Social Inequality and Fundamental Rights

Fundamental rights are enshrined in the Indian Constitution and apply equally to all citizens, including marginalized groups.

Marginalized groups have used fundamental rights to challenge discrimination and demand justice from the government.

Article 17 of the Indian Constitution abolished untouchability, making it illegal to discriminate against Dalits in areas like education, temple entry, and public facilities.

Article 15 prevents discrimination on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth, protecting citizens from unequal treatment.

Dalits have utilized Article 15 to fight for their rights and gain equality when they have been denied it.

Minority groups have leveraged the Fundamental Rights section of the Indian Constitution to address their concerns and seek legal protection.

The government is obligated to uphold the Constitution and ensure justice for all citizens, responding to demands based on their fundamental rights.

The legal right to demand equal treatment and respect, preventing discrimination based on caste. It ensures that all individuals, regardless of their social standing, have the same opportunities and access to resources.

The 1989 Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act aims to prevent and punish crimes against Dalits and Adivasis, providing legal protection against discrimination and violence.

The right to be compensated when displaced from one's land for development projects, ensuring that those affected receive fair treatment and resources to rebuild their lives.

The Forest Rights Act, 2006, recognizes the rights of forest-dwelling communities to land and forest resources, including the right to manage and conserve these lands.

The concept that legal rights are not enough to ensure true equality and justice, highlighting the need for continuous activism and advocacy to translate legal provisions into real-world practices.

The practice of removing human and animal waste from dry latrines using brooms, tin plates and baskets and carrying it on the head to disposal grounds.

People who are employed to do manual scavenging, mainly Dalit women and young girls.

The practice of manually cleaning human excrement from dry latrines, often with limited safety measures.

An organization dedicated to working with and supporting manual scavengers. They are based in Andhra Pradesh, India.

The right to equality ensures equal treatment for all citizens, regardless of their caste or profession. Manual scavenging perpetuates the caste system, which violates this right.

The act of wrongfully taking or using land that belongs to or has been allotted to a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe. This includes transferring the land to another person.

The right to life guarantees the protection and safety of all individuals. Unsafe manual scavenging risks life and health, violating this right.

Any action that dispossesses Dalits and Adivasis of their resources or forces them into slave labor.

A state of being free from narrow-minded ideas and limitations. It's a state of higher knowledge and understanding.

An organization aiming to liberate and rehabilitate manual scavengers, advocating for their rights and working to end the harmful practice.

Crimes against Dalit and tribal women are seen as having a unique nature, requiring specific legal attention.

A public interest litigation (PIL) is a legal action filed in the court to protect public interests. The Safai Karamchari Andolan filed a PIL to address manual scavenging in 2003.

A state of being morally wrong or objectionable. Something that is considered to be fundamentally wrong.

The 2003 PIL filed by the Safai Karamchari Andolan aimed to highlight the continued practice of manual scavenging despite the 1993 law prohibiting it.

The Supreme Court directed all government departments to verify the existence of manual scavenging and take action to end it.

The 1989 Act seeks to punish individuals who commit crimes against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The practice of manual scavenging exposes individuals to severe health risks, including eye, skin, respiratory, and gastrointestinal infections.

The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, passed in 2013, aimed to completely abolish manual scavenging and offer rehabilitation to those involved.

The practice of manual scavenging violates fundamental rights such as the Right to Equality and the Right to Life.

The government, through the Safai Karamchari Andolan and the 2013 Act, has been taking steps to eradicate manual scavenging and ensure its victims are rehabilitated.

A group of people facing systematic discrimination and social exclusion based on their perceived 'impurity' or hereditary occupation, often subjected to violence and denied basic rights.

A systematic social practice that designates certain groups as 'impure' and places them outside the bounds of 'normal' society, often leading to segregation, violence, and denial of basic rights.

Groups of people who are Indigenous to India, often facing land dispossession, cultural marginalization, and violence, demanding their rights and resources be restored.

In the context of India, these acts refer to a set of laws designed to protect the rights and dignity of Scheduled Castes (Dalits) and Scheduled Tribes (Adivasi people) and punish perpetrators of violence and discrimination against them.

The use of humiliation and degrading acts as a form of violence and social control. It can include forced consumption of inedible substances, public nudity, or other acts that violate human dignity.

A form of protest and social activism where marginalized groups demand legal recognition and protection from violence and discrimination by advocating for new laws that address their specific needs.

This refers to the inclusion of a detailed and extensive list of criminal acts in the law, encompassing even the most horrific and unimaginable forms of violence, aiming to deter such acts and create awareness about the extent of human cruelty.

The process of seeking justice for past offenses and advocating for changes in societal attitudes and behaviors to prevent future instances of violence and discrimination.

A core philosophy of social justice, where individuals and communities strive to overcome biases and prejudice, promoting equality and fairness for all.