Untouchables

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the system of Untouchables within the context of Eastern religions and Indian society. It discusses the tradition of the caste system in India. The paper also discusses what connection, if any, there is between the caste system and the Untouchables, and Hinduism. It concludes that the Untouchables are not a Hindu concept, but are rather based on Indian tradition and culture.

From the Paper:

"While it seems fair to conclude that the system of discriminating against a caste of people known as the Untouchables persists in India to this day, and that this results in systemic discrimination against millions of people, it also seems fair to conclude that the blame should not be laid at the door of Hinduism. After all, many academics agree that it is a system which has arisen out of historical factors, and that it manifests primarily in economic, social and political outcomes. Therefore, while it is fair to see the system as problematic, it is not fair to therefore see Hinduism as some kind of "primitive" religion. On the contrary, great Hindus such as Gandhi have spoken out against the system. It is also unfair to look down on India as a whole because of this system. After all, most social systems retain some kind of discrimination based on historical factors. For example, women are still discriminated against in Western society to this day - and worldwide, there are still pitifully few female leaders of countries. Thus, we might simply conclude that the Untouchable system is simply one more manifestation of the reality that all human societies so far have failed to achieve equality."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Allen, Douglas, ed. Religion and Political Conflict in South Asia: India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1992.
• Charsley, Simon. "'Untouchable': What Is in a Name." Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 2.1 (1996): 1+.
• Joshi, Barbara R. "Untouchables, Religion, and Politics: The Changing Face of Struggle." Religion and Political Conflict in South Asia: India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Ed. Douglas Allan. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1992. 37-54.
• Juergensmeyer, Mark. "What If the Untouchables Don't Believe in Untouchability?." Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars 12.1 (1980): 23-28.
• Rajshekar, V. T. Dalit: The Black Untouchables of India. 2nd ed. Atlanta: Clarity Press, 1987.

More papers on Untouchables:

• Film Review # 28395 : "The Untouchables"
• Term Paper # 146072 : "Untouchability" and Gandhi"
• Analytical Essay # 131591 : "The Western Perspective on "Untouchables"

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