Various governmental efforts for the overcome of untouchability problem in India

Untouchability is a serious problem especially in rural areas. It is true that without the eradication of unotuchability we cannot think of rural development. Untouchability creates a great obstacle in the path of all developmental work. It hinders rural progress to a great extent.

Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest religious reformer and the father of nation says. “I believe in the fundamental truth of all great religious of the world in theory, since there is one God, there can be only one religion.

But in practice no two persons i have known have the same identical conception of God. Therefore there will, perhaps always be different religions answering to different temperaments and climatic conditions. The soul of religions is one but it is encased in a multitude of forms truth is exclusive property of no single scripture.”

Gandhji did not believe in the Hindu Dharmashastras which prescribe caste customs as scared. In this context, he remarked “it is a tragedy that religion for us means today nothing more than restrictions on food and drink, noting more than adherence to a sense of superiority and inferiority. Let me tell you that there can not be any greater ignorance than this, birth and observance of forms cannot determine one’s superiority and inferiority.

Character is the only determining factor. No scripture which labels a human being as inferior or untouchables because of his or her birth can command our allegiance; it is a denial of God.”

All the efforts have been made towards the eradication of untouchability from Rural Indian are broadly divided into two categories, Governmental and non-Governmental efforts.

Governmental efforts:

The Government of India makes a two pronged attack on the untouchability. On the other hand it attempt to prevent the practice of untouchability through constitutional measures, on the other hand, it tries to improve the living conditions of the untouchables by providing certain benefits through legal measures. Following are the important Government efforts for the eradication of untouchability.

1) Constitutional Safeguards:

He constitution of India provides protection and safeguards for the untouchables by the way of general right of citizenship with the object of promoting their socioeconomic interests and of removing certain disabilities from which they suffer. The following constitutional safeguards are providing to the untouchable castes.

i) Article 15:

The caste shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, caste, race, sex, and place of birth or any of them. No citizen shall on grounds only of religion, caste, race, sex, place of birth or nay of them, be subject to any disability, liability or restriction with regard to a) Access to shop, public restaurants, hotels and paces of public entertainment, or b) The use of wells tanks, water taps, citrons, bathing Ghats, burial or cremation ground, any sanitary convenience, roads and places of public resort maintained wholly or partly out of the state funds or dedicated to the use of the general public.

ii) Article 16:

There shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the state. No citizen shall on grounds only of religion, caste race, sex, place of birth or any of them, be ineligible for or discriminated against in respect of any employment or office under the state.

ii) Article 17:

The abolition of untouchability and forbidding its practice in any form. The enforcement of any disability arising out of untouchability shall an offence punishable in accordance with the law.

IV) Article 25:

The throwing upon of Hindu religious institutional of public character to all classes and sections of Hindus.

V) Article 29:

The forbidding or any denial of admission to educational institutions maintained by the state or receiving aid out of the state funds.

vi) Article 46:

The state shall promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people and in particular of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation.

vii) Article 164:

In the State of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, there shall be a minister in charge of Tribal Welfare who may in addition be in charge of welfare of the Scheduled caste and Backward Classes or any other work.

vii) Article 330:

Seats shall be reserved in the lok sabha for the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes except the Scheduled tribes in the tribal’s areas of Assam and the Scheduled Tribes in autonomous districts of Assam.

ix) Article 332:

Seats will be reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assembly of every state.

x) Article 335:

The claim of the members of Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribes shall be taken into consideration, consistently with the maintenance of efficiency of administration in making of appointment to service and posts in connection with the affairs of the union or of a state.

xi) Article 338:

There shall be a special officer for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to be appointed by the President. It shall be the duty of the special officer to investigate all matters relating to safeguards for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes under this contribution and report tot the President upon the working of those safeguards as such intervals as the President may direct and the President shall cause all such reports to be laid before each house of Parliament.

xii) Article 340:

There shall be a Commission to be appointed by the President in order to investigate the condition of socially and educationally backward classes.

