagers ar%ed $ith stic&s raided the 0ari1an 3uarters
and tying an old $o%an to a tree) burnt her feet# 8nother $o%an is reported to ha'e
been belaboured#
The 0ari1ans e'acuated the 'illage in panic) but Mr# Chhotabhai 7atel) Secretary of
the ;istrict 0ari1an Se'a& Sangh $ho $as appri?ed of the incidents has brought
bac& the 0ari1ans to the 'illage and applied to the authorities for their protection#
8 si%ilar incident is reported fro% another 'illage) $here 0ari1ans are alleged to
ha'e been se'erely belaboured#" The %atter did not end there# There $as a
recurrence of 'iolence in $hich the $hole body of 0indus are reported to ha'e ta&en
part in general assault on the Untouchables# The ne$s appeared in the ! &harat
*yoti $ of 22nd Septe%ber *C(A# $hich is reproduced belo$6
"=i'e 0ari1ans) including one $o%an) $ere in1ured seriously $hen a cro$d of
'illagers attac&ed the% $ith dharias and lathis in a 'illage in <orsad Talu&a in Faira
;istrict according to a report recei'ed by the Secretary of the <orsad Talu&a 0ari1an
Se'a& Sangh# The attac& $as a se3uel to the death of about se'en buffaloes $hich
the 'illagers attributed to blac& %agic practised by the 0ari1ans#
The in1ured ha'e been sent to hospital# 7olice rushed to the spot) and so%e
persons ha'e been arrested#
The 'illagers) it is learnt) are threatening the 0ari1ans that if they %a&e any
co%plaints to the authorities they $ould be burnt ali'e#
Such incidents often occur in Faira 'illages) and the ;istrict Magistrate of Faira
has instructed all police and other e,ecuti'e officers to ta&e strong %easures against
such harass%ent of 0ari1ans#"
The tale told by these cases is clear and si%ple# 2o co%%ent is necessary# To the
a'erage 0indu) the Untouchable is not fit e'en for hu%an association# 0e is the
carrier of e'il# 0e is not a hu%an being# 0e %ust be shunned#


P'(T II
Untouchables or The Children of India's Ghetto
____________________________________________________
______________
Contents
P'(T II
Chapter 6 : Untouchability and lawlessnes
Chapter 7 : Why lawlessness is lawful?


PART II

CAPT!R 6

U+T,UC-'.I/IT3 '+1 /'W/0""+0"

There are many people who must be wondering as to how such an established
order so full of inequalities could have survived. What are the forces, which go to
support it? The forces which sustain the system the most important is the
determination of the Hindus to maintain it at all cost. The Hindus are prepared to
use every means to suppress the Untouchables whenever the Untouchables try to
upset it even in the slightest degree. The ordinary non-violent Hindu will not
hesitate to use the utmost violence against the Untouchables. There is no cruelty,
which he will not practice against them to sustain the established order. ot many
will readily believe this. !ut this is a fact. "or those who have any doubt on the
point, # reproduce below some cases of tyrannies and oppressions practised by the
Hindus against the Untouchables as have been reported from time to time in the
newspapers$

I

The following news item appeared in the % Tej " of &elhi in its issue of 'th
(eptember )*+,$
% The (hiv Temple of -y.om has been desecrated by the Hari/ans by their coming
too near to the temple. ow the Hindus of that area have decided that the
ceremony of purifying the temple should be elaborately performed at great e0pense
before the place is 1t for worship again.% The correspondent of 2 Pratap 2 reports the
following incident which appears in its issue of +nd (eptember )*3+$
% 4eerut 5ugust )*3+. 6n the day of 7anmashtami some Hari/ans tried to gain
admittance into 8aste Hindu Temple but nothing came e0cept widespread troubles
and unrest. This year the local &alit 5ssociation has decided that if the doors of the
temples are not opened to them, they will underta.e (atyagraha. When the Hindus
came to .now of this, they started ma.ing plans to defeat the moves of the
Hari/ans. 5t last on the night of 7anmashtami, the members of the Hari/an
community came in the form of a procession and tried to gain access to the temple
9ods. The priests, however, refused them permission to enter and said, % :ou can
have audience of the 9ods standing outside on the street.% Upon this a great crowd
gathered at the place. The priests tried to enter the temple and thus a clash too.
place between the two parties and blows were freely e0changed.%
The Hindus do not allow the Untouchables to enter the Hindu temples. #t would be
thought that they would allow the Untouchables to have their own temples and
install therein the image of 9od. That is a mista.e. The Hindus will not allow even
that. #t is enough to quote two instances. 6ne is from the "Pratap" of )+th "ebruary
)*+3$
%#n the &istrict of 5gra, a 8hamar who had seen a !rahmin worshipping the image
of -ishnu in his house, began to do the same himself. When the !rahmin came to
.now of this he was most indignant and with the help of a number of villagers
caught hold of the ill-fated Hari/an, gave him a sound beating saying, 2 How dare
you try to win over the 9od -ishnu 2. "inally, they stu;ed his mouth with 1lth and
left him. #n sheer desperation the 8hamar abandoned the Hindu faith and embraced
#slam.% The other is from the 'Hindu' of 'th 7uly )*3*$
% 5 meeting of the !ellary &istrict Hari/an 5dvisory !oard was held on +*th 7une
)*3* at the 8ollector2s !unglow. 4r. 5. &. 8rombie, 8#<., #8(., =resident of the
8ommittee and 8ollector presided.
With regard to the grievances of the Hari/ans of arayanadevara.eri including
allegations of e0traction of forced labour from them and harassment by
moneylenders, the 8ommittee decided to call for o>cial report, with a view to
ta.ing action, if necessary.
The religious disabilities of the Hari/ans residing in ?udathini village were brought
to the notice of the 8ommittee. #t was alleged that though the Hari/ans constructed
a temple in their colony as long as twelve years ago, they could not install the
image of 9od which was also ready in the temple, owing to the ob/ections raised by
a section of the 8aste Hindus in the place to the Hari/ans ta.ing 2 out the image
in procession in the village before the installation.%
How any attempt to ta.e water from the Hindu well is dealt with by the Hindus can
be seen from the following instances. The 1rst one appeared in the ' Pratap' of )+th
"ebruary )*+3$
% 4ahashaya 8hhedi @al/i has reported that a 8hamar was going for idol worship,
when on the way he felt thirsty. He cast his own iron pail into a well and drew out
some water. Upon this he was rebu.ed by a high caste Hindu and then soundly
beaten and loc.ed up in a room. 5s it happened, # was passing by and when #
enquired why this man was being .ept under loc. and .ey, the &iwan (aheb replied
that this man cast his own pail into our well and wants to profane religion.%
That even the Hindu women will not hesitate to ta.e part in the assaults
committed by the Hindus against the Untouchables who dare to ta.e water from the
Hindu well is a fact. 8ompare the following report which appeared in the 2 Pratap 2 of
+Ath "ebruary )*3+$
%6n )*th "ebruary )*3+, a very tragic incident too. place in the village of =ul
!a/wan. This happened when 4ahashaya Bamlal went to fetch some water from a
well, the same well at which on )3th 7anuary )*3+ some Ba/puts had belaboured
4ahashaya Bamlal and his companion. =andit !ansilal. 5t that time, a crowd of
Ba/put women came up armed with all sorts of bats and stic.s and gave such a
sound beating to the 4ahashaya that it is di>cult to describe. 5ll his body was
covered with blood by the time the Ba/put women had done with him. 5t this time,
he is admitted in the hospital of =hu.lian.%
That even the support of an o>cer of 9overnment in the e0ercise of their right to
ta.e water from the well will not save the Untouchables from assault is clear from
the following incident which appeared in the 2 Milap' of ,th 7une )*+'$
% (ome days ago, an o>cer of the 8anal &epartment came to the village of Bahian
in Tehsil (abha and he ordered some 4egha Untouchables to help in drawing out
water from a well. 5t 1rst they refused but the o>cer rebu.ed them sternly and
forced them to draw water. The ne0t day the Hindus gathered at the well and sent
for the 4egha through a 8how.idar and as.ed them why they dared to climb up to
the well. 6ne 4egha replied that they were obliged to do so and it was no fault of
theirs. "or this chee. he was attac.ed by the Hindus with stic.s and hands and until
the time of writing this, he is lying unconscious. 5lthough the doctor has declared
that the in/uries are minor ones, a report of attempted murder and unlawful
assembly has been 1led with the =olice. This however has been ignored and the
indi;erence of the police has created a feeling of great insecurity among the 4egha
people. The villagers are persecuting the 4eghas very much, even their cattle are
not allowed to drin. water and all wells and ponds have been closed to them.%
The Untouchables cannot ta.e water from the Hindu well is not all. They must not
build a pucca bric. well for themselves even though they may have the money to
do so. "or having a pucca well for them selves means an attempt to raise
themselves to the status of the Hindus which is contrary to the <stablished 6rder.
The 'Milap' of Ath 7une )*3' reports the following incidents$
%@ala Bam =rashad/i, (ecretary of the 5chhut Udhara. 8ommittee, =un/ab, has
written to the following e;ects$
% &uring this hot season, complaints are being received from everywhere that the
supply of water is becoming a great problem. The &epressed 8lass people, who
have no wells of their own sit near the well with their vessels in their hands. #f
someone is .ind enough to pour out some water, well and good, otherwise they sit
helpless. #n some places, however, no one is allowed to pour out water to these
people even for money and if anyone does so, mortal 1ghts ensue. ot only is the
use of the village wells forbidden to them, but they are not even allowed to ma.e
wells of their own with their own money.%
To the same e;ect is the incident reported in the % Tej" of +)st 5pril )*+'$
% The 8hamars of the village, 6pad, numbered about +CD. 5bout a month and half
ago, they gave up drin.ing water out of the leather bags of the 4uslim water
carriers Eon the suggestions of the 5rya (ama/ =andits?F and now they are in great
di>culties about their water supply. The 7ats of the village not only refuse to let
them draw water out of the village wells but do not even let them ma.e wells of
their own. The poor 8hamars are living on water from ponds and ditches. :esterday,
&r. (u.hdev/i, (ecretary of &alit (udhar EHari/an UpliftF 8ommittee came to ma.e
investigations in Upad and saw everything with his own eyes. He found the
condition of the 8hamars ab/ect beyond words and their persecution by the 7ats a
real fact.% The following is from the 2 Times of India' dated *th 4ay )*3)$
% #n the !aroda (tate the Untouchables are supposed to be better treated than in
the ad/oining !ritish territory, because the (tate has made laws recognising the
equality of the 5ntya/a with caste people. 5nd yet in =adras Talu.a the other day the
standing crop of a poor 5ntya/a woman was 1red and she herself brutally assaulted,
because she dared to send her little son to the local primary school. ow comes a
tale of woe from 8hanasma in ?adi =rant where an artisian well has been sun. and
built with the labour of the 5ntaya/as who were promised the use of the well. !ut
when the well was ready for use they were 1rst Gatly told it was not for them, and
when they complained to the =unch the latter generously allowed them to lay a pipe
CDD feet long at the end of which they could have a tap all for themselves. ow an
une0pected owner of the land at the tap had cropped up, so the pipeline was ta.en
somewhere near to the local tan., but this meant pollution of the tan. and therefore
of the dirty linen washed there. (o the tap was accommodated elsewhere. !ut did
this mean the end of the trouble? o, the enraged caste people have cut the
pipeline several times and the 5ntya/as are without water to drin.. How very
2adequate2 to use 4r.9andhi2s term, must the Untouchables feel the treatment given
to them by their coreligionists.%
4r. (an/ana in a letter to the 2 Times of India 2 of the ,th ovember )*+H reports
what 4r. Tha..ar saw in the year )*+, regarding the awful plight of the
Untouchables in the matter of water.
% #n !alsad Talu., 4r. Tha..ar saw a !hangi woman waiting near a well for some
merciful 2 people 2 to give her some water. (he had waited from morning till noon,
and none had given her any. !ut the most e0quisite touch of spirituality is revealed
in the manner of giving water to the !hangisI it cannot be poured direct into their
potsJany 2 people 2 doing so would get polluted. (ays, 4r. Tha..ar, 2 once our
teacher 8hunibhai had shown the temerity of pouring water direct from his buc.et
into a !hangi2s pot and he had received a stern warning in consequence 2 4aster
this sort of thing won2t be EtoleratedF here 2. 5 small cistern is built below the slope
of the well. 5nyone who is moved by pity may pour some water in the cistern. 5
bamboo pipe /ust out of the cistern, and the !hangi women must put her pot under
the pipe, and it may get 1lled in an hour or so. "or, adds 4r. Tha..ar, it is only the
unwanted water remaining over in the buc.et of the woman drawing it that is as a
rule thrown into the cistern, and that too if she ta.es pity on the waiting !hangi
woman.%

Ill

Under the established order, the Untouchables have no right to education and
certainly have no right to be admitted to the village school. Those Untouchables
who have dared to ma.e a breach in these rules of the <stablished 6rder have been
severely punished by the Hindus. The following are only a few of the numerous
cases that have happened$
"rom the ''Arya Gazette" of @ahore dated 3Dth 7une )*+)$
%5 4ahashaya wrote an article in the paper 2 Young India", in which he reported
that in district surat there is a village called (isodri. #n a very short span of time it
has made such progress on the path of nationalism that it could be held up as a
model of non-co-operation. With all this, however, the old contempt for the Hari/an
remains. The writer says that in the nationalist school of that place, # saw a &hed
caste child sitting all apart in one corner of # the classroom and proclaiming by his
very loo.s that he was an untouchable. # as.ed the students why they did not let
this boy sit with them and they replied that this could not be until the Hari/an left
drin.ing wine and eating meat. The Hari/an boy at once said that he had already
given these up. The high caste students could say nothing now.%
"rom the 'Pratap' of )+th "ebruary )*+3$ % 4ahashaya (antram/i has reported $
#t happened recently that a !rahmin teacher was appointed by the 9overnment to
go and teach in a village school for 8hamar boys. When he came there, the
!rahmins, ?shatrias and others boycotted the teacher saying, 2 :ou have come here
to teach the 8hamars and raise them to our level. Have :ou?% "rom the 'Tej' of ))th
5pril )*+'$ %(wami (hradhanand/i has written$ There was a nationalist school in
?hatsayas which # visited towards the end of ovember )*+). When # enquired how
many Hari/an children read there, # was told only three and they too, sit outside the
classroom in the verandah. #n my lecture # ob/ected to this procedure and said that
in a nationalist institution, it was only proper that these boys should be allowed to
sit inside the classroom. The manager of the school acted on my advice. The ne0t
day the benches of the school were all deserted and till this day the 9rand building
of that nationalist school stands loc.ed out and dreary.% "rom "Milap" dated )Hth
5pril )*+'$
% Here is an incident from Hoshungabad. The district 8ouncil sent a circular letter
to the schools that the Hari/an children should be educated in the schools. The
headmasters began to act on the orders. When one of the schools admitted some
Hari/an children the Honorary 4agistrate too. great o;ence at it and withdrew his
children from that schoolI other guardians also followed suit and all together got a
meeting of the school committee convened and resolutions passed in it, that the
education of Hari/ans in the school is against the =ublic wishes. They said that after
coming into contact with Hari/ans, the !rahmin children change their 7anayu Ea
religious threadF therefore this school committee could not underta.e the education
of Hari/an children.% "rom %Pratap" dated 3rd 5pril )*3+$
%5hmeda-bad, )st 5pril )*3+$ 5 report has been received from the village of
awagaon, !aroda (tate, that ever since the Hari/an schools were closed down and
permission given to the Hari/ans to enter the ordinary village schools, the villagers
have been sub/ecting the Hari/ans to endless persecution. #t is reported that the
thousand stac.s of hay belonging to Hari/an farmers, were burnt down, ?erosine oil
has been sprin.led into the Hari/an wells and attempts made to set 1re to their
houses. 5 Hari/an boy was assaulted on his way to school and a general boycott of
the Hari/ans has been declared.%
The % Hindustan Times" in its issue of +Ath 4ay )*3* says$ % (everal persons are
reported to have raided a night school in village 8atipore in the district where ?isans
and others used to be taught. The teacher was caught hold of by them, and as.ed
to close the school on the ground that the boys of the Untouchables, after acquiring
education will begin to assert themselves to treat them on a footing of equality.
When the teacher refused to do so he was belaboured and the students were as.ed
to disperse.% The last instance # would li.e to refer occurred in the year )*3C in the
village of ?avitha in &hol.a Talu.a of the 5hmedabad &istrict of the !ombay
=residency. The incident occurred on Hth 5ugust )*3C.
5s the !ombay 9overnment had issued orders requiring the admission of the
children of the Untouchables in public schools, the Untouchables of village ?avitha
thought of ta.ing advantage of the order. What happened to them is reported
below$
%6n H-H-)*3C, the Untouchables of the village ?avitha too. four of their children to
be admitted in the village school. 4uch caste Hindus from the village had gathered
near the school to witness this. This occasion for admission passed o; quietly and
nothing untoward happened. "rom the ne0t day however the caste Hindus of the
village withdrew their children from the school as they did not li.e their children
sitting with those of the Untouchables and getting themselves polluted.%
% (ome time thereafter an Untouchable from the village was assaulted by a
!rahmin on )3th 5ugust )*3C. The male members of the Untouchables of the
village had come to &hol.a to 1le a criminal complaint against the !rahmin in the
court of the 4agistrate. 8oming to .now that the adult members of the
Untouchables were absent the Hindus of the village invaded the quarters of the
Untouchables. They were armed with stic.s, spears and swords. 5mong the
invaders was caste Hindu women. They started attac.ing the old men and women
of the Untouchables. (ome of the victims Ged into the /ungle some shut themselves
up. These invaders directed their vehemence against those Untouchables who were
suspected to have ta.en a lead in the matter of the admission of their children in
the village school. They bro.e open their doors and not 1nding them in, they bro.e
the tiles and the rafters of the roofs over their houses.
%Terror-stric.en these Untouchables men and women who were assaulted and
beaten were an0ious about the safety of those of their elders who had gone to
&hol.a and who were e0pected bac. that night. The caste Hindus .nowing that the
leaders of Untouchables who had gone to &hol.a would be returning had concealed
themselves behind the bushes and shrubs on the way to the village. Having come to
.now of this, an old Untouchable woman snea.ed out of the village in the dar., met
the leaders who were returning and informed them that armed gangs of caste
Hindus were hiding themselves to waylay them and that therefore they should not
come into the village. They refused to listen fearing that the caste Hindus might do
greater mischief in their absence. 5t the same time, they were afraid that if they did
enter they might be assaulted. They therefore decided to wait outside the village in
the 1eld till after midnight. #n the meantime, the gang of caste Hindus who were in
ambush waited and waited and 1nally gave up the game and retired. The leaders of
the Untouchables entered the village after about 3 a.m. in the night. #f they had
come earlier and met the murderous gang they would probably have been done to
death. 6n seeing the harm done to person and property they left the village for
5hmedabad before day brea., and informed the (ecretary of the Hari/an (eva.
(angh, a body organised by 4r. 9andhi to loo. after the welfare of the
Untouchables. !ut the (ecretary was helpless. ot only did the caste Hindus use
physical violence, but they conspired to ma.e the life of the Untouchables
intolerable. They refused to engage them as labourersI they refused to sell them
foodstu;s. They refused to give them facilities for graKing their cattle and they used
to commit stray assaults on Untouchable men and women. ot only this, but the
caste Hindus in their frenKy poured .erosine oil in the well from which the
Untouchables used to get their supply of drin.ing water. This, they did for days
together. The result was that the Untouchables of the village had no water. When
things reached this stage the Untouchables thought of 1ling criminal complaint
before a 4agistrate which they did on ),th 6ctober, ma.ing some of the caste
Hindus as the accused.%
%The strange part of the case is the part played by 4r. 9andhi and his henchman,
(ardar -allabhbhai =atel. With all the .nowledge of tyranny and oppression
practised by the caste Hindus of ?avitha against the Untouchables all that 4r.
9andhi felt li.e doing was to advise the Untouchables to leave the village. He did
not even suggest that the miscreants should be hauled up before a court of law. His
henchman 4r. -allabhbhai =atel, played a part which was still more strange. He had
gone to ?avitha to persuade the caste Hindus not to molest the Untouchables. !ut
they did not even give him a hearing. Yet this very man was opposed to the
Untouchables hauling them up in a court of @aw and getting them punished. The
Untouchables 1led the complaint notwithstanding his opposition. !ut he ultimately
forced them to withdraw the complaint on the caste Hindus ma.ing some .ind of a
show of an understanding not to molest, an underta.ing, which the Untouchables
can never enforce. The result was that the Untouchables su;ered and their tyrants
escaped with the aid of 4r. 9andhi2s friend, 4r. -allabhbhai =atel. #-
The Untouchables are claimed by the Hindus as Hindus. !ut the dead body of an
Untouchable cannot be cremated in the Hindu cremation ground.
The "ree Press" of ,th 7une )*'A reports the following$
% 8iting a recent criminal case in which two 4adura Hari/ans were sentenced to
four months rigorous imprisonment for doing an act which was li.ely to wound the
feelings of others, 4r. 5. (. -aidyanatha lyer in a communication to the press draws
the attention of the public to the 2cruel su;ering which the Hari/ans have to bear by
reason of Untouchability.2
4r. -aidyanatha lyer says$ 2 5 4adura Hari/an who had lost his eldest child
cremated the body in the 4adura municipal burning ghat in a shed which is said to
be set apart for caste Hindus instead of in the one reserved for Hari/ans. The
Hari/an2s plea was, he did not .now of any such reservation, that it was driKKling and
that the former place was better. o caste Hindu raised any ob/ection nor was there
any proof that anyone2s feelings were wounded. The incident came to the notice of
the 4adura police who prosecuted the father of the child and another near relation
on the ground that such act was li.ely to wound the feelings of others because the
Hari/ans were Untouchables. 4r. lyer adds, %he brought this case to the notice of the
4adras 4inistry.%
The '!a"adhan' of ++nd 5pril )*'C says$
%6n )Hth 4arch )*'C, a sweeper died in the village "loda, &istrict
4uKa;arnagar. The (weepers of the village too. the dead body to the cremation
grounds. This enraged the Tyagi !rahmins of the village who abused the sweepers
for their audacity in bringing their dead to the caste Hindu grounds. The sweepers
protested that they were Hindus and would cremate the dead. !ut the !rahmins
were not at all amenable to reason and told the sweepers that irrespective of their
being Hindus and 4uslims they must bury their dead and if they failed to do it they
E!rahminsF would themselves bury the dead body. When the poor sweepers were
thus threatened and were also afraid of being beaten they buried the dead body.%
This is not all. There is a further point to benoted. The Touchable Hindus dispose of
the dead body by cremating it. 7ust because it is a presumption on the part of the
Untouchables to initiate the ways of the Hindus, which are mar.s of their superior
status, the Untouchables must necessarily bury their dead even if they do not wish
to do so. 5n instance of this compulsory burial was reported in the 2 Milap' of Ath
7une )*+'$
%The chief cause of the awa.ening among the Untouchables is the tyranny of the
Hindus. # was not aware of this but the reports that # have received from various
wor.ers has caused me much pain. "rom one place # am informed that the
Untouchables of that place are not allowed to even burn their dead. This, however it
seems has created a new spirit among the sweepers of the place. They have started
burying their dead with the head downwards probably to distinguish themselves
from others who bury the corpse in a lying position. The (weepers thin. that if they
also act in imitation of others, it is derogatory.%

