Tag: understanding marginalisation

Houses made of mud, thatch or other low-quality materials are called kutcha houses. Data is disaggregated by Social Groups and major religious communities.

Kutcha houses:

• 63.6% of Muslims live in kutcha houses.
• 55.2% of Hindus live in kutcha houses.

Courts take decisions on a very large number of issues. Broadly speaking, the work that the judiciary is to uphold the Law and Enforcing Fundamental Rights. Every citizen of India can approach the Supreme Court or the High Court if they believe that their Fundamental Rights have been violated.

Niyamgiri Hill located in Kalahandi district of Orissa. This area is inhabited by Dongarria Konds, an Adivasi community. Niyamgiri is the sacred mountain of this community. 

Literacy rates point to demographic shifts in the years to come. The 2001 Census showed Jains, with a literacy rate of 94.1%, the most educated. They were followed by Christians at 80.3%, Buddhists at 72.7%, Sikhs at 69.4%, Hindus at 65.1% and Muslims at 59.1%. 

Militarised in the context of marginalisation refers to an area where the presence of the armed forces is considerable.

Displaced in the context of Marginalisation refers to people who are forced or compelled to move from their homes for big development projects including dams, mining etc.

The word marginalization simply means exclusion from the mainstream. Marginalization of any community or a person can be because of many reasons like -

• Speaking a different language,
• Following different customs,
• Belonging to different religious group from the majority community etc.

Marginalization is linked to experiencing disadvantage, prejudice, poverty and powerlessness. It is a complex phenomenon which results into a low social status, not having equal access to education and other resources.

In the social environment groups of people or communities may have the experience of being excluded. Their marginalization can be because they speak a different language, follow different customs or belong to a different religious group from the majority community. They may also feel marginalized because they are poor, considered to be of low social status and viewed as being less human than others. Sometimes, marginalized groups are viewed with hostility and fear.

Indian Constitution recognized that the culture of the majority influences the way in which society and government might express themselves. In such cases, size can be a disadvantage and lead to the marginalization of the relatively smaller communities. Thus, safeguards are needed to protect minority communities against the possibility of being culturally dominated by the majority. They also protect them against any discrimination and disadvantage that they may face. The Constitution provides these safeguards because it is committed to protecting India’s cultural diversity and promoting equality as well as justice.

Malnourished means a person who does not get adequate nutrition or food. Many Adivasis have migrated to cities in search of work where they are employed for very low wages in local industries or at building or construction sites. They, thus, get caught in a cycle of poverty and deprivation. 45 percent of tribal groups in rural areas and 35 percent in urban areas live below the poverty line. Many tribal children are malnourished.