Ishan BhatnagarAIR 5 · CSE 2025 · 190 wordsTheir whole copy
Opening · a definition
Untouchability stems from the logic of purity and pollution, which is the ideological basis of the caste system (Dumont). It is grounded in logic of "Communicability" of untouchability and leads to "mutual separation" (F.G. Bailey).
Body · points
manifestations of untouchability
1.> Absence of access to village wells, village public spaces, bathing ghats → addressed by Article 15(2) of the Constitution.
2.> Temporary pollution → menstruation, death in the family leads to mutual separation for designated periods.
3.> Urban untouchability practices: separate utensils in household (Satish Deshpande) is a residual aspect of untouchability.
4.> caste-based violence: often in response to attempts of Dalits to sanskritize themselves (Omvedt). Eg> Dalit groom beaten up.
5.> Residential separation - gated communities, presumably on caste clan basis → implicit untouchability because of caste-class nexus (Dipankar Gupta)
6.> Caste based occupational clustering → M.N. Srinivas pointed out that ~97% manual scavengers are dalits → Dalits restricted to "polluting" occupations like scavenging, leather work, midwifery.
7.> Prevalence of endogamy (~95%) which is the "cement" of the caste system (Irawati Karve)
Close · a summary
Hence, untouchability persists in both manifest and latent forms despite the abolition of untouchability u/Art 17 of the Constitution.