Untouchables - 1574 Words

March 22, 2012 Anthropology Untouchables In the article Untouchable, Tom O’Neil tells us what being an untouchable is all about. By interviewing those labeled as untouchable, O’Neil finds a way to truly express to us what it’s like to be an untouchable and the true underlying complications that the seeming unbreakable caste system has projected on its cultural members. What are untouchables? Untouchables, or achutta, are the lowest ranking members in the caste system – or pecking order. O’Neil states that â€Å"untouchables are outcasts – people considered too impure, too polluted, to rank as worthy beings,† (ONeil, p. 1). Interestingly, untouchables are not deformed or distinctively different from other Indians in any way.†¦show more content†¦Historians say that Gandhi deserves great credit for pushing the issue of Untouchability onto the national stage and for lending his moral stature to the campaign to abolish it. Yet he never actually renounced the Hindu caste system, and the concrete results of his actions were few. Many Untouchables, particularly the educated ones, would love to knock him off his pedestal. Even the Harijan label (given to those in place of Untouchable) invokes pity rather than respect. (ONeil, p. 5). Not only did Gandhi’s lack of abandoning the Hindu caste system all together lead to few, if any, results his actions also lead many Untouchables to believe his efforts failed even farther. India’s â€Å"one true Untouchable hero† is a man name Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar and he came into play during Gandhi’s â€Å"greatest perceived sin†. (ONeil, p. 5). Gandhi’s greatest perceived sin, however, was to undermine a man named Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. Ambedkar pushed for a separate electorate. He feared that an assertive Untouchable could never win an election open to voters of all castes. He wanted Untouchable office-holders elected exclusively by Untouchables. Gandhi resisted Ambedkar’s position on religious principles, fearing that secular solutions to caste problems would destroy Hinduism. And in September 1932, when it appeared that the British would side with Ambedkar, Gandhi protested by entering a fast unto death. Ambedkar had little choiceShow MoreRelatedEssay on Eliot Ness2928 Words   |  12 Pageswhat happened to Ness and his Untouchables? Did they merely fade away into quiet life? The fate of Ness was quite the opposite, he continued doing what he fell in love with. Taking down corruption on any level. He carried on his war on the mob for an entire decade after Capone, staging daring raids on bootleggers, ill egal gambling clubs and generally putting organized crime on the run. Nessamp;#8217; exploits in Chicago were chronicled in his book The Untouchables, but if he had carried on againstRead MoreUntouchables : The Outcasts Of India1528 Words   |  7 PagesAmanda Howery Mrs. Newell Eastern Civilizations/Geography 4 14 March 2016 Untouchables: The Outcasts of India Ever since the religion of Hinduism was founded in 2800 B.C., India has upheld a social caste system that later evolved in its order and strictness. The caste system began when Aryan newcomers arrived in India, bringing with them a discriminatory mindset of racial separation. From this, varna, the Sanskrit word for caste, was born. Varna, also meaning color, placed the lighter-skinnedRead MoreAnalysis Of The Documentary The Untouchables847 Words   |  4 PagesPBS Frontline Documentary â€Å"The Untouchables† The PBS Frontline Documentary, â€Å"The Untouchables† produced by Martin Smith details how those responsible for the 2008 financial crisis, caused by the failing of multiple mortgage backed securities that were fraudulently cobbled together with very lax oversight, were never criminally indicted for their actions. Part of the explanation from the Justice Department was that they were afraid that aggressively pursuing the presidents and vice-presidents ofRead MoreEssay about The Untouchables562 Words   |  3 Pages The Untouchables nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The author of this book was Eliot Ness. He was a prohibition agent given the special assignment of cracking down on the Chicago mob and illegal liquor sales. He was six feet tall, 180 pounds. Graduated in the top third of his class in both highschool and at the University of Chicago. Both his parents were from Norway, and he was raised in the traditional way. His reasoning behind writing this book was to tell the inside story of what really happenedRead MoreCritical Analysis Of Untouchable1630 Words   |  7 Pagesprimarily as an analysis of the functioning of the have-nots. These people survive in the world where there is no sanction of democracy. He is read with mixed feelings, alternately put off by his dark vision of human frailty with hope and happiness. In Untouchable, Anand conspicuously designs the contrast between Bakha’s great built-up and his menial-minor work. Each muscle of his body, hard as a rock, when it came into play, seemed to shine forth like glass. He must have had immense pent-up resources layingRead MoreSummary Of The Movie The Untouchables1178 Words   |  5 Pageswatched the movie, â€Å"The Untouchables† in class. â€Å"The Untouchables† was about a group of people, who put the infamous criminal Al Capone behind bars. This remarkable group that brought Al Capone down, were called the â€Å"Untouchables† .The movie was filled with many twist in turns, and also many questions it leaves people asking. After watching the movie, there are many questions that come to mind. Like why were so many people were against Eliot Ness, and why would the untouchables risk so much to put AlRead MoreEssay on The Untouchables: The Dalit Population1469 Words   |  6 Pagesborn among a certain race, or there is a different way of living within a specific group of people? This feeling of discrimination is one that no indivi dual wants to feel. For the Hindu people, formerly known as â€Å"The Untouchables,† this was what they had to live with. The Untouchables, now called the Dalits, are the most oppressed community in India and have been denied civic and human rights throughout the decades. The Dalit population is located all throughout India. India is a country south ofRead MoreCarl Marx : The Untouchable Dream Essay977 Words   |  4 PagesCarl Marx; The Untouchable Dream Carl Marx has been criticized and slandered due to his views on economy and how it should be approached. The disdain towards his beliefs are understandable with all the corrupt political systems that have risen in the name of Marxism. Marx’s views, however, are not as terrible as society makes them out to be. Marx thoughts on economy are a dream that even he did not know how to achieve. Marx saw how the world worked based on historical patterns and only wished toRead MoreFilm Analysis Of The Film The Untouchables1012 Words   |  5 PagesThe Untouchables The film, the Untouchables, was directed by Brian De Palma. It was set in the prohibition era, which was right at the start of the 1920’s. Prohibition can be described as a law that made selling and manufacturing alcohol illegal. By putting this law into effect, it actually increased the amount of crime and violence throughout cities in the US. This was ultimately due to the rise in organized crime, also known as gangs. In the movie specifically, it was centered around the riseRead MoreThe Case of the Untouchable Water Carrier Essay615 Words   |  3 PagesThe Case of the untouchable water carrier Introduction: The caste system was and continues to be a terrible reality for people in Europe and Asia. Even though it is not as prominent now as it was before it was abolished, it still affects many people all around the world. To be born into a status, one that you can never leave or outlive is a great tragedy. How does one come to terms with knowing that a choice was never an option? It doesn’t matter if all the laws changed today, the fact remains