Page 21 - The Economist Asia January 2018

Asia The Economist January 27th 2018 21
Also in this section
22 North Korea’s conglomerates
23 The plight of the Rohingya diaspora
24 Banyan: Asia, champion of free trade

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Caste prejudice in India dia’s1.3bn people.)
The headlinesreveal quotidian horrors.
Unconscionable Dalit Woman Raped and Murdered, Man
Poisons Well Used by Dalits, Dalits At-
tacked for Slaughtering Cow, Dalit Youth
Killed For Watching Upper-Caste Cere-
mony, Dalit Forced To Shave Moustache.
Protests and riots by members of higher
Delhi castes typically end with politicians and
Dalits are betteroffthan theyhave everbeen—butthat’s notsaying much
officials accedingto theirdemands; similar
OR Dalits, these are the best of times. cated and less healthy than average (see actions by Dalits tend to be met with re-
FOnce known as untouchables and re- chart); they are 30% more likely than other pression. Chandrashekhar Azad, a promi-
viled as ritually unclean, this sixth of In- Indians to end up in prison. Out of the 642 nent Dalit activist arrested in May, was or-
dia’spopulation hasneverbeen more inte- faculty members in the country’s top man- dered to be released by a high court in
grated. Since the constitution banned agementschools, which are state-run, only November, with the judge reprimanding
discrimination against untouchables 70 four are Dalits. Out of 496 vice-chancel- police for their “politically motivated”
years ago, and with quotas for state lors—in effect presidents—of state universi- handling of his case. A day later he was re-
schools, jobs and elected offices giving Da- ties, just sixare from “scheduled” castes, as arrested under the draconian National Se-
lits a leg up, gaps in education, income and the lowest ranks of the Hindu caste hierar- curity Act, intended for terrorist cases, un-
health have steadily shrunk. chy are officially known. (“Scheduled der which he may spend a year in
Dalits, who in the past feared crossing tribes” or adivasis—tribal communities tra- detention without charge.
certain streets, now have their own mil- ditionally excluded from the caste system Many Dalits have broken professional
lionaire-filled chamber of commerce, altogether—constitute a further 9% of In- barriers, but many more are stuck doing 1
scores of energetic NGOs to promote their
rights and some 84 of the 545 MPs in the
Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament. All manner of abuse
In Octobera board thatmanageshundreds India
of Hindu temples in the southern state of Number of hate crimes People living in Men aged 24-29 with Malnourishment
Kerala forthe firsttime broke one of the last against Dalits poverty, % secondary education 2015-16, %
ancient taboos, inducting six Dalits to ’000 % of total, years ending
serve as priests. Ram Nath Kovind, who Dalits Adivasis OBCs*
was elected India’s president in July, was 2.5 75 60 Higher castes India
born into a weaver caste, making him the Rape 50
second Dalit to serve as head ofstate. 2.0 Others † 0 25 50
But Indian presidents hold little real 50 40 Children ‡
power, and there has never been a Dalit 1.5 Adivasis 30
prime minister. That it is the best of times 1.0 Dalits Dalits
for Dalits does not necessarily mean that 25 20 Women §
times are very good. Reservations, as the Murder 0.5 OBCs* 10
Higher
government’s quotas are known, have in- castes
deed given once-unimagined opportunity 0 0 0 Men §
to many Dalits. “Without them we would 2011 13 15 16 2005 2012 1983 90 2000 12
†
all be cleaning shit,” says one activist. Yet Sources: National Crime Records Bureau; National Family ‡ *Other backward castes Excluding Muslims
§
Dalitsremain markedlypoorer, worse edu- Health Survey 4; India Human Development Survey; Mint Aged 6-59 months Aged 15-49 years, BMI below 18.5