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The Bharat Bandh has claimed the lives of nine people, burned(जलाना) buses and produced clashes(संघर्ष/मुठभेड़), leading to arrests of thousands. Dalits were protesting the deemed dilution(कम करना/हलका करना) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention(निवारण/रोकथाम) of Atrocities(अत्याचार/क्रूरता) Act by a Supreme Court order seeking to build safeguards against abuse of the law. Violence is not the way to register protest in a democracy. It is condemnable(निंदनीय) for the damage it does directly and counterproductive for the dalits’ cause as well. And a more robust law against atrocity and tighter procedure for its implementation to eliminate(हटाना) scope for misuse are likely to improve the conviction(धारणा/आस्था)rate under the law, which is only 28% (2014 data), against the national conviction rate for crimes in general of about 46% (2015 data). That said, it is imperative to appreciate(सराहना/समझना) dalit rage in its social context and address their social progress going beyond one bandh and one law.
Nationwide protest by dalits signal a degree of collective assertion(अभिकथन) by one of the most oppressed(ज़ुल्म किया हुआ/दलित) groups. That, in turn, marks the progress the country has made in democratising society. From being ostracised(बहिष्कृत) as polluting(प्रदूषण/बिगाड़ना) and therefore untouchable, as per the ritual(धार्मिक क्रिया/औपचारिक) hierarchy(अनुक्रम/अधिक्रम) of traditional Hinduism, dalits have come a long way. On all socioeconomic indicators, dalits are converging with the mainstream(मुख्य धारा), according to the Human Development Report of 2011, brought out by the Planning Commission, and one of the most comprehensive(विस्तृत/व्यापक) reports of its kind. Rapid(शीघ्र/तेज) growth has allowed dalits to move into new occupations(व्यवसायों/आक्रमण) outside traditional jobs reinforcing caste identity and associated(शामिल/संबंधी) prejudice(पक्षपात/हानि). Of course, their progress upsets the traditional hierarchy(अनुक्रम) and there has been a backlash(प्रतिक्रिया/फिसलना) from those who lose degrees of social and economic superiority. This continues to manifest itself as violent acts against dalits — some extreme, such as killing, for the ‘crime’ of growing a moustache or watching the ritual(अनुष्ठान/धार्मिक क्रिया) dance of upper-caste folk, and others, less extreme, but still vicious(शातिर/दोषी). The remedy lies beyond mere legal changes, in greater empowerment —political, economic and social.
Important Vocabulary
1.Atrocities(अत्याचार/क्रूरता)
Synonyms: barbarity, horror, atrociousness, barbarousness, enormity
Antonyms: good behavior, kindness, pleasantness, pleasantry
2.Eliminate(हटाना)
Synonyms: cancel, defeat, dispose of, disqualify, eradicate
Antonyms: add, aid, allow, create, establish
3.Appreciate(सराहना/समझना)
Synonyms: acknowledge, enjoy, welcome, be appreciative, be indebted
Antonyms: be critical, criticize, decrease, depreciate, disparage
4.Polluting(प्रदूषण/बिगाड़ना)
Synonyms: contaminate, foul, infect, poison, stain
Antonyms: clean, purify, sterilize, cleanse, clear
5.Prejudice(पक्षपात/हानि)
Synonyms: animosity, bias, bigotry, chauvinism, discrimination
Antonyms: fairness, good will, impartiality, love, tolerance
6.Occupations(व्यवसायों/आक्रमण)
Synonyms: activity, affair, calling, craft, do
Antonyms: avocation, entertainment, fun, pastime, recreation
7.Vicious(शातिर/दोषी).
Synonyms: atrocious, barbarous, cruel, dangerous, depraved
Antonyms: calm, civilized, gentle, glorious, good
8.Ritual(अनुष्ठान/धार्मिक क्रिया)
Synonyms: act, custom, formality, habit, liturgy
Antonyms: difference, neglect, disagreement, discord
9.Dilution(कम करना/हलका करना)
Synonyms: concoction, infusion, mixture, preparation, solution
Antonyms: ascent, increase, rise
