Untouchability in Rural India

This important book presents systematic evidence of the incidence and extent of the practice of untouchability in contemporary India. It is based on the results of a very large survey covering 560 villages in 11 states, which found that untouchability continues to be widely prevalent and is practiced in one form or another in almost 80 percent of the villages. While the evidence presented in this book suggests that the more blatant and extreme forms of untouchability appear to have declined, discrimination continues and is most prevalent in the religious and personal spheres. The authors show that the notion of untouchability continues to pervade the public sphere, including in a host of state institutions and the interactions that occur within them.

Ghanshyam Shah is a retired professor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi Harsh Mander is Director of Samya-Centre for Equity Studies, Delhi Sukhadeo Thorat is Chairperson of the University Grants Commission, New Delhi Satish Deshpande is Professor of Sociology at Delhi University