Addressing all the infractions against the human rights of Indians would take a novel. The enormity of the problem seems insurmountable. Women and children fare the worst in general across all socioeconomic groups in India. Incredible poverty deprives many of their basic rights. The caste system is alive and well and even though it has been illegal for six years it continues to dominate the lives of many who live the circle of poverty. Safe drinking water, sanitation, housing, basic health and human services impact the lives of hundreds of millions of Indians. Women are especially vulnerable to violence and abuse at the hands in the male centered society. Tribal groups including the cast Dalits, or the so-called untouchables, continue to face discrimination and violence daily. The justice system has failed to adequately prosecute abusers of these vulnerable groups. Children, especially girls are often victims of sexual abuse and child labor. Poverty, the caste system, dowry deaths and female infancide only highlight the long list of human right abuses in India.

The maps on pages 6–11 tell a story of the unbelievable poverty of India. Overpopulation and lack of opportunity has left 80% of India in absolute poverty that is difficult to imagine. Women are forced to marry very young and have no education to fall back upon. They marry young, have too many children, they cannot afford and their situation and life becomes worse and worse. The circular nature of poverty seems to persist over many generations. Many of the poorest sections of India have the highest fertility rates. These sections also have the lowest literacy rates. The circle of poverty continues unabated. To be considered “extremely poor” by the World Bank you must earn less than $1.25 a day. India has one of the largest populations of people earning this unbelievably small amount. 75% of the population earns less than $78 a month according to the United Nations. The people living beneath the poverty line have decreased from “60% in 1981 to 42% in 2005, and 25% in 2011” according to the World Bank. 30.7% of India’s children under the age of five are underweight according to a Food and Agriculture Organization report in 2015. This report goes on to say that “15% of Indian population is undernourished”. 35% of the population of India cannot read or write at all.

In the circle of poverty education is an afterthought for women in general. Women have less value than men in Indian society and most families believe that female children have no need for an education because they will be married off so young anyway. Female children began working as early as three to help the family bring in much-needed income. The Asset Census Map shows how poor most of India really is. When we speak of poverty in America we are not even speaking in the same general terms as poverty in India. Not only do the Indians not have enough to eat, they have no place to live, no heat, no jobs, zero healthcare and there is no end in sight to their plight. The most extreme poverty in India lies just outside the wealthy cities. Right outside the city limits there are large dumps for trash, human trash included. Millions of Indians literally live in the garbage dumps of large cities. These slums have been home to some families for four generations.

14 million people in India are in bonded labor agreements. Bonded labor is a fancy word for what is for all intents and purposes, slavery. Many families sell their children into bonded labor for a small amount of money with no hopes of ever retrieving the family members back. The new bonded laborer may work 50 years with no hopes of ever leaving their situation. Ritika Katyal wrote in a CNN article “India’s latest Socioeconomic and Caste Census (SECC) paints a stark picture of widespread rural poverty and deprivation”. The article went on to say that only “11% own a refrigerator, 28% do not own a phone, less than 5% pay income tax and less than 10% have a salaried job”.

Between 1860 and 1920, the British segregated Indians by caste, granting administrative jobs and senior appointments only to the upper castes. The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are official designations given to various groups of historically disadvantaged people in India. Some people are born into a cushy life of luxury, while others are considered “untouchable” because they were born into a lower caste. Although India is the largest democracy in the world there is so much corruption at all levels of the Indian government is very difficult to get ahead if you have not been anointed into one of the chosen castes. Even though India declared untouchability illegal in 1947 it continues unabated throughout India. The caste system makes it almost impossible for the lower castes to improve their lives in any significant way. In the lowest castes the practice of manually scavenging and cleaning by hand human waste continues despite numerous laws on the books. It is nearly impossible to find work if you are not in a correct caste. You will not be interviewed or if you are you never had a real chance to get the job. There many ways around the laws and civil rights acts enacted in India to prevent just this sort of thing. In a 2013 New York Times article Lavanya Sankaran compared the plight of the lower castes to that of African-Americans saying “As India transforms, one might expect caste to dissolve and disappear, but that is not happening. Instead, caste is making its presence felt in ways similar to race in modern America: less important now in jobs and education, but vibrantly alive when it comes to two significant societal markers — marriage and politics.” India today reported that “a 2005 UN report saw 31,440 cases of violent acts committed against Dalits in one year.” One example of such violence is the Kherlanji Massacre of 2006 where assailants “dragged out Surekha Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange and two of her sons and daughter, paraded them naked in the village, sexually abused them then hacked them to death” according to the UN.


