Chapter 2

In the previous chapter you have discussed the

Diversity and meanings of diversity. Sometimes people who are
‘different’ from others are teased, laughed at or

Discrimination
not included in a certain activity or group. We feel
hurt, angry, helpless or sad when friends or others
treat us in such ways. Have you ever wondered
why this happens?
In this chapter we will try and explore how such
experiences are related to the society we live in. We
will look at how they are connected to the inequalities
that exist around us.

Difference and Prejudice than 1600 languages that are people’s

mother tongues, and there are more
T here are many things that make
us what we are – how we live, the
languages we speak, what we eat, wear,
than a hundred dance forms.
Yet this diversity is not always
the games we play and the things we celebrated. This is because we feel safe
celebrate. All of these are influenced and secure with people who look, talk,
both by the geography and history of dress and think like us.
the place where we live. Sometimes when we meet people
You will get an idea of how diverse who are very different from us we may
India is if you look even briefly at the find them strange and unfamiliar. At
following statement: times we may not understand or know
the reasons why they are different from
There are eight major religions in us. People also form certain attitudes
the world. Every single one of them and opinions about others who are not
is practised in India. We have more like them.

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 14 / Social and Political Life

Some of these statements see

Prejudice
villagers as ignorant and see people
Look at the statements below that you in cities as money-minded and lazy.
believed to be true about rural and
urban life in India. Tick mark those When our opinions about certain
that you agree with. people are always negative – seeing
Do you have a prejudice against rural them as lazy, stingy – as some of
or urban people? Find out if this these statements, then these become
is shared by others and discuss prejudices that we carry about them.
the reasons why people have these
prejudices. Prejudice means to judge other
Can you list some of the prejudices people negatively or see them as
that you have noticed around you. inferior. When we think that only one
How do they affect the ways in which particular way is the best and right
people treat each other?
way to do things we often end up not
On Rural People respecting others, who may prefer to
More than 50% of all Indians live in do things differently. For example,
villages. if we think English is the best
People in villages do not like to use language and other languages are not
modern technology. important, we are judging these other
In peak harvesting and plantation languages negatively. As a result, we
season, families spend 12 to 14 might not respect people who speak
hours working in the fields. languages other than English.
Villagers are forced to migrate to
cities in search of work. We can be prejudiced about many
things: people’s religious beliefs, the
On Urban People colour of their skin, the region they
Life in the city is easy. People here come from, the accent they speak in,
are spoilt and lazy. the clothes they wear etc. Often, our
In cities families spend very little prejudices about others are so strong
time with each other. that we don’t want to form friendships
People in cities only care about with them. At times, we may even act
money, not about people.
in ways that hurt them.
Living in a city is expensive. A large
part of people’s earnings is spent on
rent and transport.

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 Diversity and Discrimination / 15

Creating Stereotypes
All of us are familiar with gender
differences. What does it mean to be a
boy or a girl? Many of you would say,
“We are born as boys and girls. It is a
given. What is there to think about?”
Let’s see if this is the case.

Arrange the statements given below in

these two sections, according to what
you think is appropriate for the section.
They are well behaved.
They are soft spoken and gentle.
They are physically strong .
They are naughty.
They are good at dance and painting.
They don’t cry.
They are rowdy.
They are good at sport.
They are good at cooking.
They are emotional.
Girls Boys
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 5
Now check, with your teacher’s help, who has put which statement
where. Find out and discuss people’s reasons for doing this. Are the
qualities you put in for boys something that boys are born with?

If we take the statement ‘’ They don’t they don’t cry.” As children grow up
cry”, you’ll see that this is a quality they start believing that boys do not
that is generally associated with boys cry so that even if a boy feels like
and men. As babies or children when crying he stops himself from doing so.
boys fall and hurt themselves, their He also believes that crying is a sign
parents and other family members of weakness. So, even though both
often console them by saying “Don’t boys and girls sometimes want to cry,
cry. You are a boy. Boys are brave, especially if they are angry or in pain,

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 16 / Social and Political Life

The children you see in the

illustrations here were seen
as ‘disabled’. This term has
been changed and now the
term used is ‘children with
special needs’. Common
stereotypes about them are
given in large letters. Their
own feelings and thoughts too
are given.
Discuss what these children
are saying about stereotypes
regarding them and why.
Do you think children with
special needs should be a
part of regular schools or
study in a separate school?
Source: Why are you afraid to hold Give reasons for your answer.
my hand, by Sheila Dhir

