Dalits in the Muslim and Christian Communities a Status Report on Current Social Scientific Knowledge
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i Dalits in the Muslim and Christian Communities A Status Report on Current Social Scientific Knowledge PREPARED FOR THE National Commission for Minorities Government of India BY Satish Deshpande with the assistance of Geetika Bapna Department of Sociology University of Delhi ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements .………………………………………………………………………….. iii List of Tables ………..…………………………………………………………………………… iv List of Figures ………..…………………………………………………………………………… vi List ofAbbreviations .…………………………………………………………………………... vii Executive Summary …..…………..…………………………………………………………… viii Chapter 1 Introduction: Objectives, Scope and Main Features of this Report …………… 1 Chapter 2 Sociological Perspectives on Caste among Muslims & Christians in India …. 6 Chapter 3 Statistical Data on Current Status of Dalit Muslims & Christians in India……… 17 Chapter 4 The Presidential Order of 1950 and Evolution of Judicial Perspectives………. 61 Chapter 5 Conclusions……………………………………………………………………………… 74 Appendices Appendix A: Compendium of Illustrative Ethnographic Evidence on Dalit Muslims & Christians …………………………………………………. A-1 Appendix B: List of Dalit Muslim and Dalit Christian Castes included in the Central OBCs List ……………………………………………………… A-39 Appendix C: Bibliography of Social Scientific & NGO Materials on Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians ………………………………………. A-44 Appendix D: Relevant Constitutional Provisions on Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians ………………………………………. A-55 iii Acknowledgements This Report would not have been possible without the generous help and encouragement of many individuals and institutions, and it is a pleasure to acknowledge their contributions to this effort and to offer them our thanks: The framework for the Report took shape in initial conversations with Prof. Zoya Hasan, Member, NCM, who has been its guiding spirit, and has been constantly involved at every stage of its preparation, and we thank her. We also thank the Honourable Chairperson of the NCM, Shri Mohammed Shafi Qureshi, and the staff of the NCM whose support and cooperation helped the preparation of this Report. Our Honourable Vice President, Shri Hamid Ansari, was the Chairperson of the NCM at the time that this Report was conceived, and we thank him for his encouragement and support in getting this venture off the ground. The Department of Sociology, Delhi University, through its then Head, Prof. Meenakshi Thapan, facilitated the housing of this study in the Department, for which we are grateful to the Department as well as the University. It is a pleasure to thank a number of people and organisations for their kind cooperation and assistance: Shri Ali Anwar-ji, Honourable M.P., Rajya Sabha, for his help and insights; Dr James Massey at the Centre for Dalit/Subaltern Studies for sharing his insights as well as for facilitating library access at the Centre; Rahul Singh and Urmila Bahan of National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights for sharing their database; the Indian Social Institute for access to their library; the Indian Society for Promotion of Christian Knowledge; Vidya Jyoti for providing access to their library; the Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society; Atryee and Bhairav of Public Interest Legal Support and Research Centre (PILSRAC) for facilitating access to their legal database; Kamal Ashraf of All India United Muslim Morcha for providing materials as well as for his inputs; and the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies for access to their Library. We also thank and apologise to any individuals or organisations who may have been inadvertently left out of this list. Delhi, 17 th January, 2008. Satish Deshpande and Geetika Bapna Department of Sociology University of Delhi iv List of Tables TABLE TABLE TITLE PAGE NUMBER Number of Sample Households by Caste and Religion, Table 1 19 NSSO 61st Round, Rural India, 2004-05 Number of Sample Households by Caste and Religion, Table 2 st 19 NSSO 61 Round, Urban India, 2004-05 Population Shares of Castes (percent) Table 3 21 Comparison of NSSO 2004-05 Estimates with Census 2001 Population Shares of Religious Communities (percent) Table 4 21 Comparison of NSSO 2004-05 Estimates with Census 2001 Table 5 Estimated Caste Composition of Religions, Rural India, 2004-05 22 Table 6 Estimated Religious Composition of Castes, Rural India, 2004-05 23 Table 7 Estimated Caste Composition of Religions, Urban India, 2004-05 24 Table 8 Estimated Religious Composition of Castes, Urban India, 2004-05 24 Estimated Population of Dalits in Major Religions Table 9 25 (NSSO estimate of caste shares applied to Census religion totals) Estimated Class Composition of Dalits by Religion Table 10 28 