*


The wearing of the sacred thread is evidence of noble birth. The Untouchables
with the idea of ennobling themselves thought of wearing the sacred thread. The
atrocities committed by the caste Hindus on the Untouchables of the village
Bingwari in 9arhwal &istrict in U. =. are reported in the '#ational Herald' of Ath 7une
% 5fter leading a fugitive life for well nigh two months as a result of persecution at
the hands of the caste Hindus, ten families consisting of 33 Hari/ans have now been
able to return to their-homes in village Bingwari of 8hand.ot with the help of the
district authorities of 9arhwal. These Hari/ans, it may be recalled, had ta.en full
advantage of the social movement started for their uplift by 4ahatma 9andhi and
the late (wami (hradhanand. They had ta.en the sacred thread and made it a part
of their duty to perform 2(andhya2. !ut this was resented very much by the caste
Hindus of 9arhwal as according to them it amounted to a virtual invasion of their
2right and privileges2. The resentment found e0pression in a number of assaults on
Hari/ans and persistent social persecution. They were as.ed to desist from using 2
polies 2 and 2 pal.ies 2 in their marriage procession and four of them were compelled
at one place to .ill a bu;alo and eat its Gesh. 5t Bingwari these atrocities reached a
clima0, when all the water springs, graKing grounds and other public places were
closed to the Hari/ans who refused to submit to the caste Hindus. #n consequence
the above mentioned ten families had to leave their villages at dead of night, in
order to avoid further persecution.% 6ther instances of similar sort are given below$
). %(ome 5rya (ama/ists managed to raise the caste of some Untouchables and
gave them the sign of the caste, namely, the religious thread worn round the nec..
!ut the mass of the (anatanists could not bear even this because their religion does
not allow the Untouchables to wear the thread. This is why thread-wearing
Untouchables are daily persecuted by the high caste Hindus.%
+. %!hagat Harichand of 4oila, &istrict 4irpur, 7ammu (tate was puri1ed by the
5rya (ama/ists and given the thread to wear. The Hindu 7ats of the place began to
victimiKe him and as. him to put o; the thread. Harichand however remained
steadfast on his religion. 5t last one day when the !hagat Harichand had 1nished
the 9aitri =ath, he was caught hold of by the Hindu 7ats and severely beaten and his
thread bro.en. The cause of their incensement was this that wheareas before the
(hudh, (hudha 4eghs had addressed the 7ats as 2 9harib awaK 2 Ethe benefactors
of the poorF, now they only use 2amastey2.% "rom the Arya Gazette dated )'th
(eptember )*+*$
%The Hindu Ba/puts of the village Bamani, near the town !erhampur, &istt.
9urdaspur, called the Untouchables of their villages from their homes and ordered
them to put o; the holy thread at once and swear never to put it on again otherwise
their lives were in danger. Upon this Untouchables calmly replied 2 4ahara/ why are
you angry with us. :our own brothers, the 5rya (ama/ists have very .indly put these
threads round our nec.s and have ordered us to always protect them for they are
the true symbols of the Hindu faith. #f you ta.e ob/ection to them, you can tear them
o; our bodies with your own hands2. Upon this the Ba/puts fell upon the poor men
with their lathis and .ept on thrashing them for a long time. The Untouchables put
up with this persecution with great fortitude and refused to resist or protest. !ut
their torments too. no pity on their helpless condition and three or four Ba/puts
actually tore the holy thread o; the body of a Hari/an named 9ori Bam and bruised
his body with a hoe in moc. imitation of the sign of the thread.% "rom the 'Milap'
dated )+th 6ctober )*+*$
%The Ba/puts of the village !ahmani have from time past launched a programme
against the Untouchables. There is a case going on in the court about the brea.ing
of a holy thread and there is another case too, about an Untouchable woman who
was going on to the 1eld to cut the harvest on ,th 6ctober )*+* when a Ba/put
severely thrashed her and caused serious bruises. The woman was brought home
on a bed.%

*I

What happens to an Untouchable if he remains seated on a cot in the presence of
a Hindu can be seen from the following incident reported in 2$i"an' of 7uly )*3H$
% anda Bam and 4angali =rasad of village =achhahera, =olice =ost 4argaon,
Tehsil and &istrict (itapur, invited their friends and relatives for a communal feast.
When the guests were sitting on cots and smo.ing, Tha..ur (oora/ !a.sh (ingh and
Harpal (ingh, Lamindars of the village, came there, sent for anda Bam and
4angali =rasad and as.ed who the people sitting and smo.ing were and why they
were sitting on cots. 4angali =rasad said that they were his friends and relatives
and as.ed if only Tha..urs could sit on cots. <nraged by this, the Tha..urs beat
both the brothers and their men beat the guests severely as a result of which one
man and one woman became senseless and others sustained serious in/uries.%

*II

The Untouchables are Hindus. They are also citiKens with the same civic rights.
!ut the Untouchables cannot claim the right of the citiKenship if it conGicts with any
rules of the <stablished 6rder. "or instance, no Untouchable can claim lodging in
an inn even though it is public. #n 2$i"an' of 5ugust )*3H, is reported the e0perience
of an Untouchable named ?annhaiya @al 7atav of "etegarh$
%When # went to stay in &harmashala near 5llahabad 7unction on )Cth 5ugust
)*3H at )D p.m. there was no di>culty and # laid down on a cot after paying an
advance of Be. ). !ut at ## p.m. when the lodgers went to the 4anager of the
&harmashala to note down their addresses, and while noting down my address # put
down my caste as 7atavI the 4anager got wild and said that the &harmashala was
not meant for the stay of low caste people and as.ed me to get out at once. #
pointed out to him that according to the rules of the &harmashala, it was meant for
Hindus only and there was no ban on Untouchables and as.ed if # was not a Hindu
that he was as.ing me to leave. # also pleaded that being resident of "arru.abad
and not acquainted with anyone in 5llahabad there was no place where # could go at
)) p.m. 6n this, the 4anager got furious and repeating the couplet from Bamayan
E(hudras illiterate, cattle and women all these deserve to be beatenF said that in
spite of being a low-caste he dared to tal. about rules and law and will not get out
unless he is beaten. Then suddenly he got my bedding etc., threw out of the
&harmashala and all of them were ready to beat me. #n the face of such odds, # at
once left the &harmashala and lay down on a plan. of wood in front of a shop facing
the &harmashala and had to pay annas + as rent to the shop.eeper for a night. #
therefore appeal to my (cheduled 8aste brethren to hold meetings everywhere and
request 9overnment to construct separate &harmashalas for our people in every
town or to get all the e0isting &harmashalas opened for us.%

*III

Under the <stablished 6rder, the wor. of lifting and removing dead cattle as well
as doing the scavenger2s wor. is beneath the dignity of the Hindus. #t must be done
by the Untouchables. The Untouchables have also begun to thin. that it is
derogatory to their status and are refusing to do it. The Untouchables, however, are
forced by the Hindus to do it against their will. The 2$i"an' of 7une )*3H reports$ %6ne
day, in 4ay )*3H, !ha//u Bam 7atav of village !ipoli, =olice post !aria, &istrict
5ligarh was sitting in his house at about )) a.m. when some !rahmins namely
=rithi., Hodal,.(ita Bam, &evi and 8huni, all of whom had lathis came and tried to
force him to lift dead cattleI and when he refused saying that he was not used to
that wor. and as.ed them to go to some one who does that sort of wor., he was
mercilessly belaboured with lathis.%
The same /ournal in its issue of 6ctober )*3H gives the following news item$
%6n +'th 6ctober )*3H, some cattle of a !rahmin of village @odhari, Tehsil
(adabad, &istrict 4uttra, died. The (cheduled 8aste people of the village who were
as.ed to lift it refused to do so. This enraged the caste Hindus so much that they
have as.ed the (cheduled 8aste people not to go to their 1elds for ablutions nor to
allow their cattle to graKe in their Ecaste HindusF 1elds.%

I5

The Untouchables must not wear decent and clean clothes and they must not
wear gold or silver ornaments. #f the Untouchables defy these rules, the Hindus will
not hesitate to bring them to boo.. The Untouchables have been trying to defy
these rules, with what consequences will be seen from the following incidents,
which have been reported in the newspapers$
%Until )*++, the Untouchable caste of &alai in !erar &istrict of !undi, were
forbidden to eat wheat. #n "ebruary )*++, a 8hamar woman was put on the Boc. in
(a.atgarh, 7aipur, simply because she was wearing silver ornaments on her feet.
The reason given was this that only men of the high castes were allowed to wear
silver or to eat wheat. The low caste people should not dare to aspire to these
things. (o far we had been thin.ing that such antiquated ideas were supposed to
have had probably died out by this time.% The 2 Times of India' in its issue of 'th
7anuary )*+H reports the tyranny and oppression practised upon the !alais who
form an Untouchable community in 8entral #ndia for their daringness to wear clean
clothes and golden ornaments. (ays the 2Times2$
%#n 4ay E)*+,F high caste Hindus viK., ?alotas Ba/puts and !rahmins including the
=atils and =atwaris of villages ?anana, !icholee Hafsi, !icholi 4ardana and of about
)C other villages in the #ndore district informed the !alais of their respective villages
that if they wished to live among them, they must conform to the following rules$
). !alais must not wear gold lace bordered pugreesI
+. They must not wear dhoties with coloured or fancy bordersI
3. They must convey intimation of the death of any Hindu to relatives of the
deceasedJno matter how far away these relatives may be livingI
'. #n all Hindu marriages, the !alais must play music before the processions, and
during the marriagesI
C. The !alai women must not wear fancy gowns for /ac.etsI
A. !alai women must attend all cases of con1nement of Hindu womenI
,. The !alais must render services without demanding remuneration, and must
accept whatever a Hindu is pleased to giveI
H. #f the !alais do not agree to abide by these terms, they must clear out of the
villages.
The !alais refused to complyI and the Hindu element proceeded against them.
!alais were not allowed to get water from the village wellsI they were not allowed to
let their cattle to graKe. !alais were prohibited from passing through land owned by
a HinduI so that if the 1eld of a !alai was surrounded by 1elds owned by Hindus, the
!alai could have no access to his own 1eld. The Hindus also let their cattle graKe
down the 1elds of !alais.
The !alais submitted petitions to the &arbar of #ndore against these persecutions,
but as they could get no timely relief, and the oppression continued, hundreds of
!alais with their wives and children, were obliged to abandon their homes in which
their ancestors lived for generations, and to migrate to ad/oining states, viK. to
villages in &har, &ewas, !agli, !hopal, 9walior and other states.
6nly a few days ago the Hindus of Beoti village barely H miles to the orth of
#ndore city ordered the !alais to sign a stamped agreement in accordance with the
rules framed against the !alais by the Hindus of other villages. The !alais refused to
comply, lt,is alleged that some of them were beaten by the HindusI and one !alai
was fastened to a post, and was told that he would be let go, on agreeing to sign
the agreement. He signed the agreement, and was released %. The ne0t is from the
'Arya Gazette' dated +)st 7anuary )*+H$
% Up till now the tales of woe that were usually related of the persecution of the
Hari/ans were mostly from the 4adras province, but now than.s to the treatment of
the 4aharana of the (imla Hills, one has not to go so far to search for these stories.
#n the (imla district, their dwells a caste called 2 %ollie 2 whose members are very
handsome and hard wor.ing. The Hindus of that area consider them to be
Untouchables although they do not engage in any such wor. which should render
them ob/ectionable in the eyes of the Hindu religion. The members of this caste are
not only powerful and well built but intelligent also. 5lmost all the songs that the
dwellers of the (imla Hills sing are composed by the 2 %ollies 2. These people labour
all day long and venerate the !rahmins e0cessively but still they cannot so much as
pass near the house of a !rahmin. Their children cannot read in schools and 2
=athashalas 2 Ereligious monastic schoolsF. Their women fol. cannot wear gold
ornaments. #t has even been reported that some 8ollies have gone to the =un/ab
and earned some money with which they have bought gold rings and earrings.
When however they have brought these bac. to their homes, they have been cast
into the /ail and not freed until the ornaments had passed into the poc.ets of the
(tate 6>cers.%
The following letter appeared in the 2 Pratap' of +3rd 7une )*+A$ % (wami
Bamanand/i (anyasi writes $
6n the +3rd of 4arch )*+A, in the evening a 8hamar came to me who had
recently managed to escape from the clutches of the 7ats. He related to me a
moving tale of the su;erings that his caste had to put up with in the village of ?heri
near "aridabad in the &istrict of 9urgaon. 6n the morning of +'th 4arch # reached
"aridabad in the &istrict of 9urgaon, so as to investigate the state of a;airs myself.
The result of my enquiries is brieGy as follows$
% 6n the Cth of 4arch the marriage too. place of the daughter of a 8hamar called
9or.hi. The 1nancial condition of the 8hamar was comparatively good and he
entertained his guests in the same way as people of the high castes do. 4oreover,
before handing away his daughter, he gave her three gold ornaments. This news
spread amongst the 7ats and was widely discussed. #t was decided 1nally that the
high castes had been insulted by the fact that the lower castes have started viewing
with them. Till the +Dth of 4arch nothing untoward happened but on the morning of
the +)st the 7ats called a meeting of the =anchayat Evillage councilF to consider the
matter. 7ust at that moment a party of the 8hamars of which the greater portion was
composed of boys, girls and women was setting out for "aridabad on its daily duty.
The party had /ust gone out of the village as far as the &harmashala when the 7ats
attac.ed it. 5ll the men of the party were belaboured and the women were thrashed
with shoes. The bac.s of some were bro.en and of some the arms. ot only this,
even their implements were robbed. 5 4uslim happened to pass along that way and
the 7ats too. hold of him also and robbed him of his big gold ear-rings as well as of
twenty-eight rupees. 6n the ++nd of 4arch some groups of the 7ats went into the
1elds of the 8hamar and played havoc with them. The crop thus destroyed was
estimated at about a thousand rupees. 5t that time, anwa, the son of ?ori, was
wor.ing in the 1elds. The 7ats gave him also a thorough beating. 6n the ++nd of
4arch again a party of the 7ats sallied forth armed with Gaming torches dipped in
?erosene oil, with the intention of setting 1re to the houses of the 8hamars but later
came away. 6n the +3rd of 4arch at midnight a house was set on 1re belonging to
the grandfather of that married girl who has been mentioned above. The house is
now a heap of ashes. #t contained si0teen s.ins ready to be made into shoes and
worth *D rupees. They also got burnt up together with the other household goods.
The general situation now is that the 7ats have surrounded the town and no 8hamar
is allowed to go out. The !aniyas also, out of fear of the 7ats, have refused to sell
anything to the 8hamars. "or three days the 8hamars as well as their cattle have
been starving.% The following is a more recent occurrence. #t has happened in
4alabar. The facts of the case are revealed by the following resolution passed at the
1rst 8hira.al Talu.a Hari/an 8onference held at 8heru.unn in 4alabar on Cth 7une
)*'C with (hri ?. ?annan, 4.@.5., presiding$
% This 8onference invites the urgent attention of the 9overnment and the public to
the increasing cases of inhuman oppressions of the (cheduled 8astes of 4alabar by
Hindus, 4uslims and 8hristians, particularly to the severest type of oppression now
going on, almost with impunity, in the atti.a "ir.a, =onnani Talu., where something
li.e a regular Hari/an hunting is ta.ing place every day as a result of the Hari/ans
trying to wear gold ornaments and use clean clothes and umbrellas. #n addition to
numerous cases of assaults a Hari/an marriage party was way-laid and assaulted
and the shirts of men and the sarees of women removed by force and a Hari/an
student mercilessly beaten in -adanpilly on +,th 4ay )*'C. This 8onference while
congratulating the progressive Thiya youths of the place under the enlightened
leadership of 4essrs. 8. (. 9opalan, 4. (. (an.aranarayan and =. 8. Bama.rishna
-ydier for their magni1cient e;orts to help the Hari/ans, most emphatically protests
against the callous indi;erence of the local authorities, particularly & of the =olice
&epartment in that the ill-treated Hari/ans did not get any timely protection from
them.
This conference desires to state that almost in all cases of the above-said
oppressions, the aggrieved Hari/ans have received neither protection nor /ustice
from the police. There are instances where poor Hari/ans were even beaten by the
=olice for their coming forward to give evidence in such cases. #n so far as these
events have reduced the Hari/ans of 4alabar to a very miserable plight and the
situation, if left alone, is li.ely to develop into a crisis endangering the lives of all
progressive Hari/ans who are trying to brea. the shac.les of caste and economic
e0ploitation of the vested interests in 4albar. This 8onference most earnestly
appeals to the 9overnment of #ndia, the Hon2ble &r. !. B. 5mbed.ar and all the
enlightened people in the country to see that the Hari/ans are allowed to live in this
land as free citiKens of a democratic country unmolested by any people and
promptly protected by the administration whenever they are oppressed by others.%

5

The Untouchables must not eat rich food even if they can a;ord it.
#t is an o;ence for the Untouchables to live above their station in life. The 'Pratap'
of +Ath "ebruary )*+H relates the following occurrence$
% #n the (tate of 7odhpur at a place 8handayal, you will still see men who do not
thin. that the Hari/ans have even the right to eat Halva. 6ne of the Untouchable
castes is that of (argaroes. (ometime bac. on the occasion of the 4arriage
ceremony of two or three girls, Halva was prepared for the members of the
marriage party. "or this purpose, maida Ewhite GourF was brought from the Tha.ur
(ahib. 5t mealtime, the marriage party came for meals but /ust at that time the
?anwar (ahib of 8handawala sent orders to the (aragaroes that they could not eat
Halva. (ome cringing sycophants negotiated a compromise in this way that the
?anwar (ahib be presented with Bs. +DD and then permission will be given to eat
Halva. 5t this the (argaroes got infuriated and refused to pay the money.%
5I

To lead a marriage procession through the main streets of the village is the right of
every caste Hindu. #t is also in evidence that the community, which en/oys this right,
is accepted as a respectable community. The Untouchables have no such right. !ut
they have been see.ing to establish such a right by ta.ing their marriage
procession through the main streets of the village with the ob/ect of establishing
their social status. The following incidents show how the Hindus have dealt with this
claim. "rom the 'Adi' Hindu' dated 7uly )*+,$
%!angalore, +,th 4ay )*+,$ (even !rahmins were sentenced to pay a 1ne of
hundred rupees each, by the "irst 8lass 4agistrate. These men had wantonly
attac.ed a procession of the well-.nown =ariah Untouchable caste when it was
passing along the 4all.ot Boad where only !rahmins live.%
"rom the 'Pratap' dated +Cth 6ctober )*3)$ %#n the village of Hargaon, district
9arhwal when the high caste Hindus heard that a marriage party of the
Untouchables was coming and the bridegroom was sitting in a palanquin they
sallied forth in great numbers and surrounded the party and gave it a severe
beating. #n intense cold they held up the marriage party and .ept it without food for
+' hours. The members of the party were inhumanly treated and were only rescued
from this di>cult situation by the coming of the =olice.%
"rom the 2!atya !am(ad' @ahore dated 3rd ovember )*3)$ %5 marriage party
was passing near &elhi, carrying the bridegroom in a palanquin. The high caste
Hindus too. o;ence at this for they thought it to be an insult to them. They held up
the party for two days and gave it nothing either to eat or drin.. 5t last the police
came and chased away these tyrants and rescued the marriage party.%
The 2$i"an' a Hindu /ournal for 7une )*3H reports,
). %#n village (evra, the 9olas E=urva Tha.ursF who boast of being 8ongressites,
have so mercilessly beaten with spears and lathis the unarmed 7atavs of that village
that 1ve of them were lying wounded in the hospital with arms and ribs bro.en.
!ansi has sustained fracture of the s.ull bone and is still unconscious in the
hospital. 5ll this happened because when a marriage party came to the village the
bridegroom was wearing a glittering crown E=u..a 4oharF which o;ended the
Tha.urs, who wanted to attac. the marriage partyI but desisted because of the
party2s superior strength and were therefore content with only insulting the
marriage party within the Lamindari at that time.%
+. % #n village &orra, Tehsil "atechand, &istrict 5gra, a marriage party came to the
house of 4oti Bam 7atav from village Bampur. The bridegroom was wearing a
glittering crown and the party also brought band music and 1rewor.s. The 8aste
Hindus ob/ected to the party proceeding with the music band playing and displaying
1rewor.s. 4oti Bam protested against this and said that they were also as good
human beings as any others. 6n this, the caste Hindus caught hold of 4oti Bam and
gave him a severe beating and also attac.ed the marriage party. 5 sum of Bs. )C-)-
D tied in 4oti Bam2s turban was also removed.%
3. % While a marriage party was on its way to the house of =rem (ingh and 9irvar
(ingh, 7atavs of village ?hurva, =olice post (a.ini, &istrict 5ligarh, it was prevented
by the caste Hindus from proceeding further unless the music band stopped
playing, and the procession was threatened to be .illed and looted if the music was
not stopped. 8aste Hindus were also enraged for refusal by the 7atavs to do 2!egar%
and for the audacity to have music band playing with a marriage party. 6n the
marriage party2s refusal to stop music, the caste Hindus were so much enraged that
they threw bric.-bats and stones at the party.%
The 'Hindustan Times' of the +'th of 4arch )*'C reports the following incident
relating to the same sub/ect$
% 5 (hilpa.ar marriage party of the village of &hanuri in @ands down sub-division
carrying the bridegroom in a 2pal.i2 was proceeding to the bride2s house in the
village of 4all &hangu. 5 man introducing himself as an agent of the =atwari of 4all
&hangu advised the party to go through an out of the way route to avoid
disturbance by caste Hindus.
The party, accordingly, too. a forest path and when they were at a lonely spot a
whistle brought out about +DD caste Hindus who, it is alleged, attac.ed the party
and carried away the 2pal.i%.
The (hilpa.ar party reached the bride2s house two days later and the marriage
was, it is reported, performed in the presence of the (ub-divisional 4agistrate and a
police party brought by him.
The =atwari has been suspended in this connection.%
The %i"il and Military Gazette of )ahore in its issue of +'th 7une )*'C reports$
%5 party of Ba/puts, armed with a0es, lathis and daggers, attac.ed yesterday
Hari/ans of a village in 9walior (tate, .illing one and inGicting serious in/uries on
four.
The Ba/puts and the Hari/ans of the village were on hostile terms for some time
past ever since the Hari/ans too. out a procession to celebrate the birth of an heir
apparent to the 9walior &arbar. The Ba/puts strongly protested against it, as
according to them, Hari/ans were not entitled to the privileges of such celebrations.
@ast month, a proclamation was issued by the 4ahara/a giving equal rights to the
Hari/ans.%
Here are a few cases to show how the Hindus treat with violence any attempt on
the part of the Untouchables to imitate the ways and manners of the Hindus and to
have a little pride in themselves. The following is from the "*om+ay !ama,har" of
'th ovember )*3A$
%5t Uttapalam Ein 4alabarF an <Khava by caste named (ivaraman, aged ),, went
to the shop of a caste Hindu to buy salt and as.ed in the 4alayalam language for
2uppu2. #n 4alabar, according to custom, caste Hindus alone can use the word 2uppu2
for saltI being only a Hari/an he ought to have used the word 2pulichatan2.
8onsequently, the high caste grocer was very angry and is alleged to have thrashed
(ivaraman so severely that the latter died.% The following instances are collected
from the 2 !amata '-
E)F %5t ?athi E&istrict =oonaF the people have begun to persecute the
Untouchables because the latter have begun saying 2 Bam, Bam and amas.ar 2. !e
it .nown to the un-intimated that these are salutations which only the higher castes
have the right to employI the 4ahars, etc. must say 27ohar2 or 2=aya @agu2E# touch
your feetF to the people.
E+F The Untouchables of Tanoo E&istrict =oonaF tried to behave 2li.e Touchable
Hindu people2I the result of this impudent encroachment is that many of them have
had to leave the village and some have migrated to !avda.
E3F 5t -alapur E&istrict of (holapurF the 4ahars are persecuted because they have
dared to refuse to address Touchables as 2 (aheb 2 and to say 2 =aya @agu 2 E2 # touch
your feet 2F in salutation.
E'F 5t 7ambad E&istrict (holapurF the Untouchables refused to ma.e 2 autch 2 and
2 Tamasha 2 for the diversion of their Touchable lords. Therefore these Untouchables
were thrashed, their huts were burnt down or pulled down, and they were driven out
of the village limits.
ECF 5t !avda E&istrict =oonaF some Untouchables e0horted their fellow-outcastes
to give up eating the leavings of higher caste people, dead animals, etc., and to
refuse to do the dirty wor. of the people. The elders of the village have told these
4ahars with new fanglad notions that it is their 2 &harma 2 to eat what they have
always been eating and do what they have been doing. Those 4ahars who do not
follow their ancient and eternal 2 &harma 2 have been thrashed by the people and
threatened with e0pulsion from the village.%

