Socio-Cultural Identity And Availability Of Human Rights

Socio-Cultural Identity And Availability Of Human Rights
(A Study With Regard To Dhankut, A Group Of Bahraich District, Uttar Pradesh,
India)
by
Dr. Alok Chantia, Dept. of Anthropology, Sri JNPG (KKC) College, affiliated to Lucknow
University, Lucknow, U.P.,226001,India
Keywords-Human right, Dhankut, Caste, Identity, Poverty, Panchayat, Dignity
The present paper deals with awareness, availability and enforcement of human
rights among a group called Dhankut, living in Dhankuttypura of Bahraich District
of Uttar Pradesh, India. The paper examines human rights in socio-cultural context
and studies whether a group can enjoy human rights without having a socio-cultural
identity of its own. The group under study is neither recognized as Scheduled Caste,
Scheduled Tribe or Other Backward Class nor it comes under the four folded caste
system of India-Brahmin, Chatriya, Vaish, Shudra. They have been named as
Dhankut in district gazetteer without any caste description. Dhankut recognise
themselves as Hindus of general category but adjacent communities treat them as
scheduled caste. Due to non recognition of their caste they do not get proper alliance
for marriage, hence have started marrying among themselves leading to ill effects of
inbreeding. Dhankut are suffering from poverty and unemployment. They are
governed by local Panchayat in case of any dispute. Thus they fulfill all the
characteristics of a Scheduled Tribe. At present they are facing identity crisis. In the
21st century of Scientific era they are still earning their livelihood by making cow
dung cakes and selling things like groudnuts etc.
The study reveals that a group devoid of socio-cultural identity of its own suffers
from many difficulties. It can not afford even the basic necessities of life and is
forced to live in inhuman and degrading conditions.