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 Diversity and Discrimination / 17

as they grow older boys learn or teach skills that are different from others.
themselves not to cry. If a grown boy They fit large numbers of people into
cries, then he feels that others will only one pattern or type. Stereotypes
either tease him or laugh at him, and affect all of us as they prevent us from
so he stops himself from doing so in doing certain things, that we might
front of others. otherwise be good at.
This is the way boys are and this is
Inequality and Discrimination
how girls are: these are statements we
hear constantly and accept without Discrimination happens when people
even thinking, and we start believing act on their prejudices or stereotypes.
that each one of us must behave If you do something to put other people
accordingly. We fit all boys and all girls down, if you stop them from taking
into an image that society creates part in certain activities and taking up
around us. jobs, or stop them from living in certain
neighbourhoods, prevent them from
You can take other statements such taking water from the same well or hand
as They are soft and gentle or pump, or not allow them to drink tea
They are well behaved and discuss in the same cups or glasses as others,
how these are applied to girls. Do you are discriminating against them.
girls possess these qualities at birth
or do they learn such behaviour Discrimination can take place
from others? What do you think because of several reasons. You
about girls who are not soft and probably recall from the previous
gentle and those who are naughty? chapter that Samir Ek and Samir Do
were different from each other in many
When we fix people into one
ways. For example, they belonged to
image we create a stereotype. When different religions. This is an aspect
people say that those who belong to a of diversity. However, this diversity
particular country, religion, sex, race can also be a source of discrimination.
or economic background are “stingy,” Groups of people who may speak a
“lazy,” “criminal” or “dumb,” they are certain language, follow a particular
using stereotypes. There are stingy and religion, live in specific regions etc.,
generous people everywhere, in every may be discriminated against as their
country, in every religion, in every customs or practices may be seen as
group whether rich or poor, male or inferior.
female. And just because some people
are like that it is not fair to think that Another difference between the
everyone will be the same. two Samirs was in their economic
backgrounds. Samir Do was poor. This
Stereotypes stop us from looking at difference, as you have read earlier, is
each person as a unique individual with not a form of diversity but of inequality.
his or her own special qualities and People who are poor do not have the

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 18 / Social and Political Life

resources or the nation, which took place in 1901 when

Dalit is a term that money to meet he was just nine years old. He had gone
people belonging their basic needs with his brothers and cousins to meet
to so- called lower his father in Koregaon which is now in
of food, clothing
castes use to address
and shelter. Maharashtra.
themselves. They
prefer this word to They experience Long did we wait, but no one turned
‘untouchable’. Dalit discrimination up. An hour elapsed and the station-
means those who in offices, in master came to enquire. He asked us for
have been ‘broken’. hospitals, schools our tickets. We showed them to him. He
This word according etc., where they asked us why we tarried. We told him
to Dalits shows how are treated badly that we were bound for Koregaon and
social prejudices because they are that we were waiting for father or his
and discrimination poor. servant to come, but that neither had
have ‘broken’ the
Some people turned up and that we did not know
Dalit people. The
may experience how to reach Koregaon.
government refers
to this group of both kinds of We were well-dressed children.
people as Scheduled dis- crimination. From our dress or talk no one could
Castes (SC). They are poor make out that we were children of
and they belong the untouchables. Indeed the station-
to groups whose culture is not valued. master was quite sure we were
Tribals, some religious groups and even Brahmin children and was extremely
particular regions, are discriminated touched at the plight in which he found
against for one or more of these us. As is usual among the Hindus, the
reasons. In the following section we stationmaster asked us who we were.
will look at how a famous Indian was Without a moment’s thought I blurted
discriminated against. This will help out that we were Mahars. (Mahar is
us understand the ways in which caste one of the communities which were
was used to discriminate against large
number of people.

What is the difference between

discrimination and stereotypes?
How do you think a person who is
discriminated against might feel?

Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, one of the

greatest leaders of India, shares his
first experience of caste-based discrimi-

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 Diversity and Discrimination / 19

treated as untouchables in the Bombay

Presidency.) He was stunned. His Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar (1891-1956)
face underwent a sudden change. We is considered the father of the Indian
Constitution and is also the best known
could see that he was overpowered by
leader of the Dalits. Dr Ambedkar fought
a strange feeling of repulsion. As soon
for the rights of the Dalit community.
as he heard my reply, he went away to He was born into the Mahar caste,
his room and we stood where we were. which was considered untouchable.
Fifteen to twenty minutes elapsed; the The Mahars were poor, owned no land
sun was almost setting. Our father and children born to them also had to
had not turned up nor had he sent his do the work their parents did. They
servant, and now the stationmaster had lived in spaces outside the main village
also left us. We were quite bewildered, and were not allowed into the village.
and the joy and happiness, which we
Dr Ambedkar was the first person
felt at the beginning of the journey, gave from his caste who completed his
way to a feeling of extreme sadness. college education and went to England
After half an hour the stationmaster to become a lawyer. He encouraged
returned and asked us what we Dalits to send their children to school
proposed to do. We said that if we could and college. He also urged Dalits to
take on different kinds of government
get a bullock-cart on hire we would go to
jobs in order to move out of the caste
Koregaon, and if it was not very far we system. He led many efforts of Dalits to
would like to start straightway. There gain entry into temples. Later in life he
were many bullock-carts plying for hire. converted to Buddhism in his search
But my reply to the station master that for a religion that treated a l l
we were Mahars had gone round among members equally. Dr
the cart men and not one of them was Ambedkar believed
prepared to suffer being polluted and to that Dalits must fight
demean himself carrying passengers the caste system
of the untouchable classes. We were and work towards
prepared to pay double the fare but we a society based on
respect not just
found that money did not work. The
for a few but for all
stationmaster, who was negotiating on persons.
our behalf, stood silent, not knowing
what to do.
Source: Dr B. R. Ambedkar, Writings and
Speeches, Volume 12, Edited Vasant Moon,
Bombay Education Department, Govt. of
Maharashtra.

