Civics Solution Class 8 Chapter 8

8. Confronting Marginalisation

Facts that Matter

·         Adivasis, Dalits, Muslims and women come under marginal groups. These groups experience in equality and discrimination at every level in society. As this hurt them, they want to come out of this. They often challenge existing inequalities.

·         They argue that simply by being citizens of a democratic country, they process equal rights that must be respected. Many of them look up to the Constitution to address their concerns.

·         The Constitution provides Fundamental Rights which are available to all Indians equality, including the marginalised groups.

·         But as the marginalised groups fails to enjoy equal rights, they insist the government to enforce laws.

·         The government, as a result, frame new laws in keeping with the spirit the Fundamental Rights.

·         Untouchability has been abolished. This means that no one can henceforth prevent Dalits from educating themselves, entering temples, using public facilities etc.

·         Our Constitution States that no citizen of India shall be discriminated against on the basis of region, race, caste, sex or place of birth. This has been used by Dalits to seek equality where it has been denied to them.

·         There are specific laws and policies for the marginalised groups in our country.

·         The government sets up a committee or undertakes a survey and then makes an effort to promote such policies in order to give opportunities to specific groups.

·         The government tries to promote social justice by providing for free or subsidised hostels for students of Dalit and Adivasi communities.

·         The Government’s reservation policy is a very significant effort to end inequality in the system.

·         The laws which reserve seats in education and government employment for Dalits and Adivasis are based on an important argument that in a society like ours, where for centuries sections of the population have been denied opportunities to learn and to work in order to develop new skills or vocations, a democratic government must assist these sections.

·         Government across the country have their own list of SCs or Dalits, STs and back ward and most backward castes. The central government too has its list.

·         Students applying to educational institutions and those applying for posts in government and expected to furnish proof of their caste or tribe status in the form of caste and tribe certificates.

·         If a particular Dalit caste or a certain tribe is on the government list, then a candidate from that caste or tribe can avail of the benefit of reservation.

·         Besides policies there are also specific laws to protect the rights of marginalised communities.

·         The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act came into being in 1989 to protect Dalits and Adivasis from the domination of the powerful communities.

Words that Matter

·         Dalit: The term Dalit means ‘broken’.

·         Confront: To come face to face or to challenge someone or something. In the chapter, the word refers to groups that challenge their marginalisation.

·         Policy: A well-planned course of action that provides direction for the future sets goals to be achieved or lays out guidelines to be followed and acted upon.

·         Ostracise: To socially boycott and individual and his family.

·         Dispasses: To give up ownership or authority.

·         Morally reprehensible: An act that violates all norms of decency and dignity that a society believes in.

·         Assertive: An individual or a group that expresses themselves and their views strongly.

·         Manual Scavenging: It refers to the manual practice of removing human and animal waste or excreta with the help of brooms, tin plates and baskets from dry latrines and carrying it on the head to disposal grounds.

In Text Questions Solved

1. State one reason why you think reservations play an important role in providing social justice to Dalits and Adivasis?

Reservations create special opportunities for Dalits and Adivasis to come up in the mainstream of the society.

2. Complete the following table:

List of schemes	What is this scheme about?	How do you think it will help promote social justice?
Scholarships for students	This scheme is about the financial assistance to the weaker sections of the society especially for SCs and STs	It will promote education among them and will bring them equal to others
Special police stations	Police stations exclusively for SCs and STs.	It will dispose off their cases faster
Special schemes for girls in government schools	Scholarships to girls and free education to them	It will promote their consciousness to education.

3. In your opinion does the force put on Rathnam to perform the ritual violates his Fundamental Rights?

Yes, it certainly violates his Fundamental Rights.

4. Why do you think that Dalit families were afraid of angering the powerful castes?

Dalit families were scared that they would be perished if they dared to anger the powerful castes.

5. List two different provisions in the 1989 Act.

i) To occupy land that was taken from Dalits and Adivasis

ii) No further forced displacement.

6. What do you understand by manual scavenging?

Manual scavenging refers to the practice of removing human and animal waste or excreta using brooms, tin plates and baskets from dry latrines and carrying it on the head to the disposal grounds at some distance.

