Marginalized Groups Meaning The vulnerable sections in India

Marginalized Groups Meaning The vulnerable sections in India include Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes, Women, Minorities, Disabled and Children. For the welfare of these people mere guaranteeing of right to equality or universal adult franchise were not sufficient. ……The ideal of political democracy had to be backed by social and economic democracy. Therefore, it is require a strong constitutional mechanism for protection of interests and rights of vulnerable or weaker sections of society and at the same time special schemes and programmes for their welfare and development. Scheduled Caste British called the so-called ‘untouchables’ the Exterior castes. The term ‘untouchable caste was first time used by the Simon commission (1928). Under the government of India Act of 1935. The untouchable are designated as ‘Scheduled Caste’. The constitution of India (1950) has also referred to them as the Scheduled Caste, but Mahatma Gandhi addressed them as ‘Harijan’ the people of the god. Definition of Scheduled Caste According to Dr. D. N. Majumdar, the term Scheduled Caste refers to the ‘untouchable caste’ the untouchable caste are those who suffer from various social and political disabilities many of which are traditionally prescribed and socially enforced by higher castes” We can define the Scheduled Caste as those economically socially educationally and politically backward caste which are kept at a distance by the other caste as ‘untouchables

Problems of the Scheduled Castes § Segregation and deprivation § Political Disabilities: Hardly participated in the political matters, they didn’t have place in the politics, administration and other governance of India. § § Crime against Scheduled Castes: The year 2013 has witnessed an increase of 17. 1% in crime committed against persons belonging to Scheduled Caste as 33, 655 cases reported in the year 2012 which increased to 39, 408 cases in the year 2013 Educational Backwardness: The educational status of SCs continues to be much lower than that the rest of society, as they hold very low literacy rate (37. 4 percent for SCs against 52. 21 per cent for total population in 1991), Economic Backwardness: Economic conditions of SCs as already discussed, continues to remain very depressing as 36. 3 per cent of SCs in rural areas and 38. 5 per cent in urban areas still live below the poverty line, while it was only 27. 1 per cent in rural areas and 23. 6 per cent in urban areas in respect of total population as per the Poverty Estimates of the Planning Commission in 1999 -2000. Lower Rates of Work Participation: The work participation amongst SCs as per the 1991 Census reveals that more than 76 per cent of them are engaged in the primary sector of the economy. Of these, nearly half of them (48. 2 per cent) are agricultural laborers and a little more than one-fourth (28. 2 per cent) are cultivations. It is also likely that some of the SCs who have lost their lands may have also joined the ranks of labourers.

Scheduled Tribes The population of Scheduled Tribes in India stood at 84. 33 million as per the 2001 Census. Scheduled Tribes constitute 8. 2 percent of the total population of the country with 91. 7 percent of them living in rural areas and 8. 3 percent in urban areas. The proportion of STs to the total population in States/Union Territories was the highest in the North-eastern region Definition Though the Indian Constitution has not defined clearly the term ‘tribe’. Article 336 (25) of the constitution say that SC, STs are the tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within president may specify by public notification under Article 342 (I) Dr. D. N. Majumdar. A Scheduled Tribes refers to ‘a collection of families or groups of families, bearing a common name, member which occupy the same territory, speak the same language and observe certain taboos regarding marriage, profession or occupation and have developed as well as assessed system of reciprocity and mutuality of obligation. Problems faced by Tribal: § § The problems of geographic separation, displacement and dispossession of life support systems and destruction of forests. Economic Problems: the contact with the civilized world has disintegrated the entire economic system of the tribal people

Problems of Tribal Communities n n n Cultural problems: due to contact with other cultures, the tribal culture is undergoing a revolutionary change. Due to the influence of Christian missionary, the problem of bilingualism has developed which has led to indifference towards tribal language. The tribal people are imitating western culture in different aspects of their social life and leaving their own culture. Social problems: superstition, child marriage, infanticide, homicide, animal sacrifice, exchange of wives, black magic and other harmful practices are still found among them Religious Problems: due to conversion of may tribal people to Hindu to Christian religion, the tribal groups have been divided into several sects on the basis of religion. This has shattered their collective life and conflicts and discussions are increasing. The tribal people are gradually forgetting their tribal religion. This had led to social disorganization Others Problems Educational backwardness Health Problems Displacement of Tribals Tribal Land Alienation Indebtedness Shifting Cultivation Deprivation of Forest Rights

Continues…. n n n Low Literacy and High Droop-out Rights Inadequate and Inaccessible Health Services Nutritional Deficiencies and Diseases Lack of Adequate Irrigation Facilities Extreme/Abject Poverty Endangering of Intellectual Rights Crimes/Atrocities against STs Neglect of Forest Villages Extinction of Primitive Tribal Groups Ineffective Implementation of PESA, 1996 Routinized Mechanism of TSP

Problems among Minorities The Constitution provides safeguards to religious and linguistic minorities as part of our Fundamental Rights. The term minority is most commonly used to refer to communities that are numerically small in relation to the rest of the population. However, it is a concept that goes well beyond numbers. It encompasses issues of power, access to resources and has social and cultural dimensions. Muslims are 13. 4 per cent of India’s population and are considered to be a marginalized community in India today because in comparison to other communities, they have over the years been deprived of the benefits of socio-economic development. The data in the three tables below, derived from different sources, indicate the situation of the Muslim com, Problems of minorities • The level of education among the minorities especially Muslims are very low. • The per capita income of the minorities is low and hence they are forced to live in dismal living conditions and to lead avocations unsuited to them. • Economic opportunities are unavailable or when available the skills to tap them are missing. Their share in government services is very low. • They area made the victims of communal violence. n

Other Backward Caste (OBC) In India apart from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, there are other weaker sections, who are economically, socially and educationally backward. They are known as Other Backwards Classes. Article 340 of the Constitution empowers the investigate into the consideration of Other Backwards Classes and make recommendations Introduction of the democratic system The first Backward Classes Commission was appointed in 1953 under the Chairmanship of Kaka Saheb Kalelkar. This Commission used four criteria for identifying the backward classes: n • low social position in the traditional caste hierarchy of Hindu society; • lack of general educational advancement among the majority of a caste/community; • Inadequate representation in government services; and • Inadequate representation in trade, commerce and industry. The Kalelkar Commission on this basis identified 23999 castes and communities as Backward Classes. However, there were differences within the Commission. Therefore, government did not accept the recommendations of this Commission.