2) The Untouchability Offences Act, 1955:

For the eradication of untouchability the Untouchability Offences Act was passed by the Parliament in 1955. It came into force on June 1, 1955. This act provides penalties for the following offences.

a) Preventing a person on the ground of untouchability, from entering a place of public worship, offering prayers there in or taking water from a special tank, well or spring.

b) Enforcing all kinds of social disabilities such as denying access to any shop, pubic restaurant, public hospital or educational institution, hotel or any other place of public entertainment, denying the use of any road, river, well, tank, water tap, bathing Ghats, cremation ground, sanitary convenience, ‘Dharma Salas’, ‘sarai’ or ‘Musafir khana’, or utensils kept in such institution and hotels and restaurants.

c) Enforcing occupational, professional or trade disabilities or disabilities in the matter or enjoyment of any benefit under a charitable trust, in the construction or occupation of any residential premises in any locality or the observance of any social or religious usage or ceremony.

d) Refusing to sell goods or render services to a Harijan because he is a Harijan, for molesting, injuring or annoying a person or organising a boycott of or taking part in the excommunication of a person who has exercised the rights accruing to him as a result of the abolition of untouchability.

3) Harijan Welfare Department:

For all round development of untouchable castes, the government of India has established a Harijan welfare Department and also appointed a Commissioner for Harijan Welfare. Some regional Assistant Commissioners have been appointed in each region to assist the Commissioner besides, the Advisory the ways and means for the Welfare of Harijans.

4) Educational Facilities:

For the upliftment of the untouchables, both central and State Government provides many educational facilities to them. Seats are reserved in all educational institutions for the untouchable castes. Free education, free distribution of books and stationery, stipends, scholarships and so on is some of the educational facilities provided by the Government to them.

5) Job Facilities:

A fixed percentage of jobs have been reserved for the people of untouchable castes in the administrative services for both Central and State Government. To make Harijan students skilled in various crafts, proper arrangements were made by the Government for their training.

6) Economic Facilities:

For the improvement of economical conditions of untouchables, both Central and State Government are spending considerable amount of money. The nationalised banks are also extending their helping hand by lending loans to them for starting small cottage industries. Apart from these, for the betterment of the people of untouchable caste, the Government also provides many loans to them through various economic schemes such as Integrated Rural Development Programme, Jawaharlal Rozgar Yojna and so on.

7) Housing facilities:

The housing condition of the people of untouchable castes is very miserable. They mostly live in the worst type of slums; therefore, the Government provides many housing facilities to them. New Harijan colonies are being constructed where accommodation is cheap. Through Indira Abasa Yojana, the Government also provides new houses to the poor Harijan people Special efforts are being done towards cleanliness of old Harijan residential areas. A sum of Rs.750/-is granted by the Government to every Harijan family for the repairing of old houses.

Non-Governmental efforts:

Besides the Governmental efforts, some Non-Governmental efforts have been made by different individuals and private organisations for the eradication of untouchability. In this connections the efforts, made by Mahatma Gandhi, Dr.B.R.Ambedkar, Thakkar Bapa, Narayana Guru, Vivekananda, Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Raja Ram Mohan Ray and Swami Dayananda Saraswati were noteworthy. Gandhiji had long beck observed, “i believe in the justice and necessity of removing untouchability.

Without its removal, swaraj would be a meaningless term”. He therefore, strongly pleaded that “opening of the roads is not the fine but the first step in the ladder of reform. Temples, public wells and public schools must be open to the untouchables equally with higher caste Hindus”. He further said that “there cold be no rest for more for those who by work of mouth or show of hand, will favour the abolition of untouchability, until in becomes thing of the past.”

Narayan Guru preached the “gospel of one caste, one religion and one God.” Swamy Dayananda Saraswati through his Arya Samaj preached the notion of equality, liberty and fraternity among the Hindu Castes. Besides, the various voluntary organisations also in their private capacity have made notable efforts to uplift the position of untouchable castes in society. The chief among them are the Harijan Sevak Sangh, the Depressed Class Union, the Social Service League, the Scheduled castes Federation, the Depressed Class League, Andhra Deen Seva Sangh, and the Depressed Classes Conference and so on.

In 1932, Haijan Sevak Sangh was established by Thakkar Bappa and achieved maximum efforts made by the Harijan Sevak Sangh temples, public places, schools and colleges were opened for the Harijans. All the efforts made by these voluntary organisations were given edict of emancipation to the untouchables.