SUSTAINING LIFE AS A DALIT: AN EPIC JOURNEY

Abstract

There is a caste-based social hierarchy in Nepal where the Dalits are regarded as the lower-most people in the hierarchy. Practice of caste-based hierarchy is often intended to control the Dalits in favour of the non-Dalits; as a result, the Dalits have been bound to live their life in the margin of the Nepalese social sphere. For this, the non-Dalits have often used socio-cultural structure as a tool to exploit the Dalits. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to explore the existing socio-cultural practice of the society in which I am a part, particularly to examine the ways in which the Dalits are sustaining their life. Since I believe in the existence of multiple realities which can be uncovered through the subjective standpoints of the people in question, I adopted auto/ethnographic qualitative research design as a methodology of this research. I elicited data from the socio-cultural circumstances of my life, which I have narrated in the form of monologues, poems and stories. I have supported the discussion and interpretation of the data with relevant literature and have drawn meanings in the form of learning from the context. Dalit discrimination and untouchability were found to have taken place mostly in relation to food and drink, direct physical contact like shaking hands. The social interaction between the Dalits and the non-Dalits were mostly found to be limited to wage and works. The Dalits were strictly prohibited from participating in rituals and cultural ceremonies performed by the non-Dalits in the community. Similarly, the ii Dalits were found to bear ample social stigmas. The non-Dalits took the Dalits as merely the service providers, particularly at the cost of tolerating humiliation, injustice and suppression. The non-Dalits also perceived the Dalits as the ones who do not know anything. For the non-Dalits, the Dalits are the subjects to be controlled, subjugated and exploited. Such understandings among the Dalits were found to be the products of our socio-cultural tradition and religion. The study also explored some key learning in relation to coping with the above discussed sufferings of the Dalits. One way to overcome such discriminations is to confront the anti-Dalits practices in the society. The Dalits were also found to use 'silence' as a tool to cope with the humiliating situation. Escaping from the social event (i.e. not attending the social ceremony) in which there is possibility of being discriminated was also found to be practiced by the Dalits. The study came up with an important learning to cope with these discriminations; that is to be critical towards the anti-Dalits practices in schools and public places at the local level. The non-Dalits are to be called for holding a table-talk with the Dalits so that the non-Dalits would understand that their suppression and control over the Dalits is inhuman. In this regard, the non-Dalits can be asked for negotiation and revise their ill-practices over the Dalits to improve the overall social relationships. Regarding the prestigious socio-cultural life among the Dalits, the study has provided us with some key learning. First, the Dalits need to be encouraged to seek their prestigious identity within their socio-cultural situatedness. Second, the practice of education at schools and also in the community needs to be made Dalit friendly so that the Dalit children can participate in learning both at school and in community with due respect and self-esteem. Third, the non-Dalits are to be provided with Dalit friendly inputs through social conferences, meetings, and social gathering to bring iii improvement in their age long anti-Dalit attitudes among them. Fourth, the social sayings developed age long before to dehumanize the Dalits are to be banned. Fifth, the Dalits are to be encouraged to contribute to the social development activities to bring changes in the old age practices. This will be an opportunity for them to create a prestigious space in the society.