TRT World - World in Focus: Castes, privilege and discrimination in India скачать в хорошем качестве

TRT World - World in Focus: Castes, privilege and discrimination in India

Caste riots lead to deaths Recent demonstrations in India lasted more than a week, damaged property and cost lives. They were against discrimination and privilege. Members of the Jat caste staged the riots and arson attacks in the state of Haryana in northern India. 28 people were killed. More than two hundred others were injured. The Jats were demanding better access to education and government jobs. They wanted to be included in a government quota system that reserves those jobs for people from lower castes. New Delhi rations water Hours before the agreement, Indian troops managed to retake a canal that protesters had sabotaged. 20 million Millions of people depend on the canal, which supplies 60 percent of the capital, New Delhi’s water. Days after Jat leaders and authorities reached a deal, officials said repairs were needed and the city would be able to get full water supply only in the next 15 days. The riots had begun after a local leader publically opposed the inclusion of the Jats in the caste quota system. Caste inequality Many Jats are farmers and the quotas they ask for are reserved for Dalits and other so-called "backward castes". The Dalits are also known as the "untouchables". They remain at the bottom of society, and are not even included in India's caste system. The caste system has four main levels. starting with the priestly Brahmins. The system was officially abolished in 1950. But in rural areas, it’s still in force - and determines where people can live, who they can marry and what type of work they can do. Last August, the Patidar community also staged protests in the western state of Gujarat, with similar demands to the Jats. Government struggles to cope The latest riots by the Jat community have cost businesses at least 3 billion dollars in losses. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has remained silent throughout the worst social unrest of his 20 months in office. And the federal and Haryana state governments, which are both run by his Bharatiya Janata Party, have struggled to cope. Quota bill under way Following the protests, the Haryana government has agreed to prepare a bill to include the Jats' in the quota system. But the bill still faces difficulties. Last year, India’s Supreme Court stayed the Haryana government’s decision to reserve 10 percent of jobs to Jats. The court also struck down an attempt by the previous government to allot quotas to Jats and classify them as an Other Backward Caste. The court said the total of 50 percent quotas for government jobs and university places allows no room to approve the decision – and that it’s impossible unless quotas for other castes are reduced. The government may still take action under Articles 15 (4) and 16 (4) of the Constitution which deal with making special provisions, including providing quotas for certain disadvantaged classes. But once again, the future of the latest bill lies in the hands of the Supreme Court. Facebook:   / trtworld   Twitter:   / trtworld   Youtube:    / trtworld   GooglePlus: https://plus.google.com/+trtworld