ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS :
I. Answer the following questions in one or two sentence/s each :
1. What are the two ways in which Fundamental Rights are marginalised ?
Ans: The rights are available to all Indians equally. First, by insisting on their Fundamental Rights, they have forced the government to recognise the injustice done to them second; they have insisted that the government enforce these laws .
2. The constitution of India states regarding untouchability in Article 17 . Explain ?
Ans: Article 17 of the constitution states that untouchability has been abolished. No one can prevent Dalit’s from educating themselves, entering temples, using public facilities etc. It also means that it is wrong to practise untouchability and that this practice will not be tolerated by a democratic government .
3. What does Article 15 of the constitution state ?
Ans: Article 15 of the constitution states that no citizen of India shall be discriminated against on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth .
4. For what purpose do governments define a set of cut-off marks ?
Ans: For admission to colleges especially to institutes of professional education such as medical colleges, governments define a set of cut-off marks .
5. Under which act did Rathnam file a case ?
Ans: Rathnam filed a case in the local police station under the Scheduled castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 .
6. Why did the other Dalit families not support Rathnam ?
Ans: The other Dalit families did not support Rathnam as they were scared that a similar fate might await them if they spoke out .
7. On what important arguments is the reservation in education and government jobs for Dalits and Adivasis based ?
Ans: These sections of societies are denied opportunities to learn and work in order to develop new skills or vacations. A democratic government needs to step in and assist these sections .
8. What is meant by cut off marks ?
Ans: ‘Cut off marks’ means not all Dalit and tribal candidates can qualify for admission, but only those who have done reasonably well and who have secured marks above the cut off points. Special scholarships are offered by the government .
9. How did the powerful caste decide to teach Rathnam a lesson ?
Ans: Rathnams community was ordered to attractive Rathnam and his family, everyone was told not to speak to them, or do any work with them. Some men entered the village and set fire to their hut .
10. Which Article states that untouchability has been abolished ?
Ans: Article 17 states that untouchability has been abolished .
II. Answer the following questions in three sentences :
1. How has article 15 of the constitution seeked by Dalit’s ?
Ans: Article 15 of the constitution notes that that no citizen of India shall be discriminated against on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. This has been used by the Dalit’s to seek equality. Therefore Dalit’s can ‘invoke’ or ‘draw on’ a Fundamental Right in situations where they feel that they have been treated badly by some individual or community, or even by the government
2. How does the constitution try to ensure cultural justice to minority groups ?
Ans:
i) The minority groups have drawn on the Fundamental Rights section of our constitution . They have particularly drawn upon the right to freedom of religion, educational and cultural rights .
ii) In the case of cultural and educational rights, distinct cultural and religious groups like the Muslims and Parsis have the right to be the guardians of the content of their culture .
iii) As well as the right to make decisions on how best this content is to be preserved .
iv) Thus by granting different forms of cultural rights, the constitutions tries to ensure cultural justice to such groups .
3. How does government take efforts to marginalised society ?
Ans: The government makes laws to protect its citizens. This is not only way in which it takes action. There are specific laws and policies for the marginalised in our country . The government makes efforts to promote such policies in order to give opportunities to specific groups .
4. What steps have government taken to end inequality in the country ?
Ans: In addition of providing certain facilities the government operates through laws to ensure that concrete steps are taken to end inequality in the system. Reservation policy has been followed very wisely in India. The law also reserved seats in education and government for Dalit’s and Adivasis .
5. How can student candidate from some caste or tribe avail the benefit of reservation
Ans:
i) Government cross India have their own list of Scheduled castes (Dalit’s), Scheduled Tribes and Backward castes .
ii) Students applying to educational institutions and government post are expected to furnish proof of their caste or tribe status, in the form of caste and tribe certificates .
iii) If a particular Dalit caste or a certain tribe is on the government list, then a candidate from that caste or tribe can avail of the benefit of reservation .
6. Why were both powerful castes in the villages of Jakmalgur angry with Rathnam’s family ?
Ans: Rathnam’s refused to perform the rituals. The powerful castes were shocked that young boy had guts to refuse on because of his education which allowed him to imagine that both the castes are at same level .
7. What fear did Rathnams own caste people have failing to obey the powerful class ?
Ans: Rathnams own caste were fearful of angering the powerful. Many people worked in the fields of dominant castes as daily wage labourers. If dominant caste would refuse them, they would have no earnings. They also felt that the wrath of the local deity would strike them if they refused to perform the rituals .
8. How did the powerful caste decide to teach Rathnam a lesson ?
Ans: Rathnams community was ordered to ostracize him and his family, and everyone was told that no one should speak or do any work for them or with them. Some men entered their part of the village and set his hut on fire .
9. Why were the Scheduled castes and the Scheduled Tribes Act, 1989 established ?
Ans: This Act was formed in 1989 in response to demands made by dalits and others that the government must take seriously the ill treatment and humiliation. Dalits and tribal groups face in an everyday sense. While such treatment had persisted for a long time, it has acquired a violent character in the late 1970’s and 1980’s .
