Dalit (outcaste)

In South Asia's caste system, a Dalit — formerly known as untouchable or achuta — is a person outside of the four castes, and considered below them. Included are such people as leather-workers, scavengers, and street handicrafters. Other terms have been used to refer to Dalits in recent times. Harijan was the polite form for untouchable coined by Mahatma Gandhi which means "Children of God" (Hari is another name for Vishnu, a Hindu god). Untouchables generally consider this term to be condescending and prefer the term Dalit (Hindi: ????), variously translated as "crushed", "stepped on" or "oppressed". The term scheduled castes/scheduled tribes (SC/ST) is also used in the Indian legal system to refer to this group along with non-caste tribes.

Related Topics:
South Asia - Caste - Mahatma Gandhi - Hari - Vishnu - Hindu - Hindi - Scheduled castes/scheduled tribes (SC/ST) - Non-caste tribes

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