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among the Communists in Kerala. Even within the Dalit there is a notion of untouchability
practiced by sub cast Dalit against lower sub casts, for example a Harijan boy refuses to drink
water from a Valmiki boy. Also the documentary has interviewed an urban Dalit doctor and his
wife who is a lecturer at a college .Thus the documentary illustrates not only the rural Dalit
problems but also the urban ones. The interview of a Dalit girl form Jawahar Nehru University
shows the practice of untouchability even in such reputed universities of India. Thus, all such
accounts made me realize the hollowness and ills of the Indian culture and society which we are
so proud of. A section on how newspaper matrimonial columns are divided according to caste
presents urban Indians with an uncomfortable truth: marriage is the leading perpetuator of caste
in India.
Another striking fact is that most of the people from lower castes also believe that they
are subordinate and accept their situation. Perhaps, it reflects the ideologies and lack of power.
Land, one of the major sources of power in rural areas, is distributed very unsymmetrically. Also,
political power which is reflected in terms of number plays a very important role in a violence or
in the elections. Therefore, the most powerful caste is generally the most populous. Caste system
is mainly based on the concept of purity and impurity, which has been permanently destined.
Such division drastically affects life chances. All these facts are very evident in the way the
entire documentary has been narrated.
The documentary really is a very illustrative piece of work for it made me perceive the
inflexibility and narrow mindedness of the Indian society. Stalin has put best efforts to showcase
the plights and oppressions faced by the people belonging to lower castes and the need to provide
reservations for the upliftment of such people. Living in an urban region and having to go to one
of the best schools it would have been impossible for me to realize such perils in the society,
although even urban Dalit face discrimination in some form or the other. Also, the best part of
the craft is that it is not restricted to a particular region or religion. Rather, it focusses on India as
a whole and illustrates the existence of untouchability throughout the country and in all religions.
The entire documentary has clearly been made with a pro reservation mindset and has
focused mainly on plights of lower castes. Although, whatever has been presented is very
accurate but there are other aspects also which have not been touched perhaps to maintain the
integrity of the theme. From my experiences, I feel that the reservation has given a lot of benefits
to lower castes, particularly in urban areas making them economically sound. I have seen people
from lower castes, not as talented as their upper caste counterparts, being in an economically
superior position just because of the system of reservation. But the documentary did not touch
upon any such case.
Another aspect on which the documentary could have improved is that it could have
focused more upon the discrimination against the lower castes in the urban metropolitan areas.
Most part of the documentary focuses mainly on the rural areas. It would have created a more
powerful impact and people would have connected more had the documentary involved the
urban areas more. Focusing more on the urban Dalit problems would have made people realize
that education alone is not sufficient to mitigate such evils. Nevertheless, overall the
documentary is a great piece of sociological craft and deserves appreciation.
India Untouched - Stories of a People Apart, a film directed by Stalin. K., takes us through eight states and four
religions as he explores different aspects and mutations of untouchability in India. The film brings to light many
interesting aspects of the problem of untouchability as he places the problem in a diversity of environments and
contexts. The documentary, through narratives of pain and humiliation, is a strong account of ongoing injustice,
gross denial of human rights, atrocities and the pathetic state in which Dalits are living in this country.
The film, for a start, points out one of the most basic misconceptions about caste in India that it is limited only to
Hinduism. Stalin is able to highlight the prevalence of discrimination not just among Dalit sub-castes in Hinduism,
but also in religions like Islam, Christianity and Sikhism that one thought to be caste-free.
The film documents the pervasive domination of the upper castes that often takes extra-judicial forms. For instance,
the film shows a Rajput who holds that the police must consult their community before filing a case of atrocity
against them. These statements depict the failure of the legal system in protecting the basic right sanctioned to every
citizen of India by constitution.
The film on one hand portrays the sense of superiority prevailing in upper castes and on the other, we see the plight
of oppressed classes because of pollution bestowed on them by religion. It looks at how scripture and ritual play
an important role in the perpetuation of caste. The film portrays the stand of several spiritual heads on the issues of
caste and untouchability.
The film destroys any illusions one might have about caste discrimination being a primarily rural phenomenon,
enforced through rituals of purity and pollution. It is shocking to know that discrimination is seen even in premier
institutions like JNU. The experiences of a doctor who is subjected to discrimination on the basis of caste is the
perfect example to show the operation of caste in a sophisticated way in the present day world. The doctor calls it
Hi-tech discrimination: even highly educated and meritorious Dalits are also subjected to untouchability and
discrimination. In the light of these incidents, even education is not going to eradicate discrimination and
untouchability. The prevalence of discrimination on the lines of caste in states like Kerala - which is recognized as a
progressive state for its cent percent literacy, development and communism - is astonishing. It is shocking to know
that even now in this so-called globalised world, Dalits are being denied a basic right like being allowed to draw
drinking water from public wells.
Discrimination makes itself felt even in the education sphere. Dalit children are made to sit in the last row of the
class and they are made to clean the toilets. The film depicts how a school going child in whose mind the seeds of
discrimination are sown mindlessly end up unwittingly practicing untouchability in some form or the other. The film
shows the pressing need to find an answer to the abomination of caste.
However, the film which highlights various form of discrimination, atrocities, and the plight of dalits end with a note
of hope. The vibrant music in the film demands a change - a change that will bring for the oppressed Dalit equality,
protection of his basic human rights and his life. The film calls for immediate action which will help those sections
of people who are denied rights and are subjected to oppression for ages. Prevalence of caste discrimination and
untouchability is certainly a black spot on the image of progressive India.