Scheduled caste organizations and their development: an experience from Karnataka (India)

Abstract

The scheduled castes residing in various parts of India and more particularly in the state of Karnataka fail to avail all the facilities of the constitution. And scheduled castes are subjected to many kinds of ill-treatment, inhuman treatment, harassment, humiliation, and atrocities which are the order of the day. Scheduled castes organizations have emerged throughout the country. Organizations of scheduled castes attempted to improve their educational level, social conditions, religious conditions, economic conditions, cultural conditions and political by forming caste organizations in society. Rudolph and Rudolph observe that the caste organizations are par communities or pressure groups to enable members of caste to pursue social mobility, political power, and economic advantage. Caste organizations are necessary in order to bring some structural and cultural changes among the scheduled castes. It was also essential to narrow down the social distance between the castes among the scheduled castes by coming together and living an thoughts and values to the masses. This process of socialization was obviously possible through organizations. In Karnataka the development of these sections are being done particularly through the various welfare measures. Thus, the present paper is going to suggest the strategies for the development of low status castes in Sri Lanka based on the experiences of Karnataka.