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CONFRONTING MARGINALISATION

The document discusses the rights and protections for Dalits and Adivasis in India, highlighting key constitutional articles and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989. It outlines the importance of reservations in education for SCs and STs, as well as the ongoing issue of manual scavenging predominantly affecting Dalit women. The document emphasizes the legal frameworks in place to combat discrimination and protect marginalized communities from atrocities.

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2 views

CONFRONTING MARGINALISATION

The document discusses the rights and protections for Dalits and Adivasis in India, highlighting key constitutional articles and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989. It outlines the importance of reservations in education for SCs and STs, as well as the ongoing issue of manual scavenging predominantly affecting Dalit women. The document emphasizes the legal frameworks in place to combat discrimination and protect marginalized communities from atrocities.

Uploaded by

motivecatalystic
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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AMITY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, NOIDA

HANDOUT CIVICS – CONFRONTING MARGINALISATION


CLASS VIII
Q1. List two fundamental rights in the constitution that Dalits can draw upon to insist that they
be treated with dignity and as equals.
Ans: The two fundamental rights are:
1. Article 17 of the constitution states that untouchability has been abolished – What this
means is that no one can henceforth prevent Dalits from educating themselves, entering
temples, using public facilities etc, It also means that it is wrong to practice
untouchability and that this practice will not be tolerated by a democratic government.
In fact untouchability is a punishable crime now.
2. Article 15 of the constitution notes that no citizen of India shall be discriminated against
on the basis of religion, race, caste sex or place of birth. This has been used by Dalits to
seek equality where it has been denied to them.
Q2. Why are seats reserved in the government schools and colleges for SCs and STs?
How has the government implemented it?
Ans: 1. The government provides for free or substitution hostels for students of Dalit and
Adivasi communities so that they can avail of education facilities that may not be
available in their localities.
2. The Government also operates through ensure that concrete steps are taken to end
equality in the system. One such law /policy is the reservation policy that today is
both significant and highly contentious.
3. For admission to colleges, especially institutes of cut off marks.
Q3. Why do Adivasi activists, including CK Janu, believe that Adivasis can also use this 1989 act
to fight against dis possession? Is there anything specific in the provisions of the act that
allows them to believe this?
Ans: 1. The 1989 act is important for another reason – Adivasi activists refer to it to
defend their right to occupy land that was traditionally theirs.
2. Adivasis are often unwillingly to move from their land and are forcibly displaced.
3. Actvists have asked that those who have forcibly encroached upon tribal lands
should be punished under this law. They have also pointed to the fact that this act
merely confirms what has already been promised to the tribal people in the
constitution – that land belonging to tribal people cannot be sold to or bought by
non tribal people. In cases where this has happened, the constitution guarantees the
right of tribal people to re-process their land.
Q4. What are the provisions under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention
of Atrocities) Act 1989?
Ans: 1. The Act was formed in 1989 in response to demands made by Dalits and others that
the government must take seriously the ill treatment and humiliation Dalits and
Tribal groups face in an everyday sense.
2. In the 1970’s and 1980’s , in parts of southern India , a number of assertive Dalit
groups came in to being and assertive Dalit groups came into being and
asserted their rights- they refused to perform their so – called caste duties and
insisted on being treated equally.
3. The Act distinguishes several levels of crimes. It lists modes of humiliation that are
both physically horrific and morally reprehensible and seeks to punish those who-
a) force a member of a scheduled caste or a scheduled tribe to drink or eat any
incredible or obnoxious substance.
b) forcibly removes clothes from the person of a member of a scheduled caste or a
scheduled tribe or parades him or her naked or with painted face or body or
commits any similar act which is derogatory to human dignity.
c) It lists actions that dispossess Dalits and Adivasis of their meagre resources or
which force them in to performing slave labour.
d) The act sets out to punish anyone who wrongfully occupied or cultivates any land
owned by , or allotted to a member of a scheduled caste or scheduled tribe or gets
the land allotted to him transferred.
Q5. What is manual scavenging?
Ans: 1. Manual scavenging refers to the practice of removing human and animal waste/
excreta using brooms, tin plates and baskets from dry latrines and carrying it on the
head to disposal grounds some distance away.
2. A manual scavenger is the person who does the job of carrying filth. This job is
mainly done by Dalit women and young girls.
3. There are lakhs of persons from Dalit communities who continue to b employed in
this job in this country and who work in private and community dry latrines managed
by municipalities.

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