One day in the distant future, India may turn its back on the Aryan invented caste system of which the Dalit is the lowest caste. In fact it is even lower than that as it is actually outside of the caste categories. Until then, inequalities will continue and a large percentage of the Indian population will not contribute to the national economy to the extent that they have the potential to do.
We know that in theory, the caste system is not supposed to be applied. We also know about the positive discrimination that central government and the education system applies. But until the common man and woman on the street decide that the caste system is centuries out of date and to be shunned, news items like the one below will continue.
Times of India: “Dalits have once again lost out, this time on wages in rural areas. A first-of-its-kind data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revealed that during the last eight years – between April, 2004 and March, 2012 – the daily wages of cobblers in rural areas rose by 95%, the worst show among the 17 categories listed by the government’s Labour Bureau. The all-India data compiled recently is, however, limited to wages paid to male workers.
Similarly, sweepers, who are also dalits, saw wages rise 109% to Rs 106 a day last March compared to a tad less than Rs 51 when the UPA came to power in mid-2004.
When it comes to actual wages, they remained the second worst paid after herdsmen, who were the only category earning less than Rs 100 a day till March. In terms of growth, sweepers managed to marginally pip blacksmith, whose wages jumped 108% and saw the second slowest rise.
Where the wages have really boomed is in farm-related activities with winnowing and picking topping the charts with a growth of 169% and 158%, respectively. Unlike cobblers or sweepers, in rural areas wages for unskilled workers also shot up 153% to Rs 151 a day.
What may come as a surprise to many is that the wage increase in the top three segments — winnowing, picking and unskilled labour — was more rapid that the rise in per capita income during this period.
According to Central Statistics Office, per capita income at current prices was estimated at Rs 24,143 in 2004-05, which went up 151% to Rs 60,603 in 2011-12. In terms of daily income, the rise was Rs 66 in 2004-05 to Rs 166.
via Dalits see smallest rise in wages – The Times of India.
See also:
- https://chindia-alert.org/prognosis/indian-challenges/
- https://chindia-alert.org/political-factors/indian-tensions/
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