Casteism from Punjab to Kerala: Four Incidents from the 1930s That Reveal — For Hindus, Inhumanity Was Acceptable, but an Untouchable’s Touch Was Not

New Delhi- The 1930s were a tumultuous period in India, marked by the struggle against British rule, the rise of the independence movement, and the deep-rooted caste system that shaped societal norms. The practice of untouchability, grounded in centuries-old notions of "purity" and "impurity," relegated millions to a subhuman existence.

Four chilling incidents from this era, documented in publications such as Young India, Prakash, and Bombay Samachar, expose the cruel reality of a society where caste purity was valued above compassion, ethics, and humanity. Untouchables, often referred to as Harijans or Dalits, faced exclusion from temples, wells, schools, and public spaces. They were forced to live in segregated colonies, barred from touching items used by caste Hindus, and subjected to violence for minor transgressions of caste norms. Reformers like Mahatma Gandhi advocated for the upliftment of Harijans, but their efforts often met resistance from orthodox Hindus who clung to traditional hierarchies.

Dr. Ambedkar, himself an Untouchable, was a fierce critic of this system, arguing that untouchability was not just a social evil but a moral and political failure. 'Chapter 5 in the 'Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar: Writings and Speeches Volume No. 5' published by Dr Ambedkar Foundation, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment includes some moving incidents narrated by Baba Sahab, that shows that Hindu would prefer to be inhuman rather than touch an Untouchable. How unclean and unfit for association an Untouchable is to a Hindu be evident from these incidents.

A Mother and Child Lost to Caste Prejudice (Kathiawar, Gujarat 1929)

In a heart-wrenching account published in Young India (a publication by Mahatma Gandhi) on December 12, 1929, an Untouchable school teacher from a village in Kathiawar shared his tragic story. On December 5, his wife gave birth to a child, but by December 7, she fell gravely ill, suffering from diarrhea, chest inflammation, and breathing difficulties. Desperate to save her, the teacher approached a local Hindu doctor, who refused to visit the Harijan colony or examine the child, citing caste impurity.

After persistent pleas and intervention from local notables like the Nagarseth and Garasia Darbar, who assured the doctor a fee of two rupees, he agreed to examine the patient—but only outside the Harijan colony. The teacher carried his ailing wife and newborn out of their home for the examination. The doctor, maintaining his distance, passed a thermometer through a Muslim intermediary to avoid direct contact. At 8 p.m., under the light of a lamp, the doctor diagnosed pneumonia and sent medicine. Despite receiving his fee, he refused further visits. The teacher, left with no options, applied linseed from the market to his wife, but she passed away at 2 p.m. that day. He wrote, “The lamp of my life has died out.”

This incident reveals how an educated doctor, bound by professional ethics, prioritized caste prejudice over saving lives, leading to the preventable deaths of a mother and her child.

Punished for Saving a Calf (Jagwal, Punjab 1932)

An incident reported in Prakash on August 23, 1932, from Jagwal village in Jafarwal tehsil highlights the perverse priorities of a caste-ridden society. On August 6, a calf fell into a well. Rammahashaya, a Dom (an Untouchable caste in UP and Bihar), who was nearby, jumped into the well without hesitation and held the calf until others arrived to help rescue it. Instead of gratitude, the Hindus of the village accused him of defiling their well and turned on him.

The villagers’ outrage over the well’s supposed pollution nearly cost Rammahashaya his life. Fortunately, a barrister arrived at the scene, rebuked the mob, and saved him from further harm. This incident raises a haunting question: was saving the calf more important than preserving the well’s “purity”? For the Hindus of Jagwal, an Untouchable’s touch, even in an act of heroism, was a greater offense than the calf’s potential death.

A Child’s Rescuer Attacked (Kaladi, Kerala 1936)

A similar tale of ingratitude and violence unfolded in Kaladi, a village in Calicut, as reported in Bombay Samachar on December 19, 1936. When a young woman’s child fell into a well, none of the villagers dared to intervene. A passing stranger courageously jumped into the well and rescued the child. When he revealed he was an Untouchable, the villagers’ relief turned to rage. Instead of thanking him, they abused and assaulted him for “polluting” the well.

This incident, much like the one in Jagwal, underscores the deep-seated prejudice against Untouchables. A hero who saved a child’s life was punished simply because his touch was deemed unacceptable by caste Hindus.

Defiling a Pyre with Rice (Lucknow, UP 1937)

A shocking incident reported in Adi Hindu of Lucknow in July 1937 reveals the brutal extent of caste prejudice. During the cremation of a high-caste employee of the Madras Holmes Company, friends and relatives gathered to perform the ritual of throwing rice on the pyre. Among them was an Adi-Dravida, an Untouchable from Madras, who joined in the act out of respect. However, this simple gesture was deemed a defilement of the pyre by the high-caste Hindus present. The situation escalated into a heated argument, which turned violent. In the ensuing chaos, two men were stabbed—one died upon reaching the hospital, and the other was left in critical condition. This incident highlights how an Untouchable’s participation in a shared ritual of grief was considered such a grave offense that it sparked deadly violence, exposing the deep-rooted caste fanaticism of the time.