In Map of South Asia South Asia is a subregion of Asia comprising the modern states of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, . It covers about 4,480,000 km², or 10 percent of the continent, and is also known as the Indian subcontinent. These states are all... South Asia's The word Caste is derived from the Portuguese word casta, meaning lineage, breed or race. The term caste, when used in human culture, is usually in conjunction with the social division in Hindu society, particularly in India. This term is also used in entomology to describe social insects species who... caste system, a Dalit (formerly known as untouchable or achuta) is a person outside of the four castes, and considered below them. Untouchables include such people as leather-workers. There are various subcastes or Jatis (the word literally means births) comprise the subcastes found within the four major castes, or varnas, of the Indian caste system. Each jati typically has an association with a traditional job function in Hindu society, although religious beliefs (e.g. Sri Vaishnavism or Veera Saivism) or linguistic groupings define... jatis within untouchable, the lowest ranking generally considered to be the The Bhangi are the segment of Indian society that were traditionally relegated to only the dirtiest and most unpleasant jobs. Even within the group that were once known as the Untouchables, Bhangis were considered to have the lowest status. Although Bhangis are sometimes referred to as sweepers, the word does... Bhangis. At the 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events January January 2 - Sharon Pratt Dixon is sworn in as mayor of Washington, DC becoming the first black woman to lead a city of that size and importance. January 4 - The United Nations Security Council votes unanimously... 1991 census, Dalits constituted more than 16% of The Republic of India is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of more than one billion, and is the seventh largest country by geographical area. India has grown significantly, both in population and in strategic importance in the last two decades. The Indian economy is... India's population, [1] (http://www.censusindia.net/scst.html) with the greatest numbers living in Uttar Pradesh (उत्तर प्रदेश ﺶﯦﺩﺮﭘ ﺮﺗﺍ) is the fifth largest and the most populous state in India. The administrative and legislative capital is Lucknow and the judicial capital is Allahabad. Other notable cities include Agra... Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal (পশ্চিম বঙ্গ, Pôščim Bôngô) is a state in the northeast of India. Neighbouring regions are Nepal and Sikkim to the northwest, Bhutan to the north, Assam to the northeast, Bangladesh to the east, the Bay of... West Bengal, and For other uses, see Bihar (disambiguation). Bihar (बिहार) is a India. Its capital is Patna. It is bordered on the north by the Kingdom of Nepal, on the west by Uttar Pradesh, south by Jharkhand, and the east by West Bengal. Bihar lies in the very... Bihar. They are also found in The Kingdom of Nepal, situated in the Himalaya, is the worlds only Hindu kingdom. It is in South Asia, sharing borders with China (Tibet Autonomous Region) and India. National motto: जननी जन्मभूमिष्च स्वर... Nepal. In The Islamic Republic of Pakistan (پاکستان in Urdu), or Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia. Pakistan borders India, Iran, Afghanistan, China and the Arabian Sea. With over 150 million inhabitants it is the sixth most populous country in the world. It also... Pakistan, more than 60% of the total Hindu population are Dalits.

Harijan was the polite form for untouchable coined by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948) (Devanagari: मोहनदास करमचन्द गांधी), called Mahatma Gandhi, was the charismatic leader who brought the cause of Indias independence from British colonial rule to... Mahatma Gandhi which means "Children of God" ( Hari is another name of Vishnu or God and appears as the 650th name in the Vishnu sahasranama. According to Adi Sankara s commentary on the Vishnu sahasranama, Hari means One who destroys samsara, which is the entanglement in the cycle of birth and death, along with ignorance, its cause... Hari is another name for Vishnu (Hindi: (विष्‍णु) is a form of God, whom Hindus pray to. For Vaishnavites, He is the only Ultimate Reality or God. In Trimurti belief, He is the second aspect of God in the Trimurti (also called the Hindu Trinity), along with Brahma and... Vishnu, a This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). Aum, the most sacred syllable and quintessential symbol of Hinduism, represents the first manifestation of the unmanifest Brahman. Hinduism (सनातन धर्म; commonly called Sanātana Dharma... Hindu God). Untouchables generally consider this term to be condescending and prefer the name dalit ( Hindi (हिन्दी) is a language spoken in most states in northern and central India. It is an Indo-European language, of the Indo-aryan subfamily. It evolved from the Middle Indo-Aryan prakrit languages of the middle ages, and indirectly, from Sanskrit. Hindi derives a... Hindi: दलित), variously translated as "crushed", "stepped on" or "oppressed". The term scheduled castes/scheduled tribes (SC/ST) is also used in the Indian legal system to refer to this group along with other non-caste tribes.

