This Unit introduces the learner to thecritical role of equality in democracy, withspecific reference to India. The Constitutionof India guarantees equality to all citizens.Despite this, the daily lives of people inIndia are far from equal. Earlierdiscussions on equality in Civics textbooksmost often reiterated certain provisions ofthe Constitution without adequatelyconsidering the reality of these in people’slives. This Unit adopts a different approach.It discusses the need for equality throughhighlighting the inequalities that continueto be practised and experienced by variouscommunities.
The first chapter introduces the learnerto Kanta, Omprakash Valmiki and theAnsaris, all of whom experience inequalityin different ways. It is through theirexperiences that we introduce the conceptof dignity. The government’s role in passinglaws and instituting policies is discussedto show that commitment to the alleviationof existing inequalities is a major part ofthe work that governments undertake. Thechapter also briefly introduces an issue ofinequality in the United States of Americato highlight that this is a global phenomenonand a feature of many democratic countries.
The second chapter of this Unit isChapter 10 of this book. It ties togetherthe main ideas on equality raisedthroughout the text. A significant portionof the last chapter is devoted to discussingpeople’s contribution to the fight forequality. This is achieved through focusingon one social movement as well ashighlighting creative (writings, songs,poems) ways through which people expresstheir demands for equality.
Both chapters aim to help the learnerunderstand that equality and democracyare dynamic and not static concepts. Thisdynamism is reflected in the government’spassing of new laws and programmes, andin people’s movements around varioussocial and economic issues.
Kanta, Omprakash, the Ansaris, and theTawa Matsya Sangh all have diverse localequivalents. Local situations should beused as a practical reference to make thediscussion on underlying concepts morerelevant and appropriate. A discussion onequality in the classroom requires empathyas well as a firm commitment on theteacher’s part to ensuring that the dignityof all learners be respected.
On EqualityIndia is a democracy. In theClass VI book, we looked atthe key elements of ademocratic government.These include people’sparticipation, theresolution of conflict, andequality and justice.Equality is a key feature ofdemocracy and influencesall aspects of itsfunctioning. In this chapteryou will read more aboutequality – what it is, why itis important in ademocracy, and whether ornot everyone is equal inIndia. Let’s begin bylooking at Kanta’s story.
Isn’t it good Suja that we can all vote asequal citizens of our country? Even Jain
Saheb is standing in the line with us!
Yes!
Go on, Kanta – It’syour turn now.
I will vote for thecandidate who haspromised to bring
pipe water toour area.
Manjit KaurTeacher
Teja Singh Trader
Girish RaoStudent
Kanta DeviDomestic worker
Sujata KumariDomestic worker
On election day, Kanta and her friendSujata are waiting to cast their votes...
Equal right to voteEqual right to voteEqual right to voteEqual right to voteEqual right to vote
The story above begins with Kanta standing in lineto cast her vote. Look again at the various peoplewho are standing in line with her. Kanta recognisesher employer, Ashok Jain and Chotte Lal, herneighbour. In a democratic country, like India, alladults irrespective of what religion they belong to,how much education they have had, what caste theyare, or whether they are rich or poor are allowed tovote. This, as you have already read in the Class VIbook, is called universal adult franchiseuniversal adult franchiseuniversal adult franchiseuniversal adult franchiseuniversal adult franchise and is anessential aspect of all democracies. The idea ofuniversal adult franchise is based on the idea ofequality because it states that every adult in acountry, irrespective of their wealth and thecommunities she/he belongs to, has one vote. Kantais excited to vote and happy that she is equal to allof the others because each of them has one vote.
But as her day goes on, Kanta becomes less certainabout what this equality really means.
What is it that makes Kanta unsure? Let’s take alook at a day in her life. She lives in a slum and hasa drain behind her house. Her daughter is sick butshe cannot take the day off from work because sheneeds to borrow money from her employers to takeher child to the doctor. Her job as a domestic helptires her out, and finally she ends her day by againstanding in a long line. This line, in front of thegovernment hospital, is unlike the one in the morningbecause most of the people standing in it are poor.
Do you think Kanta hasenough reason to doubtwhether she really is equal?List three reasons from thestory above that mightmake her feel like this.
Other kinds of equalityOther kinds of equalityOther kinds of equalityOther kinds of equalityOther kinds of equality
Kanta is one of many people who live in democraticIndia and who have the right to vote but whose dailyliving and working conditions are far from equal.Apart from being poor, people in India experienceinequality in different ways. Let us see what thismeans by reading the two stories given below. Eachof these is based on real incidents in people’s livesand reflects the different kinds of inequalities thatexist in India.
One of the more common forms of inequality inIndia is the caste system. If you live in rural Indiayour caste identity is something that you probablylearned or experienced very young. If you live inurban India some of you might think that people nolonger believe in caste. But just look at thesematrimonials shown from a leading Englishnewspaper and you will see how important the issueof caste continues to be in the minds of highlyeducated urban Indians.
Now let us read a story about the experiences of aDalit child attending school. You have already readabout Dalits in the Class VI book. Dalit is a termthat the so-called lower castes use to addressthemselves. Dalit means ‘broken’ and by using thisword, lower castes are pointing to how they were,and continue to be, seriously discriminated against.
