Bombay (AsiaNews) The Dalit, the "untouchables" in the Indian caste system, form a population 300 million poor risk not having any voice in national elections. Their vote would most likely go to the Congress Party.
The Dalit class, still victims of marginalization and abuse, are treated "like animals and (sometimes) even worse," sources say. Thanks to new legislation, they now enjoy a certain benefits in education and work. Yet their social status has not changed, as they sit on the outskirts of society. Political parties do everything they can to buy their votes (even with gifts). However, the impression of various analysts is that many of them won't even turn up to vote on Election Day.
Their reason: work and emigration. Millions of them are internal migrants who seasonally move from the country to cities in search of work as rickshaw drivers, masons and brick transporters. They don't have the time to take time off from their jobs to vote at their polling stations thousands, located thousands of kilometers away. Dalits in Orissa, for example, find work in Bombay, Rajpur and Vizianagaram.
Christian Dalits have even less of an influence. If Christians form only 2.1% of the Indian population (they are much more, but official statistics are lowered to avoid accusations of proselytism), Dalits make up 60% of all Christians.
Dr. SM Michael, anthropologist and sociologist at the Bombay University, told AsiaNews that it is "only Dalits from the Tamil Nadu region who can influences lections by permitting their candidate to win (a seat)."
"Dalits most likely prefer Democratic Alliance ( together with the Congress)candidates to BJP candidates. Dalits from Uttar Pradesh probably have the chance to get Bahujan Samaj Party elected to office. But in other parts of India, there is little hope to influence elections outcomes," the professor said.
According to sources close to the Indian Bishops' Conference, there were 16 Christian members of Parliament (Lok Sabha) in the last legislature while there were just 7 altogether In the Upper House (Rajya Sabha).
In general India's poor population tends to support the Congress Party. "Campaign slogans like 'Shining India' e 'Feel Good'," said a Calcutta resident "are only geared toward the middle-high to high (Indian) business class. The masses are do not feel any association with them."