"II

The Hindu treats the Untouchables as being born to serve the Hindu community. #t
being his duty to serve, the Untouchables cannot refuse to serve the Hindu
whenever the latter call upon to do so. The Hindus of the village hold the belief that
they can commandeer the labour of the Untouchables. The system is .nown as 2
*egar ', or forced labour. 5 few instances will show that dire consequences follow
from the refusal of the Untouchables to submit to the system.
The 2$i"an' of &ecember )*3H report the following incidents$ %6n +*th ovember
)*3H, the 7atavs of village ?ohana, district 4uttra were seriously tortured by the 7ats
and !rahmins for refusing !egar.
The Tha..urs and the !rahmins of this village used to e0tract !egar from the
7atavs and to harass them. The latter decided not to do !egar and do only that wor.
for which wages were paid. Becently, a bulloc. died in the village and the Tha..urs
and other caste Hindus tried to force the 7atavs to lift it, but they said that they
could do that only if they were paid. This enraged the caste Hindus so much that
they as.ed a sweeper to 1ll the 7atavs2 well with e0creta and ma.e them not to go to
their 1elds for ablutions and decided to tease them in every way. When the 7atavs
prevented the (weeper from putting e0creta in their well, he called the 7ats,
Tha..urs and !rahmins who were all ready for an attac.. They attac.ed the 7atavs
with lathis and seriously belaboured them and also set 1re to their houses as a
result of which si0 houses were burnt to ashes and )H 7atavs were wounded
seriously and a lot of their household property was ta.en away by the rowdies.% The
same $ournal in its issue of "ebruary )*3* reports$
%The 7ats of village 5bhaipura, tehsil ?irvali, district 5gra, are used to e0tract
!egar E"orced labourF from the poor (cheduled 8aste people and beat them on
demanding wages. (ome three months bac. (u.hi 7at forced (u.h Bam,
9hanshyam and Hum.a, 7atavs to do wor. for them and did not pay any wages.
These persons are so much fed up with such high-handedness that they have left
the villages and lived with their relatives in other villages, while their utensils and
other household goods have been ta.en away by the 7ats and concealed in some
barn.% The 2 !a"adhan" in its issue of 3rd 7une )*'C reports the following incident$
% 4ehra/i ?ori, a (cheduled 8aste woman has 1led a complaint in the court of 4r.
4ahboob 5lam, 8ity 4agistrate under (ections 3,A, 3') and 3C'-5 against !rahma
(ingh, (uleman and 5ftab, constables of 7ubi =olice post. #t is alleged that at about
)D-3D p.m. on +nd 4ay )*'C these three constables, (umar, ?ahar, ?allu !ibis son
and some others came and searched her house and then too. her to the police
station and .ept her there for the whole night. #n the early hours of the morning
these constables too. her to a small room bolted it and then all three of them
violated her modesty one by one. Then she was removed to another small room
where charcoal and pieces of paper were 1lled in her private part and they put their
private organs in her mouth. Her clothes were torn and saturated with blood. The
following day her mother was forced to do begar wor. for the whole day and then
both of them were left o; at )D p.m.
4urala, wife of 4ahara/i2s husband2s younger brother has also 1led a similar
complaint. (he has alleged that the same constables too. her to the police post the
same night and returned her to her house. 6n the way she was caught by 4adari
Teli, near ?umar Tola, to the ruins of a house and her modesty violated. 4essrs.
4unna @al, !hushan and Bam !harose, advocates are appearing for the
complainant.%
#n the 2 Hindustan Times' of )Cth 5pril )*'C occurs the following news item$
% "or refusal to do forced labour, it is alleged, a large number of Hari/ans in the
village of &u.heri in 5mbala &istrict were recently assaulted by a party of Ba/puts. 5
man and a woman, both Hari/ans, were .illed. #t is also alleged that a large number
of houses belonging to Hari/ans were set on 1re. Telegrams have been sent to the
8ommissioner and the &eputy #nspector 9eneral of =olice to inquire into the
matter.%
"rom these instances, it will be clear to anyone that the Hindus do not hesitate to
use violence to hold down the Untouchables and maintain the established order and
even to commit, murder. 4r. @a/pat Bai in his boo. 2.Unhappy #ndia2 in which he tried
to reply to and refute the charges levelled by 4iss 4ayo in her 2 4other #ndia 2 gives
a lengthy and lucid description of the lynching of the egroes in the United (tates
and the atrocities committed upon them by the members of the ?u ?lu0 ?lan and
as.s$
% What however is very relevant to her to as. is$ is the un/usti1able and cruel
attitude of the !rahmins towards the Pariah more un/usti1able and more cruel than
that of the ?lansmen of 5merica towards the egroes?%
% What are the caste cruelties of #ndia put by the side of what the whiteman has
done to the non-white people?% @ala @a/patrai, if he had cared to investigate could
have found that the cruelties and atrocities practised by the Hindus against the
Untouchables were no less than those practised by the 5mericans upon the
egroes. #f these atrocities are not so well .nown to the world as are those practised
upon the egro, it is not because they do not e0ist. They are not .nown because
there is no Hindu, who will not do his best to conceal truth in order to hide his
shame, (ome might thin. that this description of the <stablished 6rder and the
rules made thereunder are matters of ancient past. This is a complete mista.e. The
<stablished 6rder subsists even today and the rules are as operative today as they
were when they were made. This will be evident from the two following statements
on the condition of the Untouchables which have appeared in the 'Hindustan Times
'. The 1rst appeared in the issue of Hth 4arch )*'C. The 1rst one is written by one
?esarilai/i !ordia, Headmaster of a school called -idya !huwan in Udaipur. #t reads
as follows$
% 4any are the disabilities under which the Hari/ans in 4ewar live. They cannot
enter temples, nor can they draw water from public wells. They cannot /oin the
caste Hindus in festivals and processions. They have to ta.e out their Bath :atra or
&oll procession through a di;erent route and on a di;erent day. 5nd they cannot
ride through the village.
<ven silver ornaments, let alone gold ones on their person are resented by the
caste Hindus. The result is, they have to content themselves with tin and brass
articles. 5ge-old usage prevents them from using butter or gur in wedding feasts.
#n (chools and other public places, Hari/an boys cannot sit with the children of
caste Hindus. They are as.ed to absent themselves on the inspection day in order
to save the #nspector from embarrassment.
5 memorandum has been submitted to the (tate 9overnment. #f the 9overnment
chooses to declare in unequivocal terms the disapproval of these disabilities, the
hands of non-o>cial bodies which are 1ghting untouchability will be strengthened.%
The second is in the form of a statement issued by the =resident of the Harijan
!e"a/ !angh and refers to the condition of the Untouchables in the (tate of 4ewar.
#t reads as under$
%The 4ewar Hari/an (eva. (angh has sent a 4emorandum to the 4ewar
9overnment drawing their attention to the various disabilities of Hari/ans in the
(tate and their consequent hardships. The 4emorandum brings out how civil
liberties of Hari/ans are curtailed in several ways by the orthodo0y and pre/udices of
caste Hindus.
# enumerate below some of the un/ust practices, which still persist in the (tate and
for the recti1cation of which the (tate has ta.en no e;ective measures. They are as
follows$
). Hari/ans have no liberty in the selection of clothes to wear. The form of dress
must follow the age-long patternI personal tastes and desires have no place in the
choice of the dress.
+. 5t wedding feasts they have no choice in the selection of food materials. <ven
on payment they cannot use costly articles.
3. They cannot ride the village on a horse.
'. They are not allowed accommodation in public vehicles.
C. 6n religious festivals they cannot ta.e out procession of their idols e0cept
through speci1ed routes.
A. They have no access to wells and temples.% The (riter adds-
% Three years ago in company with Tha..ur !apa, # travelled all over the (tate and
placed before the 9overnment and public my impressions of the conditions
obtaining there and pleaded for reform. 6n perusal of the above mentioned
memorandum and other reports sent to me, # 1nd that the past few years have
hardly brought any change and conditions are more or less static.
#t is heart brea.ing to 1nd that passage of time cuts no ice with us. The result is
that there is hardly any change in our age-long practices and pre/udices. This
perversity which blinds us to the tyranny and in/ustices of our ways also ma.es us
impervious to the incalculable harm we have already su;ered as a result of it. <ven
if the ignorant pre/udice of the common man is unsha.en the enlightened
9overnments of the twentieth century ought to be more alive to their
responsibilities.%
The dates of these communications are important. They are of the year )*'C.
one can say that this Hindu <stablished 6rder is a thing of the ancient past. The
fact that these latest accounts refer to the #ndian (tates should not be understood
to mean that the established 6rder has vanished from !ritish #ndia. The chapters to
follow will present enough evidence to show that the same <stablished 6rder is very
much alive in !ritish #ndia.
#n the "Times of India" of 3)st 5ugust )*CD occurs the following news item$
% The following facts of a case revealed in the hearing of an appeal in the
5llahabad High 8ourt, are illustrative of the socio-economic conditions of lower
castes in the rural areas$
8hiran/i, a dhobi of the village of (arras in the &istrict of <tah, went out as a
military employee in the last war and remained out of his village for four or 1ve
years. When he was discharged, he returned to his home. He stopped washing
clothes and used to go about in the village in his military uniform. This coupled with
the fact that he refused to wash clothes even for the men of the Ba/a of (arras the
sole Kamindar in the village, was resented by the villagers.
6n &ecember 3), )*',, when the dhobi was washing his clothes, four villagers,
including the Ba/a2s servants, approached him and as.ed him to wash their clothes
which he refused. The villagers too. 8hiran/i to the Ba/a2s house and gave him a
beating. His mother and mother2s sister went there to intercede on his behalf but
they too were assaulted.
The attac.ers then went away leaving 8hiran/i in the custody of one Bam (inghI
1nding him alone, 8hiran/i was alleged to have slapped him and run away. Bam
(ingh and other servants of the Ba/a chased him to his house where he had ta.en
shelter. The villagers insisted upon his opening the door but when there was no
response, his house was set on 1re. 5 number of other huts were also reduced to
ashes.
The dhobi lodged a complaint with the =olice who disbelieved his story and
wanted to prosecute him for a false report. He then 1led a complaint in a
4agistrate2s 8ourt. The accused were convicted and sentenced to three years2
imprisonment, each. The High 8ourt upheld the sentences imposed by the
4agistrate. The following news item has appeared in the 2 Indian #e(s %hroni,le'
dated 3)st 5ugust )*CD.
#nhuman Treatment towards Hari/ans in =epsu$ &epressed 8lasses @eague2s
4emorandum to 9overnment.
=atiala, 5ugust )*CD$ %The unprovo.ed thrashing of the !ac.ward 8lass people,
inhuman insults heaped upon their women fol., indiscriminate detachment of the
Hari/ans from the lands, the virtual con1nement of the Hari/ans and their cattle in
their mud houses for days together without any fault is a long tale of su;ering
whose echoes are rising in proportion to the diminishing echoes of crime in
general,% says a memorandum presented by the =<=(U =rovincial &epressed
8lasses @eague to the (tate 9overnment.
%While crime in =<=(U is on the decrease due to the vigorous e;orts of the police,%
the memorandum adds, %it is a pity that the sector of the !ac.ward 8lass should be
deprived of the protection from the unsociable elements %. The !ac.ward 8lasses
economically handicapped as they are, 1nd it very di>cult to ventilate their day-to-
day grievances to the authorities concerned who could immediately come to their
rescue, and are perforce, compelled to submit to their lot, to the encouragement of
the aggressor, and thus the wail of disgust against the present state of a;airs grows
still louder which in its turn is made stoc. of by the interested parties.%
The =rovincial &epressed 8lasses @eague further quoted an instance to show how
much inhuman treatment was being meted out to Hari/ans in =<=(U. 8hand (ingh a
Hari/an of village ?atu, district !ernala, was made to go round the village on the
bac. of don.ey with face blac.ened for the fault of having drun. water at the well of
a high caste Kamindar. % #n the changed atmosphere of free #ndia, the members of
the (cheduled 8astes in the =<=(U are daily 1nding themselves put in a tight corner
as a result of the unprecedented repression let loose upon them by the members of
high castes.%2
The =rovincial &epressed 8lasses @eague has further suggested formation of
district and central special commissions in the (tate with wide powers to deal with
the complaints on Hari/ans on the spot and a;ord them other facilities.
8oncluding, the @eague has urged upon the (tate 9overnment that pending an all-
#ndia enactment in this connection, it may, temporarily be provided that the
Hari/ans have equal rights in the village common, to ease the situation from further
deterioration.

CAPT!R 7

W# $AW$!%%&!%% I% $AW'U$?

The foregoing discussionMf.)Nmust have made clear two things, which must be
borne in mind. 6ne is the sharp division between the touchables and untouchables,
the other is the deep antagonism between the two.
<very village has two parts, the quarters of the touchables and the quarters of the
untouchables. 9eographically the two are separate. There is always appreciable
distance between the two. 5t any rate there is no contiguity or pro0imity between
them. The untouchables quarters have a distinct name such as 4aharwada,
4angwada, 8hamrotti, ?hat.ana, etc. 0e jure for the purposes of Bevenue
5dministration or =ostal 8ommunication, the quarters of the untouchables are
included in the village. !ut de'fa,to it is separate from the village. When the Hindu
resident of a village spea.s of the village he means to include in it only the caste
Hindu residents and the locality occupied by them. (imilarly when the untouchable
spea.s of the village he means to e0clude from it the untouchables and the quarters
they occupy. Thus in every village the touchables and untouchables form two
separate groups. There is nothing common between them. They do not constitute a
fol.. This is the 1rst thing which must be noted.
The second thing to note with regard to this division of the village into two groups
is that these groups are real corporations which no one included within them can
escape. 5s has been well said the 5merican or <uropean belongs to groups of
various .inds, but he %/oins % most of them. He of course is born into a family, but he
does not stay in it all his life unless he pleases. He may choose his own occupation,
residence, wife, political party, and is responsible generally spea.ing for no one2s
acts but his own. He is an %individual% in a much fuller sense because all his
relationships are settled by himself for himself. The touchables or untouchables are
in no sense individuals because all or nearly all of his relationship are 10ed when he
is born in a certain group. His occupation, his dwelling, his gods and his politics are
all determined for him by the group to which he belongs. When the touchables and
untouchables meet they meet not as man to man, individual to individual but as
members of groups or as nationals of two di;erent (tates.
This fact has an important e;ect upon the mutual relationship between the
touchables and untouchables in a village. The relationship resembles the
relationship between di;erent clans in primitive society. #n primitive society the
member of the clan has a claim, but the stranger has no standing. He may be
treated .indly, as a guest, but he cannot demand %/ustice % at the hands of any clan
but his own. The dealing of clan with clan is a matter of war or negotiation, not of
lawI and the clan less man is an 2outlaw2, in fact as well as in name and lawlessness
against the strangers is therefore lawful. The untouchable not being a member of
the group of touchables is a stranger. He is not a .indred. He is an outlaw. He
cannot claim /ustice. He cannot claim rights which the touchable is bound to
respect.
The third thing to note is that the relationship between the two, the touchables
and the untouchables, has been 10ed. #t has become a matter of status. This status
has unmista.ably given the untouchables a position of inferiority vis-a-vis the
touchables. This inferiority is embodied in a 8ode of (ocial conduct to which the
untouchables must conform. What .ind of a code it is, has already been stated. The
untouchable is not willing to conform to that 8ode. He is not prepared to render
unto 8easar what belongs to 8easar. The untouchable wants to have his relationship
with the touchables by contract. The touchable wants the untouchables to live in
accordance with the rules of status and not rise above it. Thus the two halves of the
village, the touchables and the untouchables are now struggling for resettling what
the touchable thin.s is settled forever. The conGict is centred round one questionJ
What is to be the basis of this relationship? (hall it be contract or shall it be status?
This raises some very interesting questions. How did the untouchables come to
have the status of the lowliest and the low? Why has the Hindu cultivated this
hostility and contempt for the untouchables? Why does the Hindu indulge in
lawlessness in suppressing the untouchables as though such lawlessness is lawful?
To give an adequate answer to these questions one has to go to the law of the
Hindus. Without a wor.ing .nowledge of the rules of the Hindu @aw, it would be
impossible to give any satisfactory answer to this question. "or our purpose, it is not
necessary to cover the whole 1eld of Hindu @aw in all its branches. #t is enough to
.now that branch of the Hindu law which may be called the law of personsJor to
put it in non-technical languageJthat part of the Hindu law which deals with
di;erences of right, duty or capacity which result from di;erences of status.
#t is therefore proposed to give a catalogue of the rules of the Hindu @aw which
relate to the law of persons. These rules are collected from the @aw !oo.s of 4anu,
:a/naval.ya, arada, -ishnu. ?atyayana etc. who are some of the principal
lawgivers recognised by the Hindus as persons having authority to lay down the law.
5 mere reproduction of the rules however interesting cannot be helpful in enabling a
person who goes through them to have an idea of the basic conceptions which
underlie the Hindu @aw of =ersons. "or that purpose mere reproduction of the rules
will not do. (ome order is evidently necessary. What is therefore done is to group
these rules under certain heads. The whole thing is cast in the form of a digest
divided into sections, each section being an assembly of rules dealing with one
de1nite matter.

&#""<B<T 8@5((<($ TH<#B 6B#9# 5& TH<#B &UT#<(

).Mf.+NThis EUniverseF e0isted in the shape of &ar.ness, unperceived destitute of
distinctive mar.s, untenable by reasoning, un.nowable, wholly immersed, as it were
in a deep sleep.%
+.Mf.3NThen the divine self-e0istent E(vayambhu, himselfF indiscernible EbutF
ma.ing EallF this, the great elements and the rest, discernible, appeared with
irresistible EcreativeF power, dispelling the dar.ness.
3Mf.'N !ut for the sa.e of the prosperity of the worlds, he caused the !rahmana,
the ?shatriya, the -aishya, and the (hudra to proceed from his mouth, his arms, his
thighs and his feet.
'.Mf.CN!ut in order to protect this Universe He, the most resplendent one, assigned
separate Eduties andF occupations to those who sprang from his mouth, arms, thighs
and feet.
C.Mf.ANTo the !rahmans he assigned teaching and studying Ethe vedaF, sacri1cing
Eperforming sacri1cial ceremoniesF for their own bene1t and for others, giving and
accepting Eof almsF.
A.Mf.,NThe ?shatriya he commanded to protect the people, to bestow gifts, to o;er
sacri1ces, to study Ethe -edaF, and to abstain from attaching himself to sensual
pleasures.
,.Mf.HNThe -aishya to tend cattle, to bestow gifts, to o;er sacri1ces, to study
Ethe -edaF, to trade, to lend money and to cultivate the land.
H.Mf.*N6ne occupation only the lord prescribed to the (hudra, to serve mee.ly even
these EotherF three castes.
*.Mf.)DN5 student, an apprentice, a hired servant, and fourthly, an o>cial$ these
must be regarded as labourers. (laves are those who are born in the house and the
rest.
)D.Mf.))NThe (ages have distinguished 1ve sorts of attendants according to law.
5mong these are four sorts of labourers Ementioned aboveF. The slaves Eare the 1fth
category, of which there areF 1fteen species.
)).Mf.)+N6ne born at Ehis master2sF houseI one purchasedI one received Eby giftFI
one obtained by inheritanceI one maintained during a general famineI one pledged
by his rightful owner.
)+.Mf.)3N6ne released from a heavy debtI one made captive in a 1ghtI one won
through a wagerI one who has come forward declaring 2 # am thin 2 an apostate from
asceticismI one enslaved for a stipulated period.
)3.Mf.)'N6ne who has become a slave in order to get a maintenanceI one enslaved
on account of his connection with a female slaveI and oneself sold. These are 1fteen
classes of slaves as declared in law.
)'.Mf.)CN5mong these the four named 1rst cannot be released from bondage,
e0cept by the favour of their owners. Their bondage is hereditary.
)C.Mf.)ANThe (ages have declared that the state of dependence is common to all
theseI but that their respective position and an income depends on their particular
caste O occupation.

!(UA$IT# )!'*R! $AW

).Mf.),NWhen two persons abuse each other, their punishment shall be equal if
they are equals in casteI if one is inferior to the other, his punishment shall be
doubleI for a superior, half Eof the ordinary punishmentF is ordained.
+.Mf.)HNWhen persons equal in caste and qualities abuse one another, the
punishment ordained for them in the system of law is thirteen =anas and a half.
3.Mf.)*N"or a !rahman abusing a ?shatriya, the 1ne shall be half a hundred E"ifty
=anasFI for abusing a -aishya, half of 1fty Etwenty-1ve =anasFI for abusing a (hudra,
twelve O a half.
'.Mf.+DNThis punishment has been declared for EabusingF a virtuous (hudra who
has committed no wrongI no o;ence is imputable to a !rahman for abusing Ea
(hudraF devoid of virtue.
C.Mf.+)N5 -aishya shall be 1ned a hundred E=anasF for reviling a ?shatriya, a
?shatriya reviling a -aishya shall have to pay half of that amount as a 1ne.
A.Mf.++N#n the case of a ?shatriya reviling a (hudra, the 1ne shall be twenty =anasI
in the case of a -aishya, the double amount is declared to be the proper 1ne by
persons learned in law.
,.Mf.+3N5 (hudra shall be compelled to pay the 1rst 1ne for abusing a -aishyaI the
middling 1ne Efor abusingF a ?shatriyaI the highest 1ne Efor abusingF a !rahman.
H.Mf.+'N5 ?shatriya having defamed a !rahmana shall be 1ned one hundred
EpanasFI a -aishya one hundred and 1fty or two hundredI a (hudra shall su;er
corporal punishment.
*Mf.+CN 5 !rahmana shall be 1ned 1fty EpanasF for defaming a ?shatriyaI in Ethe
case ofF a -aishya the 1ne shall be twenty-1ve panasI in Ethe case ofF a (hudra
twelve.
)D.Mf.+AN5 once born man Ea (hudraF, who insults a twice born man with gross
invective, shall have his tongue cut outI for he is of low origin.
)).Mf.+,N#f he mentions the names and castes E7atiF of the Etwice bornF with
contumely an iron nail, ten 1ngers long, shall be thrust red hot into his mouth.
)+.Mf.+HN#f he arrogantly teaches !rahmans their duty, the ?ing shall cause hot oil
to be poured into his mouth and into his ears.
)3.Mf.+*N"or mutual abuse by a !rahmana and a ?shatriya a 1ne must be imposed
by a discerning E?ingF, on the !rahmana the lowest amercement, but on the
?shatriya the middle most.
)'Mf.3DN With whatever limb a man of a low caste does hurt to Ea man of threeF
highest EcastesF even that limb shall be cut o;I that is the teaching of 4anu.
)C.Mf.3)NHe Elow caste manF who raises his hand or a stic., shall have his hand cut
o;I he who in anger .ic.s with his foot, shall have his foot cut o;.
)AMf.3+N 5 low caste man who tries to place himself on the same seat with a man
of a high caste, shall be branded on his hip and be banished, or Ethe ?ingF shall
cause his buttoc. to be gashed.
),.Mf.33N#f out of arrogance he spits Eon a superiorF the ?ing shall cause both his
lips to be cut o;, if he urinates Eon himF, the penisI if he brea.s wind Eagainst himF
the anus.
)H.Mf.3'N#f he lays hold of the hair Eof a superiorF, let the E?ingF unhesitatingly cut
o; his hands, li.ewise Eif he ta.es him by the feetF the beard, the nec. or the
scrotum.
"T'TU"6 1IG+IT3 '+1 P,"ITI,+ ,2 0'C- C/'""
).Mf.3CN4an is stated to be purer above the navel Ethan belowFI hence the self-
e0istent E(wayambhuF has declared the purest EpartF of him to be his mouth.
+.Mf.3AN5s the !rahmana sprang from the mouth, as he was the 1rstborn and as he
possesses the -eda, he is by right the lord of his whole creation.
3.Mf.3,N"or the self-e0istent E(wayambhuF having performed austerities, produced
him 1rst from his own mouth, in order that the o;erings might be conveyed to the
gods and manes and that this universe might be preserved.
'.Mf.3HNWhat created being can surpass him, through whose mouth the gods
continually consume the sacri1cial viands and the manes, the o;erings of the dead.
C.Mf.3*N6f created beings the most e0cellent are said to be those who are
animatedI of the animated, those who subsist by intelligenceI of the intelligent
man.ind, and of men the !rahmanas.
A.Mf.'DN5 !rahmana coming into e0istence is born as the highest on earth, the lord
of all created things.
,.Mf.')NWhatever e0ists in the world is the property of the !rahmanaI on account
of the e0cellence of his origin the !rahmana is indeed, entitled to all.
H.Mf.'+N5 !rahmana be he ignorant or learned is a great divinity, /ust as the 1re,
whether carried forth Efor the performance of a burnt oblationF or not carried forth,
is a great divinity.
*.Mf.'3NThus though !rahmans employ themselves in all Esorts ofF mean
occupations, they must be honoured in every wayI for Eeach ofF them is a great
divinity.
)D.Mf.''N!ut let Ethe father perform orF cause to be performed the amadheya Ethe
right of naming the childF on the tenth or twelfth Eday after birthF, or on a luc.y
lunar day, in a luc.y 4uhurta, under an auspicious constellation.
)).Mf.'CN@et Ethe 1rst part ofF a !rahman2s name Edenote somethingF auspicious, a
?shatriya2s be connected with power, and a -aishya2s with wealth, but a (hudra2s
Ee0press somethingF contemptible.
)+.Mf.'ANEThe second part ofF a !rahmana2s EnameF shall be Ea wordF implying
happiness, of a ?shatriya2s Ea wordF implying protection, of a -aishya2s Ea termF
e0pressive of thriving and of a (hudra2s Ean e0pressionF denoting service.
)3.Mf.',N@et him Ea !rahmanaF not dwell in a country where the rulers are (hudras,
nor in one which is surrounded by unrighteous men, nor in one which has become
sub/ect to heretics, nor in one swarming with men of the lowest castes.
)'.Mf.'HNWhen the ?ing cannot himself decide the causes Eof litigantsF then he
should appoint thereto a !rahmana learned in the various (hastras.
)C.Mf.'*NWhere a !rahmana Eendowed with the qualities enumeratedF cannot be
had Ethe ?ingF should appoint a ?shatriya or a -aishya, pro1cient in the (acred law,
but the Ethe ?ingF should carefully avoid a (hudra as a 7udge,
)A.Mf.CDNWhatever is done by others Eas 7udgesF than these must be regarded as
done wrongly, even if they be o>cers Eof the ?ingF and even if by chance the
decision is according to the (acred te0ts.
),.Mf.C)N5 !rahmana who subsists only by the name of his caste E7atiF, or one who
merely calls himself a !rahmana Ethough his origin be uncertainF, may, at the ?ing2s
pleasure interpret the law to him, but never a (hudra.
)H.Mf.C+NThe ?ingdom of that 4onarch, who loo.s on while a (hudra settles the
law, will sin. ElowF, li.e a cow in a morass.
)*.Mf.C3N5 !rahmana who .nows the law need not bring any Eo;enceF to the notice
of the ?ing, by his own power alone he can punish those men who in/ure him.
+D.Mf.C'NHis own power is greater than the power of the ?ingI the !rahmana
therefore, may punish his foes by his own power alone.
+).Mf.CCNThe !rahmana is declared Eto beF the creator Eof the worldF, the punisher,
the teacher, Eand henceF a benefactor Eof all created beingsFI to him let no man say
anything unpropitious, nor use any harsh words.