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 20 / Social and Political Life

Striving for Equality

Despite the children offering
The struggle for freedom from British
money the cartmen refused
them. Why? rule also included within it the struggle
of large groups of people who not only
How did people at fought against the British but also
the station discriminate against
fought to be treated more equally.
Dr Ambedkar and his brothers?
Dalits, women, tribals and peasants
How do you think fought against the inequalities they
Dr Ambedkar felt as a child, experienced in their lives.
when he saw the stationmaster’s
reaction to his statement that they As pointed out earlier, many Dalits
were Mahars? organised themselves to gain entry
into temples. Women demanded that
Have you ever experienced
prejudice or witnessed an they should have as much a right to
incident of discrimination? How
did this make you feel?

Imagine how difficult it would

be if people could not move easily
from one place to the other, how
insulting and hurtful it is to have
people move away, refuse to touch
you or allow you to drink water from
the same source as they do.

Discuss
In addition to the lower castes
being discriminated against,
there are also various other
communities that are subject to
discrimination.
Can you think of a few other
examples of discrimination.
Discuss the ways in which
persons with special needs might
be subject to discrimination.

Women at a rally demanding their rights

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 Diversity and Discrimination / 21

education as men did. Peasants and The writers of the Constitution also
tribals fought to release themselves said that respect for diversity was a
from the grasp of the moneylender significant element in ensuring equality.
and the high interest they were They felt that people must have the
charged. freedom to follow their religion, speak
their language, celebrate their festivals
When India became a nation in
and express themselves freely. They
1947 our leaders too were concerned
about the different kinds of
inequalities that existed. Those who
wrote the Constitution of India, a
document that laid out the rules by
which the nation would function,
were aware of the ways in which
discrimination had been practised
in our society and how people
had struggled against this. Many
leaders of these struggles such as
Dr Ambedkar had also fought for the
rights of the Dalits.
Some of the members who wrote the
So these leaders set out a vision and Constitution of India.
goals in the Constitution to ensure that
all the people of India were considered said that no one language, religion or
equal. This equality of all persons is festival should become compulsory
seen as a key value that unites us all for all to follow. They said that the
as Indians. Everyone has equal rights government must treat all religions
and opportunities. Untouchability is equally.
seen as a crime and has been legally
Therefore, India became a secular
abolished by law. People are free to
country where people of different
choose the kind of work they wish to
do. Government jobs are open to all religions and faiths have the freedom
people. In addition, the Constitution to practise and follow their religion
also placed responsibility on the without any fear of discrimination.
government to take specific steps to This is seen as an important element of
realise this right to equality for poor our unity – that we all live together and
and other such marginal communities. respect one other.

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 22 / Social and Political Life

Though these ideals are

enshrined in our Constitution, this
chapter points out that inequalities
exist even today. Equality is a
value that we have to keep striving
for and not something which will
happen automatically. People’s
struggles and positive actions by
the government are necessary to
make this a reality for all Indians.

The first page of the Constitution that clearly

states that all Indians are entitled to equality of
status and opportunity.
QUESTIONS

1. Match the following statements in way that challenges stereotypes.

a. Two surgeons were sitting down to 1. suffers from chronic asthma.

lunch when one of them made a call
on the mobile phone

b. The boy who won the drawing 2. to become an astronaut which she
competition went to the dias did.

c. One of the fastest athletes in the 3. to speak with her daughter who
world had just returned from school.

d. She was not that well-off but had 4. on a wheelchair to collect his prize.
a dream

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 2. How can the stereotype that girls are a burden on their parents affect the life of
a daughter? Imagine this situation and list at least five different effects that this
stereotype can have on the way daughters get treated in the house.

3. What does the Constitution say with regard to equality? Why do you think it is
important for all people to be equal?

4. Sometimes people make prejudiced comments in our presence. We are often not in a
position to do anything about this because it is difficult to say something right then
and there. Divide the class into groups and each group discuss what they could do in
one of the following situations:

a. A friend begins to tease a classmate because he is poor.

b. You are watching TV with your family and one of them makes a prejudicial
comment about a particular religious community.
c. Children in your class refuse to share their food with a particular person
because they think she is dirty.
d. Someone tells you a joke that makes fun of a community because of their
accent.
e. Some boys make remarks about girls not being able to play games as well
as them.

Discuss in class what the different groups have suggested for the above situations,
and also talk about the problems that can come up when raising the issue.

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