THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
Bal Ram Sampla
Geopolitics
India is making international headlines with impressive economic growth of 8.2% and has become the world’s fourth-largest economy. Yet despite these sparkling numbers, Dalits—who make up about 16-17% of India’s population—remain trapped in poverty. Why does this growth leave them behind?
Growth Without Jobs
India’s economic growth hasn’t created enough jobs for ordinary people. The growth comes mainly from industries that use machines and technology, not from industries that hire many workers. About 45% of Indians still work in farming, even though farming only contributes 15% to the economy. Wages for regular workers have actually gone down in the last ten years, even as the economy grew.
Why Dalits Are Hit Hardest
Dalits face specific barriers that prevent them from benefiting. They’re the most likely to be landless, with upper caste families owning most agricultural land. Without land or education, Dalits cannot access better-paying jobs in growing sectors like technology, manufacturing, or services.
Why Aren’t Reservations Working?
India guarantees 15% reservation for Scheduled Castes in government jobs and education. So why aren’t Dalits rising?
(1) Reservations only cover government jobs and public universities.
The private sector, which generates most new jobs, has no reservation requirement. Many reserved positions remain unfilled even in government, and reservations don’t address other barriers like poverty or poor quality education.
(2) The “creamy layer” problem
A small group of relatively better-off Dalit families secures most reserved positions generation after generation, while the poorest Dalits remain completely excluded.
Even when Dalits secure reserved positions, discrimination continues. They’re often given low-level jobs despite qualifications and face hostility in educational institutions.
Why Aren’t Dalits Defending Their Constitutional Rights?
Dalits do organize and protest, but their movements face enormous challenges:
(I) Political fragmentation
Dalit political parties like the BSP have lost influence. Dalit voters are now divided across multiple parties, diluting their political power. Many leaders have been absorbed into mainstream parties where they have limited ability to push for change.
(2) Economic desperation and fear
When you’re struggling to survive, political organizing becomes difficult. Crimes against Scheduled Castes increased by over 13% between 2019 and 2022. Standing up for rights can mean risking your life or livelihood.
(3) The system divides them
Upper-caste interests create “creamy layer” debates that pit poorer Dalits against slightly better-off ones, promote sub-categorization, and offer small benefits to co-opt potential leaders.
(4) Weak enforcement
The legal system, police, and bureaucracy remain dominated by upper castes. Constitutional rights exist on paper, but enforcement is weak or non-existent. Even when cases are filed, conviction rates are extremely low.
The Bottom Line
GDP growth measures total economic output but doesn’t tell us who gets the benefits. India’s 8.2% growth is highly concentrated—upper castes dominate the richest wealth groups while those in agriculture see no improvement.
Reservations have helped create a small Dalit middle class but haven’t transformed conditions for the majority. The system is incomplete, poorly implemented, and increasingly diluted. Meanwhile, Dalit political power has fragmented, and the community faces active efforts to divide and weaken it.
Without comprehensive change—land reform, quality education, strict enforcement of anti-discrimination laws, private sector inclusion, and genuine political representation—even faster growth and expanded reservations will continue to bypass the majority of Dalits. The wealth is being created, but it’s flowing to those who already have advantages: land, education, capital, and caste privilege.
Until India confronts the cultural foundations of caste hierarchy, sparkling GDP numbers will remain just that—numbers that look good in headlines but don’t translate into better lives for its most marginalized citizens.
References
1.https://www.outlookindia.com/national/creamy-layer-implications-for-dalits-does-caste-discrimination-discriminate-based-on-financial-status–news-244130
2.https://www.roundtableindia.co.in/who-truly-benefits-from-the-creamy-layer-in-reservation-policies/
3.https://www.finanzen.ch/nachrichten/zinsen/india-economic-growth-climbs-to-8-2percent-strongest-since-early-2024-1035603621
4.https://www.deccanherald.com/business/economy/indias-gdp-grow-at-78-in-q4fy24-3046647
5.https://www.levyinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/wp_566.pdf
6.https://tradingeconomics.com/india/full-year-gdp-growth