Rural India, 2004-05 Estimated Class Composition of Dalits by Religion Table 11 29 Urban India, 2004-05 Estimated Population Shares in Different Economic Classes Table 12 30 Dalits by Religion, Rural India, 2004-05 Estimated Population Shares in Different Economic Classes Table 13 30 Dalits by Religion, Urban India, 2004-05 Estimated Class Composition of Caste Groups Table 14 33 Muslims in Rural India, 2004-05 Estimated Class Composition of Caste Groups Table 15 34 Muslims in Urban India, 2004-05 Estimated Class Composition of Caste Groups Table 16 34 Christians in Rural India, 2004-05 Estimated Class Composition of Caste Groups Table 17 35 Christians in Urban India, 2004-05 Occupational Structure of Dalit Households, by Religion Table 18 50 Rural India, 2004-05 Occupational Structure of Dalit Households, by Religion Table 19 50 Urban India, 2004-05 Type of Household by Caste Among Muslims Table 20 51 Rural India, 2004-05 v Type of Household by Caste Among Muslims Table 21 51 Urban India, 2004-05 Type of Household by Caste Among Christians Table 22 51 Rural India, 2004-05 Type of Household by Caste Among Christians Table 23 52 Urban India, 2004-05 Comparative Educational Profile of Dalits by Religion Table 24 55 Rural India, 2004-05 Comparative Educational Profile of Dalits by Religion Table 25 56 Urban India, 2004-05 Comparative Educational Profile of Castes Among Muslims, Rural India, Table 26 56 2004-05 Comparative Educational Profile of Castes Among Muslims, Urban India, Table 27 57 2004-05 Comparative Educational Profile of Castes Among Christians, Rural India, Table 28 57 2004-05 Comparative Educational Profile of Castes Among Christians, Urban India, Table 29 57 2004-05 vi List of Figures FIGURE FIGURE TITLE PAGE NUMBER Dalits by Religion: Over/Under Representation Among the Poorest, 2004-05 Figure 1 32 Shares in BPL population as a percentage of shares in Total Dalit population, Dalits by Religion: Over/Under Representation Among the Richest, 2004-05 Figure 2 32 Shares in Top Consumption Class as a % of shares in Total Dalit population, Caste Population Below Poverty Line Figure 3 36 By Religion, Rural India, 2004-05 Caste Population Below Poverty Line Figure 4 36 By Religion, Urban India, 2004-05 Caste Population with MPCE of Rs. 1200+ Figure 5 37 By Religion, Rural India, 2004-05 Caste Population with MPCE of Rs. 2500+ Figure 6 37 By Religion, Urban India, 2004-05 Over/ Under Representation Among the Poorest, Rural India, 2004-05 Figure 7 Caste Shares in BPL Population as a Percentage of Caste Shares in Total 39 Population, by Religion Over/ Under Representation Among the Poorest, Urban India, 2004-05 Figure 8 Caste Shares in BPL Population as a Percentage of Caste Shares in Total 39 Population, by Religion Over/ Under Representation Among the Richest, Rural India, 2004-05 Figure 9 Caste Shares in Population with Rs.1200+ MPCE as a % of Caste Shares in Total 40 Population, by Religion Over/ Under Representation Among the Richest, Urban India, 2004-05 Figure 10 Caste Shares in Population with Rs. 2500+ MPCE as a % of Caste Shares in 41 Total Population, by Religion Comparative Economic Profiles of Dalits by Religion Figure 11 43 Rural India 2004-05 Comparative Economic Profiles of Dalits by Religion Figure 12 43 Urban India 2004-05 Figure 13 Religion Inequality by Caste, Rural India 2004-05 44 Figure 14 Religion Inequality by Caste, Urban India 2004-05 44 Figure 15 Comparative Economic Status of Caste Among Muslims, Rural India, 2004-05 46 Figure 16 Comparative Economic Status of Caste Among Muslims, Urban India, 2004-05 46 Figure 17 Comparative Economic Status of Caste Among Christians, Rural India, 2004-05 47 Figure 18 Comparative Economic Status of Caste Among Christians, Urban India, 2004-05 47 Figure 19 Caste Inequality by Religion, Rural India, 2004-05 48 Figure 20 Caste Inequality by Religion, Urban India, 2004-05 48 vii Incidence of ‘Agricultural Labour’ Households Figure 21 53 by Religion and Caste, Rural India, 2004-05 Incidence of ‘Self Employed in Agriculture’ Households Figure 22 53 by Religion and Caste, Rural India, 2004-05 Incidence of ‘Casual Labour’ Households Figure 23 54 by Religion and Caste, Rural India, 2004-05 Incidence of ‘Regular Wage or Salaried’ Households Figure 24 54 by Religion and Caste, Urban India, 2004-05 Figure 25 Population Not Literate, by Religion and Caste, Rural India, 2004-05 58 Figure 26 Population Not Literate, by Religion and Caste, Urban India, 2004-05 58 Population Graduate and Above, by Religion and Caste, Rural India, 2004-05 Figure 27 59 Figure 28 Population Graduate and Above, by Religion and Caste, Urban India, 2004-05 59 List of Abbreviations CES Consumption Expenditure Survey (of the NSSO) DC, DCs Dalit Christian, Dalit Christians DM, DMs Dalit Muslim, Dalit Muslims EUS Employment & Unemployment Survey (of the NSSO) GoI Government of India MPCE Monthly Percapita Consumption Expenditure