7. Re-read the list of Fundamental Rights provided on page 14 of the textbook and list two rights that the practice of manual scavenging violates?

Two rights that the practice of manual scavenging violates are:

i) Right to Equality

ii) Right against exploitation.

8. Why did the Safai Karamchari Andolan File a PIL in 2003? What did they complain about in their petition?

The Safai Karamchari Andolan filed a PIL in 2003 in order to get the manual scavenging banned. In their petition they complained that manual scavenging still existed and it continued in government undertaking like the railways. They sought enforcement of their Fundamental Rights.

9. What did the Supreme Court do on hearing their case in 2005?

On hearing their case in 2005, the Supreme Court directed every department/ministry of the union government and state governments to verify the facts within six months. If manual scavenging was found to exist, then the government department has to actively take up a time-bound programme for their liberation and rehabilitation.

Questions from Textbook

1. List two Fundamental Rights in the Constitution that Dalits can draw upon to insist that they be treated with dignity and as equals. Re-read the Fundamental Rights listed on page 14 of the textbook to help you answer this question.

Two Fundamental Rights are:

i) Right to Equality

ii) Right against exploitation.

2. Re-read the story on Rathnam as well as the provisions of the 1989 Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Now list one reason why you think he used this law to file a complaint.

This law provides protection to Dalits and Adivasis. Therefore, Rathnam sought the support of this law.

3. Why do Adivasi activists, including C.K. Janu, believes that Adivasis can also use this 1989 Act to fight against dispossession? Is there anything specific in the provisions of the Act that allows her to believe this?

The Act guarantees Adivasis not to be dispossessed from their traditional Homelands. The land belonging to Adivasis 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-possess their land.

More Questions Solved

I. Multiple Choice Questions:

Choose the correct option:

i) Which article of the Constitution states that untouchability has been abolished?

a) Article 15    b) Article 17    c) Article 21    d) Article 27

ii) Rathnam refused to perform the ritual because…………

a) He had become a big politician

b) He had become a lawyer

c) He had no faith in this practice

d) He hated the priests

iii) C.K. Janu is……..

a) An engineer                        b) A doctor      c) An archaeologist     d) An activist

iv) The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act came into being in the year……

a) 1980            b) 1985            c) 1989                        d) 1991

v) Who cannot avail reservations?

a) Brahmans   b) Dalits           c) Adivasis      

d) Backward and most backward castes

II. Fill in the blanks:

i) There are specific laws and policies for the marginalised in our country.

ii) Rathnam filed a case in the local police station under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

iii) Manual scavengers are exposed to subhuman health conditions of work and face serious hazards.

iv) The job of manual scavenging is mainly done by Dalit women and young girls.

v) The government provides for free or subsidised hostels for students of Dalit and Adivasi communities.

III. True/False:

State whether each of the following statements is true or false.

i) Rathnam with the support of other Dalit families resisted the powerful castes. False

ii) Manual scavengers in different parts of the country, the Bhangis in Gujarat, Pakhis in Andhra Pradesh and the Sikhaliars in Tamil Nadu, continue to be considered untouchable. True

iii) The reservation policy of the government is meant only for the Dalits. False

iv) Manual Scavengers get low wages for the work they perform. True

v) The Supreme Court of Indian could not do anything to ban the practice of manual scavenging. False

IV. Match the following:

i) The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act	1993
ii) The Safai Karamchari Andolan filed a PIL	2003
iii) The Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act	2006
iv) It reserves seats in education and government employment for Dalits and Adivasis	Reservation policy
v) Rathnam	Dalit

V. Very Short Answer Type Questions

1. Who was Soyrabai?

She belonged to the Mahar caste.

2. Name two distinct cultural and religious groups in the country.

Muslims and Parsis.

3. How does our Constitution ensure cultural justice to minority groups?

Our Constitution ensures cultural justice to minority groups by granting them Cultural and Educational Rights.

4. What is government’s reservation policy?

Government’s reservation policy reserves seats in education and government employment for Dalits and Adivasis.

