What is Untouchability?

Dalits are the manual scavengers, the removers of human waste and dead animals, leather workers, street sweepers and cobblers. The mere touch of a Dalit was considered "polluting" to a caste member. Thus, the concept of "untouchability" was born.

Dalit means "broken people."
Dalits were formerly known as "untouchables."
Dalits live at the bottom of India's rigid social order known as the caste system.
​There are 165 million Dalits in India-about 1/6th of the total population.

Yes. The Civil Rights Act of 1955, and the Scheduled Castes and Tribes Act of 1989. The National commission of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was formed to protect Dalit interests and integrate them into society. All programs have failed to produce substantive change.

The preamble to the Indian Constitution proclaims the goals of social justice and equality. Article 14 sets forth the principal of equality and prohibits discrimination in employment and education. The Constitution does not set forth a casteless society as a national goal. No law has been passed abolishing untouchability. The practice of untouchability is a punishable offense, but the law is rarely enforced.

What is the caste system?

In December, 2006, Indian Prime Minister Mannohan Singh became the first Indian leader to acknowledge the parallel between untouchability and the crime of apartheid. PM Singh described untouchability as a "blot on humanity" and acknowledged that despite constitutional and legal protections, caste discrimination still exists throughout much of India.

The caste system originated around 7 A.D.
Caste is determined by birth, not race.
Caste is based upon the Hindu belief that a person's position in life is based upon the good deeds and sins of their past life.
​Caste determines Indians' spouses, friends, occupations and residence.

Saint Josephs Trust was founded to help the poor in India, regardless of their religion, gender or caste. However, because of the lingering effects of the caste system, many of the poor in India are Dalits, and they are still treated as outcasts. Therefore, many of the people who are helped by Saint Josephs Trust are Dalits.
​Fr. Gene, the founder of Saint Josephs Trust, was born a Dalit and knows firsthand the pain of being treated as less than a person. He hopes to educate people about this problem in hopes that one day all people will be recognized for their inherent human dignity as children of God.

Saint Josephs Trust

There are four major castes, and hundreds of minor castes. Each caste has specific duties and privileges.
​Brahmins-originally the priests and intellectuals.
​Kshatriyas-soldiers.
​Vaishyas-traders.
​Sudras-performed menial tasks.

Isn't Untouchability illegal?

Are Dalits in a caste?

No. A fifth group was created to perform tasks considered too menial or degrading to be performed by caste members. Dalits are so low in the social hierarchy that they are outside of the caste system and considered "outcastes."

Dalits endure segregation in housing, schools and access to public services. 
Dalits are denied access to land, forced to work in degrading conditions and are routinely abused by the police and upper-caste members. 
Dalits suffer discrimination in education, health care, housing, property, freedom of religion, free choice of employment, and equal treatment before the law. 
Dalits suffer routine violations of their right to life and security of person through state-sponsored or sanctioned acts of violence, including torture. 
Dalits suffer caste-motivated killings, rapes and other abuses on a daily basis.
Between 2001-2002 there were 58,000 registered egregious abuses against Dalits and Tribals.
2005 government report stated there is a crime committed against a Dalit every 20 minutes.
Dalits comprise most of the agricultural, bonded and child laborers in the country.
2007 government report found 77% of all Indians live on less than $.50 a day and most of them were Dalits.
Dalit women face additional discrimination and abuse, including sexual abuse by the police and upper caste men, forced prostitution, and discrimination in employment and wages.
​Dalit children face continuous hurdles in education. They are made to sit in the back of classrooms and endure verbal and physical harassment from teachers and other students. The effect of such abuses is confirmed by the low literacy and high drop-out rates for Dalits.