I+T0()(0/'TI,+"-IP .0TW00+ T-0 C/'""0" I

)Mf.CAN #n the inverse order of the four castes slavery is not ordained.
+.Mf.C,N4embers of three -arnas can become slaves but a !rahman can never
become a slave. (lavery in the case of the EthreeF -arnas viK., ?shatriyas, -aishyas
and (hudras is in their direct order and not in their inverse order. 5 (hudra could be
the slave of any master of the four castes, a -aishya of any master of the 1rst three
castes but not of a (hudra 4aster, a ?shatriya could be the slave of a !rahman or
?shatriya 4aster but not of a -aishya or (hudra 4aster.
3.Mf.CHN<ven one of the same caste Ei.e. a !rahmanF should not ma.e a !rahmana
wor. as a (lave . . . . . 5 man who is ?shatriya, -aishya or (hudra may occasionally
do the wor. of slave for a man of the same caste Eas his ownF but a !rahman should
never be made to do the wor. of a slave.

'.Mf.C*N"or the 1rst marriage of twice born men EwivesF of equal caste are
recommendedI but for those who through desire proceed Eto marry againF the
following females EchosenF according to the EdirectF order Eof the castesF, are most
approved.
C.Mf.ADN#t is declared that a (hudra woman alone Ecan beF the wife of a (hudra, she
and one of his own caste Ethe wivesF of a -aishya, those two and one of his own
caste Ethe wivesF of a ?shatriya, those three and one of his own caste Ethe wivesF of
a !rahmana.
A.Mf.A)N#f twice born men wed women of their own and of other Elower castesF, the
seniority, honour and habitation of those EwivesF must be EsettledF according to the
order of the castes E-arnaF.
,.Mf.A+N5mong all Etwice born menF the wife of equal caste alone, not a wife of a
di;erent caste by any means, shall personally attend her husband and assist him in
his daily sacred rights.
H.Mf.A3N5 (hudra who has inter-course with a woman of a twice born caste,
guarded or unguarded Eshall be punished in the following mannerFI if she was
unguarded, he loses the part Eo;endingF and all his propertyI if she was guarded,
everything Eeven his lifeF.
*.Mf.A'NE"or inter-course with a guarded !rahmaniF a -aishya shall forfeit all his
property after imprisonment for a yearI a ?shatriya shall be 1ned one thousand
EpanasF and be shaved with the urine Eof an assF.
)D.Mf.ACN#f a -aishya or a ?shatriya has connection with an unguarded !rahmani,
let him 1ne the -aishya 1ve hundred EpanasF and the ?shatriya one thousand.
)).Mf.AAN#f a -aishya approaches a guarded female of the ?shatriya caste, or a
?shatriya a EguardedF -aishya woman, they both deserve the same punishment as
in the case of an unguarded !rahmana female.
)+.Mf.A,N5 !rahmand shall be compelled to pay a 1ne of one thousand EpanasF if
he has inter-course with guarded Efemales ofF those two EcastesFI for Eo;ending
withF a EguardedF (hudra female a 1ne of one thousand Epanas shall be inGictedF on
a ?shatriya or a -aishya.
)3Mf.AHN "or Eintercourse withF an unguarded ?shatriya EfemaleF a 1ne of 1ve
hundred Epanas shall fallF on a -aishyaI but Efor the same o;enceF a ?shatriya shall
be shaved with the urine Eof a don.eyF or EpayF the same 1ne.
)'.Mf.A*N5 !rahmana who approaches unguarded females Eof theF ?shatriya or
-aishya EcastesF, or a (hudra female, shall be 1ned 1ve hundred EpanasFI but Efor
intercourse withF a female Eof theF lowest EcastesF, one thousand.

Ill

)C.Mf.,DN!ut let Ea householderF o;er, in accordance with the rule, to a guest who
has come Eof his own accordF a seat and water, as well as food, garnished Ewith
seasoningF according to his ability.
)A.Mf.,)N!ut a ?shatriya Ewho comesF to the house of a !rahman is not called a
guest EatithiF, nor a -aishya, nor a (hudra, nor a personal friend, nor a relative, nor
the teacher.
),.Mf.,+N!ut if a ?shatriya comes to the house of a !rahman in the manner of a
guest, Ethe householderF may feed him according to his desire, after the !rahmans
have eaten.
)H.Mf.,3N<ven a -aishya and a (hudra who have approached his house in the
manner of quests, he may allow to eat with his servants, showing EtherebyF his
compassionate disposition.

+UTI!%,PRI-I$!.!%,I//U&ITI!%,+I%A)I$ITI!%

E)F

).Mf.,'N!rahmans who are intent on the means Eof gaining union withF !rahman
and 1rm in EdischargingF their duties, shall live by duly performing the following si0
acts, Ewhich are enumeratedF in their EproperF order.
+.Mf.,CNTeaching, studying, sacri1cing for him self, sacri1cing for others, ma.ing
gifts and receiving them are the si0 acts EprescribedF for -a !rahmana.
3.Mf.,AN!ut among the si0 acts EordainedF for him three are his means of
subsistence, EviK.F sacri1cing for others, teaching and accepting gifts from pure
men.
'.Mf.,,NE=assingF from the !rahman to the ?shatriya, three acts Eincumbent on the
formerF are forbidden EviK.,F teaching, sacri1cing for others, and thereby, the
acceptance of gifts.
C.Mf.,HNThe same are li.ewise forbidden to a -aishya that is a settled ruleI for
4anu, the lord of creatures E=ra/apatiF, has not prescribed them for Emen ofF those
two EcastesF.
A.Mf.,*NTo carry arms for stri.ing and for throwing Eis prescribedF for ?shatriyas as
a means of subsistenceI to trade, Eto rearF cattle, and agriculture for -aishyasI but
their duties are liberality, the study of the -eda and the performance of sacri1ces.
,.Mf.HDN5mong the several occupations the most commendable are, teaching the
-eda for a !rahamana, protecting the people for a ?shatriya and trade for a
-aishya.
H.Mf.H)NThe service of !rahmanas alone is declared Eto beF an e0cellent occupation
for a (hudraI for whatever else besides this he may perform will bear him no fruit.
E##F

*.Mf.H+N!ut a !rahmana unable to subsist by his peculiar occupations /ust
mentioned, may live according to the law applicable to the ?shatriyasI for the latter
is %ne0t to him in ran..
)D.Mf.H3N#f it be as.ed % How shall it be, if he cannot maintain himself by either Eof
these occupations? the answer isF he may adopt a -aishya2s mode of life, employing
himself in agriculture and rearing cattle.
)).Mf.H'N5 ?shatriya who has fallen into distress may subsist by these means
Eopen to the -aishyaF.
)+.Mf.HCN5 -aishya who is unable to subsist by his own duties, may even maintain
himself by a (hudra2s mode of life, avoiding EhoweverF acts forbidden Eto himF, and
he should give it up, when he is able to do so.
)3.Mf.HAN!ut a (hudra being unable to 1nd service with the twice-born and
threatened with the loss of his sons and wife Ethrough hungerF, may maintain
himself by handicrafts.
)'.Mf.H,N5 ?shatriya must never arrogantly adopt the mode of life Eprescribed for
hisF betters Ethat is for the !rahmanasF.
)C.Mf.HHNEThe ?ingF should order a -aishya to trade, to lend money, to cultivate the
land, to lend cattle and the (hudra to serve the twice born castes.
)A.Mf.H*NEThe ?ingF should carefully compel -aishyas and (hudras to perform the
wor. EprescribedF for themI for if these two EcastesF swerved from their duties, they
would throw this EwholeF world into confusion.

E#-F

).Mf.*DN5 blind man, an idiot, Ea crippleF who moves with the help of a board, a
man full seventy years old, and he who confers bene1ts on (rotriyas, shall not be
compelled by any E.ingF to pay a ta0.
+.Mf.*)NThough dying Ewith wantF a ?ing must not levy a ta0 on (rotriyas, and no
(rotriya residing in his .ingdom must perish from hunger.
3.Mf.*+N@et the ?ing ma.e the common inhabitants of his realm who live by tra>c,
pay annually some triGe, which is called a ta0.
'.Mf.*3N4echanics and artisans, as well as (hudras who subsist by manual labour,
he Ethe .ingF may cause to wor. Efor himselfF one EdayF in each month.
C.Mf.*'NTonsure Eof the headF is ordained for a !rahmana Einstead of capital
punishmentFI but men of other castes shall su;er capital punishment.
A.Mf.*CN@et him Ethe ?ingF never slay a !rahmana though he have committed all
EpossibleF crimesI let him banish such an Eo;enderF leaving all his property Eto himF
and Ehis bodyF unhurt.
,.Mf.*ANo greater crime is .nown on the earth than slaying a !rahmana$ a ?ing,
therefore, must not even conceive in his mind the thought of .illing a !rahmana.
H.Mf.*,NWhen a learned !rahmana has found treasure deposited in former EtimesF,
he may ta.e even the whole Eof itFI for he is master for everything.
*.Mf.*HNWhen the ?ing 1nds treasutre of old concealed in the ground, let him give
one half to the !rahmanas and place the EotherF half in his treasury.

4,10 ,2 /I20

).Mf.**NE5 (hudra who isF pure, the servant of his betters, gentle in his speech, and
free from pride, and always see.s a refuge with !rahmanas, attains Ein the ne0t lifeF
a higher caste.
+.Mf.)DDN!ut let a (hudra serve !rahmanas, either for the sa.e of heaven, or with a
view to both Ethis life and the ne0tFI for he who is called the servant of a !rahmana
thereby gains all his ends.
3.Mf.)D)N#f a (hudra Eunable to subsist by serving !rahmanasF see.s a livelihood,
he may serve ?shatriyas, or he may also see. to maintain himself by attending on a
wealthy -aishya.
'.Mf.)D+NThey must allot to him out of their own family EpropertyF a suitable
maintenance, after considering his ability, his industry, and the number of those
whom he is bound to support.
C.Mf.)D3NThe remnants of their food must be given to him, as well as, their old
clothes, the refuse of their grain and their old household furniture.
A.Mf.)D'No collection of wealth must be made by a (hudra, even though he be
able Eto do itFI for a (hudra who has acquired wealth, gives pain to the !rahamana.
,.Mf.)DCN(hudras who live according to the law, shall each month shave Etheir
headsFI their mode of puri1cation Eshall beF the same as that of -aishyas and their
food the fragments of an 5ryan2s meal. 5s has been said the society for which the
ancient lawgivers laid down their ordinances consisted of two partsJone part
consisted of those who were comprised (ithin the system of 8haturvarna. The other
part consisted of those who were without the pale of 8haturvarna. They are spo.en
of in 4anu as !ahyas i.e. outside the pale of 8haturvarna. They are spo.en of as low
castes. The origin of these low castes is a sub/ect with which # am not concerned for
the moment. #t is enough to say that according to these ancient law givers of Hindus
these low castes are the result of the progeny of intermarriages between those four
classesJthe !rahmanas-?shatriyas--aishyas-(hudrasJwho are included within
the system of 8haturvarna. How far this is true will be e0amined at another time.
We are primarily concerned with social relationship and not with origin. (o far the
ordinances relating to those who were within the 8haturvarna have been given. #t
now remains to give the ordinances which relate to those who were outside the
8haturvarna or who were called the low castes. The ordinances which regulate the
life of the low castes are strange to say very few. "ew though they be they give
them such a short shrift that one does not 1nd any necessity for more detailed code
of ordinances. They are as follows$
).Mf.)DAN5ll those tribes in this world, which are e0cluded from Ethe community ofF
those born from. the mouth, the arms, the thighs, and the feet Eof !rahmanF, are
called &asyus, whether they spea. the language of the 4lenchhas EbarbariansF or
that of the 5ryans.
+.Mf.)D,Near well-.nown trees and burial ground, on mountains and in groves, let
these EtribesF dwell, .nown Eby certain mar.sF, and subsisting by their peculiar
occupations.
3.Mf.)DHN!ut the dwelling of the 8handalas and (hwapa.as shall be outside the
village, they must be made 5papatras and their wealth Eshall beF dogs and don.eys.
'.Mf.)D*NTheir dress Eshall beF the garments of the dead, Ethey shall eatF their food
from bro.en dishes, blac. iron Eshall beF their ornaments, they must always wander
from place to place.
C.Mf.))DN5 man who ful1ls a religious duty, shall not see. intercourse with themI
their transactions Eshall beF among themselves, and their marriages with their
equals.
A.Mf.)))NTheir food shall be given to them by others Ethan an 5ryan giverF in a
bro.en dishI at night they shall not wal. about in villages and in towns.
,.Mf.))+N!y day they must go about for the purpose of their wor., distinguished by
mar.s at the ?ing2s command, and they shall carry out the corpses Eof personsF who
have no relatives, that is a settled rule.
H.Mf.))3N!y the ?ing2s order they shall always e0ecute the 8riminals in accordance
with the law, and they shall ta.e for themselves the clothes, the beds and the
ornaments of EsuchF criminals.
*.Mf.))'NHe who has had connection with a woman of one of the lowest castes
shall be put to death.
)D.Mf.))CN#f one who Ebeing a member of the 8handala or some other low casteF
must not be touched, intentionally de1les by his touch one who Eas a member of a
twice born casteF may be touched Eby other twice born persons onlyF he shall be put
to death.


Part III
Untouchables or The Children of India's Ghetto
________________________________________________
Contents

PART III 0 Roots of the Proble1
Chapter 2 : Parallel cases
Chapter 3 : indus and want of public conscience
Chapter 45 : indus and their want of social conscience
Chapter 44 : The hindu and his belief in caste

P'(T III

>oots of the 7roble%
CAPT!R 2
P'('//0/ C'"0"

). (lavery in Bome. ##. -illeinage in <ngland. ###. 7ews and (ervility. #-. egroes and
slavery.
(ocial inequality is not con1ned to Hindus only. #t prevailed in other countries also
and was responsible for dividing society into higher and lower, free and un-free,
respectable and despised. #t would be interesting to compare the condition and
status of the untouchables in #ndia with the condition and status of the un-free and
the despised classes in other countries ancient and modern. "or an intelligent
understanding of the di;erences and similarities it is essential to have some idea of
the history of such parallel cases before any comparison can be instituted. #t is not
possible to give a survey of all such classes in all parts of the world. or is it
necessary. 5 few typical cases can only be ta.en as illustrations.
#n studying the relationship between the Hindus and the Untouchables three
questions at once come to one2s mind. Why has untouchability not vanished? Why
does the Hindu regard lawlessness against the Untouchables as legitimate and
lawful? Why does the Hindu feel no qualms of conscience in his dealings with the
Untouchables?
I
8lasses, which li.e the Untouchables were lowly and despised have at one time
e0isted in other societies also. "or instance, they e0isted in once ancient Bome. The
population of ancient Bome fell into 1ve classes$ E)F =atricians, E+F =lebians, E3F
8lients, E'F (laves and ECF "reemen.
The =atricians were the ruling class. They were the civics in every sense. The rest
were all servile in status. The =lebs and the 8lients were destroyed by war. Those of
the new comers who invo.ed the protection of the heads of =atrician families of
repute and were ready to become their vassals were .nown as clients. Those who
were too independent to broo. submission to a private patron put themselves under
the direct protection of the sovereign and became royal tenants and were .nown as
=lebians. The =lebians had the right to hold property both movable and immovable
to transfer it by quirtian modes of conveyance, and to have the protection for it of
the tribunals. !ut the =lebian had no share in the 9overnment of the 8ity. He was a
half-Gedged citiKenJ ,i"ies sine su1ragio. The =lebs were denied any participation
in the religion of the city and as men to whom the suspicion were incompetent, any
intermarriage between the =atrician and the =lebian was out of question. The client
had to loo. to his =atrician patron for support and maintenance. The =atrician
patron had to provide all that was necessary for his sustenance and that of his wife
and children. This relation was a hereditary one, a client passed on from father to
son. The client had not only to depend upon his =atrician patron for his maintenance
but he had also to depend upon him for his legal protection. ot being a civic, a
client had no right of suit and his =atrician patron had to assist his client in his
redress for him for his in/uries and represent him before the tribunals when he
became involved in litigation.
5s to the slaves there were millions of them. 5 single rich landholder might own
hundreds and even thousands, and it was a poor man that did not have several at
least. They were /ust things to be owned. They were not persons in the eye of the
law and had therefore no rights. They received .ind treatment from a few humane
masters. !ut generally they were treated with the greatest cruelty. % #f a slave
coughs or sneeKes during a meal, if he lets a .ey fall noisy to the Goor, we fall into a
great rage . . . . .. 6ften we stri.e too hard and shatter a limb or brea. a tooth,% said
(enecca. 6ne rich Boman used to punish his slaves for carelessness by casting
them into a 1shpond as food for lampreys. The slaves who displeased their masters
were ordinarily sent to an underground prison. &uring the day, they had to wor.
loaded with heavy iron chains. 4any were branded with red-hot iron. The mill where
the slaves had to wor. is thus described by a Boman authorI 29odsP What poor
shrun.en up men? With white s.ins striped with blows of the whip..... They were
only the shreds of tunisI bent forward, head shaved, the feet held in a chain, the
body deformed by the heat of the 1re, the eyelids eaten away by the fumes,
everything covered with grain dust2.Mf)N
<nglish society also had at one time its servile classes. 6ne has only to turn to the
&omesday !oo. to see what the state of <nglish (ociety was at the time of the
orman conquest.
The &omesday !oo. which is a social survey of the land in <ngland and its various
.inds of tenants made by William the 8onqueror immediately after his conquest in
)DHA shows the following classes in which the population was divided$
).9entry 2 8lergy 4ade up of Tenants in 8hief
Under tenants
),'DD
,,*DD
*,3DD
+."reeholders
:eomen
made up
of
"reemen (ocmen )+,DDD
3+,DDD
'',DDD
3. Half-free
or Unfree
made up
of
-illeins 8ottars
and !orders
)A*,DDD
*D,DDD
+C*,DDD
'. (laves +C,DDD

