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This article throws light upon the governmental and non-governmental efforts made to eradicate untouchability in India.
Governmental Efforts to Eradicate Untouchability:
Legislative Measures for the Removal of Untouchability:
Article 17 declares the practice of untouchability is a serious offence and It is also punishable offence. The parliament passed the untouchability offences Act in 1955. It was later substituted by the protection of Civil Rights Act 1976.
Protection of Civil Rights Act 1976:
Offences of untouchability as per the Act of 1976:
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(a) Committing any kind of social Injustice, such as denying access to any shop, restaurant, public hospital, educational institution or any place of public entertainment.
(b) Preventing a person, on the grounds of untouchability, from entering a place of worship and offering prayers, or from drinking water from a public well or spring.
(c) Refusal to sell goods or render services to a person on the grounds of untouchability is an offence punishable with imprisonment for six months or a fine up to Rs. 500/- or both.
(d) Enforcing occupational, professional, trade disabilities in the matter of enjoyment of any benefit under a charitable trust etc.
Constitutional Safeguards:
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The Indian constitution provides protection and safeguards for the untouchables by the way of general rights of citizenship. The object is to promote their socio-economic interests and remove their various disabilities they suffer from.
The constitution makes the following provisions: Article—15(1):
The state will not discriminate against any citizen on grounds (if religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.
Article—15(2):
No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them, be subjected to any disability, restriction or condition with regard to:
(a) Access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public entertainment or
(b) The use of wells, tanks, bathing Ghats, roads and places of public resort maintained wholly or partly out of state funds and dedicated to the use of the general public.
Article—16(1):
There shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in matter I elating to employment or appointment to any office under the state.
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Article—16(2):
No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth, residence or any of them, be Ineligible for or discriminated against in respect of any employment or office under the state.
Article-16(3):
Nothing in this Article shall prevent parliament from making any law prescribing in regard to a class or classes of employment or appointment to any office under any state specified in the first schedule or any local or other authority within its territory any requirement as to residence within that state prior to such employment or appointment.
Article—17:
Untouchability is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden. The enforcement of any disability arising out of untouchability shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law.
Article—25:
The throwing open of Hindu religious institutions of a public character to all classes and sections of Hindus.
Article—29:
The forbidding or any denial of admission to educational institutions maintained by the state or receiving aid out of the stale funds. Provision has also been made for the eradication of untouchability in the directive principles of state policy in the Indian constitution.
Chapter—6:
The government will develop the economic and educational interests of the weakest classes, especially scheduled castes and scheduled backward castes, with special precautions and will protect them from social Injustice and all kinds of exploitation.
Article—46:
The state shall promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people and in particular, of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and shall protect them.
Article—164:
It states that in the state of Bihar, M.P. and Orissa, there shall be a Minister in-charge of welfare of the scheduled castes and backward classes or any other work.
Article—320(1):
Seats shall be reserved in the House of the People for the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes except the scheduled tribes in the tribal areas and autonomous districts of Assam.
Article—320(2):
The number of seats reserved in any state for the scheduled castes or the scheduled tribes under clause (1) shall bear of as nearly as may be the same proportion to the total number of seats allowed to that state in the House of the People as the population of the scheduled castes in the state of the scheduled tribes in the stale or part of the state as the case may be in respect of which seats are so reserved, bears to the total population of the state.
Article—332(1):
Seats shall be reserved for these scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes, except the scheduled tribes in the tribal areas of Assam, in the Legislative Assembly of every state specified in the part A and part B in the First Schedule.
Article-335:
The claims of the members of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes shall be taken into account, consistently with the maintenance of efficiency of administration in the making of appointments to services and posts in connection with the affairs of the union or of a state.
Article—338(1):
There shall be a special officer for the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes to be appointed by the president.
(2) It shall be the duty of the special officer to investigate all matters relating to the safeguards provided for the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes under this constitution and report to the president upon the working of those safeguards at such intervals as the president shall cause all such reports to be laid before each Mouse of Parliament.
Article-340(1):
The president may by order appoint a commission consisting of such persons in order to investigate the conditions of socially and educationally backward classes within the territory of India and the difficulties under which they labour and to make recommendations as to the steps that should be taken by the union or any state to remove such difficulties and to improve their condition and as to the grants that should be made for the purpose by the union or any state and the conditions subject to which such grants should he made and the order appointing such commission shall define the procedure to be followed by the commission.
Non-Governmental Efforts:
In India, there are several non-governmental bodies which are engaged in the task of removing untouchability from India. Among them, the most remarkable organisations are Depressed Classes Union, Harijan Sevak Sangh, Scheduled Caste Federation etc.
Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Thakkar Bapa, SwamI Vivekananda, Ram Krishna Paramhansa, Raja Rammohan Ray, Swami Dayananda Saraswati are the noteworthy persons who have taken much strain and pain for the abolition of untouchability from India.
Due to the governmental and non-governmental efforts, the practice of untouchability has almost abolished. The untouchables are now having a better status than before. This is possible only by the welfare measures taken by the Indian government. It is hoped that the untouchables will become equal to higher castes and this problem will be wiped off from Indian society.