HUMILIATION, MANIPULATION AND DISPOSSESSION OF THE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES

Laxman Gaikwad’s autobiography originally written as Uchalya and later translated into English as The Branded discusses socio-economic, political and cultural issues of the nomadic tribe Uchalya. These nomads are branded as criminal tribes by the then British colonial government. Though India got independence this community could get rid of the criminal tag. After the mutiny of 1857 around 237 castes and tribes were branded as criminal by birth according to the Criminal Tribes Act, 1931. However, after independence the government of India re-named these castes and tribes under a new tag that is Habitual Offenders Act, 1952. Thus, they were re-stigmatized but eventually liberated on 31 August 1952, which is known as their liberation day (Vimukti Divas). This paper attempts to question the plight of Uchalya community, their stigmatization and violation of their basic fundamental rights and human rights.
The Article 21 of the Constitution of India guarantees to all its citizens right to life, which means meaningful life with equality and dignity. The Directive Principles of State Policy do direct the state to take adequate measures to ensure that the marginalized communities are given equal opportunities to come up in life. According to Article 25(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing. The Article 11 of International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, states that the state parties recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing. Though thegovernment of India is signatory to these declarations and covenants, the marginalized tribes and castes hardly got anything out of it.