5. For admission to collages, especially to institutes of professional education, governments define a set of ‘cut off’ marks. What does this mean?

This means that not all Dalit and tribal candidates can qualify for admission, but only those who have done well and secured marks above the cut off point.

6. Why is Kabir’s poetry sung and appreciated by Dalit and marginalised groups even today?

 It is because Kabir’s poetry brings out the powerful idea of the equality of all human beings and their labour.

7. Who was Rathnam?

Rathnam was a twenty years old engineering student. He belonged to a Dalit Family.

8. Which ritual did he refuse to perform?

He refused the ritual of washing the feet of priests with and then bathing in that water.

9. What shocked the powerful castes?

A Dalit young boy like Rathnam dared to refuse to perform the age old ritual.

10. Why did Rathnam file a complaint under the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act?

He filed a complaint under this Act to protest against the domination and violence of the powerful caste in his village.

11. What work does a manual scavenger do?

He does the work of carrying human and animal waste.

12. What is Safai Karamchari Andolan?

Safai Karmchari Andolan is an organization working with manual scavengers.

13. What is the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act about?

This act is about the prohibition of the employment of Manual Scavengers as well as the construction of dry latrines.

14. How does Kabir describe the term ‘untouchability’?

According to Kabir untouchability is the highest state of knowledge. It means not be touched by narrow limiting ideas.

VI. Short Answer Type Questions:

1. What does government do to promote social justice among Dalits and Adivasis?

a) Both state and central government create specific schemes for implementation in tribal areas or in that have a high Dalit population. For instance, the government provides for free or subsidised hostels for students of Dalit and Adivasi communities so that they can avail of education facilities that are not be available in their localities.

b) Government’s reservation policy is a very significant way to promote social justice among Dalits and Adivasis. Under this policy seats are reserved in education and government’s employment for them.

2. How does government’s reservation policy work?

Governments across the country have their own list of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and backward and most backward castes. The central government too has its list. Students applying to educational institutions and those applying for posts in government are expected to furnish proof of their caste and tribe certificates. If a particular Dalit caste or a certain tribe is on the government list, then a candidate from that caste or tribe can avail of the benefit of reservation.

3. How did Kabir look at the division in society in India?

Kabir strongly criticised caste system in his poetry. He attacked those who attempted to define individuals on the basis of their religious and caste identities. In his view every person had the ability to reach the highest level of spiritual salvation and deep knowledge within themselves through their own experience. His poetry brings out the powerful idea of the equality of all human beings and their labour. He writes about valuing the work of the ordinary potter, the weaver and the woman carrying the water pot-labour that in his poetry becomes the basis of understanding the entire universe.

4. What happened in parts of southern India into 1970s and 1980s?

Or

What did Dalit groups do in 1970s and 1980s to assert their rights?

During 1970s and 1980s, in parts of southern India, several strong Dalit groups came into being and asserted their rights. They refused to perform their so called caste duties and insisted on being treated equally. They refused to follow practices which were based on humiliation and exploitation of Dalits. The powerful castes reacted violently against them. In order to indicate the government that untouchability was still being practised, Dalits groups demanded new laws that would list the various sorts of violence against Dalits and prescribe strict punishment for those who indulge in them.

5. Who is C. K. Janu? According to her how do governments violate the rights of tribal people?

C. K. Janu is an Adivasi activist. According to the real violators of the rights of tribal people are governments in the various states of India. It is they who allow non-tribal encroachers in the form of timber merchants, paper mills etc, to exploit tribal land. They forcibly evict tribal people from their traditional homelands i.e. forests in the process of declaring forests as reserved or as sanctuaries. She has pointed out that in cases where tribals have already been evicted and cannot go back to their lands, they must be compensated.

6. What is the Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act about?

This Act was passed in 2006. The introduction to the final Act states that this Act is meant to undo the historical injustices meted out to forest dwelling populations is not recognising their rights to land and resources.

This act recognises their right to homestead cultivable and grazing land and to non-timber forest produce.

The act also mentions that the rights of forest dwellers include conservation of forest and bio-diversity.