Vol. 7 · pages 281–285

DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES262 PART V—PUNJAB Scheduled Castes throughout the Province :— Ad Dharmis. Marija, or Marecha. Khatik. Bawaria. Bengali. Kori. Chamar. Barar. Nat. Chuhra, or Balmiki. Bazigar. Pasi. Dagi and Koli. Bhanjra. Perna. Dhumna. Chanal. Sepela. Od. Dhanak. Sirkiband. Sansi. Gagra. Megha. Sarera. Gandhila. Ramdasis. PART VI.—BIHAR Scheduled Castes :— (1) Throughout the Province :— Chamar. Halalkhor. Mochi. Chaupal. Hari. Musahar. Dhobi. Kanjar. Nat. Dusadh. Kurariar. Pasi Dom. Lalbegi. (2) In the Patna and Tirhut divisions and the Bhagalpur, Monghyr, Palamau and Purnea districts :— Bauri. Bhumij. Rajwar. Bhogta. Ghasi. Turi. Bhauya. Pan. (3) In the Dhanbad sub-division of the Manbhum district and the Central Manbhum general rural constituency, and the Purulia and Raghunathpur municipalities :— Bauri. Ghasi. Rajwar. Bhogta. Pan. Turi. Bhuiya. PART VH.—CENTRAL PROVINCES AND BERAR Scheduled Castes Localities Basor, or Burud .. ) Chamar .. ) Dom .. ) Ganda ) Throughout the Province. Mang .. ) Mehtar or Bhangi ) Mochi .. ) Satnami .. ) Audhelia .. In the Bilaspur district. Bahna .. In the Amraoti district

THE UNTOUCHABLES : UNTOUCHABILITY AMONG HINDUS 263 Scheduled Castes Localities Balahi, or Balai. .. In the Berar division and the Balaghat, Bhandara Belul, Chanda, Chhindwara, Hoshangabad, Jabbulpore, Mandla, Nagpur, Nimar, Saugor and Wardha districts. Bedar .. In the Akola, Amraoti and Buldhana districts. Chadar .. In the Bhandara and Saugor districts. Chauhan .. In the Durg district. Dahayat .. In the Damoh sub-division of the Saugor district. Dewar .. In the Bilaspur, Durg and Raipur districts. Dhanuk .. In the Saugor district, except in the Damoh sub-division thereof. Dhimar .. In the Bhandara district. Dhobi .. In the Bhandara, Bilaspur, Raipur and Saugor districts and the Hoshangabad and Seoni-Malwa tahsils of the Hoshangabad district. Dohar .. In the Berar division and the Balaghat, Bhandara, Chanda, Nagpur and Wardha districts. Ghasia .. In the Berar division and in the Balaghat, Bhandara, Bilsaspur, Chanda, Durg, Nagpur, Raipur and Wardha districts. Holiya .. In the Balaghat and Bhandara districts. Jangam .. In the Bhandara district. Kaikari .. In the Berar division, and in Bhandara, Chanda, Nagpur and Wardha districts. Katia .. In the Berar division, in the Balaghat, Betul, Bhandara, Bilaspur, Chanda, Durg, Nagpur, Nimar, Raipur and Wardha districts, in the Hoshangabad and SeoniMalwa tahsils of the Hoshangabad district, in the Chhindwara district, except in the Seoni sub-division thereof, and in the Saugor district, except in the Damoh sub-division thereof. Khangar .. In the Bhadara, Buldhana and Saugor districts and the Hoshangabad and Seoni Malwa tahsils of the Hoshangabad district. Khatik .. In the Berar division, in the Balaghat, Bhandara, Chanda, Nagpur and Wardha districts, in the Hoshangabad tahsil of the Hoshangabad district, in the Chhindwara district, except in the Seoni subdivision thereof, and in the Saugor district, except in the Damoh sub-division thereof. Koli .. In the Bhandara and Chanda districts. Kori .. In the Amraoti, Balaghat, Betul, Bhandara, Buldhana, Chhindwara, Jubbulpore, Mandla, Nimar, Raipur and Saugor districts, and in the Hoshangabad district, except in the Harda and Sohagpur tahsils thereof. Kumhar .. In the Bhandara and Saugor districts and the Hoshangabad and Seoni-Malwa tahsils of the Hoshangabad district.

DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES264 Madgi .. In the Berar division and in the Balaghat, Bhandara, Chanda, Nagpur and Wardha districts. Mala .. In the Balaghat, Betul, Chhindwara, Hoshangabad, Jubbulpore Mandla, Nimar and Saugor districts. Mehra or Mahar .. Throughout the Province, except in the Harda and Sohagpur tahsils of the Hoshangabad district. Nagarchi .. In the Balaghat, Bhandara, Chhindwara, Mandla, Nagpur and Raipur districts. Ojha .. In the Balaghat, Bhandara and Mandla districts and the Hoshangabad tahsil of the Hoshangabad district Panka .. In the Berar division, in the Balaghat, Bhandara, Bilaspur, Chanda, Durg, Nagpur, Raipur, Saugor and Wardha districts and in the Chhindwara district, except in the Seoni subdivison thereof. Pardhi .. In the Narsinghpura sub-division of the Hoshangabad district. Pradhan .. In the Berar division, in the Bhandara, Chanda, Nagpur, Nimar, Raipur and Wardha districts and in the Chhaindwara district, except in the Seoni sub-division thereof. Rajjhar .. In the Sohagpur tahsil of the Hoshangabad district PART VIII. - ASSAM Scheduled Castes :- (1) In the Assam Valley :Namasudra. Hira. Mchtar, or Bhangi. Kaibartta. Lalbegi. Bansphor. Bania, or Brittial-Bania. (2) In the Surma Valley :Mali, or Bhuimali. Sutradhar. Kaibartta, or Jaliya. Dhupi, or Dhobi. Muchi. Lalbegi. Dugla, or Dholi. Patni. Mehtar, or Bhangi. Jhalo and Malo, Namasudra. Bansphor. Mahara. PART IX. - ORISSA Scheduled Castes :- (1) Throughout the Province :Adi-Andhra. Chamar. Ghusuria. Audhelia. Chandala. Godagali. Bariki. Dandasi. Godari. Bansor, or Burud. Dewar. Godra. Bavuri. Dhoba or Dhobi. Gokha. Chachati. Ganda. Haddi, or Hari. Scheduled Castes Localities

THE UNTOUCHABLES : UNTOUCHABILITY AMONG HINDUS 265 Irika. Mala. Panchama. Jaggali. Mang. Panka Kandra. Mangan. Relli. Katia. Mehra, or Mahar. Sapari. Kela. Mehtar, or Bhangi. Satnami. Kodalo. Mochi or Muchi. Siyal. Madari. Paidi. Valmiki. Madiga. Painda. Mahuria. Pamidi. (2) Throughout the Province except in the Khondmals district, the district of Sambalpur and the areas transferred to Orissa under the provisions of the Government of India (Constitution of Orissa) Order, 1936, from the Vizagapatam and Ganjam Agencies in the Presidency of Madras :Pan, or Pano. (3) Throughout the Province except in the Khondmals district and the areas so transferred to Orissa from the said Agencies :Dom, or Dambo. (4) Throughout the Province except in the district of Sambalpur : Bauro. Bhumij. Turi. Bhuiya. Ghasi, or Ghasia. (5) In the Nawapara sub-division of the district of Sambalpur :Kori. Nagarchi. Pradhan. This is a very terrifying list. It includes 429 communities. Reduced to numbers it means that today there exist in India 50-60 millions of people whose mere touch causes pollution to the Hindus. Surely, the phenomenon of Untouchability among primitive and ancient society pales into insignificance before this phenomenon of hereditary Untouchability for so many millions of people which we find in India. This type of Untouchability among Hindus stands in a class by itself. It has no parallel in the history of the world. It is unparalleled not merely by reason of the colossal numbers involved which exceed the number of great many nations in Asia and in Europe but also on other grounds. There are some striking features of the Hindu system of Untouchability affecting the 429 Untouchable communities which are not to be found in the custom of Untouchability as observed by Non- Hindu communites, primitive or ancient. The isolation prescribed by Non-Hindu societies as a safeguard against defilement, if it is not rational, is at least understandable. It

DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES266 is for specified reasons such as birth, marriage, death, etc., But the isolation prescribed by Hindu society is apparently for no cause. Defilement as observed by the Primitive Society was of a temporary duration which arose during particular times such as the performance of natural functions, eating, drinking, etc. or a natural crisis in the life of the individual such, as birth, death, menstruation, etc. After the period of defilement was over and after the purificatory ceremonies were performed the defilement vanished and the individual became pure and associable. But the impurity of the 50-60 millions of the Untouchables of India, quite unlike the impurity arising from birth, death, etc., is permanent. The Hindus who touch them and become polluted thereby can become pure by undergoing purificatory ceremonies. But there is nothing which can make the Untouchables pure. They are born impure, they are impure while they live, they die the death of the impure, and they give birth to children who are born with the stigma of Untouchability affixed to them. It is a case of permanent, hereditary stain which nothing can cleanse. In the third place, Non-Hindu societies which believed in defilement isolated the individuals affected or at the most those closely connected with them. But the Untouchability among the Hindus involves the isolation of a class-a class which today numbers about 50 to 60 million people. In the fourth place, Non-Hindu societies only isolated the affected individuals. They did not segregate them in separate quarters. The Hindu society insists on segregation of the Untouchables. The Hindu will not live in the quarters of the Untouchables and will not allow the Untouchables to live inside Hindu quarters. This is a fundamental feature of Untouchability as it is practised by the Hindus. It is not a case of social separation, a mere stoppage of social intercourse for a temporary period. It is a case of territorial segregation and of a cordon sanitaire putting the impure people inside a barbed wire into a sort of a cage. Every Hindu village has a ghetto. The Hindus live in the village and the Untouchables in the ghetto. Such is the Hindu system of Untouchability. Who can deny that it is not altogether different from what is found to exist among NonHindu societies? That Untouchability among Hindus is a unique phenomenon is beyond question. Persons were treated by non-Hindu communities as impure but as individuals. Never a whole class was treated as impure. But their impurity was of a temporary duration and was curable by the performance of some purificatory rites. There has