6ut of a total of 3,3,,DDD souls as many as +,H',DDD were either unfree or slaves.
These are e0amples of servility in which race or religion played no part. !ut
e0amples of servility by reason of race or religion are not wanting in history. The
principal one is that of the 7ews. 6n account of the belief that the 7ews were
responsible for the death of 8hrist, the 7ews have been sub/ected to persecution.
&uring the 4iddle ages in almost all the <uropean towns, the 7ews were compelled
to reside within a restricted quarter in a separate part of the town, and this 7ewish
quarter came to be .nown as the 2 9hetto 2. 5 8ouncil held in 8oyanKa in 5ustralia in
)DCD enacted 2that no 8hristian shall reside in the same house with 7ews, nor
parta.e of the foodI whoever transgresses this decree shall perform penances for
seven days, or, refusing to do it, if a person of ran., he shall be e0communicated for
a yearI if of an inferior degree, he shall receive )DD lashes.% The 8ouncil of "alencia
in )3HH enacted that %8hristians must not dwell within the quarters assigned to the
7ews and 4oors, and those that resided within them were to remove therefrom
within two months after the publication of this decree in the 8athedral and if they
did not, were to be compelled by <cclesiastical censure.% #n the 4iddle ages the
7ews were obliged to have communal baths. o 7ewish community could be
destitute of such baths because the (tate often forbade the 7ews to bathe in the
rivers which the 8hristians used. #n the fourteenth 8entury the 7ews of 5ugers were
readmitted to the town on several onerous conditions, one being that they would
not bathe in the river 4aine. The (tate also levied certain ta0es upon the 7ews. They
were of three .indsJpoll ta0es, and particular 1nes and dues for individual
transactions and privileges. The age at which 7ews or 7ewesses became liable to the
poll ta0 varied considerably but the age was very young, and in (pain, as in <ngland
in )+,3, every 7ew above the age of ten was rateable. The billeting of soldiers on
7ews in times of peace was a frequent species of e0action. (o many were the
ve0atious dues e0acted from the 7ews everywhere throughout the 4iddle ages that
it would be impossible to enumerate them all. To crown all this =ope #nnocent ###
decided in )+)C that thenceforward the 7ews must be mar.ed o; from the
8hristians by a badge prominently fastened to their outermost garment. 8lear and
emphatic in its demand that the 7ews must wear badges, the @aternan council
nevertheless avoided details. #t left the de1nition of the siKe, colour, and character
of the degrading mar. to the taste of local 9overnors and (tates. <ach 9overnor
and (tate devised a badge of its own pattern. 6n account of the e0traordinary
number of modi1cation, siKe and shape the badge sometimes became obsolete and
the 7ews managed to evade it. 5s the badge was often hidden, in )C+C =ope
8lement -## changed it for a yellow hat or bonnet.
5 consideration of the position of the Untouchables reminds one of the positions of
the 8atholics in <ngland. The 8atholics were sub/ected to many disabilities. The
catalogue of their disabilities is given below$
%). That of 8atholic marriages or of marriages 8atholics celebrated by 8atholic
priests being deemed invalid by the e0isting laws, so that if one of the parties quit
the other 3ui,um3ue de ,ausa Efrom any reason whatsoeverF, the deserted party
receives no relief from the parish, nor redress from the law of his or her country. The
priest, also it is said, may be transported, or put in prison and condemned to
transportation for having married the parties.
+. That of foundations or of moneys appropriated for the maintenance of priests,
or to support the 8atholic worship, being deemed by the e0isting laws to be
appropriated to superstitious purposes and as such are liable to con1scationI and
when alienated or seiKed upon by malevolent person cannot be recovered by lawI
#nstances of such alienation and seiKures might be adduced.
3. That of 8atholics serving in His 4a/esty2s 5rmy and avy being withheld from
attending &ivine (ervice according to the rite of their own religion on (undays and
festivals, and of their being compelled to go to =rotestant 8hurches on those days
against their will, an evil which leads brave and loyal sub/ects to complain and be
discontented at a time when every heart and hand should be united to oppose the
enemyI and the United ?ingdom should be as one man.
'. !y the )3th 8harles ##, commonly called the 8orporation 5ct, their whole body is
e0cluded from o>ces in cities and corporations.
C. !y the +Cth 8harles ##, commonly called the Test 5ct, their whole body is
e0cluded from civil and military o>ces.
A. !y the ,th and Hth William ###, c. +, Boman 8atholics are liable to be prevented
from voting at elections.
,. !y the 3Dth 8harles ##, s. +. c. ), Boman 8atholic peers are prevented from 1lling
their hereditary seats in =arliament.
H. !y the same statute Boman 8atholics are prevented from sitting in the House of
8ommons.
*. !y several statutes Boman 8atholics are disabled from presenting to
advowsons, a legal incident of property which the law allows even to the 7ew.
)D. Though a considerable proportion of His 4a/esty2s Geets and armies was
8atholic, not only is no provision made for their religious comforts etc., but by the
articles of war they are liable to the very heaviest pains and penalties for refusing to
/oin in those acts of conformity to the religious rites of the <stablished 8hurch. !y
the articles of war, section #, a soldier absenting himself from &ivine service and
sermon is liable, for the 1rst o;ence, to forfeit one (hilling, and for the second and
every other o;ence, to forfeit one (hilling and to be put in irons. !y the same
articles section +, article C, 2 if he shall disobey any lawful command of his superior
Eand of course if he shall disobey any lawful command of his superior to attend
&ivine (ervice and (ermonF he shall su;er death or such punishment as by general
court martial shall be awarded.
)). #n common with the rest of his 4a/esty2s sub/ects the Boman 8atholics
contribute to the support of the <stablished BeligionI they have also to support their
own religious functionariesI and thus have a double religious establishment to
defray. 6f course, however, they do not complainI but they thin. it a serious
grievance that their own religious endowments are not legalised li.e those of the
=rotestant &issenters.
)+. #n hospitals, wor.houses, and other public institutions the attendance of the
ministers of their own communion is sometime denied to the poor of the Boman
8atholic religion, and the children of the Boman 8atholic poor are sometimes forced
into =rotestant schools under the eyes of their parents.%
@i.e 8atholics, the Untouchables also su;er from certain disabilities.
##
4The follo(ing essay has +een re,ei"ed from !hri !. !. 5ege. As it deals (ith
'#egroes 2 !la"ery' 67ne of the su+je,ts of the s,heme of this %hapter8 (hi,h has
not +een dealt (ith in the a+o"e dis,ussion, it has +een in,luded here9<d.N
=rovidence it seems has ine0orably doomed the continent of 5frica to be only a
nursery of slaves for the free and civilised peoples of 5sia and <urope. The egro
was imported as a slave by the 5rabs into 5sia long before he was introduced as a
slave by the <uropeans into 5merica. 5lthough this is so, egro slavery in 5merica
and in the <nglish 8olonies has had a sorrowful history which has made people
forget the importation of the egro as a slave in 5sia and quite naturally because
egro slavery in 5merica as carried on by the <uropeans was a most revolting thing.
#t began in the 1rst decade of the )Ath 8entury and lasted till the middle of the )*th
8entury.
#n the half century after 8olumbus 1rst landed in the !ahama #sland in )'*+, the
(paniards conquered and partly occupied a huge area stretching from 4e0ico
through =eru to Uruguay and including all the larger west #ndian #slands, while in
)C3) the =ortuguese began the colonisation of !raKil. 5t once the new comers, the
=ortuguese and the (paniards, set themselves to e0ploit the great natural wealth of
their acquisitions, to wor. the gold and silver mines on the main land and to lay out
plantations of tobacco indigo and sugar in the rich soil of the island. !ut they were
soon confronted by the di>culty of procuring the requisite supply of labour. 5 great
deal of it was needed, and the cost of white men2s wages and the heat of the
tropical sun made it virtually impossible for the <uropeans to provide it for
themselves. The only labour supply of a non-<uropean character available on the
spot consisted of the native #ndians. The =ortuguese and the (paniards had
massacred many #ndians during the conquest. 4any had Ged to the mountains and
forest from the scourge of the invaders. Those that were available were made
slaves and made to wor. in the mines. Under the lash of the =ortuguese and the
(paniards and the relentless labour that was e0acted from them in the mines and in
the 1elds the #ndians sic.ened and died.
The conquistadorsJas the (panish pioneers in (outh 5merica were calledJunder
the leadership of icholas de 6vando who followed promptly the trail of 8olumbus,
brought with them a young priest !atrolome2 de @as 8asas who was well .nown for
his piety. @as 8asas was charged by the 8ourt of (pain to deal lovingly with the
#ndians in the hope of bringing them to a .nowledge of the sacred 8hristian faith.
@as 8asas was the 1rst !ishop of 4e0ico. #n performing the duty with which he was
charged @as 8asas while in Haiti witnessed the cruelties that were practised by the
conquistadors upon the #ndians and engaged himself passionately to the end of his
life in preserving the pitiable remnants of the 8aribbeans as the #ndians of Haiti
were called, from the inevitable destruction at the hands of their masters. The
8aribbeans were a gentle, un-o;ending and hospitable race. They numbered no less
than ),DDD,DDD persons when 8olumbus found them, formed into .ingdoms and
ruled peacefully by their caciques. Under the systematic cruelty of these (panish
adventurers who came after 8olumbus their numbers were reduced to a bare
AD,DDD. #t is recorded that entire villages committed suicide inviting others to /oin
them as the only way of escaping this scourge and this tyranny. @as 8asas was a
spectator to many of these scenes of self immolations. He protested in righteous
anger. !ut his protests went in vain and were bound to go in vain. The clearing of
the forest, the tilling of the soil and the wor.ing of the mines had to go on. Without
this the .ingdom given by 9od could not become the =aradise of man. @as 8asas
realised this. !ut he was also overwhelmed with grief at the thought of what the
#ndians would have to go through if this plan was to be realised. His benevolent
instincts led him to petition the ?ing of (pain to allow the free importation of
egroes. The (panish 9overnment in )C)) decreed that a large number of egroes
should be transported to the ew World. #n pursuance of this there came ships
laden with 5frican egroes as cargo to ma.e the ew World a =aradise for man. "or
a few years both wor.ed under the 8onquistadors, #ndians as well as egroes. The
sturdiness of the egroes as compared with the #ndians was soon proved. 6ne of
the 8onquistadors has testi1ed that when he prepared his timbers for the four
brigantines that pass through the #sthmus from the 5tlantic to the waters which
Gowed into the =aci1c, he had used several hundred #ndians and thirty egroes,
and, in the e0ecution of this tas., he found that CDD #ndians perished and the thirty
egroes survived. The egroes not only survived but prospered so much that it
came to be a common opinion %that unless a egro should happen to be hanged he
would never dieI for as yet, none had been .nown to perish from in1rmity %. The
egro by his own conduct and character gave evidence that he was a more e>cient
tool than the #ndian. The result was that the #ndian was let go and the egro was
preferred for the labour, the former because 9od made him less sturdy and the
latter because 9od made him more sturdy. The result was that the #ndian escaped
slavery and the egro too. over the destiny which was intended by the
8onquistadors to apply to him a destiny to which he was invited by the pious and
benevolent priest @as 8asas and for which the egro showed his own credentials of
1tness.
Having found that % one egro does more wor. than four #ndians% there was
opened at once a regular mar.et for trading in egroes. The mar.et which was
opened by the =ortuguese on the West 8oast of 5frica began immediately to show
its pro1ts and quite naturally because the e0ploitation of the untold wealth of the
ew World was impossible without egro labour. =eople became so engrossed in
this new business in human beings that the search for a new route to the <ast,
which began it all, was abandoned.
There was a .een competition between the various nations of <urope for a share
in this new line in commerce. 5 papal !ull of demarcation had created for (pain and
=ortugal a monopoly on the wealth Gowing in from the ew World. The <nglish and
the &utch feared there was danger to all <urope in this monopoly of 5merican
resources and were determined not to allow it.
The <nglish too. a good hand in securing this trade for the bene1t of their nation.
The 1rst deal too. place in )CC3 when +' egroes were brought from the 8oast of
5frica and quietly sold in the <nglish mar.et. The most intrepid, and who later
became the most heartless of man stealers .nown to history was 7ohn Haw.ins.
Under <liKabeth he sailed forth in the good ship $esus to get egroes from 5frica
whom he sold into the (panish 8olonies. !ent on brea.ing the monopoly of (pain (ir
"rancis &ra.e followed Haw.ins. #nternational disputes over the pirating of these
adventures arose which culminated in the clash and destruction of the (panish
5rmada. #t is interesting to bear in mind that in these disputes each nation
shamelessly asserted that these acts of piracy committed by their sub/ects in
stealing egro slaves were % no private but public actions % supported by the
respective states.
5s though the irony involved in using the (hip $esus for carrying the egroes for
enslavement was not enough there occurred another event which also was full of
irony. #t was the simultaneous landing of the =ilgrim "athers on =lymouth Boc. in the
Mayf:o(er, and the landing of twenty egroes at 7amestown in -irginia from a
barnacled and sea worn brig which sailed up the 7ames river and brought them for
the use of the gentlemen adventurers of the 1rst successful <nglish 8olony of
-irginia in 5merica.
Thus were introduced into 5merica the egroes and the =ilgrim "athers who
stepped into it almost at the same time, the =ilgrim "athers for preserving their
liberty and the egro for losing his freedom. "or a long time the egro formed a
dominant element in the population of the 5merican 8olonies so far as numbers
were considered. #n a real sense 5merica including its islands was settled chieGy
from 5frica and by egroes. !efore )HDD the number of egroes brought in 5merica
was more than twenty times that of all <uropeans combined. This was inevitable.
The population of <urope was small, reduced further by its long wars and /ust
emerging itself from a bac.ward culture. "or a long time the st.atus of the imported
egro was unde1ned. The twenty egroes brought by the &utch and who landed in
7amestown were not immediately stamped in the 8olony as slaves. They were
accepted on much the same basis as the indentured servants. #t has been found
that in the muster rolls of the 8olony of -irginia in )A+' and )A+C there were
recorded +3 egroes all of whom were listed as 2 servants 2 as were the whites of
the same class. #t is also recorded that thirty-four years after the arrival of the
twenty egroes one of them 5nthony 7ohnson got a /udgment from the 8ourt
sustaining his claim to perpetual service of 7ohn 8aster, another egro. The status
of slavery was not crystallised for 1fty years and steps by which it became
crystallised were very gradual.
To begin with there was the law of servitude which applied to all servants whether
they were egroes or whites. #n course of time a distinction came to be made in the
treatment of the egroes and white servants due to the fear of an alien and pagan
people which as they became traditional and gained the sanction of custom,
gradually modi1ed the status of the 5frican and transformed egro servitude into
egro slavery. The slavery of the egro in the 5merican 8olonies grew by the
gradual addition of incidents modifying the law and custom of servitude. #n this
transition from servitude to slavery there are two principal steps. The 1rst step in
the transition was ta.en when the custom of holding egroes %servants for life% was
recognised. 5s has been observed, the distinguishing mar. of the state of slavery is
not the loss of liberty, political and civil but the perpetuity and absolute character of
that loss, whether voluntary or involuntary in origin. #t di;ers then from other forms
of servitude limited in place or time, such as medieval vassalage, villeinage, modern
serfdom, and technical servitude, in degree rather than in .ind. The e;orts of the
planters to lengthen the terms of the service of their servants which failed with the
white servants succeeded with the blac.. =ublic opinion supported the change
because the blac.s were regarded as dangerous if left uncontrolled. The second
step by which egro servitude was converted into egro slavery was ta.en when
the condition and status of the mother was e0tended to and continued in her
o;spring. The transmission from mother to child of the conditions of slavery for life
grew naturally out of the fact that the master necessarily controlled the child,
controlling the mother. #t was evident that parents, under an obligation of life
service, could ma.e no valid provision for the support of their o;spring and that a
/ust title to the service of the child might rest on the master2s maintenance. This
change which had undoubtedly been e;ected in custom long before it was formally
sanctioned by law was recognised by statute in the di;erent states of 5merica
between )AA+ and ),').
This is how the egro who was originally only a servant became a slave. #t is to be
noted that slavery in 5frica the home of the egro is a native institution and is very
ancient. The most common ways of becoming a slave were$ E)F !y being born a
slave, E+F by being sold into slavery for debt, E3F by becoming a slave through
capture in war and E'F by .idnapping individuals and selling them into slavery due
to revenge or greed and gain. The egro was really familiar with the slave system
and tasted the pleasures of a slave owner. 6ne therefore may not feel the same
sympathy with the egro when he was made to give up the status of a master and
made to occupy the position of a slave. !ut loo.ed at even as a case of retribution
well deserved, his condition as a slave in the ew World to which he was
transplanted, cannot fail to e0cite a righteous indignation for the miseries to which
he was sub/ected by his new and alien masters.
How great were the miseries of the egro in the ew World when he became
sub/ect to the system of slavery, it is not possible for the inhabitants of <urope or
5sia to imagine. They may be described under three heads. The miseries of his
capture, the miseries of travel and the miseries of his toil. "irst as to the ways of
capturing egroes for enslavement. #n the early days egroes could be rounded up
by sudden landings on the coast$ but in time the egroes learned to watch for the
coming of the ships and ta.e refuge in the bushI and, though adventurous traders
sometimes penetrated inland themselves, their usual custom was to do business
with professional native or half caste dealers who too. the cheap goods they had
bought from <urope cloth, beads, hardware, mus.ets and powder, spiritJand
bartered them for slaves with chiefs up-country. There is nothing to show that the
chiefs, of the stronger tribes at any rate, resisted or wanted to resist the fascination
of these wares, especially the guns and drin.. <nslavement within a tribe, it was
observed, became the penalty for less and less serious o;encesI and inter-tribal
warfare with slaves for its motive as well as the .idnapping of women and children
in peacetime became a more or less constant feature of 5frican life, spreading
steadily into the interior of the continent with the steady in1ltration of the trade.
(econdly as to the mode of transporting the egro to 5merica. Having bought his
slaves, the dealer marshalled them, men, women and children, in a caravan for the
march, sometimes a very long march to the coast. Usually fetters were put on them
to prevent escape and often they were loc.ed in the %slave stic.%Ja long pole with
a crutch at the end for fastening round the nec.. They carried on their heads the
loads of foodstu;s and other baggage required for the /ourney or the ivory or other
native produce which the dealer might have bought. The rigours of the march were
often too much for the wea.er members of the party. (laves who fell sic. were .illed
or left to die. The more frequented slavetrac.s were strewn with human bones.
5rrived at the coast, they were stowed on board the slave ships, which were
specially 1tted for their transport. The hold was divided horiKontally by dec.s about
three feet apart with a gangway down the middle. 6n these shelves the slaves were
laid, handcu;ed in pairs, men and women in separate holds. (ince the bigger the
cargo, the bigger the pro1t, they were some times pac.ed so tightly that they could
scarcely turn round. #n a ship of )CD tons as many as ADD slaves were carried. The
direct voyage to !raKil was fairly short, but the so-called %4iddle =assage% to the
West #ndiesJthe main centre of distributionJmight be protracted for several wee.s
by adverse or dropping winds. #f it was calm enough, the slaves were brought up on
dec. and urged or forced to dance for e0ercise. #n rough weather conditions of the
slaves in the hold may be imagined. &isease of course, was rife on board. Though
instruments were provided for forcibly feeding those who refused to eat, it was
rec.oned in the latter eighteenth century that on the average at least one-si0th of a
cargo died on the voyage. 5s the end of the voyage approached, the slaves were
e0amined and prepared for sale. Wounds, caused by storm or ill usage, were
doctored up and as far as possible concealed. !ut the agents at the ports often
complained that the %parcels of egroes% landed were %bad% or %mean% or %much
abused %. "inally, on shipboard or in the public slave mar.et, the slaves were put up
for sale by %scramble% or auction. The price of a healthy man rose as high as Q AD
during the eighteenth century. The sic. and in/ured were lumped with feeble women
and children and sold o; cheap as % refuse %. <ven when at last they reached the
plantations, the slaves had to face one more ideal before they settled down to
endure what was left to them of life. The 1rst months of employment were .nown as
the period of %seasoning% and during it no less on an average of one third of the
novices failed to ad/ust themselves in body or spirit to the new conditions of climate
or food or labour and died. Ta.ing all the deaths together in the slave-catching wars
or raids, on the march to the sea, during the % 4iddle =assage % and in % seasoning
%Jit has been moderately rec.oned that for every 5frican egro who became
%seasoned% at least one other egro was .illed.
Thirdly as to the actual conditions of life which a %seasoned % egro slave had to
undergo. The egro slavery gave the 4aster two rights, which were indisputably
established, the right to own and the right to punish. The right to own was given a
wide meaning. !y virtue of it the 4aster had not merely a right to the services of
the egro as a servant, but he had also the right to sell those services, to transmit
by inheritance and to alienate them in any way he li.ed. The e;ect of this
conception of the right was %to completely confound and identify the person of the
slave with the thing owned.% The conception of the slave as property made the
egro liable to be seiKed in payment of his master2s debts. <ven after such slaves
had been emancipated they were still liable to seiKure for the payment of debts
contracted prior to their emancipation. The conception of a slave as property rather
than as person added further disability to the legal or civil status. He could neither
own nor en/oy property in his own right. This was unli.e the Boman @aw, which did
allow the slaves to own property, which was called peculiar. #t was a limited right
but it was still an important right because it shows that the Boman @aw did
recognise that a slave I though property was also a person. ot being a person a
egro as a slave could neither engage in trade nor marry. The right of the 4aster to
punish a slave was also given a very cruel interpretation in its application to the
egro. #n a case which arose in the state of orth 8arolina 8ourt in )H+* the 8hief
7ustice in acquitting the 4aster who was indicted for beating his slave observed$
% #t was a mista.e to say that the relations of 4aster and slave were li.e those of
parent and child. The ob/ect of the parent in training his son was to render him 1t to
live the life of a free man, and, as a means to that end, he gave him moral and
intellectual instruction. With the case of the slave it was very di;erent. There could
be no sense in addressing moral considerations to a slave. The end of slavery is the
pro1t of the 4aster, his security and public safetyI the sub/ect, one doomed in his
own person and his posterity to live without .nowledge and without capacity to
ma.e anything his own, and to toil that neither may reap the fruits. What moral
consideration shall be addressed to such a being to convince him, that it is
impossible, but that the most stupid must feel and .now can never be trueJthat he
is thus to labour on a principle of natural duty, or for the sa.e of his own personal
happiness? (uch services can only be e0pected from one who has no will of his own,
who surrenders his will in implicit obedience to that of another. (uch obedience is
the consequence only of uncontrolled authority over the body. There is nothing else,
which can operate to produce the e;ect. The power of the 4aster must be absolute
to render the submission of the slave perfect.%
The result of such an interpretation of the 4aster2s right to punish was that for a
long time in the U.(.5. if a egro slave chanced to die as a consequence of % a
lawful correction % it was regarded by law as a lamentable and accidental homicide.
How mercilessly this right to punish was e0ercised by the masters will be realiKed by
a perusal of the e0tracts from letters written by a resident in 5ntigna in ),H,. (ays
the writerJ
%The egroes are turned out at sunrise, and employed in gangs from twenty to
si0ty or upwards, under the inspection of white overseers, generally poor scotch
lads, who by their assiduity and industry frequently become masters of the
plantations, to which they ma.e out as indentured servants. (ubordinate to these
overseers are drivers, who are mostly blac. or mulatto fellows of the worst
dispositionsI these men are furnished with whips, while on duty, which they are
obliged on pain of severe punishment to have with them, and are authorised to Gog
wherever they see the least rela0ation from labourI nor is it a consideration with
them, whether it proceeds from idleness, or inability, paying at the same time, little
or no regard to age or se0. 5t twelve they are turned in Ethat is leave o; wor.F to
get what they can to refresh nature withI at half past one the bell rings, when they
turn out and resume their labour until sunset......
%The punishments inGicted on slaves in this island, are various and tormenting.....
5mong which is the thumbscrew, a barbarous invention to fasten the thumbs
together, which appears to cause e0cruciating pain. The % iron nec.lace 2% is a ring,
loc.ed and riveted about the nec.I to these, collars are frequently added. .... Which
prevent the wearers from laying down their heads with any degree of comfort. The %
boots % are strong iron rings, full four inches in circumference$. 8losed /ust above
the an.lesI to these some owners pre10 chain, which the miserable su;erers, if able
to wor., must manage as well as they can, and it is not un frequent to see in the
streets of this town, at midday, egroes chained together by these nec.laces, as
well as the boots.... The 2spurs2 are rings of iron, similar to the boots, to which are
added spi.es from three to four inches long, placed horiKontally. 5 chain fastened
about the body with a padloc. is another mode of tormenting this oppressed race of
being.%
#t would be a great mista.e of /udging a whole class of slave owners by the vice of
individuals. 6ften enough, the attitude of slaves to their 4asters was quite friendly
and equally often the attitude of the 4asters to their slaves was .indly. one the
less the system was a system founded on a purely economic basis ma.ing it
inevitable that human being be created as mere tools to be used without being
inGuenced by any considerations of humanity.
#t is unnecessary to adduce any more cases to illustrate the fact that the lowly,
unfree and unprivileged classes have e0isted in the past in countries other than
#ndia. What is of importance is that these unfree, unprivileged classes have
disappeared as a separate class and have become part and parcel of the great
(ociety. The question is$ Why has untouchability not disappeared?
There are various reasons. They are discussed in the following 8hapters.

Chapter 3
I&+U% A&+ WA&T *' PU)$IC C*&%CI!&C!

The cases in which the Hindus have indulged in violence against the Untouchables
are cases of 1ght for equal freedom to all. #f the Untouchables want to go in
procession, they have no ob/ection to the Hindus doing the same. #f the
Untouchables want to wear gold and silver ornaments, they do not ob/ect to the
Hindus having the same right. #f the Untouchables want to send their children to
schools, they are not against the children of the Hindus having full freedom for
education. #f the Untouchables wish to draw water from the well, they have no
ob/ection to the Hindus e0ercising their right to ta.e water. 6ne can go on ad
in;nitum. !ut it is unnecessary. The point is easy and simple to grasp. #t is that
whatever freedom the Untouchables claim is not e0clusive to them and is not
inconsistent with the right of the Hindus to equal freedom. Why then does the
Hindus use violence to put down such innocent and perfectly lawful acts? Why does
he regard his lawlessness as lawful? Who cannot see that the acts and omissions of
the Hindus in his dealings with the Untouchables cannot be called by any other
name e0cept that of social wrongs. The acts and omissions are not mere inequitiesI
they are not mere indignities. They are gross instances of man2s inhumanity to man.
"or a doctor not to treat a patient because the patient is an Untouchable, for a body
of Hindu villages to burn the houses of the Untouchables, to throw human e0creta in
their well if these are not acts of inhumanity, # wonder what can be? The question is
why has the Hindu no conscience?
There is only one answer to these questions. The class composition in other
countries were based on economic and social considerations. (lavery and serfdom
had no foundation in religion. Untouchability though it can give and does economic
advantages to the Hindus, is primarily based on religion. There is nothing
sacrosanct in economic and social interests. They yield to time and circumstances.
This is the broad e0planation why slavery and serfdom have vanished and why
untouchability has not. The same is the answer to the two other questions. #f the
Hindu observes untouchability it is because his religion en/oins him to do so. #f he is
ruthless and lawless in putting down the Untouchables rising against his <stablished
6rder, it is because his religion not only tells him that the <stablished 6rder is
divine and therefore sacrosanct but also imposes upon him a duty to see that this
<stablished 6rder is maintained by all means possible. #f he does not listen to the
call of humanity, it is because his religion does not en/oin him to regard the
Untouchables as human beings. #f he does not feel any qualms of conscience in
assaulting, looting, burning and other acts of atrocities against the Untouchables, it
is because his religion tells him that nothing is sin, which is done in defence of the
social order.
4any Hindus would regard this as a travesty of their religion. The best way to
meet the charge is to quote 8hapter and verse from 4anu who is the architect of
Hindu (ociety. @et anyone, who denies what # have said, read the following
8ommands of 4anu regarding untouchability. Untouchables and the duties of the
Hindus in regard to them$
% )Mf+N 5ll those tribes in this world, which are e0cluded from Ethe community ofF
those born from the mouth, the arms, the thighs, and the feet Eof !rahmanF, are
called &asyus, whether they spea. the language of the 4lenchhas EbarbariansF or
that of the 5ryans.
+.Mf3Near well .nown trees and burial ground, on mountains and in groves, let
these EtribesF dwell, .nown Eby certain mar.sF, and subsisting by their peculiar
occupations.
3.Mf'N!ut the dwellings of the 8handalas and (hwapa.as shall be outside the
village, they must be made 5patras and their wealth Eshall beF dogs and don.eys.
'.MfCNTheir dress Eshall beF the garments of the dead, Ethey shall eatF their food
from bro.en dishes, blac. iron Eshall beF their ornaments, they must always wander
from place to place.
C.MfAN5 man who ful1ls a religious duty shall not see. intercourse with themI their
transactions Eshall beF among themselves, and their marriages with their equals.
A.Mf,NTheir food shall be given to them by others Ethan an 5ryan giverF in a bro.en
dishI at night they shall not wal. about in villages and in towns.
,.MfHN!y day they must go about for the purpose of their wor., distinguished by
mar.s at the .ing2s command, and they shall carry out the corpses Eof personsF who
have no relatives, that is a settled rule.
H.Mf*N!y the .ing2s order, they shall always e0ecute the criminals in accordance
with the law, and they shall ta.e for themselves the clothes, the beds and the
ornaments of EsuchF criminals.
*.Mf)DNHe who has had connection with a woman of one of the lowest castes shall
be put to death.
)DMf))N #f one who Ebeing a member of the 8handalas, or some other low casteF
must not be touched, intentionally de1les by his touch one who Eas a member of a
twice born casteF may be touched Eby the other twice born persons onlyF he shall be
put to death.% 8an anybody, who reads these 8ommandments of 4anu deny that it
is Hindu religion, which is responsible for the perpetuation of untouchability and for
the lawlessness and want of conscience on the part of the Hindus towards the
Untouchables? #ndeed, if the acts of omission and commission which have been
detailed in the earlier 8hapters of this boo. were correlated to these ten
8ommandments, it will be found that the Hindus in committing these acts are
merely following the 8ommandments of 4anu. #f the Hindu will not touch an
Untouchable and regards it as an o;ence if an Untouchable touches him, it is
because of the 8ommandments os. C and )D. #f the Hindus insist upon the
segregation of the Untouchables, it is because of 8ommandment o. 3. #f the Hindu
will not allow the Untouchable to wear clean clothes, gold ornaments, he is only
following 8ommandment o. H. #f the Hindu will not tolerate an Untouchable
acquiring property and wealth, he is only following 8ommandment o. 3.
#t is really unnecessary to labour the matter further. #t is incontrovertible that the
main cause which is responsible for the fate of the Untouchables is the Hindu
religion and its teachings. 5 comparison between =aganism and 8hristianity in
relation to slavery and Hinduism in relation to untouchability reveals how di;erent
has been the inGuence of the two religions on human institutions, how elevating has
been the inGuence of the former and how degrading that of the latter. Those who
are fond of comparing slavery with Untouchability do not realiKe that they are facing
a parado0. @egally the slave was not a freeman. :et, socially he had all the freedom
necessary for the growth of his personality. @egally the Untouchable is a freeman.
:et, socially he has no freedom for the growth of his personality.
This is indeed a very glaring parado0. What is the e0planation of this parado0?
There is only one e0planation of this parado0. #t is that while religion was on the
side of the slave, religion has been against the Untouchables. The Boman law
declared that the slave was not a person. !ut the religion of Bome refused to accept
that principle, at any rate, refused to e0tend that principle to social 1eld. #t treated
him # as a human being 1t for comradeship. The Hindu @aw declared that the
Untouchable was not a person. 8ontrary to =aganism, the Hindu religion not only
accepted the principle but also e0tended it to the social 1eld. 5s the Hindu @aw did
not regard the Untouchable a person, Hinduism refused to regard him as a human
being 1t for comradeship.
That the Boman religion saved the slave from the social degradation consequent
upon his legal degradation is beyond question. #t saved him from such degradation
in three di;erent ways. 6ne way by which the Boman religion saved the slave was
to .eep the most sacred place open for the slave to occupy. 5s has been observed$
% ..... Boman religion was never hostile to the slave. #t did not close the temple
doors against himI it did not banish him from its festivals. #f slaves were e0cluded
from certain ceremonies the same may be said of freemen and womenJmen being
e0cluded from the rites of !ona &ea, -esta and 8eras, women from those of
Hercules at the 5ra 4a0ima. #n the days when the old Boman divinities counted for
something, the slave came to be informally included in the family, and could
consider himself under the protection of the 9ods of the household. .. .. 5ugustus
ordered that freed women should be eligible as priestesses of -esta. The law
insisted that a slave2s grave should be regarded as sacred andR for his soul Boman
4ythology provided no special heaven and no particular hell. <ven 7uvenal agrees
that the slave2s soul and body, is made of the same stu; as his master.%
The second way in which the Boman religion helped the slave was equivalent to
lodging a complaint before the 8ity =refect whose duty it became to hear cases of
wrong done to slaves by their masters. This was a secular remedy. !ut the Boman
religion had provided another and a better remedy. 5ccording to it, the slave was
entitled to throw himself before the altar and demand that he should be sold to a
.inder master.
The third way in which the Boman religion saved the slave by preventing the
Boman @aw from destroying the sanctity of his personality as a human being. #t did
not ma.e him un1t for human association and comradeship. "or the Boman slave
this was the greatest saving grace. (uppose Boman society had an ob/ection to buy
vegetables, mil., butter or ta.e water or wine from the hands of the slaveI suppose
Boman society had an ob/ection to allow slaves to touch them, to enter their
houses, travel with them in cars, etc., would it have been possible for the master to
train his slave to raise him from semi-barbarism to a cultured state? 6bviously notI
it is because the slave was not held to be an Untouchable that the master could
train him and raise him. We again come bac. therefore to the same conclusion,
namely, that What has saved the slave is that his personality was recognised by
society and what has ruined the Untouchable is that Hindu society did not
recognise his personality, treated him as one whose personality was unclean which
rendered him as un1t for human association and common dealing.
There was no gulf, social or religious, which separated the slave from the rest of
the society. #n outward appearance he did not di;er from the freemanI neither
colour nor clothing revealed his conditionI he witnessed the same games as the
freemanI he shared in the life of the 4unicipal towns and got employed in the (tate
service, engaged himself in trade and commerce as all freemen did. 6ften apparent
equality in outward things counts far more to the individual than actual identity of
rights before the law. !etween the slave and the freed there seems often to have
been little social barrier, 4arriage between the slave and freed and even freed and
slave was very common. The slave status carried no stigma on the man in the slave.
He was Touchable and even respectable. 5ll this was due to the attitude of the
Boman religion towards the slave.
There is no space to describe at length the attitude of 8hristianity to slavery. !ut it
was di;erent from =aganism. #t is not .nown to many that during the period of
slavery in 5merica, 8hristian priests were not prepared to convert egro slaves to
8hristianity because of their view that it would degrade 8hristianity if the convert
remained a slave. #n their opinion, one 8hristian could not hold another 8hristian as
a slave. He was bound to o;er him fellowship.
To sum up. @aw and Beligion are two forces which govern the i conduct of men. 5t
times, they act as handmaids to each other. 5t other times, they act as chec. and
counter-chec.. 6f the two forces, @aw is personal while religion is impersonal. @aw
being personal it is 8apable of being un/ust and iniquitous. !ut religion being
impersonal, it can be impartial. #f religion remains impartial, it is capable of
defeating the inequity committed by law. This is e0actly what happened in Bome in
regard to the slave. That is why religion is believed to ennoble man and not to
degrade him. Hinduism is an e0ception. #t has made the Untouchable sub-human. #t
has made the Hindu inhuman. There is no escape to either from the established
order of the sub-human and the inhuman.

