Paper short abstract:

The paper provides an ethnographic profile of Dalit Muslim castes. It examines the problem of inequality, humiliation and various forms of discrimination, stigma, structures of domination and untouchability faced by Dalit Muslims. It highlights the issues of recognition for Dalit Muslims.

Paper long abstract:

The paper attempts to provide an ethnographic profile of Dalit Muslim castes/communities. It examines the problem of inequality, humiliation and discrimination faced by the Dalit Muslims in India. It studies the various forms of discrimination, stigma, social distance, structures of domination and untouchability faced by them in order to understand their awareness of their own identity as Dalit Muslims and their relationship with the changing social structure. The paper also studies their customs, rituals, beliefs and other cultural practices.

These marginalized communities, have not been studied due to lack of data, lack of social categorisation, background status or variety of other reasons. While social and economic conditions of Dalits have been extensively studied, intensive ethnographic studies of specific Dalit communities have been rarely undertaken. The available literature has not addressed the problems faced by Dalit Muslim communities.

The paper aims to provide a theoretical framework for justifying the politics of recognition. It explores the Dalit Muslim question and the issues of discriminations, social exclusion/inclusion, and recognition. It also focuses on how caste becomes a source of discrimination and exclusion from the mainstream. It critically engages with the question 'Why did the State not recognize Dalit Muslims?'. It contests Presidential Order of 1950 which excludes them from the purview of Scheduled Castes. As we know that Dalit Muslims have faced discrimination within the Muslim community, paper argues that they have also been discriminated by the Indian State.