Hindu Social System and Human Rights: A Study on Meerganj of Behraich District (U.P.)

Hindu Social System and Human Rights: A Study on Meerganj of Behraich District (U.P.)
Dr.Rajesh Tewari, Reader,Dept. of History, Sri J.N.P.G.College,Lucknow,E-mail tiwarirajesh08@gmail.com
Dr. Alok Chantia, Lecturer, Dept. of Anthropology, Sri J.N.P.G.College,Lucknow, E-mail alokchantia@gmail.com

Life begets life, and society begets society but life doesn’t find the same physical feature for future due to genetical material of parents. In the same way, society accelerates the same idea of change by the influence of time. Hindu caste system is a good example of social exclusion which provides a bulk of evidences of poverty and deprivation, down trodden people of caste system and it is also remarkable that human rights violation can be sketched under the outlines of social exclusion. Every one equal before the law (article 7 of UDHR) and every one born free (article 1 of UDHR) and equal with dignified life is not an absolute feature of Hindu caste system. Though we are living in an independent country and have a good socio-legal armour in the form of constitution, a difference can be seen between twice born and down trodden people, when we analyse socio-cultural profile of the people dwelling in Meerganj. It is a fringe village with 5000 population of Bahraich district adjacent to District Magistrate‘s Office. It is very far from modernization, and its maximum population belongs to Dalits, and OBC, who have some agricultural land but maximum land is in possession of Brahmins and Kayasthas, who are treated as elite class. They are living in the main city and are engaged in different jobs. Dalits like Avatar, Shanshuk, Gobre, Allhi are still working as agricultural labourer. They don’t have medical assistance, education, they are in debt and many litigations are going on within their community. In this paper an effort has been made to analyse the process of social exclusion amongst Dalits. Human rights violation is going on due to caste system as well as conflicts within Dalits themselves. 500 respondents were interviewed by random sampling to know the status of poverty and deprivation. All respondents are above 18 years of age of both sexes. This study was conducted between 11-27 December 2007. Study records different responses and clarifies that even after having all safe guards and privileges, Dalits of Meerganj are still socially excluded due to their own conflicts of hierarchy within the community and that’s why they find human rights violation apparently. Study proved that Dalits are poor and deprived not only by Hindu social system but also due to conflicts within themselves. All these points will be analysed in depth in the proposed paper..