CAPT!R 45

I&+U% A&+ T!IR WA&T *' %*CIA$ C*&%CI!&C!
<veryone who feels moved by the deplorable condition of the Untouchables begins
by saying$ %We must do something for the Untouchables %. 6ne seldom hears any of
the persons interested in the problem saying$ %@et us do something to change the
Hindu.% #t is invariably assumed that the ob/ect to the reclaimed is the Untouchables
as though untouchability was due to his depravity and that he alone is responsible
for his condition. #f there is to be a 4ission, it must be to the Untouchables. othing
requires to be done to the Hindu. He is sound in mind, manners and morals. He is
whole, there is nothing wrong with him. He is not the (inner.
What is the real state of a;airs? This argument that there is nothing wrong with
the Hindus and that the Untouchable is responsible for whatever wrong he su;ers is
very much the argument that is used by the 8hristians for defending themselves
against the inhuman treatment accorded by them to the 7ews. 5 very crushing reply
has been given by 4r. @ouis 9oulding to the 8hristians on behalf of the su;ering
7ews. #n discussing the source of the 7ewish =roblem 4r. @ouis 9oulding says$
% # beg leave to give a very homely instance of the sense in which # consider the
7ewish =roblem in essence a 9entile =roblem. 5 close acquaintance of mine is a
certain #rish Terrier of mi0ed pedigree, the dog =addy, who is to my friend 7ohn
(mith as the apple of both his eyes. =addy disli.es (cotch terriersI it is enough for
one to pass within twenty yards of =addy to deafen the neighbourhood with
challenges and insults. #t is a practice which 7ohn (mith deplores, which, therefore,
he does his best to chec.Jall the more as the ob/ect of =addy2s detestation are
often ino;ensive creatures, who seldom spea. 1rst. &espite all his a;ection for
=addy, he considers, as # do, that =addy2s unmannerly behaviour is due to some
measure of original sin in =addy. #t has not yet been suggested to us that what is
here involved is a (cotch Terrier =roblem and that when =addy attac.s a
neighbour who is peacefully engaged in inspecting the evening smells it is the
neighbour who should be arraigned for inciting to attac. by the fact of his
e0istence.%
#f we equate =addy to the Hindu and (cotch Terrior to the Untouchable the
argument of 9oulding will apply to the Hindus no less than it does to the 8hristians.
#f for the reasons given by 4r. 9oulding the 7ewish =roblem is in reality a 8hristian
=roblem then the =roblem of the Untouchables is primarily a Hindu =roblem.
5re the Hindus conscious, do they recognise that the Untouchables are a problem
to them? 5re they worried about it? #s it weighing on their minds? 8ertain obvious
tests may be applied in order to ascertain the truth. 6ne test is the volume of
literature on the sub/ect. 6ne can ta.e the volume of literature issued on the
egroes of 5merica as a standard measure. 6ne is amaKed at the huge amount of
printed material that e0ists in the United (tates on the sub/ect of the egroes. #t is
said that a really complete bibliography on the egro =roblem would run up to
several hundred thousand titles. The literature is really immeasurable. This proves
as nothing else can, how much it is a problem to the Whites. #t has disturbed
through several generations all classes of people in 5merica, the religious moralists,
the political philosophers, the (tatesmen, the philanthropists, the social scientists,
the politicians, the businessmen and the plain ordinary citiKen as well.
What is the amount of literature on the Untouchables that e0ists in #ndia? ot
more than half a doKen pamphletsP
5nother test would be the test of social behaviour. # give below two cases reported
in the papers. 6ne is from the 2 Pratap ' of Cth 4arch )*+A. #t gives the following
news$
% 6n the +3rd of "ebruary at about # # o2cloc. in the day, a group of about )+ or )3
were digging earth in !egumgan/, @uc.now when the quarry collapsed and they
were all buried under heaps of earth. 6ne boy and si0 women were rescued after
the earth had been removed out of whom only one woman turned out to be alive,
who belonged to 4irpur. (he had received grievous in/uries and her condition was
very critical. The Hindu inhabitants of !egumgan/ however refused to give a bed to
lay that woman on. 5t last a 4uslim o;ered a bedI now there was no Hindu
prepared to help to carry the poor woman as far as her house. 5t last, a sweeper
was called and he undertoo. to carry the woman to her home as she lay on the
bed.%
The best illustration of the absence of conscience in the Hindu towards the
Untouchables is to be found in the following incident which is reported by the
8orrespondent of the 2!angram' and published in its issue of )Dth 7uly )*'A. The
correspondent says$
%5 woman died on the Hth of 7uly )*'A in the 5nath 5shram E!eggars HomeF
called 5Kil situated in a village called 4hapse Ein 9oaF and maintained by
8hristians. The woman was believed to be a Hindu. (he was alone and had no
relations. (eeing that there was no one to dispose of the dead body and to
perform funeral rites, the Hindus of the village came together and raised a
subscription for the purpose. They brought the dead body out of the !eggars2
Home. 7ust about that time some Untouchables, who .new the woman came there
and recogniKed the dead body. The moment the Hindus came to .now that the
woman belonged to the Untouchables the Hindus who had gathered there
deserted the dead body and started wal.ing away. The Untouchables who had
come requested the Hindus to give them the amount they had collected for buying
the co>n and the shroud. The Hindus refused to part with the money saying that
the money was collected from the subscribers on the representation that the
deceased woman was a Hindu woman. 5s she is not a Hindu but an Untouchable,
they can2t spend the money on her funeral. The Untouchables had to do their best
to dispose of their dead body. The Untouchables had good evidence of the love
and a;ection the Hindus bear towards them.
The following is from the 2Milap' of +nd 6ctober )*+C. #ts correspondent reports$
% ews has been received from Buddurprayag that one evening in the 1rst wee.
of (eptember a Hari/an came to the &harmashala Eor monasteryF of
Buddurprayag. When he learnt that a tiger came there every night, he requested
the pastor of the &harmashala to let him lie hidden in some corner of the
&harmashala for the night, so that he may remain safe from the tiger. The callous
pastor, however, paid no heed to the request and closed the gates of the
&harmashala. The ill-starred Hari/an laid himself down outside in one corner, full
of apprehensions of the tiger. Towards the end of the night the tiger came and
attac.ed the Hari/an. 5s the man was quite strong and healthy and despair made
him fearless, he caught hold of the tiger2s nec. and shouted 2 # have grabbed the
tiger. 8ome and .ill him2. !ut the high caste pastor did not open the door, nor did
he o;er any sort of help, so that very soon the grip of the Hari/an loosened and
the tiger also ran away. 5t present the man is lying wounded in (hrinagar
E9arhwalF where he is getting himself treated. His condition is said to be critical.%

The heartlessness disclosed by these instances shows that the Hindu does not
bother about what he does to the Untouchables or about what happens to the
Untouchables.
5 third test would be the test of service and sacri1ce for the uplift of the
Untouchables. Here again, one may adopt the service and sacri1ce of the 5mericans
for raising the egroes as our standard measure. Here are some 1gures.
8onsider the requests Mf)+Nmade by the Whites for the bene1t of the egro
education.

Testator 5mount Ein
&ollarsF
Testator 5mount Ein
&ollarsF
?ane CD.DDD 4ason ).DD.DDD
Harton C.DDD aunbert 'D.DDD
Troughton ).AD.ADD Harrison +.3D.DDD
6ttinger CDD 4unger ,C.DDD
9ambrille 3C.DDD 8orliss 'C.DDD
7arep.i ).DDD Bosenbanin ).DDD
(troc. CDD !urton ).DDD
?idder C.DDD 8onroy ).DD.DDD
8lodin )D.DDD ?ent )D.DDD
Wood CDD &u.e ).'D.DDD
Har.ness )+.CD.DDD 4arciliat C.DDD
!eatie +.*D,DDD 4asey +C.DDD
4arquant C.DDD icholas +D.DDD
ewton C.DDD 9arretson )C.DD.DDD
Hummington +C,DDD Hatcher +D.DDD
=helps-(to.es +.HD.DDD Wright )D.DDD
!utler 3D.DDD

These 1gures relate to the period before )*3D. They do not ta.e account of
residuary bequests.
8ompare the <ducational funds Mf)3Nthat e0ist for the advancement of education
among the egroes. They are$
EiF EiF The 5very "und.
EiiF EiiF The -ilas !equest.
EiiiF EiiiF The 5frican "und.
EivF EivF The !uc.ingham "und.
EvF EvF The 9eorge Washington <ducational "und.
EviF EviF The 4iner "und.
EviiF EviiF The (teward 4issionary "oundation.
EviiiF EviiiF The &aniel Hand "und.
Ei0F Ei0F The 7ohn (later "und.
E0F E0F The =helps-(to.es "und.
#n addition to this, there are general "unds such as the 8arnegie 8orporation 7ulius
Bosenwald "und and the Boc.feller "oundation which also help the egroes. The
amounts distributed by these funds is not .nown. !ut they must be amounting to
millions.
8ompare the amount spent by Beligious organiKations on the education of the
egroes. Here are some interesting Mf)'N1gures.

5nnual
<0penditure
E#n &ollarsF
=ermanent
fund for egro
<ducation E#n
&ollarsF
-alue of
school plants,
etc. E#n &ollarsF
5merican !aptist Home 4ission
!oard
))A,+', ).C*,,,DD 3.C*',+C)
5merican 8hurch #nstitute for
egroes
)HC.)DD 'CD,DDD 3,DDD,DDD
E<piscopalF
5merican 4issionary 5ssociation 3AH.DC, 3.++H.'+) 3.+DD.DDD
8hurch of 8hrist E&isciplesF United *),D,+ CDD,DDD
8hristian 4issionary (ociety
@utheran <vangelical (ynodical
8onference of orth 5merica !oard
8olored 4ission
,',*DD ),C,DDD
4ethodist <piscopal 8hurch !oard
of
+C*.+A' ),*A+.,+* C,DDD.DDD
<ducation. #nstitutions for egroes
4ethodist <piscopal 8hurch
Woman2s
)D',*,C 3AD,DDD
Home 4issionary (ociety of
=resbyterian 8hurch in the U.(.5.
&ivision
'DC,3+, ),**'.D3+ 3.CAD.DDD
of 4issions for 8olored =eople
United =resbyterian 8hurch !oard
of 4ission for "reemen
*H,DDD A'C,DDD ).DDD.DDD
#t is estimated that the total amount spent for the religious and philanthropic
organiKations between )HAC and )*3D comes to )3C,DDD,DDD dollars on the
advancement of the egroes. 6f this amount, HC,DDD,DDD dollars have been
contributed by the Whites.
What is the measure of service and sacri1ce of the Hindus for the elevation of the
Untouchables. The only organiKation the Hindus can boast of is the Hari/an (eva.
(angh Mf)CN . #ts capital fund does not probably go beyond )D la.hs. #ts annual
e0penditure does not go beyond a few thousand rupees on petty and insigni1cant
and insubstantial purposes. The "und is not a welfare fund. #t is essentially a =olitical
"und intended to ma.e the Untouchables vote with the Hindus.
Why is this di;erence? Why do the 5mericans e0ert so much in service and
sacri1ce for the elevation of the egroes and why have the Hindus cared to do
nothing for the elevation of the Untouchables? The answer is that the 5mericans
have a social conscience while the Hindus have none. #t is not that the Hindus have
no sense of right and wrong, good and bad, moral and immoral. What is wrong with
the Hindu is that his sense of moral obligation towards others is restricted to a
limited class of people, namely, the members of his caste. 5s 4r. H. 7. =aton says
Mf)AN$
% 8learly a man may be a good member of a limited society without being a
morally good man. There seem indeed to be already shadows or anticipations of
moral e0cellence even in the man who carries out coherently an individual policy of
lifeI and we begin to 1nd something which we may almost mista.e for virtue itself,
when we consider the man who is a loyal member of any society, even of a gang of
thieves. :et although there must be honour among thieves, a thief is not therefore
an honourable man. The morally good man seems to be the man who is good as a
member not of a limited society but of an unlimited societyJof a society of societies
whose purpose includes all purposes, and beyond which there is no other society to
be a source of conGicting claims of duties.% The Untouchable does not belong to the
society of the Hindus and the Hindu does not feel that he and the Untouchables
belong to one society. This is the reason why the conduct of the Hindu is mar.ed by
a moralistic unconcernedness.
ot having conscience, the Hindu has no such thing in him as righteous
indignation against the inequities and in/ustices from which the Untouchable has
been su;ering. He sees no wrong in these inequities and in/ustices and refuses to
budge. !y his absence of conscience the Hindu is a great obstacle in the path of the
removal of untouchability.

C-'PT0( 77
T-0 -I+1U '+1 -I" .0/I02 I+ C'"T0

5mong the Hindu social reformers there is a moderate section. This section holds
that untouchability is separate from the caste system. "ollowing this ideology they
hold that it is possible to remove untouchability without attac.ing the caste system.
The religious minded Hindu is as opposed to the removal of untouchability as he is
to the removal of the caste system. He is as opposed to dealing with social reform in
two stages as he is in dealing with it in one stage. !ut the politically minded Hindu
is tremendously fond of the idea. That is obviously for two reasons. #n the 1rst place,
it gives the Hindu the chance of showing himself in international world as a better
specimen of democracy than he really is. (econdly, by leaving caste alone there is
no ris. of the caste Hindus forsa.ing the 8ongress.
Those who propose to deal with untouchability without damaging the caste
system, rest their case on verse ' of 8hapter S of the 4anu (mriti. #n the verse,
4anu says that there are only four varnas and that there is no 1fth varna. This verse
is interpreted to mean that the untouchables are included in the fourth varna, that
they are part of the (hudras and as there is no ob/ection to touching the (hudras
there could be no ob/ection to touching the Untouchables. However pleasing this
construction may be to the politically minded Hindu, it does accord with the
intention of what 4anu wanted to convey. The verse is open to another
construction. #t may mean that 4anu was not prepared to enlarge the 8haturvarnya
and ma.e it a =anchavarnya by recognising these communities which were outside
the four varnas as constituting the 1fth varna. #n saying that there is no 1fth varna
what he means to suggest is that he did not want to incorporate those outside the
four varnas into the Hindu society by ma.ing the Hindu society consist of 1ve
varnas instead of four. That he wanted to convey the latter intention is abundantly
clear by spea.ing of a category of people as !ahyasMf),Nor -arna !ahyas which
means those outside the varna system. #f 4anu wanted to include all persons within
the four varnas there was no reason for spea.ing of some people as varna !ahyas.
#ndeed, he recognises two sub-divisions within the class of -arna !ahyas. He calls
them Hinas
Mf)HN
and 5ntayevasins
Mf)*N
.
9iven these facts, it is obvious that the
construction sought to be placed in the verse in the 4anu (mriti will not deceive the
orthodo0 Hindu into accepting that the maintenance of untouchability is contrary to
the 4anu (mriti and that its abolition is not therefore contrary to the tenets of the
Hindu religion.
The argument based on the interpretation of 4anu2s te0t is too intellectual for the
ordinary uneducated Hindu. He .nows only two things. 6ne thing he .nows is that
there are three barriers in the matter of social intercourse which he must observe.
They are E)F prohibition against inter-dining, E+F prohibition against inter-marriage,
while in untouchability there is third barrier added and E3F prohibition against
physically touching certain class of people. The 1rst two barriers ma.e up the caste.
The third forms untouchability. The caste Hindu does not bother about the number
of barriers. He is particular about the observance of the barrier. When he is as.ed
not to observe, he turns round and as.s why not? His argument is that, if # am free
to observe the 1rst two barriers, what is wrong if # observe the third?
=sychologically, caste and untouchability are one integral system based on one and
the same principle. #f the caste Hindus observe untouchability it is because they
believe in caste.
@oo.ed at from this point of view, the idea of hoping to remove untouchability
without destroying the caste system is an utter futility. The underlying idea that
caste and untouchability are two di;erent things is founded on a fallacy. The two are
one and are inseparable. Untouchability is only an e0tension of the caste system.
There can be no severance between the two. The two stand together and will fall
together.
There is another reason why untouchability cannot disappear by a stratagem,
legal or rational. 5s has already been pointed out, the Hindu social order is based on
the principle of graded inequality. #t may not bean e0aggeration to say that not
many people understand the signi1cance of this principle. The social system based
on inequality stands on a di;erent footing from a social system based on graded,
inequality. The former is a wea. system which is not capable of self- # preservation.
The latter on the other hand, is capable of self-preservation. #n a social system
based on inequality, the low orders can combine to overthrow the system. one of
them have any interest to preserve it. #n a social system based on graded inequality
the possibility of a general common attac. by the aggrieved parties is non-e0istent.
#n a system of graded inequality, the aggrieved parties are not on a common level.
This can happen only when they are only high and low. #n the system of graded
inequality there are the highest Ethe !rahminsF. !elow the highest are the higher
Ethe ?shatriyasF. !elow the higher are those who are high E-aishyaF. !elow the high
are the low E(hudraF and below the low are those who are lower EtheUntouchablesF.
5ll have a grievance against the highest and would li.e to bring about their down
fall. !ut they will not combine. The higher is an0ious to get rid of the highest but
does not wish to combine with the high, the low and the lower lest they should
reach his level and be his equal. The high wants to over-throw the higher who is
above him but does not want to /oin hands with the low and the lower, lest they
should rise to his status and become equal to him in ran.. The low is an0ious to pull
down the highest, the higher and the high but he would not ma.e a common cause
with the lower for fear of the lower gaining a higher status and becoming his equal
in the system of graded inequality there is no such class as completely unprivileged
class e0cept the one which is at the base of the social pyramid. The privileges of the
rest are graded. <ven the low is a privileged class as compared with the lower. <ach
class being privileged, every class is interested in maintaining the social system.
Untouchability may be a misfortune to the Untouchables. !ut there is no doubt
that it is a good fortune to the Hindus. #t gives them a class which they can loo.
down upon. The Hindus do not want a system in which nobody will be anybody.
They also do not want a system in which everybody may be somebody. They want a
system in which they will be some bodies and others will be nobodies. The
Untouchables are nobodies. This ma.es the Hindus some bodies. The system of
untouchability sustains the natural pride of the Hindus and ma.e them feel as well
as loo. big. This is an additional reason why the Hindus are not li.ely to give up
untouchability particularly those large ma/ority who are small men.
Untouchability will vanish only when the whole of the Hindu (ocial 6rder,
particularly the caste system will be dissolved. #s this possible? <very institution is
sustained by some sort of a sanction. There are three .inds of sanction, which
supply life force to an institution. They are legal, social and religious. The vitality of
the institution depends upon the nature of the sanction. What is the nature of the
sanction behind the caste system? Unfortunately, the sanction behind the caste
system is the religious sanction, for, the caste as a new form of the -arna system
derives its sanction from the -edas which form the sacred boo. of the Hindu religion
and which are infallible. # say unfortunately because anything which has a religious
sanction becomes by virtue of it sacred and eternal. To the Hindu, caste is sacred
and caste is eternal. #f caste cannot vanish what hope is there for untouchability to
disappear?

