Panel Presentation on Dalit Perspective from Hinduism

Human Rights Violation against Dalits

Animals were treated with respect and worshipped in India but Dalits were not even
considered as human beings. They undergo most inhuman conditions and situations in
everyday life. The evil caste structure of Hinduism in India made Dalits as untouchables and
subordinate and a serving community to all the upper caste communities. Dalits in India were
traditionally considered as Avarnas (outside of 4 varnas of the Hindu caste system). While
sudras are the serving class, Dalits became serving class to all the other communities above
them in the caste structure. Dalits are denied to partake in any of the public worship and
religious ceremonies. Thus Dalits have local deities for them like marramma, katta
maisamma, bangaram, pochamma and pota raju and so on. But dalits are asked to play drum
at some occasionsduring religious ceremonies and some processions.

They are treated as untouchables and assigned to most menial and dehumanizing jobs such as
manual scavenging, cleaning carcasses, and cobbler and so on. In rural India Dalits are still
denied of entry to use wells, tanks, hotels, temples and forced to be subordinates.
1
Ages of
oppression, discrimination, physical and psychological violence, arson, and many more grave
incidents were the common realities in the lives of Dalits. Atrocities and attacks against
Dalits have been very common. Murder, rape/gang rape, torture and violence against Dalit
men, women and children, arson to property, discrimination against Dalits are everyday
experiences. There were most inhuman crimes committed against Dalits, like forcing to drink
urine and eat human excreta. Dalits were denied of Right to life with dignity and Dalits were
denied basic human rights.

Precepts of Human Rights from Ancient India
Hinduism had Human rights precepts from the very early of Vedic period. Vedic sages
prayed for the happiness and prosperity of all the people sarve jana sukino bhavatu. All the
people here mean without any distinction or discrimination referred to all human beings.
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The present day understanding of seeing the whole world as a single human family or as
global village is also mentioned much earlier in the Hindu scriptures vasudev kutumbakam.
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Bhakti movement in India by various religious leaders have advocated Human rights

1
Clifford Bob, Dalit Rights and Human Rights, (New Delhi: Critical Quest, 2008), 5-7.
2
O. P. Chauhan and Lalit Dadwal, Human Rights: Promotion and Protection, 4.
3
O. P. Chauhan and Lalit Dadwal, Human Rights: Promotion and Protection, 5.
4
O. P. Chauhan and Lalit Dadwal, Human Rights: Promotion and Protection, 6.
promotion about the equality of people, protection of the rights of marginalized sections of
the society have got focus.
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Bhakti movement has included people from the oppressed caste
communities.

Swami Dayananda Saraswati is not a scholar but propagator of Vedas and Vedic Dharma. He
holds Vedas as the highest authority and denies all other practices that emerged later. He is
against the caste system and propagated for the equality of all people. He condemned the
myths that Sudras and women are not allowed to learn Vedas. He cites from Chandogya
Upanishad the examples of Gargi and other Sudra women who learnt Vedas from Rajaya
Kumari. He also cites from 2
nd
mantra of 26
th
chapter of Yajur Veda that anyone irrespective
of caste or sex has right to hear and read Veda. He also emphasized and worked for the
general education to women, widow remarriage, intercaste marriages and marriage by
consent and opposed child marriages.
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Inclusion of Mythical Purushasukta into Rigveda
There are Human Rights precepts in the ancient Hindu texts but caste system came to
establish in the society in the later period due to the manus teachings. The sacrifice of
Purusha the cosmic man (Brahman) was into four parts and four groups of people have
emerged from the body of Purusha. The word shudra was not mentioned earlier in Rig Veda
before this hymn.
The Brahmana was his mouth,
The Rajanya was made of his two arms,
His thighs became the vaishya,
From his feet was produced the shudra. (Rig Veda, 1981: X.XC.12).
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The composition of mythical Purushasukta was after Aryans settled down in the subcontinent
around 1200-1000 BCE. Aryans have employed non Aryans and called them as amanushya
(non humans), and also called them. Aryans needed labour force for the agricultural work and
these non Aryans were working in great number under Aryans. Aryans have also called these
non aryansa as as Dasya or Dasa (slaves or servants) and later on called them as shudra. By
the inclusion of purushasukta into Rig Veda, the Aryans have legitimized subordination and
justified exploitation on Shudras. Inclusion of this mythical hymn happed in a later period of

5
O. P. Chauhan and Lalit Dadwal, Human Rights: Promotion and Protection, 6.
6
A.K. Pateria, Modern Commentators of Vedas, 51-2.
7
O. Shrirama, untouchability and Startification in Indian Civillization, Edited by S. M. Michael, Dalits in
Modern India: Vision and Values ,(New Delhi: Vistaar Publications, 1999), 50.
Rig Veda. And to avoid the shudras mixing into the upper classes they employed
purushasukta. Aryans did not want the non Aryans to enjoy their privileges and benefits. The
myth of classes stratifying people of various classes turned into castes. Thus the most
inhuman caste system has came into existence.
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8
O. Shrirama, untouchability and Startification in Indian Civillization, Edited by S. M. Michael, Dalits in
Modern India: Vision and Values,(New Delhi: Vistaar Publications, 1999), 51.