10. Why did a number of Dalit groups come into being southern India in the late 1970’s and 1980’s ?
Ans: In the late 1970’s and 1980’s a number of Dalit groups came into being and asserted their rights. They refused to perform their castes duties and insisted on being treated equally. They refused to perform the practices which resulted in the humiliation and exploitation of Dalits .
11. What was Adivasi people demand throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s ?
Ans: Throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s Adivasis successfully organised themselves and demanded equal rights and for their land and resources to be returned to them. They too had to face the anger of powerful and were subject to a great deal of violence .
12. Why is it said that law such as these of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Act, 1989 seek to punish as well as influence the way we think and act ?
Ans: This Act contains a very long list of crimes, some of which are too horrible even to contemplate. The Act does not only describe terrible crimes but also lets people know what dreadful deeds human beings are capable of. In this sense, laws such as these seek to both .
III. Answer the following questions in four sentences :
1. How does government promote social justice among Dalit and Adivasi communities ?
Ans:
i) The government provides for free or subsidised hostels for students of Dalit and Adivasi communities so that they can avail of education facilities that may not be available in their localities
ii) In addition to providing certain facilities, the government also operates through laws to ensure that concrete steps are taken to end inequality in the system .
iii) The laws which reserves seats in education and government employment for Dalit’s and Adivasis are based on an important argument .
2. How does reservation policy works ?
Ans:
i) Government cross India have their own list of Scheduled castes (Dalit’s), Scheduled Tribes and Backward and most backward castes.
ii) Students applying to educational institutions and those applying for posts in government are expected to furnish proof of their caste or tribe status, in the form of caste and tribe certificates.
iii) If a particular Dalit caste or a certain tribe is on the government list, then a candidate from that caste or tribe can avail of the benefit of reservation.
iv) Not all Dalit’s and tribal candidates can qualify for admission, but only those who have done reasonably well and secured marks above the cut – off point.
v) Government also offers special scholarships for these students.
3. Why did Rathnam refuse to perform the rituals in the Jakmalgur village ?
Ans: Once in five years, the local deity is honoured and priests from 20 neighbouring villages come. It was the custom that the Dalit community has to wash the feet’s of all priests and have bath in same water. Though Dalit’s were not allowed to enter the temple, the ritual was honoured bestowed on them. Rathnam, studying engineering in the college refused to perform the rituals .
4. Why were people from Rathnams caste fearful ?
Ans:
i) In the village of Jukmalgur a big festival is celebrated once in 5 years, the local deity is honoured and priests from 20 neighbouring villages come for this event.
ii) Rathnams father and grandfather performed the task of washing the feet of the priests and then bathing in the water used for this.
iii) Rathnam, an engineering student refused to perform the ritual.He said that he had no faith in this practice and that his family members were forced to perform this ritual because they were Dalit’s .
iv) Rathnams refusal angered both the powerful castes in the village and some families from his own community.
v) Thus Rathnams own caste were fearful of angering the powerful.
5. What are the several levels of crimes under the prevention of Atrocities Act 1989 ?
Ans: The act distinguishes several levels of crimes. It lists modes of humiliation that are both physically horrific and morally reprehensible and seeks to punish those who :
i) Force a member of a Scheduled caste or a Scheduled tribe to drink or eat any inedible or obnoxious substance.
ii) Forcibly removes clothes from the person of a member of a scheduled caste or a scheduled tribe or parades him or her naked or with painted face or body or commits any similar act which is derogatory to human dignity .
iii) The act sets out to punish anyone who wrongfully occupies or cultivates any land owned by, or allotted to a member of a scheduled caste or a scheduled tribe or gets the land allotted to him transferred .
iv) The act also seeks to penalise anyone who assaults or uses force on any woman belonging to a scheduled caste or a schedule tribe with intent to dishonour her .
6. What are the demands of Adivasis and the Act of 1989 ?
Ans: The 1989 Act is important as Adivasi activists refer to it to defend their rights to occupy land that was traditionally theirs. Activists have asked that those who have forcibly encroached upon tribal lands should be punished under this law. It has been already promised to tribal people in the contribution that land belonging to tribal people cannot be sold to or brought by non-tribal people .
7. How are governments in various states of India responsible for violating constitutional rights guaranteed to tribal people according to C.k.Janu ?
Ans: C.K. Janu pointed out that the government in various states are responsible for violating constitutional rights to tribal people. According to her they allow non-tribal encroachers in the form of timber merchants, paper mills, and so on to exploit tribal land and to forcibly evict tribal people from their traditional forests in the process of declaring forests as reserved or as sanctuaries.
8. What was the result of forming Dalit groups in Southern India in the late 1970’s and 1980’s ?
Ans: The result of forming Dalit groups in Southern India was the more powerful castes unleashed violence against them . Dalit groups demanded new laws that would list the various sorts of violence against Dalits and prescribe stringent punishment .