By Taniya Dutta
In a nondescript village in India’s eastern Bihar state, members of the Musahar Dalit community – formerly known as “untouchables” and barred from many areas of interaction with members of higher castes – still live on the fringes of modern society.
“We are no longer untouchables officially but there is a subtle discrimination,” Saudagar Rishi said. “There is no school, no hospital, no roads for us and no employment opportunities. We are going to the Moon, but here on Earth society still divides people by caste.”
Mr Rishi, 30, sits surrounded by fellow villagers, both men and women, who nod emphatically in agreement. Children, mostly barefoot, played next to the elderly in groups. He and his fellow villagers are Musahar Dalits, the lowest of the section and fall at the bottom of the Hindu rigid caste system.
So poor and deprived are the Musahars they have often had to subsist on a diet of rodents, leading to their nomenclature. It’s been almost 75 years since India’s caste system was abolished by the country’s post-colonial constitution, but those who suffered the most from its cruelty say its influence still lingers today.
“Discrimination fuelled by casteism has to end if our people have to grow,” Mr Rishi said.
“They think we are illiterate, so we are fools. This discrimination should end”
Saudagar Rishi
This story was originally published in thenationalnews.com. Read the full story here.