Bhupat Bhai Sekhaliya, a rickshaw driver from Gujarat, a state in western India known for its economic progress and as the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, faces significant challenges due to his background.

He belongs to the Dalit community, which is at the bottom of India’s caste system — a rigid social hierarchy rooted in religion that has historically marginalized certain groups. Sekhaliya’s daily life is fraught with constraints that prevent him from experiencing what many would consider a normal life, including the ability to run errands without the threat of unprovoked violence.

Despite his hard work and dedication, Sekhaliya often encounters disrespect, especially from individuals of “higher” castes. For him, and many like him in the Dalit community, everyday activities that others take for granted — for example, wearing decent clothes — can be fraught with difficulties and discrimination. In some cases, standing up against such treatment can lead to physical assault.

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This issue is not isolated to Sekhaliya alone. In Gujarat, violence against Dalits has become alarmingly common, with reports indicating an average of four cases each day. Between 2015 and 2021, more than 9,000 incidents were documented in Gujarat alone, according to India’s National Crime Records Bureau, The New Indian Express reported.

Yet, Sekhaliya is just one of the states with high incidence of crimes against Dalits.

“Discrimination against Dalits and atrocities against them have been a continuing shame in the country and they have happened in every state and region,” read an August 2023 editorial published in the Deccan Herald newspaper.

The caste system in India is an ancient social hierarchy that has evolved over thousands of years. It is traced back to the ancient Hindu scriptures known as the Vedas, particularly the Rigveda, composed around 1500 B.C.E. The Purusha Sukta hymn in the Rigveda describes the creation of society from the cosmic being Purusha, whose body parts symbolically represent the four main “varnas” (classes or categories): Brahmins, or priests and teachers, emerged from Purusha’s head; Kshatriyas, or warriors and rulers, came from his arms; Vaishyas, or traders and agriculturists, were created from his thighs; and Shudras, or servants and laborers, originated from his feet.

Texts like the Manusmriti (Laws of Manu), written around 200 B.C.E. to 200 C.E., further codified the caste system — detailing the rights, duties and rules of conduct for each varna and many sub-castes, leading to a more structured and stratified society.

Dalits, historically referred to as “untouchables,” do not belong to any of the four traditional varnas of the Hindu caste system. They were considered outside and below the varna system and were subjected to severe discrimination and exclusion from mainstream society. The term “Dalit,” meaning “broken” or “oppressed” in the Sanskrit language, is commonly used to describe these communities.

Despite the existence of laws against discrimination and atrocities toward Dalits in India — including the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act — substantial change on the ground has been slow and limited due to various factors.

The deeply entrenched caste-based attitudes and prejudices in society continue to perpetuate discrimination and violence against Dalits. These biases are often ingrained from a young age, leading to a normalization of caste-based discrimination.

Furthermore, the implementation of anti-discrimination laws has been weak and inconsistent, with law enforcement agencies sometimes showing apathy or bias towards upper-caste perpetrators. This results in underreporting of crimes against Dalits and a lack of accountability for those who commit such crimes. In addition, the Indian judicial process is slow and cumbersome, which discourages Dalits from pursuing legal action.

Political and economic power dynamics also play a significant role, as upper-caste individuals often hold positions of influence and can manipulate or obstruct the legal and administrative processes meant to protect Dalit rights.

The term “Dalit” was popularized by B.R. Ambedkar, who himself was born into a such a family and became a leading figure in the struggle against caste discrimination in India. Ambedkar, a jurist, economist, politician and social reformer, chose this term to empower these communities by fostering a sense of identity and solidarity among them.

This story and video was produced by Newsreel Asia and co-published with Religion Unplugged.

Tej Bahadur Singh is a reporter based in India.