P'(T I*
Untouchables or The Children of India's Ghetto
________________________________________________

Contents

P'(T I* ) What the Untouchables ha#e to face
Chapter 72 : 'nta%onis of the adinistration
Chapter 7! : Proble of discriination
Chapter 7$ : Proble of isolation

P'(T I*

What the Untouchables ha#e to face

C-'PT0( 72

'+T'G,+I"4 ,2 T-0 '14I+I"T('TI,+

Section 2 of the ndian 7enal Code reads as follo$s6 " +'ery person shall be liable to
punish%ent under this Code and not other$ise for e'ery act or o%ission contrary to the
pro'isions thereof) of $hich he shall be guilty $ithin <ritish ndia#" The /a$
Co%%issioners $ho prepared the draft 7enal Code in their address to the Secretary of
State thought it necessary to dra$ pointed attention to the $ords ! +'ery 7erson !# n the
course of their obser'ation) they said6
" Iour /ordship in Council $ill see that $e ha'e not proposed to e,cept fro% the
operation of this Code any of the ancient so'ereign houses of ndia residing $ithin the
Co%pany!s territories# -hether any such e,ception ought to be %ade is a 3uestion
$hich) $ithout a %ore accurate &no$ledge that $e possess of e,isting treaties) of the
sense in $hich those treaties ha'e been understood) of the history of negotiations) of
the te%per and of the po$er of particular fa%ilies) and of the feeling of the body of the
people to$ards those fa%ilies) $e could not 'enture to decide# -e $ill only beg
per%ission %ost respectfully to obser'e that e'ery such e,ception is an e'il9 that is an
e'il that any %an should be abo'e the la$9 that it is still greater e'il that the public
should be taught to regard as a high and en'iable distinction the pri'ilege of being
abo'e the la$9 that the longer such pri'ileges are suffered to last) the %ore difficult it is
to ta&e the% a$ay9 that there can scarcely e'en be a fairer opportunity for ta&ing the%
a$ay than at the ti%e $hen the "o'ern%ent pro%ulgates a ne$ Code binding ali&e on
persons of different races and religions9 and that $e greatly doubt $hether any
consideration) e,cept that of public faith sole%nly pledged) deser'es to be $eighed
against the ad'antages of e3ual 1ustice#"
t %ight ha'e been thought that this principle of e3ual 1ustice $ould stri&e a death blo$
to the +stablished .rder# 8s a %atter of fact) far fro% suffering any da%age the
+stablished .rder has continued to operate in spite of it# t %ight be as&ed $hy the
principle of e3ual 1ustice has failed to ha'e its effect# The ans$er to this is si%ple# To
enunciate the principle of 1ustice is one thing# To %a&e it effecti'e is another thing#
-hether the principle of e3ual 1ustice is effecti'e or not %ust necessarily depend upon
the nature and character of the ci'il ser'ices $ho %ust be left to ad%inister the
principle# f the ci'il ser'ice is by reason of its class bias the friend of the +stablished
.rder and the ene%y of the ne$ .rder) the ne$ .rder can ne'er co%e into being# That
a ci'il ser'ice in tune $ith the ne$ order $as essential for the success of the ne$ order
$as recognised by Farl Mar, in *8B* in the for%ation of the 7aris Co%%une and
adopted by /enin in the constitution of So'iet Co%%unis%# Unfortunately) the <ritish
"o'ern%ent ne'er cared about the personnel of the Ci'il Ser'ice# ndeed it opened the
gates of the ad%inistration to those classes $ho belie'ed in the old +stablished .rder
of the 0indus in $hich the principle of e3uality had no place# 8s a result of this fact)
ndia has been ruled by the <ritish but ad%inistered by the 0indus# 8 fe$ statistics of
the co%position of the Ci'il Ser'ice $ill fully de%onstrate this fact#
=ro% the capital of ndia do$n to the 'illage the $hole ad%inistration is rigged by the
0indus# The 0indus are li&e the o%nipotent al%ighty per'ading all o'er the
ad%inistration in all its branches ha'ing its authority in all its noo&s and corners# There
is no loophole for anyone opposed to the old order to escape# 2o %atter $hat the
;epart%ent) $hether it is >e'enue) 7olice or 5ustice it is %anned by the 0indu# f the
+stablished .rder has continued to e,ist) it is because of the unfailing support it
recei'ed fro% the 0indu officials of the State# The 0indu officials are not %erely
ad%inistering the affairs on their %erit# They are ad%inistering the% $ith an eye to the
parties# Their principle is not e3ual 1ustice to all# Their %otto is 1ustice consistent $ith the
+stablished .rder# This is ine'itable# =or they carry o'er into ad%inistration the attitude
to$ards different classes in society under the +stablished .rder# This is $ell illustrated
by the attitude of the State officials to$ards the Untouchables in the field of
ad%inistration#
8s e'ery Untouchable $ill be able to testify) if an Untouchable goes to a police officer
$ith a co%plaint against the caste 0indu) instead of recei'ing any protection he $ill
recei'e plenty of abuses# +ither he $ill be dri'en a$ay $ithout his co%plaint being
recorded or if it is recorded) it $ould be recorded 3uite falsely to pro'ide a $ay of
escape to the Touchable aggressors# f he prosecutes his offenders before a Magistrate
the fate of his proceedings could be foretold# The Untouchables $ill ne'er be able to get
0indus as $itnesses because of the conspiracy of the 'illagers not to support the case
of the Untouchables) ho$e'er 1ust it %ay be# f he brings $itnesses fro% the
Untouchables) the Magistrate $ill not accept their testi%ony because he can easily say
that they are interested and not independent $itnesses or) if they are independent
$itnesses the Magistrate has an easy $ay of ac3uitting the accused by si%ply saying
that the Untouchables co%pli%ent did not stri&e hi% as a truthful $itness# 0e can do
this fearlessly &no$ing full $ell that the higher tribunal $ill not re'erse his finding
because of the $ell-established rule $hich says that an appellate court should not
disturb the finding of the trial Magistrate based upon the testi%ony of $itness $hose
de%eanour he had no opportunity to obser'e6
That such a discri%ination is practised has no$ been ad%itted e'en by Congress%en#
The annual >eport of the Ta%il 2ad 0ari1an Se'a& Sangh for the year ending
Septe%ber D0) *CDB saysGf*H
6
"The political consciousness of the 0ari1ans ha'ing been roused by the rights in the
re%otest 'illages $here it is only the police%an that reign) it is not al$ays possible for
the 0ari1an to do this) for the assertion of his rights %eans a clash bet$een hi% and the
caste%en) in $hich it is al$ays the latter that ha'e the upper hand# The natural
conse3uences of this scuffle is a co%plaint either to the police or the Magistrate# The
latter course is beyond the %eans of a 0ari1an $hile the for%er resort is $orse than
useless# The co%plaints are in %any cases not in3uired into at all) $hile in others a
'erdict fa'ourable to the caste%en is entered# .ur co%plaints to the 7olice also %eet
$ith si%ilar fate# The trouble see%s to us to be that there is no change in the %entality
of the lo$er police%an# +ither he is una$are of the rights of the 0ari1ans of $hich he is
supposed to be the guardian or he is influenced by caste %en# .r) it %ay also be that he
is absolutely indifferent# n other cases) corruption is responsible for his ta&ing the side
of the richer caste %en#" This sho$s ho$ the 0indu official is anti-Untouchable and pro-
0indu# -hene'er he has any authority or discretion) it is al$ays e,ercised to the
pre1udice of the Untouchables#
The police and the Magistrate are so%eti%es corrupt# f they $ere only corrupt) things
$ould not perhaps be so bad because an officer $ho is corrupt is open to purchase by
either party# <ut the %isfortune is that the 7olice and Magistrates are often %ore partial
than corrupt# t is this partiality to the 0indus and his antipathy to the Untouchables
$hich results in the denial of protection and 1ustice to the Untouchables# There is no
cure for this partiality to the one and antipathy to the other) because it is founded in the
social and religious repugnance) $hich is inborn in e'ery 0indu# The 7olice and the
Magistrates by reason of their %oti'es) interest and their breeding) do not sy%pathise
$ith the li'ing force operating a%ong the Untouchables# They are not charged $ith the
$ants) the pains) the cra'ings and the desires) $hich actuate the Untouchables#
Conse3uently) they are openly hostile and ini%ical to their aspirations) do not help the%
to ad'ance) disfa'our their cause and snap at e'erything that s%ac&s of pride and self-
respect# .n the other hand) they share the feelings of the 0indus) sy%pathise $ith the%
in the atte%pt to %aintain their po$er) authority) prestige and their dignity o'er the
Untouchables# n any conflict bet$een the t$o) they act as the agents of the 0indus in
suppressing this re'olt of the Untouchables and participate 3uite openly and
sha%efacedly in the nefarious atte%pt of all 0indus to do e'ery thing possible by all
%eans) fair or foul) to teach the Untouchables a lesson and hold the% do$n in their o$n
places#
The $orst of it is that all this in1ustice and persecution can be perpetrated $ithin the
li%its of the la$# 8 0indu %ay $ell say that he $ill not e%ploy an Untouchable) that he
$ill not sell hi% anything) that he $ill e'ict hi% fro% his land) that he $ill not allo$ hi% to
ta&e his cattle across his field $ithout offending the la$ in the slightest degree# n doing
so) he is only e,pressing his right# The la$ does not care $ith $hat %oti'e he does it#
The la$ does not see $hat in1ury it causes to the Untouchable# The police %ay %isuse
his po$er and his authority# 0e %ay deliberately falsify the record by ta&ing do$n
so%ething) $hich has not been stated or by ta&ing do$n so%e thing $hich is 3uite
different fro% $hat has been stated# 0e %ay disclose e'idence to the side in $hich he
is interested# 0e %ay refuse to arrest# 0e %ay do a hundred and one things to spoil the
case# 8ll this he can do $ithout the slightest fear of being caught# The loopholes of la$
are %any) and he &no$s the% $ell# The Magistrate has 'ested in hi% an enor%ous
a%ount of discretion# 0e is free to use it# The decision of a case depends upon the
$itnesses $ho can gi'e e'idence# <ut the decision of the case depends upon $hether
the $itnesses are reliable or not# t is open to the Magistrate to belie'e one side and
disbelie'e the other side# 0e %ay be 3uite arbitrary in belie'ing one side) but it is his
discretion) and no one can interfere $ith it# There are innu%erable cases in $hich this
discretion has been e,ercised by the Magistrates to the pre1udice of the Untouchables#
0o$e'er truthful the $itnesses of the Untouchables the Magistrates ta&e a co%%on line
by saying disbelie'e the $itnesses !) and nobody has 3uestioned that discretion# -hat
sentence to inflict is also a %atter of discretion $ith the Magistrate# There are
sentences) $hich are non appealable# 8n appeal is a $ay of getting redress# <ut this
$ay %ay be bloc&ed by a Magistrate by refusing to gi'e an appealable sentence#
f the 0indu society plays its part in %aintaining the +stablished .rder) so does the
0indu officials of the State# The t$o ha'e %ade the +stablished .rder i%pregnable#
C087T+> *D

7>.</+M .= ;SC>M28T.2

To the Untouchables the proble% of discri%ination in order of seriousness is only ne,t
to the proble% of reco'ering their %anhood# The discri%ination against the
Untouchables is practised by the 0indus on a scale) the e,tent of $hich it is i%possible
for an outsider to i%agine There is no field of life in $hich the Untouchables and the
0indus co%e into co%petition and in $hich the for%er is not sub1ected to discri%ination#
t is also of the %ost 'irulent type#
n the %atter of social relationship) it ta&es the for% of barriers against dancing)
bathing) eating) drin&ing) $restling) $orshipping# t puts a ban on all co%%on cycles of
participation#
n the use of public facilities) the spirit of discri%ination %anifests itself in the e,clusion
of Untouchables fro% schools) $ells) te%ples and %eans of con'eyance# 7ublic
ad%inistration is %ost deeply drenched by the spirit of discri%ination against the
Untouchables# t has affected /a$ Courts) "o'ern%ent ;epart%ents) Co-operati'e
<an&s) and particularly the 7olice# ;iscri%ination against Untouchables in the %atter of
securing land) credit) 1obs e,ist in the %ost ra%pant for%# t is in ser'ice that
discri%ination sho$s itself %ost strongly# Though there are no regulations) there are
$ell-recognised rules) $hich go'ern the entry and pro%otion of the Untouchables in the
%atter of ser'ice# Most often an Untouchable $ill not get an entry# -hole depart%ents
are closed to the%# The $ea'ing side of the Te,tile Mills the $hole of 8r%y is closed to
the Untouchables f did) there is a $ell-set li%it beyond $hich the Untouchable %ay not
rise) no %atter $hat his efficiency or length of ser'ice# The principle in general is
%aintained that the Untouchables shall not be placed in ad%inistrati'e authority o'er
the 0indus# The conse3uence is that unless so%e entire branch of ser'ice is turned
o'er the Untouchables) there are 'ery fe$ posts of conse3uence) $hich the
Untouchables are allo$ed to fill# To put it concretely) the only field of ser'ice in $hich
there is no discri%ination against the Untouchables is sca'enging# There is no need for
discri%ination in this field because the $hole of it is %ade o'er to the Untouchables and
there is no co%petition fro% the 0indus# +'en here discri%ination steps in the %atter of
higher posts# 8ll unclean $or& is done by the Untouchables# <ut all super'isory posts
$hich carry higher salary and $hich do not in'ol'e contact $ith filth are all filled by
0indus# n this situation rights of citi?enship cannot %ean the rights of the
Untouchables# "o'ern%ent of the people and for the people cannot %ean "o'ern%ent
for the Untouchables9 e3ual opportunity for all cannot %ean e3ual opportunity for the
Untouchables9 e3ual rights for all cannot %ean e3ual rights for the Untouchables# 8ll
o'er the country in e'ery noo& and corner the Untouchable faces handicaps) suffers
discri%inations) is %eted in1ustices to the Untouchables) the %ost unpri'ileged people in
ndia# The e,tent to $hich this is true is &no$n only to the Untouchables $ho labour
under the disad'antages# This discri%ination is the strongest barrier against the
Untouchables# t pre'ents the% fro% rising out of it# t has %ade the life of the
Untouchables one of the constant fears of one thing or another) of une%ploy%ent)
assault) persecution) etc# t is a life of insecurity#
There is another for% of discri%ination) $hich though subtle is nonetheless real#
Under it a syste%atic atte%pt $ill be %ade to lo$er the dignity and status of a
%eritorious Untouchable# 8 0indu leader $ould be described %erely as a great ndian
leader# 2o one $ould describe hi% as the leader of Fash%iri <rah%in e'en though he
be one# f a leader $ho happens to be an Untouchable is to be referred to he $ill be
described as so and so) the leader of the Untouchables# 8 0indu doctor $ould be
described as a great ndian doctor# 2o one $ould describe hi% as a lyengar e'en
though he be one# f a doctor happens to be an Untouchable doctor) he $ould be
referred to as so and so) the Untouchable doctor# 8 0indu singer $ould be described as
a great ndian singer# f the sa%e person happens to be an Untouchable he $ould be
described as an Untouchable singer# 8 0indu $restler $ould be described as a great
ndian "y%nast# f he happens to be an Untouchable he $ould be described as an
Untouchable gy%nast#
This type of discri%ination has its origin in the 0indu 'ie$ that the Untouchables are
an inferior people and ho$e'er 3ualified) their great %en are only great a%ong the
Untouchables# They can ne'er be greater nor e'en e3ual to the great %en a%ong the
0indus# This type of discri%ination) though social in character) is no less galling than
econo%ic discri%ination#
;iscri%ination is %erely another na%e for absence of freedo%# =or as Mr# Ta$ney
saysGf2H6 "There is no such thing as freedo% in the %ar&et) di'orced fro% the realities of
a specific ti%e and place# -hate'er else it %ay or %ay not i%ply) it in'ol'es the po$er
of choice bet$een alternati'es a choice $hich is real) not %erely no%inal) bet$een
alternati'es $hich e,ist in fact) not only on paper# t %eans) in short) the ability to do or
refrain fro% doing definite things) at a definite %o%ent) in definite circu%stances) or it
%eans nothing at all# <ecause a %an is %ost a %an $hen he thin&s) $ills and acts)
freedo% deser'es the outline things) $hich poets ha'e said about it9 but) as a part of the
prose of e'ery day life) it is 3uite practical and realistic# +'ery indi'idual possesses
certain re3uire%ents ranging fro% the %aterial necessities of e,istence to the need to
e,press hi%self in speech and $riting) to share in the conduct of affairs of co%%on
interests) and to $orship "od in his o$n $ay or to refrain fro% $orshipping hi% the
satisfaction of $hich it is necessary to his $elfare# >educed to its barest essential) his
freedo% consists in the opportunity secured by hi%) $ithin the li%its set by nature and
the en1oy%ent of si%ilar opportunities by his fello$s) to ta&e the action needed to order
to ensure that these re3uire%ents are satisfied#"
t is not %y intention to add yet another catalogue of essential rights to the liberties of
such lists) $hich already e,ist9 but these are t$o obser'ations) $hich apply to all of
the%# n the first place) if the rights are to be an effecti'e guarantee of freedo%) they
%ust not be %erely for%ed) li&e the right of all $ho can afford it to dine at the >it?# They
%ust be such that) $hene'er the occasion arises to e,ercise the%) they can in fact be
e,ercised# The rights to 'ote and to co%bine) if not $holly 'alueless) are ob'iously
attenuated) $hen the use of the for%er %eans e'iction and of the latter the sac&9 the
right to the free choice of an occupation) if the e,penses of entering a profession are
prohibiti'e9 the right to 1ustice) if no poor %an can pay for it9 the right to life) liberty) and
the pursuit of happiness) if the en'iron%ent is such as to ensure that a considerable
proportion of those born $ill die $ithin t$el'e %onths) and that the happiness
in'est%ents of the re%ainder are a ga%bling stoc&# n the second place) the rights
$hich are essential to freedo% %ust be such as to secure the liberties of all) not %erely
of a %inority# So%e sage has re%ar&ed that %arriage $ould not be regarded as a
national institution if) $hile @ per cent of the population $ere polyga%ous) the
%a1ority passed their li'es unsol'ed and unencu%bered by husbands or $i'es# The
sa%e is true of freedo%# Society in $hich so%e groups can do %uch $hat they please)
$hile others can do little of $hat they ought) %ay ha'e 'irtues of its o$n9 but freedo% is
not one of the%# t is free in so far) and only in so far) as all the ele%ents co%posing it
are able in fact) and not %erely in theory) to %a&e the %ost of their po$ers) to gro$ to
their full stature) to do $hat they concei'e to be their duty) and since liberty should not
be too austere to ha'e their fling $hen they feel li&e it# n so far as the opportunity to
lead a life $orthy of hu%an beings is restricted to a %inority) $hat is co%%only
described) as freedo% $ould %ore properly be called pri'ilege#
The discri%inations against the Untouchables are %erely the reflections of that deep
and strong 0indu senti%ent $hich is carried o'er in la$ and ad%inistration $hich
1ustifies the %a&ing of distinctions bet$een 0indus and Untouchables to the
disad'antage of the Untouchables# Those discri%inations ha'e their roots in fear of the
0indus that in a free field) the Untouchables %ay rise abo'e the prescribed station in life
and beco%e a %enace to the 0indu Social .rder the cardinal principle of $hich is the
%aintenance of 0indu superiority and 0indu do%ination o'er the Untouchables# So long
as the 0indu Social .rder lasts) discri%inations against the Untouchables continue to
e,ist#

C-'PT0( 7$

P(,./04 ,2 I",/'TI,+

-hy has the %o'e%ent of the Untouchables not succeeded4 0a'e they no allies4 f
there are allies $hy do they not help and co-operate $ith the Untouchables4 This is a
'ery pertinent 3uestion and it is necessary that it should be properly understood# =or
ans$ering this 3uestion) it is essential to ha'e a 'ery clear idea of the 0indu social
organisation and the classes of $hich it is co%posed#
The structure of 0indu society is a 'ery co%plicated one and it $ould be difficult for
one) $hose life has not been $o'en into it) to &no$ the pattern# 7erhaps) a
diagra%%atic presentation %ay be helpful# gi'e belo$ one $hich) in %y 1udge%ent)
facilitate the understanding of the social structure of the 0indus6

0indus
Caste 0indus
(Sa'arna0indusM 2on-Caste 0indus
(8'arna 0indus)
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
Class Class Class ClassE
*# 7ri%iti'e Tribes
2#Cri%inal Tribes#
Untouchables
0igh Caste:;'i1as /o$ Castes:
Trai'arni&as: Castes e'ol'ed out of the Shudra or fourth 'arna
Castes e'ol'ed out of the three 'arnas#
<rah%ins) Fshatriyas and Eaishyas

The diagra% sho$s that although there are innu%erable castes a%ong the 0indus)
they can all be grouped under four classes# .f these four) Class for%s the 'erenfol% or
the >uling Class) Classes and E for% the sub1ect people#
/et us no$ consider $hich of these classes can be the natural ally of the
Untouchables#
Those in Class for% the pri'ileged classes of the 0indu society# The 0indu social
order $as created by the%# They alone benefit by it $hile the ai% of these in Class is
to sa'e it# 2either by co%%unity of interest nor by reason of ideological affinity can the
t$o friends and allies disagree#
-hat about the Cri%inal and 7ri%iti'e Tribes 4 They ha'e the strongest ground for
o'er-thro$ing the 0indu Social .rder# -hat about the Shudras4
The la$s of the 0indu Social .rder are as repulsi'e to Class ) the Shudras as they
are to Class E) the Untouchables# t is interesting to &no$ the status of the Shudras in
the 0indu society as prescribed by Manu the /a$-gi'er and the 8rchitect of 0indu
society# =or an easy understanding of the sub1ect) the rules regarding the status of the
Shudras are set out belo$ under separate heads6
Manu as&s the householders of the <rah%ans) Fshatriyas and Eaishyas6
E# A* "/et hi% not d$ell in a country $here the rulers are Shudras#"
8 Shudra is not to be dee%ed to be a respectable person# =or Manu enacts that6
N# 2(# "8 <rah%in shall ne'er beg fro% a Shudra) property for (perfor%ing) a sacrifice
i#e#) for religious purposes#" 8ll %arriages $ith the Shudra $ere proscribed# Marriage
$ith a $o%an belonging to any of three other classes $as forbidden# 8 Shudra $as not
to ha'e a connection $ith a $o%an of the higher classes and an act of adultery
co%%itted by a Shudra $ith her $as considered by Manu to be an offence in'ol'ing
capital punish%ent#
E# DB(# "8 Shudra $ho has an intercourse $ith a $o%an of the higher caste guarded
or unguarded shall be punished in the follo$ing %anner9 if she $as unguarded) he loses
the offending part9 if she $as guarded then he should be put to death and his property
confiscated#"
E# 20# 8 <rah%ana $ho is only a <rah%an by decent i#e#) one $ho has neither
studied nor perfor%ed any other act re3uired by the Eedas %ay) at the &ing!s pleasure)
interpret the la$ to hi% i#e#) act as the 1udge) but ne'er a Shudra (ho$e'er learned he
%ay be)# E# 2*# The Fingdo% of that %onarch) $ho loo&s on $hile a Shudra settles
the la$) $ill sin& lo$ li&e a co$ in the %orass# E# 2B2# f a Shudra arrogantly presu%es
to preach religion to <rah%ins) the &ing shall ha'e poured burning oil in his %outh and
ears#
n the %atter of ac3uiring learning and &no$ledge Manu ordains as follo$s6
# *@A# 0e $ho instructs Shudra pupils and he $hose teacher is a Shudra shall
beco%e dis3ualified for being in'ited to a Shradha#
E# CC# 0e %ust ne'er read the Eedas in the presence of the Shudras#
Manu!s successors $ent %uch beyond hi% in the cruelty of their punish%ent of the
Shudra for studying the Eeda# =or instance) Fatyayana lays do$n that if a Shudra
o'erheard the Eeda or 'entured to utter a $ord of the Eeda) the Fing shall cut his
tongue in t$ain and pour hot %olten lead in his ears# 8s to property by the Shudra)
Manu en1oins as follo$s6
N# *2C# 2o superfluous collection of $ealth %ust be %ade by a Shudra) e'en though
he has po$er to %a&e it) since a ser'ile %an) $ho has a%assed riches) beco%es
proud) and) by his insolence or neglect) gi'es pain to <rah%ins#
E# (*B# 8 <rah%an %ay sei?e $ithout hesitation) if he be in distress for his
subsistence) the goods of his Shudra# The Shudra can ha'e only one occupation# This
is one of the ine,orable la$s of Manu# Says Manu6
*# C*# .ne occupation only) the /ord prescribed to the Shudra) to ser'e %ee&ly these
other three castes (na%ely <rah%in) Fshatriya and Eaishya)#
N# *2*# f a Shudra) (unable to subsist by ser'ing <rah%ana)) see&s a li'elihood) he
%ay also see& to %aintain hi%self by attending on a $ealthy Eaishya#
N# *22# <ut let a (Shudra) ser'e <rah%ans) either for the sa&e of hea'en) or $ith a
'ie$ to both (this life and the ne,t) for he $ho is called the ser'ant of a <rah%an
thereby gains all his ends#
N# *2D# The ser'ice of <rah%ans alone is declared (to be) an e,cellent occupation for
a Shudra for $hate'er else besides this he %ay perfor% $ill bear hi% no fruit#
Ser'ice by Shudra is not left by Manu to be regulated as a free contract# f the Shudra
refused to ser'e) there is a pro'ision for conscription $hich runs as follo$s6
E# (*D# 8 <rah%ana %ay co%pel a Shudra) $hether bought or unbought) to do
ser'ile $or& for he is created by the creator to be the sla'e of a <rah%ana#
N# *2(# They %ust allot to hi% out of their o$n fa%ily (property) a suitable
%aintenance) after considering his ability) his industry) and the nu%ber of those $ho%
he is bound to support#
N# *2@# The re%nants of their food %ust be gi'en to hi% as $ell as their old household
furniture#
8 Shudra is re3uired by Manu to be ser'ile in his speech and %anner to$ards the
other classes#
E# 2B0# 8 Shudra $ho insults a t$ice born %an $ith gross in'ecti'es shall ha'e his
tongue cut out9 for he is of lo$ origin#
E# 2B*# f he %entions the na%es and castes of the (t$ice born) $ith contu%ely) an
iron nail) ten fingers long) shall be thrust red hot into his %outh#
Manu is not satisfied $ith this# 0e $ants this ser'ile status of the Shudra to be
e,pressed in the na%es and surna%es of persons belonging to that co%%unity# Manu
says6
II. D*# /et the first part of a <rah%an!s na%e denote so%ething auspicious) a
Fshatriya!s be connected $ith po$er) and a Eaishya!s $ith $ealth but a Shudra!s
e,press so%ething conte%ptible#
# D2# The second part of a <rah%in!s na%e shall be a $ord i%plying happiness) of a
Fshatriya!s (a $ord) i%plying protection) of a Eaishya!s a ter% e,pressi'e of thri'ing and
of a Shudra!s an e,pression denoting ser'ice#"
t is ob'ious that these three classes are naturally allies# There is e'ery ground for
the% to co%bine for the destruction of the 0indu Social .rder# <ut they ha'e not# t is
not that no atte%pt has been %ade to unite the%# The non-<rah%in 7arty $hich held
the field bet$een *C*C-*CD@ $as an atte%pt to unite the% into one political organisation
to destroy the do%inance of the <rah%ins $ho are the architects of the 0indu Social
.rder and being the chief beneficiaries of it are its strongest supporters#
This $as not the only atte%pt to bring about solidarity a%ong the three classes#
8nother atte%pt is being %ade by the labour leaders particularly the Co%%unists# They
preached that there is an identity of interest of the $or&ing class) no %atter to $hat
co%%unity they belong# There %ust be de'eloped in the% class consciousness and
class unity# .nce united they could e%ploy the terrifying po$er of their nu%bers to
brea& do$n the econo%ic order and once the econo%ic order falls to the ground the
social order of the 0indus is bound to go to pieces# -hat has been the result4 The
result is that the solidarity has failed to co%e# The Shudras and the Cri%inal and
7ri%iti'e Tribes are %ore hostile to the Untouchables than they are to the <rah%ins#
ndeed it is the Shudras $ho act as the police force of the <rah%ins for repelling the
attac& of the Untouchables on the 0indu social order# This is a strange pheno%enon#
<ut it is a fact# The atrocities that are co%%itted upon the Untouchables) if they co%%it
any breach of the rules and regulations of the established order and of $hich
description has been gi'en in earlier chapters are all the doings of the Shudras#
The reasons for this $ant of solidarity is not far to see&# t is to be found in the syste%
of graded ine3uality $hereby the <rah%in is abo'e e'erybody) the Shudra is belo$ the
<rah%in and abo'e the Untouchable# f the 0indu social order $as based on ine3uality)
it $ould ha'e been o'er-thro$n long ago# <ut it is based on graded ine3uality so that
the Shudra $hile he is an,ious to pull do$n the <rah%in) he is not prepared to see the
Untouchable raised to his le'el# 0e prefers to suffer the indignities heaped upon hi% by
the <rah%ins to 1oin the Untouchables for a general le'elling do$n of the social order#
The result is that) there is nobody to 1oin the Untouchable in his struggle# 0e is
co%pletely isolated# 2ot only is he isolated he is opposed by the 'ery classes $ho
ought to be his natural allies# This isolation is one %ore obstacle in the re%o'al of
untouchability#