Scheduled castes and tribes are entitled to vote on their own separate electoral rolls in Indian elections, a measure sought by B.R. Ambedkar and other Dalit activists in order to ensure that Dalits would obtain a proportionate political voice.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948) (Devanagari: मोहनदास करमचन्द गांधी), called Mahatma Gandhi, was the charismatic leader who brought the cause of Indias independence from British colonial rule to... M.K. Gandhi made it a part of the The Indian National Congress (also known as the Congress Party) is the largest subscription-based organisation in the world. It is also the largest democratic political organisation in the world; the oldest surviving political organisation in India. In the 14th Lok Sabha (2004-2009), it is the single largest party... Indian National Congress's mission to eradicate untouchability. For this reason, untouchability has been officially abolished in India, although social practice on the ground has lagged behind, particularly in rural villages. There, Dalits are still not allowed to allow their shadows fall upon a Young Indian brahmachari Brahmin A Brahmin (less often Brahman) is a member of the Hindu priestly caste. The word is related to but not to be confused with Hindu religious conception of the transcendent and immanent super soul, Brahman. Brahminism is a term commonly used to denote a system of... Brahmin for fear of ritually contaminating him or her; and they are still required to sweep the ground where they walk to remove the 'contamination' of their footfalls. Rural Dalits are commonly forbidden from worshipping in temples or drawing water from the same wells as caste Hindus, and they usually live in segregated neighbourhoods outside of the main village.

Because of the casteist violence and degradation imposed on Dalits, they have often been drawn to religions such as Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. Buddhism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, who lived between approximately 563 and 483 BCE. Originating in India, Buddhism gradually... Buddhism (see Neo-Buddhism is a modern Buddhist revivalist movement in India. As a popular movement, Neo-Buddhism began on October 14, 1956 when B. R. Ambedkar, the 20th centurys most prominent Untouchable converted to Buddhism along with nearly 400,000 of his followers. Origins At the beginning of the 20th... Neo-Buddhism), For other uses of the term Christian, see Christian (disambiguation). Christianity is an Abrahamic religion based on the life, teachings, death by crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament. Although Christians are monotheistic, the one God is thought, by most Christians, to exist in... Christianity (see Dalit theology is a branch of Christian theology that emerged among the Dalit caste in India in the 1980s. It shares a number of themes with the liberation theology of the 1960s including a self-identity as a people undergoing Exodus. Dalit theology typically includes the additional viewpoint that Jesus... Dalit theology), or Islam ( Arabic al-islām الإسلام,  listen?) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion. Etymology In Arabic, Islām means submission and is described as a Dīn, meaning way of life... Islam, which professed to free them of caste distinctions. Notwithstanding, the bulk of the Dalit population remain broadly speaking within the Hindu fold.

Famous Dalits

• B.R. Ambedkar, chief architect of the Indian Constitution and founder of Neo-Buddhism is a modern Buddhist revivalist movement in India. As a popular movement, Neo-Buddhism began on October 14, 1956 when B. R. Ambedkar, the 20th centurys most prominent Untouchable converted to Buddhism along with nearly 400,000 of his followers. Origins At the beginning of the 20th... Neo-Buddhism
• Ayyankali (1863 - 1914) was a leader of the Indian lower caste Harijans (Untouchables). Ayyankali was born in 1863 at Perunkattuvila in Venganoor in Thiruvananthapuram District in Kerala. At his time, Harijans (members of the lower castes) were not allowed to walk along public roads. The Harijan women were not allowed... Ayyankali, activist for Harijans' rights
• Mayawati (born January 15, 1956) is a politician in India. She belongs to the Bahujan Samaj Party which has influence mainly in Uttar Pradesh. She has been the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh twice. Categories: Indian people stubs | 1956 births | Indian politicians ... Mayawati, twice A Chief Minister is the elected Head of Government of a British overseas territory that has attained self-government. The title is also used in the Crown Dependency of the Isle of Man. In the other Crown Dependencies in the Channel Islands, the office of Chief Minister was introduced in... Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (उत्तर प्रदेश ﺶﯦﺩﺮﭘ ﺮﺗﺍ) is the fifth largest and the most populous state in India. The administrative and legislative capital is Lucknow and the judicial capital is Allahabad. Other notable cities include Agra... Uttar Pradesh
• Kocheril Raman Narayanan, usually known just as K. R. Narayanan (b. October 27, 1920) was President of the republic of India from 1997 to 2002. On July 25, 1997 he was sworn-in as Indias 10th president and the first member of a Dalit (untouchable) caste to hold that... K.R. Narayanan, tenth The President of India is the ceremonial head of state of India and the supreme commander of the Indian armed forces. The current President of the Republic of India is Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. History India became formally independent of the United Kingdom on August 15, 1947. However... President of India
• Chandra Bhan Prasad, Columnist at The Pioneer and Dalit activist
• Kanshi Ram, leader of the For the Nepalese party, see Bahujan Samaj Party, Nepal. The Bahujan Samaj Party is a political party in India. It is a party formed to represent both low caste and Dalit (untouchable) persons, those at the bottom of Indias caste system. The BSP has two high_profile, charismatic leaders, Kanshi... Bahujan Samaj Party
• Udit Raj, political and religious activist

