Musahars- The Mahadalits of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

In today’s discourse, the ‘Dalits’ have become a strong phenomena in Indian subcontinent. Dalits are the ex-untouchables who were considered a caste/class below the four varnas of Hindu caste hierarchy. They were exterminated from the mainstream society as their presence was assumed polluting for the upper savarna people. Stigmatized as untouchables and living a life of grinding poverty, the Dalits of India are communities which live a life far below the level of human dignity. They are the socially marginalized, educationally deprived, physically exploited caste in our country. Caste Hindus have only used these left out communities by squeezing out the labour from them. Virtually, they have remained a slave caste in our country. After Independence, Government has extended innovative and effective measures towards the empowerment of these marginal communities. In spite of that this Mushahars remain in their usual retardation for centuries. Supporting agencies have researched that there are degrees and layers among the Dalits. There are few semi-nomadic tribes in India who are extreme examples of poverty and deprivation. These Dalits among the Dalits are categorized as the Mahadalits. The Musahars or the Mushahars are one of the lowest Mahadalit communities of India inhabiting largely Bihar and few parts of the middle and northern Uttar Pradesh. In this paper, by consulting few of the field based reports and data, I have tried to find out the narrow passage of the journey the Musahars have crusaded so far through their intrinsically hard working mental disposition backed up by the cooperating hands from the Government and other community development agencies.