Page 11 - Lesson Notes

 Expansion of Article- 17 SCs and STs is (Prevention of Atrocities)Act ,
1989- This Act was revised and strengthened the legal provisions
punishing acts of violence or humiliation against Dalits and adivasis.

Non-state Initiatives

 Dalits were too active on the political agitational and cultural fronts.

 In pre- Independence time efforts made by JyotibhaPhule, Periyar,
Ambedkar and others.

 Mahatma Gandhi and BabasahebAmbedkar began organising protests
against untouchability from the 1920s onwards.

 Anti- Untouchability programmes became a significant part of the
Congress agenda.

 The main motto of nationalist movement was to abolish caste distinctions

 In the contemporary political organisations like BSP(BahujanSamaj
Party) in UP, Dalit SangharshSamiti of Karnataka

Dalits have also made significant contributions to literature in several Indian
Languages, specially Marathi, Kanada, Tamil ,Telegu and Hindi.

The Other Backward Classes

 The term ‘Backward classes ’ has not been defined properly either by
the sociologist or by constitution makers.

 The backward classes are a large mixed category of persons with
boundaries that are both unclear and elastic.
 There were a large group of castes that were of low status and were also

subjected to varying levels of discrimination.
 These were the service and artisanal castes who occupied the lower
rungs of the caste hierarchy.