Caste System and Resistance: The Case of Untouchable Hindu Sweepers in Bangladesh

Sultana, Habiba; Subedi, D. B.

doi:10.1007/s10767-015-9202-6

Cited by 16 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…In Bangladesh, the majority of untouchable Hindu Dalits have Indian origins. In Bangladesh, as in India and Nepal, untouchable Hindus belong to the lowest social position at the base of the Varna system 6. During the reign of the Mughals, Dhaka was established as the commercial capital of the Bengal Subah by Subahdar (viceroy) Islam Khan in 1608.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Qualitative exploration of sociocultural determinants of health inequities of Dalit population in Dhaka City, Bangladesh

et al. 2018

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ObjectivesIn recent years, Bangladesh has made remarkable advances in health outcomes; however, the benefits of these gains are unequally shared among citizens and population groups. Dalits (jaat sweepers), a marginalised traditional working community, have relatively poor access to healthcare services. This study sought to explore the sociopolitical and cultural factors associated with health inequalities among Dalits in an urban setting.DesignAn exploratory qualitative study design was adopted. Fourteen in-depth interviews, five focus group discussions and seven key informant interviews were conducted. The acquired data were analysed using an iterative approach which incorporated deductive and inductive methods in identifying codes and themes.SettingsThis study was conducted in two sweeper communities in Dhaka city.ParticipantsParticipants were Dalit men and women (in-depth interviews, mean age±SD 30±10; and focus group discussions), and the community leaders and non-governmental organisation workers (key informant interviews).ResultsThe health status of members of these Dalit groups is determined by an array of social, economic and political factors. Dalits (untouchables) are typically considered to fall outside the caste-based social structure and existing vulnerabilities are embedded and reinforced by this identity. Dalits’ experience of precarious access to healthcare or poor healthcare is an important manifestation of these inequalities and has implications for the economic and social life of Dalit populations living together in geographically constrained spaces.ConclusionsThe provision of clinical healthcare services alone is insufficient to mitigate the negative effects of discriminations and to improve the health status of Dalits. A better understanding of the precise influences of sociocultural determinants of health inequalities is needed, together with the identification of the strategies and programmes needed to address these determinants with the aim of developing more inclusive health service delivery systems.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Qualitative exploration of sociocultural determinants of health inequities of Dalit population in Dhaka City, Bangladesh

et al. 2018

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“…The occupations are determined by that identity that can never be changed. They have historically been subjected to discrimination and marginalisation and are deprived of choices such as the free selection of occupation (Sultana & Subedi, 2016). The Hindu caste system is a rigid social institution-a theory that is solidified by the belief that in a caste system, an 'individual's social position is fixed at birth, and cannot be changed'.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among them, Harijans are known as a more marginalised (untouchable) community within the Hindu caste system and the mainstream. Due to their hereditary occupation, they are experienced with discrimination and subordination in Bangladeshi society (Sultana & Subedi, 2016). Harijan is a term for untouchable, coined by Mahatma Gandhi, which means ‘Children of God’—‘Hari’ is another name for the god ‘Vishnu’.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Construction of Otherness in Harijan Community in Bangladesh

Dutta

Rahman

Shakil

et al. 2022

Journal of Social Inclusion Studies

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Otherness sees the world as divided into mutually excluding opposites. It is built through subjective perceptions and cultural practices in society on which, human beings are remade and separated from each other always based on their own experiences. This was a cross-sectional study, applied a qualitative approach to explore how cultural otherness was produced and practiced within the Harijan community. The studied population live in a separate geographical location due to their traditional occupation. Their accommodation and occupation made them others in the society. They have limited access to public places, shops and restaurants, barbershops, playgrounds, movie theatres, burial grounds, social gatherings, temples, music concerts and cultural events. This subordinated social position has also made them others within their sociocultural context. The identity of the Harijan as ‘others’ has been categorised and identified through the existing sociocultural context they live in. This identity is being perpetuated from one generation to another.

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“…Manual pit-emptying was declared 'illegal' by the Government of Bangladesh in the 1980s as a step to end it permanently (Parkinson and Quader 2008), but it remains a widespread practice. In Bangladesh, and across South Asia, pit-emptying work and solid waste management -often known as 'sweeping' -has historically been occupied by lowcaste Hindu communities, related to entrenched socio-political structures and religious teachings (Sultana and Subedi 2016;Chowdhury 2009). Three hundred years ago, during the British colonial period in East Bengal (now Bangladesh), the ruling class brought low-caste, impoverished Hindus from India, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Andra Pradesh, to Dhaka to become 'sweepers' , cleaning public places (including railways) and emptying latrines.…”

Section: Manual Pit-emptying In Bangladeshmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable sanitation jobs: prospects for enhancing the livelihoods of pit-emptiers in Bangladesh

Zaqout

Cawood

Evans

et al. 2020

Third World Quarterly

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Manual pit-emptying -the removal of faecal sludge from pits and tanks using hands or basic tools -is a widespread practice in Bangladesh, and in other low-and middle-income countries. Despite this, little is known about the livelihoods of pit-emptiers. This paper analyses data from six cases of pit-emptying in three cities in Bangladesh, across three different operational modes: private cooperatives, government employees and self-employed workers. These cases describe the experiences of emptiers from diverse socio-economic, religious and ethnic backgrounds, operating across a formal-informal spectrum. We find that government employees and self-employed groups are deprived of basic rights, fear a loss of income brought about by mechanisation and cannot access alternative livelihoods. While the status of emptiers in private cooperatives has improved recently due to the support of governmental oranisations (GOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the extent to which these cooperatives are sustainable, without the ongoing support of NGOs or GOs, remains unclear. In all modes, sustainable livelihoods are hindered by deep-rooted social and financial barriers. Organisations can support pit-emptiers by designing sanitation interventions that prioritise the human right to decent work, focussing not only on the beneficiaries of universal sanitation, but also on those who work to implement this ambitious goal.

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Caste System and Resistance: The Case of Untouchable Hindu Sweepers in Bangladesh

Cited by 16 publications

References 18 publications

Qualitative exploration of sociocultural determinants of health inequities of Dalit population in Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Qualitative exploration of sociocultural determinants of health inequities of Dalit population in Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Understanding the Construction of Otherness in Harijan Community in Bangladesh

Sustainable sanitation jobs: prospects for enhancing the livelihoods of pit-emptiers in Bangladesh

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