Review of Episode ‘Untouchability: A life of humiliation’ on television show ‘Satyamev Jayate’, S1/ Episode 10 (Broadcast on 8th July 2012)
Nilkamal Chauhan
I watched these videos, which are about caste discrimination, on May 18, 2020. In this video, we can see three different case studies. I listened to them again and again because they reflected many different social issues. Here, I am not targeting anyone personally, but as a research student, I believe I need to think and write about them. All these cases are described below.
The first case study is about a Dalit female, now a professor, and her journey through life from school to college. Her school teacher was a pandit. Her hostel roommate in college was also a Brahmin who tortured her, insisting she leave the hostel and the university, which is nothing but discrimination based on caste. We can see how teachers’ comments on dress or selection of the subject affected her. She worked hard in her life, but she and her family had to pass through different issues in their lives.
The second case study is about a Dalit male who is an IAS officer. This happened just after the independence of India. He was courageous enough to become an IAS officer, but he faced humiliation there too.
The third case study is about Dalit people. They were denied entry to temples by the pujaris (priests) of temples because of their caste. This has also happened after India gained independence.
Like being poor or rich in terms of money, identity based on caste affects people. So we, the people of India, need to understand the reasons behind these different social issues. If we really believe in ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, then why do these issues still exist in India?
I can say that in the first case study, the roommate of the Dalit female teacher was literate, having a degree, but she was illiterate in terms of humane values. In the second case study, we can observe the thinking of the peon, who is a Brahmin.
The phrase used in this video is ‘Desh Aazad Huaa’, but for whom? It is a notable question. Post-independence, discrimination based on caste continues to exist, and the reason is that though people with degrees are considered literate, most are illiterate in terms of their thoughts on humanity.
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References
https://youtu.be/DH02e-jTe7w(“Untouchability: A life of humiliation” by television show Satyamev Jayate S1/ Episode 10). (Published on 8th July 2012)
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Nilkamal Chauhan is a M.Phil-PhD scholar in CSSTIP, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar. Her research interest in PhD is about Science Education and Laboratory Studies of Gujarat. She is science graduate and her research is in interdisciplinary department. She believes in social justice and democracy which are core concepts of Indian Constitution.
