Political Discussions
‘Untouchable’ woman aims to lead India
Posted by weblogian • 3/18/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: mayawati
A firebrand politician, self-styled living goddess and champion of India’s most oppressed class is making a powerful, and some say credible, play to become the country’s first “untouchable” premier. Mayawati Kumari, a member of the Dalit community at the bottom of India’s caste hierarchy, is chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state which boasts a population roughly the size of Brazil’s.
Hugely popular with her regional power base, she has now taken her ambitions to the national level ahead of general elections that start next month.
whoiswho.blogcastor.com/%E2%80%98untouchable%E2%80%99-woman-aims-to-lead-in...
She is branded as the Obama of India. But will she make it?
User Comments
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I guess I don't really understand the caste system in India. Why is it an untouchable is so awful?-
It was abolished in 1950 but the virus is still in almost all rural India
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Would the kids from Slumdog Millionaire be considered untouchables? I don't understand.
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No it's a caste system, say (for now) equivalent to slavery,
A child born to Dalits (Untouchable) will become untouchable too.
The Hindu believe that if a Dalits' shadow fall on them it is a grave sin and they must take bath, offer sacrifices to God etc.
Recently at the Holi festival some Dalit children were thrown into fire as sacrifice to gods.
The untouchable/Dalit popularly known as harijan by Mahatama Gandhi was firstly abolished by British India Govt.
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