Class 6 Civics

Diversity and Discrimination

When someone acts on the basis of prejudices, the act may result in discrimination. Debarring someone from certain facilities only because of difference in religion, gender, caste or regional origins is called discrimination. Following are some examples of discrimination:

Gender-based Discrimination

Boys are given preferential treatment in most of the families. In most of the families, a boy gets better food, better facilities and a greater freedom.

A girl not allowed to go to school beyond standard five or six is an example of discrimination. Similarly, most of the girls are not allowed to select a career of their choice rather they are forced into marriage. In some families, girls are not allowed to wear western dresses while boys in such families often wear western dresses.

Religion-based Discrimination

There are many cases in which a person does not get a job only because he belongs to a particular religion. A person is not allowed to enter some public places; especially the places of worship; because he/she belongs to another religion. In certain neighbourhoods, people from certain religion do not get a house on rent.

Caste-based Discrimination

Caste system is an age-old system in India. According to this system, people were kept under different castes. A person from a particular caste was supposed to do only a particular kind of work. For example; a person from Mahar caste could only engage in cleaning the garbage and clearing dead carcasses from the village. In spite of getting education and developing skills, people could not change their occupation.

B R Ambedkar

Dr. B R Ambedkar belonged to the Mahar caste. He had suffered various kinds of discrimination right from his childhood.

In this chapter, there is a story from Ambedkar's life. When Ambedkar was a child, he reached a railway station to go to his parents' house. He got a strange stare from the Station Master because the Station Master had prejudices against dalits. Ambedkar was unable to hire a bullock cart in spite of offering double charge. All of this happened because of Ambedkar's caste.

Even today, many people from the untouchable castes suffer different types of discrimination especially in villages and small towns. A person from the untouchable caste is not allowed to enter a temple. He is not allowed to take drinking water from the village well.

Caste system was so deep-rooted that it was difficult to come out of the pre-defined social levels. The son of a potter could only become a potter and nothing else. The son of a cobbler could only become a cobbler and nothing else. The task of conducting religious rituals could only be done by a Brahmin. A person from the so-called lower castes was not allowed to attend the feast organized by upper-caste people.

Striving for Equality

Many of our freedom fighters also fought against caste-based discrimination which was prevalent in India. Gandhiji coined the term ‘Harijan’ for those from the untouchable castes. He did great deal of work in removing prejudices from people’s minds. B R Ambedkar was another leading figure who fought against caste-based discrimination.

When India became a free nation, the founding fathers of our nation began the process of building a new nation. Caste-based discrimination was made a crime as per the constitution. The constitution also made provisions for improving the conditions of the downtrodden. Constitution declared India as a secular country. This means that there is no official religion in India. All the religions are equal in the eyes of the law. One cannot discriminate against another person on the basis of religion or caste.