See also

• The word Caste is derived from the Portuguese word casta, meaning lineage, breed or race. The term caste, when used in human culture, is usually in conjunction with the social division in Hindu society, particularly in India. This term is also used in entomology to describe social insects species who... Varnas: Young Indian brahmachari Brahmin A Brahmin (less often Brahman) is a member of the Hindu priestly caste. The word is related to but not to be confused with Hindu religious conception of the transcendent and immanent super soul, Brahman. Brahminism is a term commonly used to denote a system of... Brahmin, A Kshatriya is a member of the military or reigning order, according to the law-code of Manu the second ranking caste of the Indian varna system of four castes, the first being the Brahmin or priestly caste, the third the Vaishya or mercantile caste and the lowest the Shudra... Kshatriya, In the Hindu caste system, a Vaishya (Sanskrit vaiśya, female vaiśyā) is a member of the third of the four major castes of the varna system of traditional Indian society, comprising farmers, herders, merchants, and businessmen. Etymologically, the word derives from the root vish to... Vaishya, Shudra, or Sudra, is the fourth caste, or varna, in the traditional four-caste division among Indian castes. Shudra caste often had traditional roles providing menial labor, which was not necessarily unclean. These four castes are Brahmin (priestly or learned caste), Kshatriya (warrior caste), Vaisya (businessmen and tradesmen), and Shudra... Shudra
• Jatis (the word literally means births) comprise the subcastes found within the four major castes, or varnas, of the Indian caste system. Each jati typically has an association with a traditional job function in Hindu society, although religious beliefs (e.g. Sri Vaishnavism or Veera Saivism) or linguistic groupings define... Jati
• Proto-Indo-European Indo-European studies The Aryan invasion theory is a historical theory first put forth by the German Indologist Friedrich Max Müller and others in the mid nineteenth century in order to provide a historical explanation for the existence of Indo-European languages in India. According... Aryan invasion theory
• The Pariah or Pariar people are a large tribal group in India; they are members of the Dalit or formerly untouchable class of southern Indias Tamil Nadu state. The term pariah has gained widespread use as an analogy, especially in the phrase social pariah, as a term for anyone... Pariah
• Dalit theology is a branch of Christian theology that emerged among the Dalit caste in India in the 1980s. It shares a number of themes with the liberation theology of the 1960s including a self-identity as a people undergoing Exodus. Dalit theology typically includes the additional viewpoint that Jesus... Dalit theology
• Neo-Buddhism is a modern Buddhist revivalist movement in India. As a popular movement, Neo-Buddhism began on October 14, 1956 when B. R. Ambedkar, the 20th centurys most prominent Untouchable converted to Buddhism along with nearly 400,000 of his followers. Origins At the beginning of the 20th... Neo-Buddhism

and

• Burakumin (部落民, buraku community + min people), Eta (literally, full of filth) or hisabetsu buraku (被差別部落) is a social minority group. Less commonly they are called Mikaihō buraku (未解放部落) or unfreed buraku. They are one of the main minority groups... Burakumin - a similar, possibly related, phenomena in Japan.

Further reading

• Mari Marcel Thekaekara. 1999. Endless Filth: The Saga of the Bhangis. London: Zed Books. ISBN 184277266X.
• Subrata K. Mitra and V.B. Singh. 1999. Democracy and Social Change in India: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the National Electorate. New Delhi: Sage Publications. ISBN 817036809X (India HB) ISBN 0761993444 (U.S. HB).

External links

• Untouchable @ National Geographic Magazine (http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0306/feature1/index.html)
• Dalit (http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/Asia/India/Society_and_Culture/Communities/Dalit/) - links at The Open Directory Project (ODP), also known as DMoz (for Directory.Mozilla, the domain name of ODP), is a multilingual open content directory of World Wide Web links owned by Time Warner that is constructed and maintained by a community of volunteer editors. History Motivation and founders ODP was founded... Open Directory Project
• Root Of Hindu Untouchability (http://www.ambedkar.org/ambcd/)
• Scheduled Castes Federation of Pakistan (http://www.pakdalits.tk)