Pollution, Untouchability And Harijans
Contents: Note on transliteration. Preface. Overview. Acknowledgements. Illustrations. 1. Introduction: in search of a “common-ground” anthropology. I. Theoretical perspective and setting: 2. Reconsideration of theories of pollution: beyond the orientalistic view. 3. The problem in studies of “Untouchables”: is a Harijan community special? 4. Setting: village, caste and kinship. II. Pollution theory: 5. “Pollution” and “Impurity” : configuration of folk conceptions. 6. Blood sacrifice and “Pollution” ideology: the cults of village deities. 7. Pollution concepts manipulated I: Practices of the dominant castes and the Harijans. 8. Pollution concepts manipulated II: Women as an arena of ideological struggles. III. Harijan strategies: 9. The socio-economic position of the Paraiyars (The Harijans). 10. Funeral rites: a caste based strategy. 11. The festivals of lineage deities: a lineage-based strategy. 12. The politics around the cooperative society: an individual based strategy. IV. Conclusion and discussion: 13. Conclusion. 14. Discussion extended for a common-ground anthropology: differentiating discrimination against Untouchables from caste discrimination. Appendix: The myths of the origin of the Paraiyars. References. Glossary. Index.
The book critically looks at the widely circulated Dumontian approach of pure-impure ideology in the context of pollution as this concept sees the polluted phenomenon as an object of repression and rejection and as such is a negative concept. To overcome the limitations of this concept it argues that “pollution” and “impurity” may not mean same and that in reality the very marginal nature of pollution facilitates for a creative space (a space with hidden potential for decentralization) where it is possible to radically change one s own sense of order through encounters with others. With this realistic view the cultural realities of Harijans (untouchables) are brought out here by interpreting the rituals and daily behaviour of villagers across their socio-economic situations caste positions and lineage and individual levels and this observation in the context of a comparison to the upper castes makes it clear that the Harijans are led by a desire for self-aggrandizement (desire for improvements in the quantity and quality of life) and live strategically within the same core reality of “pollution” ideology as the upper castes.
The book thus logically pleads that the stereotyped image of the Indian society as “an alien and incomprehensible society that still maintains a discriminatory caste system” is to be reconsidered and set right. On that account the book contributes to extending its argument towards the theories of social discrimination in general.
