Universality of untouchable : A Review

Abstract

India has played the most significant role in the promotion of the cause of human rights and is the greatest champion of human rights in the Third World. India has not only incorporated an elaborate Bill of Rights in her constitution but efforts have been made to translate these into reality. This was necessary too as, is proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 'a man comes into this world through no fault of his own, since he has no option of choosing the caste, class and the family of his birth, since he is a joint inheritor of the accumulations of the past and since these accumulations are more than sufficient to satisfy the claims that are made on his behalf, it follows that every man, without distinction of race or colour is entitled to all human rights, including the right to... dignified life.' In a country like India whose constitution makes provisions not only of human rights but their protection also, human rights of delit. Its and untouchables are still in a sorry state. In no other part of the world has so much injustice and systematic discrimination been done to a particular group of people for thousands of years as has been done in India with Dalits and untouchables.