+ APPEN,"-ES ). &../ "

877+2;N GfDH
#

Gf(H

M8TT+>S M8;+ -.>S+ <I U2T.UC08</TI

8 correspondent fro% 5aipur reports the follo$ing incident $hich occured in 5une
*C@D6
"5aipur) 5une 2@6 The guinea $or%) called nahru or bala by people here) is a disease
pre'alent in the State $hich &eeps the patient suffering for %onths) so%eti%es for a
year or t$o# Many lose the use of a li%b as a result of this disease# The disease
spreads through the %ediu% of drin&ing $ater# The only pre'enti'e steps doctors ad'ice
is that $ater should be drun& after boiling and filtering#
The disease fre3uently occurs as the rains set in) $hich is also the ti%e for so$ing
$ith the result that at a ti%e $hen he should be preparing to earn his li'ing a 'illager is
confined to bed#
.n in'estigation in the 'illage of Fopra near <ans$ara it $as found that in @B fa%ilies
there $ere *2@ sufferers fro% guinea $or%# There $ere si, %e%bers in a 0ari1an
fa%ily) fi'e of $ho% had guinea $or%# They had only a fe$ bits of dry %eat to eat#
.ften the trouble is thrust on these people by society# 8 pond fro% $hich 0ari1ans
drin& $ater $as so dirty that it %ust ha'e been a nursery for the guinea $or%# -hen
sho$ed to the Collector of <ans$ara he $as shoc&ed and ordered the pond closed
i%%ediately#
2earby) $as a pucca $ell fro% $hich $ater could be ta&en by entering into it# 0indu
$ere entreated to per%it 0ari1ans) to ta&e $ater fro% this $ell but they $ould not agree#
The Collector as&ed the% if they $ould drin& the $ater fro% the pond) if told to# They
ad%itted that the $ater $as unfit for hu%an use) yet they $ould not allo$ 0ari1ans use
of the pucca $ell#
Conditions are bad and 0ari1ans are the $orst sufferers# The la$ has %ade
untouchability a cri%e# The 0ari1an Se'a& Sangh has long been $or&ing for its oblation)
but it cannot be said that the hearts and %inds of caste 0indus in the countryside ha'e
undergone a change# The State "o'ern%ents ha'e not been able to do %uch in this
connection#

'PP0+1I5 II

=ro% !Sunday Ti%es!) March C) *C@2

-0+>+ -+8>2" 8 S0>T S 82 .==+2C+

-oes of 0ari1ans in S# ndia 8 Social -or&er!s +,perience

(<y S$a%i 8nand Thirth) >egional .fficer) 8ll ndia 0ari1an Se'a& Sangh)

t is sad to notice that the 'arious ci'il disabilities of 0ari1ans still continue to e,ist in our
'illages in spite of the Ci'il ;isabilities >e%o'al 8ct $hich ca%e into force about fi'e
years ago# t is no$ C %onths since the 8ll ndia 0ari1an Se'a& Sangh started its
intensi'e $or& for the re%o'al of social disabilities of 0ari1ans in Melur Talu& in Mathurai
district# Se'eral disabilities of 0ari1ans regarding tea shops) barber saloons) $ells)
tan&s) cha'adies) etc#) ha'e been brought to light during this period# n so%e places it is
the Eillage Munsifs $ho $ere e,pected to gi'e $ide publicity to the 8ct and enforce it)
that are 'ery reactionary forces standing in the $ay of the poor 0ari1ans e,ercising their
ele%entary rights# 8 fe$ instances are cited belo$ to sho$ ho$ deep-rooted is the
pre1udice against the 0ari1ans in our society#
n 7arli near 2atha%) a 0ari1an youth $ho refused to ta&e tea in a cocoanut shell and
desired to be ser'ed in the glass tu%bler $as &ic&ed and shoed on the head by a caste
0indu $ho $as subse3uently con'icted and fined only >s# *0 by the Sub-Magistrate)
Melur# 8t Mela'al'oo) $hen $ent to a tea shop $ith t$o 0ari1an boys) a group of
people threatened to assault %e and dro'e a$ay the boys# 8 glass tu%bler $as
$antonly bro&en by the tea shop&eeper and they all de%anded that %ust pay for it on
penalty of being thrashed# ) ho$e'er) too& shelter in an +le%entary School nearby and
the cro$d disappeared only on the inter'ention of the 7resident of the 7anchayat
<oard#
8t Fela'al'oo) the 0ari1ans ta&e $ater fro% a dirty pond in $hich %en bathe and cattle
are $ashed# The 0ari1ans $ere encouraged to go to the public .orani (protected $ater
tan&)) but they $ere abused and threatened by the caste 0indus so that they dare not
ta&e $ater fro% the .orani# There is a 7olice Station at Fela'al'oo) but the police here
are indifferent to$ards the disabilities of the 0ari1ans# n 8ttu&ula% the caste 0indus put
night-soil in the public $ell because they could not physically obstruct the 0ari1ans $ho
too& $ater fro% it under our directions# n +tti%angala%) the caste 0indus destroyed the
paddy seedlings raised by so%e 0ari1ans in "o'ern%ent poro%bo&e and because the
0ari1ans had got into the cha'adi during a public %eeting held in the 'illage# 2o action
$as ta&en by the police on the co%plaint gi'en by the poor 0ari1ans#
n Tiru'adur $hen $e directed 0ari1ans to ta&e $ater fro% the .orani) a caste 0indu
youth assaulted a pregnant 0ari1an $o%an and bro&e her pot as $ell# The caste 0indu
$as charged by the police and con'icted by the Sub-Magistrate to pay a fine of only >s#
*@ and thereafter the 0ari1ans are freely ta&ing $ater fro% this .orani# n Fottagudi) a
'illage barber) $ho refused hair-cut to a 0ari1an boy $as charged by the police and
con'icted by the Sub-Magistrate# <ut thereafter) the 0ari1ans $ere su%%oned by the
caste 0indus to the cha'adi and $arned that in case they sought the ser'ice of this
barber) a collecti'e fine $ould be i%posed on the%#
n Fidaripatti) the 0ari1ans are not allo$ed to ta&e the corpse through the public foot
path and they are also not per%itted to ride on cycle through the 'illage streets# 8 case
regarding the alleged obstruction of a 0ari1an fro% riding on cycle is pending trial in the
Sub-Magistrate!s Court) Melur# n 2undi&o'ilpatti) only three furlongs fro% the Talu&
.ffice) Melur) the 0ari1ans $ere ta&ing drin&ing $ater fro% a dirty channel because they
had no access to the .orani# T$o co%plaints $ere gi'en to the police regarding this
and no$ the caste 0indus dare not obstruct the 0ari1ans# n The&&itheru) $hen the
0ari1ans sat on the Manthai cha'adi during a public %eeting held at the cha'adi)
pebbles $ere thro$n at the% till they 3uitted the place out of fear#
n 2a'inipatti about t$o %iles fro% Melur) the 'illage Munsif hi%self is alleged to ha'e
ta&en ob1ection to the 0ari1ans $earing decent dress on 7ongal festi'al day and %ade
t$o 0ari1an youths to re%o'e their shirts and upper cloth# The youths $ere %ade to do
Fu%bidal (full prostration on the ground) and go a$ay in loin-cloth only#
The %ost painful oppression has been in Man&ula%) about ten %iles fro% Mathurai
city) $here the 'illage Munsif too& a hostile attitude# T$o 0ari1an youths $ent to tea
shop and as they $ere denied ad%ission) they co%plained to the police# =or this) one of
the% $as tied to a pillar and %ercilessly beaten by a caste 0indu boy under instructions
fro% the elders# 8nother 0ari1an $as assaulted $ith a &nife by a ser'ant of the 'illage
Munsif# The 0ari1ans $ere socially boycotted and denied labour because they too&
$ater fro% the public .orani# The shop&eepers refused to sell pro'isions to the% and
they $ere put to star'ation for t$o days# The situation i%pro'ed only after the
inter'ention of the >e'enue ;i'isional .fficer# >ecently) t$o 0ari1ans and %yself $ere
brutally attac&ed by a band of caste 0indus and beaten $ith fire$ood cudgels for ha'ing
bathed in the tan& and gone into a coffee club in front of the cha'adi# -e $ere
ad%itted and treated in the "o'ern%ent 0ospital in Mathurai# sustained a fracture in
the right foot due to $hich cannot use the right leg and $al&# Si,teen persons including
the 'illage Munsif ha'e been charged by the police for rioting# So%e Congress-%en are)
ho$e'er) trying for a co%pro%ise because so%e of their relations are in'ol'ed in this#
These friends are also &no$n to ha'e approached the authorities in this connection#
Mahat%a1i had desired us to consider the 0ari1ans as blood brothers) but alas L blood is
thic&er than $ater#
.ne feels so de1ected and disheartened at the attitude of the caste 0indus to$ards
the 0ari1ans in spite of the great sacrifices of Mahat%a1i) $ho $on S$ara1 for us and
desired us to concede freedo% to these do$n-trodden people as $ell# The >e'enue
and police authorities can do a lot to re%o'e the disabilities of the 0ari1ans# Mahat%a1i!s
son Manilal is offering satyagraha in South 8frica for the ci'il disabilities of ndians# <ut
$e are denying si%ilar liberties to the 0ari1ans $ho% Mahat%a1i o$ned as his &ith and
&in# /et the caste 0indus and Congress%en $ho adore Mahat%a1i re%e%ber that his
spirit $ill not rest in peace till the curse of untouchability is $iped out) root and branch)
fro% the noo& and corner of our land# The "o'ern%ent %ust realise the deed for greater
efforts to re%o'e this bane fro% our society#

'PP0+1I5 III

/I2C0 /8- 8"82ST 08>582S

(7ainful and sha%eful atrocities in Thu%bapatti)
Stop the Cha'adi Courts in our Eillages

)he -havadi -ourts0

t is a $ell &no$n fact that though the 0ari1ans are denied entry in the public cha'adies
in the 'illages in Ta%ilnad) they are tried by the caste 0indus at these cha'adies and
'icti%ised to such an e,tent that they al$ays li'e in fear of the caste 0indus# .ne of the
reasons $hy the 0ari1ans in the 'illages do not respond to our %o'e%ent of the re%o'al
of their ci'il disabilities is their constant fear of this 'icti%isation by the caste 0indus
under the leadership of the 'illage 7eria%balagar) the chief of the caste 0indus# n
se'eral places) the 'illagers run these cha'adi courts under the colour of holding
7anchayats# The poor 0ari1ans are su%%oned to the cha'adi and tried li&e sla'es# f
any of the% go against the order of the 7eria%balagar then the /ynch /a$ is put into
operations and they are sub1ected to %erciless beating and torture $ith a 'ie$ to stri&e
terror in the% and to de%onstrate the absolute po$er of the 7eria%balagar# The
'icti%isation of the 0ari1ans at the cha'adi ta&es place in 'arious for%s according to the
circu%stances and the $hi%s of the 7eria%balagar and his council:public $hipping)
i%position of hea'y fines and confiscation of their properties on failure to pay the sa%e)
foisting of false cases) econo%ic boycott by denying labour and $ith holding $ages)
social ostracis% by prohibiting their ta&ing part in social functions and religious
cere%onies) denial of $ater by pre'enting access to tan&s and $ells) denial of
foodstuffs by banning sale of articles to the% in the 'illage-shops etc# etc# The liberation
of the 0ari1ans is possible only if the "o'ern%ent ta&es strong %easure against the
'illagers for holding these illegal and unla$ful courts in the na%e of the 'illage
panchayat# 2o ci'ilised "o'ern%ent can tolerate the persecution of a bac&$ard and
%inority co%%unity by the 'illages in the 'arious %anners %entioned abo'e#

Atrocities in )humbapatti0
The follo$ing account of the trial of 0ari1ans at Thu%bapatti on *st 8ugust *C@D $ould
%a&e any heart bleed# This 'illage is 22 %iles fro% Madurai and it is the nati'e place of
Shri 7# Fa&&an) M# 7#) one of the pro%inent 0ari1an /eaders of Ta%ilnad# t is learnt that
all the adults in the 0ari1an cherri $ere su%%oned to the %andai (co%%on place) in
front of the cha'adi# The caste 0indus did obeisance to the 7eria%balagar and his
council) in the usual %anner) by doing full prostration) their belly touching the ground to
pic& up the dust# 8bout a do?en 0ari1an youths $ere then pic&ed out for trial on the
charge they $ere suspected of the 'arious petty thefts occurring in the 'illage# t is
ho$e'er learnt that youths $ho $ere a bit asserti'e and not usually sub%issi'e to the
caste 0indus had been singled out for punish%ent# They $ere gi'en blo$s $ith stic&s
and $ere as&ed to ad%it ha'ing co%%itted the thefts# The other 0ari1ans $ere
3uestioned and under fear of 'icti%isation they are said to ha'e thro$n all the thefts on
the accused# 5udge%ent $as passed that the youths $ere guilty and so%e of the%
$ere handcuffed for being duly punished# t is learnt that one of the% ho$e'er
re%onstrated and tried to escape on so%e plea# This disrespect to the cha'adi court
$as i%%ediately resented by the 'illagers and it is learnt that the 7eria%balagar
pro%ulgated the cha'adi ordinance that the 0ari1an youths be se'erely dealt $ith# The
/ynch la$ $as put into operation and a %ost %erciless attac& $as %ade on the 0ari1an
youths# 8ll those $ho had so%e grudge or pre1udice against the 0ari1ans got the
opportunity to $rea& 'engeance on the% $ith i%punity# The 0ari1an youth $ho had tried
to escape $as dragged by his legs o'er the rough and stony ground# The others $ere
beaten $ith stic&s and tied to the trees and again beaten so %ercilessly till their bones
$ere al%ost bro&en# There they $ere %ade to stand) tied to the trees for about eight
hours) as the pitable ob1ects of public scorn# The 0ari1ans in general appear to ha'e
been $arned that they should not co-operate $ith the 0ari1an $or&ers#

1alse -ase 1oisted0
-hat the 'illagers did thereafter is still %ore sha%eful# t is the usual practice to foist
cases on the 0ari1ans and to get the police to ta&e i%%ediate action# -hen it $as
disco'ered that the 0ari1ans had sustained serious in1uries) the 'illagers realised that
they $ould get into trouble# t is learnt that Shri 7oosari Fa&&an) the +ighty-years old
father of Shri 7# Fa&&an) M#7#) $ho is $or&ing as the 'illage Thotti) $as therefore as&ed
to gi'e a false co%plaint that so%e articles in the 0ari1an te%ple $ere found %issing
since the pre'ious e'ening and a report $as sent to the 7olice by the 'illage Munsif)
that these articles $ere reco'ered fro% the 0ari1an youths# Shri 7oosari Fa&&an) and
his relation) another 'illage Thotti na%ed +tti Fa&&an) are said to ha'e brought these
articles and gi'en to the 'illage Munsif# %%ediately on receipt of the report the 7olice
ca%e) arrested the 0ari1an youths on a charge of theft and sent the% to the 0ospital as
they $ere found $ounded# -e do not propose to publicly criticise the action of the
7olice# +nough to say) the atrocities on the 0ari1ans by the 'illagers) did not catch the
official eye of the 7oliceL

)he )ruth /no2n0
The 'illagers $ere good enough to send a %ass petition supporting their action to Shri
8# Eaidyanatha lyer# 7resident) Ta%ilnad 0ari1an Se'a& Sangh# t $as for$arded to %e
for en3uiry and report# 8 s%all co%%ittee consisting of the 7resident of Melur Talu&
Congress Co%%ittee) the Secretary of Melur Talu& 0ari1an Se'a& Sangh) the Secretary
of the Se'a Sa%a1) Melur and %yself accordingly en3uired into the %atter and found
that the 'illagers had %ade a %erciless attac& on the 0ari1an youths and &ept the% tied
to the trees for about eight hours till the arri'al of the 7olice# The co%plaint gi'en by
Shri 7oosari Fa&&an and the 7eria%balagar $ere e,a%ined by Shri Eaidyanath lyer and
they ad%itted to hi% that the co%plaint gi'en to the 7olice $as a false and concocted
one# The 7eria%balagar also e,pressed regret for the $rongs done to the 0ari1ans#
Mean$hile the police also in'estigated into the co%plaint gi'en by Shri 7oosari Fa&&an
and referred the case as ! undetectable !# 2o case $as ho$e'er ta&en against the
'illagers# t appears the bones of the 0ari1ans youths had not actually bro&en# The
%ar&s of beatings $ith stic&s and of the rope-tie $ere 'isible on their bodies for se'eral
days# T$o of the% $ere &ept at the hospital for t$o days and their legs $ere N-rayed to
%a&e sure if their bones $ere bro&en# They $ere sent out $ith plaster bandages on
their legs# They $ere not able to $al& properly for a fortnight#
)2o en3uiries conducted0
8n en3uiry $as conducted by the ;y# -elfare .fficer) Madurai under orders fro% the
;y# Collector and another en3uiry $as recently conducted by the >e'enue ;i'isional
.fficer) Madurai under orders fro% the "o'ern%ent# The result is yet to be &no$n#

-ivil ,isabilities in )humbapatti0
There $as terrible opposition fro% the 'illagers of Thu%bapatti $hen the 0ari1ans too&
$ater fro% the public .orani in *C(8# Till then the 0ari1ans $ere ta&ing $ater fro% a
dirty pond $here cattle are $ashed and %en bathe# So%e 0ari1an youths $ere se'erely
beaten and an atte%pt $as %ade to set fire to 0ari1an houses# The 'illage Munsif and
others are said to ha'e been $arned by the authorities in this connection# .ne case)
$here a 0ari1an $as denied coffee in the glass tu%bler in a teashop in Thu%bapatti)
$as reported to the 7olice on *Cth 8ugust *C@D and the tea shop&eeper $as con'icted
and sentenced to pay a fine of >s# *0 by the Sub-Magistrate# The 'illage barber
declares that he is $illing to ser'e 0ari1ans# Iet the 0ari1ans do not go to hi% probably
because of the secret $arning gi'en to the% by the caste 0indus# So%e 0ari1ans had
gone to the barber on *st 5uly *C@D and there is reason to belie'e that the trial of the
0ari1an youths on *st 8ugust *C@D $as an arrange%ent %ade to stri&e terror in the
0ari1ans#

.ur !eneral e4perience0
t is our general e,perience that $hen the 0ari1ans %a&e bold to asset their
ele%entary rights) the 'illagers su%%on the% to the cha'adi and persecute the% in one
for% or other# Such happenings too& place in Mangula%# Furu'an&ula%) 8danoor)
7athietta%gudi and Faruga&ottai# The higher officials of the 7olice $ere good enough to
'isit these places# n so%e places) the 0ari1ans $ere su%%oned to the cha'adi and
$arned as at Fottagudi) Fidaripatti and 7ullipatti# The subordinate 7olice officials usually
support the caste 0indus and thus the latter get the freedo% to apply their /ynch la$
and bring the 0ari1ans to a sense of their social ser'ility#

-an 2e tolerate this0
The 3uestion before us is $hether $e can tolerate this &ind of public lynching and
hu%ilitation of the 0ari1ans in these days $hen $e had re'olted against the atrocities of
the ;yers at 5allian$alla bagh# n 5allian$ala) the atrocities $ere co%%itted by foreign
bureaucrats on %en and $o%en $ho had asse%bled in a gathering# 0ere si%ilar
atrocities $ere co%%itted by our 'illagers on a fe$ 0ari1an youths $ho $ere tried at the
cha'adi $ith a 'ie$ to stri&e terror in the 0ari1ans in general#

5hat the 6overnment must do0
Eillage 7anchayats consisting of elected %e%bers including 0ari1ans) ha'e been
for%ed by the "o'ern%ent in the 'illages# .ne $onders $hy the caste 0indus should
be allo$ed to run their cha'adi courts in parallel to these "o'ern%ent recognised
7anchayats# These cha'adi courts are a %enace to the social) econo%ic and political
progress of the poor bac&$ard class co%%unities in the 'illages# There can be no
sal'ation or freedo% to the 0ari1ans in the 'illages unless these cha'adi courts are
banned by the "o'ern%ent# 8ll our efforts for the re%o'al of the ci'il disabilities of
0ari1ans $ill go in 'ain till the cha'adi courts are prohibited fro% dealing $ith the
0ari1ans# <efore spending D la&hs of rupees for the eradication of untouchability) the
"o'ern%ent %ust ta&e necessary %easures to stop the 'icti%isation of the 0ari1ans at
the cha'adi and enable the% to raise their heads as hu%an beings# Untouchability in
public places has beco%e a thing of the past in Ferala because of the non-e,istence of
these cha'adi courts in that part of the country#

An Appeal0
t $as Mahat%a "andhi $ho %ade us realise the great in1ustice $e do to poor
0ari1ans in the 'illages by treating the% as lo$ castes and sla'es# <ut for hi% the
0ari1ans in the 'arious parts of the country $ould ha'e gone out of the 0indu fold
because of the unbearable sufferings under the caste 0indus# t is no$ 2* years since
Mahat%a "andhi obser'ed the +pic =ast at 7oona to create public opinion in fa'our of
the 0ari1ans# 2o doubt there has been a great a$a&ening during the last decades and
there is no$ general sy%pathy to$ards the 0ari1an %o'e%ent# The "o'ern%ent is
pledged to the re%o'al of all the social and ci'il disabilities of 0ari1ans and it is gi'ing
full co-operation to all peaceful and legiti%ate efforts to i%pro'e the status of the
0ari1ans# <ut $e ha'e to ad%it that there is still) lot of pre1udice to$ards the 0ari1ans in
the 'illages# -e appeal to all public $or&ers to bring about a change of heart of the
caste 0indus in the 'illages so that the 0ari1ans are no longer treated as a separate
Untouchable class# -e appeal to all leaders to $or& for the eradication of untouchability
and to see that the 0ari1ans are treated as part and parcel of the 0indu society#

Southern >ange)
0ead .ffice6 Melur#
S$a%i 8nand Tirth) M#8#) >egional .fficer)
8ll ndia 0ari1an Se'a& Sangh#