 

A woman is a burden in the society if you are poor, mainly due to the dowry system. A dowry is the amount of money that is paid to a grooms family when a woman is married. The dowry system is a major cause of death in young women. Families that cannot afford to marry off their daughters sometimes kill them to avoid payment. The Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961 is meant to outlaw the dowry system but it is routinely ignored by nearly all of India. The system is dowry is embedded in the culture of India. Many acts of domestic violence against women are related to matters of dowry.

Female infancide is rampant in India. There are 15 million more men than women in India. Having a female child is a liability because of the dowry system. Parents prefer to have male offspring because India is a patriarchal country men are considered in charge. Many female babies are aborted, abandoned or deliberately starved to death each year. Women and girls routinely get significantly less food than boys. Women are rarely given any medical treatments. Women generally only receive medical care when a disease becomes extremely serious. Women are encouraged to abort female fetuses. In some of the poorest areas there are 30% more male children than female children born every year.

A 2003 article in The Telegraph claimed that “inter-caste marriage and dating were common in urban India. Indian societal and family relationships are changing because of female literacy and education, women at work, urbanization, the need for two-income families, and global influences through television. Female role models in politics, academia, journalism, business, and India’s feminist movement have accelerated the change”. These changes cannot come fast enough to save the millions of Indians will die of malnourishment and the cycle of poverty and human right abuses that go on each day in India.

Maps

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wMPJ_vDDAwI/Tbvop6jcM6I/AAAAAAAACBQ/uEpf3IZnbHo/s1600/sexratio-map-of-india-2001.jpg

Map by: luthfispace: April 2011 luthfispace.blogspot.com

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/2011_Census_India_literacy_distribution_map_by_states_and_union_territories.svg/2000px-2011_Census_India_literacy_distribution_map_by_states_and_union_territories.svg.png

Map by: File:2011 Census India literacy distribution map by states and union territories.svg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/2012_Fertility_rate_map_of_India,_births_per_woman_by_its_states_and_union_territories.svg/390px-2012_Fertility_rate_map_of_India,_births_per_woman_by_its_states_and_union_territories.svg.png

Map by: Demographics of India

http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/india/india-map-percapitaincome.jpg

Map by: State Wise Per Capita Income of India www.mapsofindia.com

http://geocurrents.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Indian-Poverty-Map.png

Map by: Remapping Poverty in India | GeoCurrents www.geocurrents.info

http://www.geocurrents.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Indian-Households-without-Assets-map.png

Map by: April 2013 Data Stories India

Works Cited

“Caste System in India.” Caste System in India, Indian Caste System, Caste in India. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2016.

“Caste System in India for Dummies.” Dummies. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2016.

“Caste System in India.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2016.

“The Caste System of India.” About. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2016.

“Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor in India.” DOL India. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2016.

“Huffington Post 5 Myths about Indian Poverty.” Huffington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2016.

“Huffington Post India.” Huffington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Apr. 2016.

“India and Poverty.” Poverty around the World. N.p., n.d. Web.

“India: Shock Dowry Deaths Increase Revealed.” Sky News. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2016.

“Life for Women in India.” CBS News Presents India Perspectives. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2016.

“National Geographic Presents the Caste System in India.” National Geographic. N.p., May 2013. Web. 6 Apr. 2016.

“One Woman Dies Every Hour In Dowry Death in India.” UK Telegraph World News. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2016.

“Poverty and Its Causes in India.” My India. N.p., 09 June 2013. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.

“Poverty in India.” , Poverty Rate in India, Population below Poverty Line, Poverty Reduction in India, Urban Poverty In India, Rural Poverty In India, Indian Problems. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2016.

“Poverty in India: Causes, Effects, Injustice & Exclusion.” Poverties.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2016.

“Poverty in India.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 6 Apr. 2016.

“Rural Poverty Portal.” Rural Poverty Portal. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.

“Untouchables Face Violence and Discrimination.” National Geographic India. N.p., Nov. 2014. Web. 7 Apr. 2016.

Outline

  1. Thesis Summary Human rights in IndiaIlliteracy, poverty, the caste system, dowry deaths and female infancide highlight the human right abuses in India. Women and children fare the worst in general across all socioeconomic groups in India. Incredible poverty deprives many of their basic rights.

    1. The caste system is alive and well and even though it is been illegal for six years and continues to dominate the lives of many who live the circle of poverty. Safe drinking water, sanitation, housing, basic health and human services impact the lives of hundreds of millions of Indians.

