Marginalisation of Dalits in India

The term marginalization refers the social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. The marginal man is one whom fate has condemned to live in two societies and in two, not merely different but antagonistic cultures, his mind is the crucible in which two different and refractory cultures may be said to melt and, either wholly or in part, fuses. Marginalization is a complex phenomenon in the present-day world and a critical concern of national and international communities. Its widespread occurrence is a consequence of several interrelated factors in socio-economic development which gain significance in the era globalization. In many Third World societies, people of the lower classes/castes [such as Dalit and Adivasi (tribal) communities in India] are pushed to the margins of society as a result of various historical and developmental factors. As mainstream development processes tended to create social spaces of inequality, Dalit and tribal communities face marginalization virtually in every sphere of social life. Insofar as the marginalized groups sustain a unique point of view shaped by their long-standing social position, the question of their ‘Self Representation' has become relevant in social research. This paper states some recommendations regarding marginalization.