Omprakash Valmiki is a famous Dalit writer. Inhis autobiography, Joothan, he writes, “I had to sitaway from the others in the class, and that too onthe floor. The mat ran out before reaching the spot Isat on. Sometimes I would have to sit way behindeverybody, right near the door…sometimes theywould beat me without any reason.” When he was inClass IV, the headmaster asked Omprakash to sweepthe school and the playground. He writes, “Theplayground was way larger than my small physiquecould handle and in cleaning it, my back began toache. My face was covered with dust. Dust had gone
Circle the reference to caste in thematrimonial advertisements givenabove.
Chapter 1: On Equality On Equality On Equality On Equality On Equality 7
8 Social and Political LifeSocial and Political LifeSocial and Political LifeSocial and Political LifeSocial and Political Life
inside my mouth. The other children in my classwere studying and I was sweeping. Headmaster wassitting in his room and watching me. I was not evenallowed to get a drink of water. I swept the wholeday,…From the doors and windows of the schoolrooms, the eyes of the teachers and the boys sawthis spectacle.” Omprakash was made to sweep theschool and the playground for the next couple ofdays and this only came to an end when his father,who happened to be passing by, saw his sonsweeping. He confronted the teachers and thenwalking away from the school holding Omprakash’shand, he said loudly for all of them to hear, “You area teacher…So I am leaving now. But remember thismuch Master…(He) will study right here…in thisschool. And not just him, but there will be morecoming after him.”
The second story is based on an incident that tookplace in one of India’s larger cities and is commonpractice in most parts of the country. It is a storyabout Mr and Mrs Ansari who were looking to rentan apartment in the city. They had the money andso paying the rent was no problem. They went to aproperty dealer for help to find a place. The dealerinformed them that he knew about quite a fewapartments that were available for rent. They visitedthe first apartment and the Ansaris liked it very muchand decided to take it. However, when the landladyfound out their names, she made an excuse abouthow she could not rent the house to someone whoate meat because the building did not have anynon-vegetarian residents. Both the Ansaris and theproperty dealer were surprised to hear this becausethey could smell fish being cooked in the neighbour’shouse. The same excuse was repeated in the secondand the third apartments. Finally, the property dealertold them that they might want to change their namesand call themselves Mr and Mrs Kumar. The Ansariswere reluctant to do this and decided to look somemore. In the end, it took a whole month of looking atapartments before they found a landlady who waswilling to give them a place on rent.
Why do you think OmprakashValmiki was being treated unequallyby his teacher and his classmates?Imagine yourself as OmprakashValmiki and write four lines abouthow you would feel if you were inthe same situation as him.
Cover of Omprakash Valmiki’s book,Joothan, which talks about hisexperiences of growing up as a Dalit boy.
Why do you think the Ansariswere being treated unequally?What would you do if you were inthe Ansaris’ position and couldnot find a place to live becausesome people did not want to livenext to you because of the religionyou practice?
You have understood by now that the caste we areborn into, the religion we practice, the classbackground we come from, whether we are male orfemale – these are often the things that determinewhy some people are treated unequally. OmprakashValmiki and the Ansaris are being treated unequallyon the basis of differences of caste and religion.
When persons are treated unequally, their dignitydignitydignitydignitydignityis violated. The dignity of both Omprakash Valmikiand the Ansaris was violated because of the way inwhich they were treated. By picking on him andmaking him sweep the school, because of his caste,Omprakash Valmiki’s schoolmates and teachers hurthis dignity badly and made him feel as if he was lessthan equal to all other students in the school. Beinga child, Omprakash Valmiki could do very little aboutthe situation that he was in. It was his father who,on seeing his son sweep, felt angry by this unequaltreatment and confronted the teachers. The Ansaris’dignity was also hurt when persons refused to leasetheir apartments to them. However, when theproperty dealer suggested that they change theirname, it was their dignity or self-respect that madethem refuse this suggestion.
Omprakash and the Ansaris do not deserve to betreated like this. They deserve the same respect anddignity as anyone else.
Equality in Indian democracyEquality in Indian democracyEquality in Indian democracyEquality in Indian democracyEquality in Indian democracy
The Indian ConstitutionConstitutionConstitutionConstitutionConstitution recognises every person asequal. This means that every individual in thecountry, including male and female persons fromall castes, religions, tribes, educational and economicbackgrounds are recognised as equal. This is not tosay that inequality ceases to exist. It doesn’t. Butatleast, in democratic India, the principle of theequality of all persons is recognised. While earlier
If you were one of the Ansarishow would you have responded tothe suggestion that you changeyour name?
Can you think of an incident inyour life in which your dignity wasviolated? How did this make youfeel?
In the 1975 film, Deewar, a boy whoworks as a shoeshine refuses to pick up acoin thrown at him. He feels that there isdignity in the work that he does andinsists that his fee be given respectfully.
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no law existed to protect people from discriminationand ill-treatment, now there are several that work tosee that people are treated with dignity and as equals.
This recognition of equality includes some of thefollowing provisions in the Constitution: first thatevery person is equal before the law. What this meansis that every person, from the President of the countryto Kanta, a domestic worker, has to obey the samelaws. Second, no person can be discriminated againston the basis of their religion, race, caste, place ofbirth or whether they are female or male. Third, everyperson has access to all public places includingplaygrounds, hotels, shops and markets. All personscan use publicly available wells, roads and bathingghats. Fourth, untouchability has been abolished.
The two ways in which the government has triedto implement the equality that is guaranteed in theConstitution is first through laws and second throughgovernment programmes or schemes to helpdisadvantaged communities. There are several lawsin India that protect every person’s right to be treatedequally. In addition to laws, the government has also
The Parliament is the cornerstone of ourdemocracy and we are represented in itthrough our elected representatives.