    2. Women and female children are especially vulnerable to violence and abuse at the hands of the male centered society. Tribal groups including the cast Dalits, or the so-called untouchables, continue to face discrimination and violence daily.

    3. The justice system has failed to prosecute very many abusers of these vulnerable groups. The practice of manual scavenging or the cleaning by hand of human waste by low caste members in India continues despite numerous laws on the books. Children, especially female children are often victims of sexual abuse and child labor.

  2. Poverty

    1. Tell a story of the unbelievable poverty of India. Overpopulation and lack of opportunity because of the caste system has left 80% of India and poverty that is difficult to imagine.

    2. Women are forced to marry very young and have no education to fall back upon them because they marry so young they have too many children that they cannot afford and their situation becomes worse and worse. Some of the poorest sections of India have the highest fertility rates. These sections also have the lowest literacy rates. The circle of poverty continues through generations.

    3. The caste system that makes it nearly impossible for those in the lowest castes to ever improve their life or the lives of their children. When these maps talk about poverty they do not take into consideration the extreme poverty of India.

    4. When 75% of the population earn less than $78 a month it would sound as if three quarters of the population are starving to death. The odd truth is that they are considered at risk not poor by international standards. You must earn less than a $1.25 a day to be considered extremely poor and at risk according to the United Nations. India has one of the largest population of people earning a dollar 25 or less a day. 35% of the population of India cannot read or write at all. The numbers are highest for women.

    5. Many women decide to start in the workforce as small children because adults feel that female children have no need for education and they need them to earn a living to bring the rest of the family money. Thus starts the circle of poverty.

  3. Facts about how bad it is

    1. 75% of the population of India are people earning less than $78 a month. 1.2 billion people live in the seventh largest country of the world

    2. The caste system has kept people down for generations and the cycle of poverty means it is difficult to get out

    3. Quote this article its good By Ritika Katyal, for CNN http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/02/asia/india-poor-census-secc/ “India’s latest Socioeconomic and Caste Census (SECC) paints a stark picture of widespread rural poverty and deprivation. 75% earned less than $78 a month, 11% own a refrigerator, 35% are illiterate, 28% do not own a phone, less than 5% pay income tax

    4. The way they define poor is wacky: India’s definition of “poor” has been hotly debated by development economists and activists, with several finding the official poverty line too low and leaving out a number of people who might still need government assistance. In 2014, a report by the Indian government Planning Commissionestimated that 363 million Indians, making up 29.5% of the total population, were living below the poverty line in 2011–12.

    5. The report, by the Rangarajan Expert Group, also estimates that the India poverty ratio fell from 38.2% to 29.5% between 2009–10 and 2011–12, lifting 91.6 million individuals out of poverty. According to a Pew Research Center report released this month, while people were able to move up the social ladder from poor to low income during the last decade, the actual number of people in the middle class (living on $10–20 a day) barely budged from 1% in 2001 to 3% in 2011. Most developing countries set poverty lines far below those of advanced country levels.

  4. Historical Background & caste system

    1. The first British outpost in South Asia was established in 1619 at Surat on the northwestern coast. Later in the century, the East India Company opened permanent trading stations at Madras, Bombay, and Calcutta, each under the protection of native rulers.

    2. According to Wikipedia the British made the caste system very legal “The role of the British Raj on the caste system in India is controversial. The caste system became legally rigid during the Raj, when the British started to enumerate castes during their ten-year census and meticulously codified the system. Between 1860 and 1920, the British segregated Indians by caste, granting administrative jobs and senior appointments only to the upper castes.”

    3. Facts about caste system India is the largest democracy in the worldIndia faces the challenges of poverty, corruption, malnutrition, inadequate healthcare and continual caste prejudices. In both urban and rural areas there is unbelievable poverty that pulls down there economy

    4. Violence there is both religious and caste related violence. India also fights with its neighbors China and Pakistan Some people born into a life of luxury, while others are considered “untouchable” because they were born into the wrong caste, destined to live a life of poverty with occasional menial labour, if they are lucky

    5. The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are official designations given to various groups of historically disadvantaged people in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India.

  5. wrap it up rewrite thesis Human rights in India. Illiteracy, poverty, the caste system, dowry deaths and female infancide highlight the human right abuses in India. Women and children fare the worst in general across all socioeconomic groups in India. Incredible poverty deprives many of their basic rights.