Is it not time for dalits to give up their despicable traditional jobs?

Is it not time for dalits to give up their despicable traditional jobs?

http://goo.gl/NPq7iu       Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Saturday, 30 July 2016 AT 09:09 AM IST

Blog, India, dalit community, traditional jobs, Maharashtra, Camil Parkhe, Sakal Times

Even before India gained independence, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had appealed to his followers from his dalit community to give up their traditional jobs in the village, to forfeit their claims on Vatans and free themselves from the shackles of untouchability. The traditional jobs of the people belonging to the Mahar, Matang and other dalit communities involved carrying the carcass of the cattle away from the village, skinning the dead cattle, and also using the hide for various works. The dalits also used to eat meat of these dead animals. These jobs were most despised by the upper castes people and this was also one of the reasons why the dalits were most hated and shunned. Dr Ambedkar reasoned that the dalits should give up these jobs, educate themselves, find alternate respectable professions and thus get rid of the stigma associated with untouchability.

Dalits in Maharashtra have been ardent followers of Dr Ambedkar and have abided by his clarion call of ‘Educate, organise and agitate’ and this is reflected in their social, educational and economic progress in the post-independent era and strong unity as a community. But this is not the case with most dalits in north India, where the feudal system still persists and the dalits are still victims of various kinds of atrocities committed against them. The recent spurt in assaults against the dalits found in skinning dead cows only endorses this fact.

What is most shocking is that these incidents of assault on dalits in north India has been going on unabetted and there are no efforts on the part of leaders of the organisations dedicated to the mission of cow protection to curtail them. The youths at Una village in Gujarat who were brutally assaulted on the charge of cow slaughter have denied the accusation and have said that they were only involved in skinning the already dead cows. Subsequent police investigation has revealed that the cows were in fact killed by lions.

The dalits in the country have continued to perform their traditional jobs of scavengers and skinning the dead cattle. By performing these thankless jobs, they have maintained cleanliness in villages and also helped preserve hygiene of the community members for centuries. In the past, these jobs were thrust upon the dalits as they had no other alternate sources of livelihood. Post-independent, untouchability has been abolished and the Constitution has bestowed on them the right to live a life of dignity. If carrying out their traditional jobs is inviting the wrath of certain sections of society, then it is high time the dalits all over the country give up these works. Thanks to modern technology, there is no more need to use bare hands to perform these works and therefore members of any community may come forward to do these works with the help of machines. This will also help to delink castes of the persons from the present most despicable jobs in the society.

The dalits in this country have continued to perform their traditional jobs of scavengers and skinning the dead cattle. By performing these thankless jobs, they have maintained cleanliness in villages and also helped preserve hygiene of the community members for centuries. In the past, these jobs were thrust upon the dalits as they had no other alternate sources of livelihood. Post-independent, untouchability has been abolished and Constitution has bestowed on them the right to live a life of dignity. If carrying out their traditional jobs is inviting the wrath of certain sections of society, then is it not high time the dalits give up these works.


- CAMIL PARKHE