India's 'Untouchables' Forced To Work In Dangerous Sewers (VIDEO)

For all the progress seen in India's transformation into a modern global economy, the country remains strongly tied to the traditions of its caste system, which largely governs where Indians work and in what jobs.

Worldfocus special correspondent Martin Himmell reports on the lowest form of work, for members of India's lowest class.

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Comments

[DoesItMatter]

This is more an issue of infrastructure or lack of it than a caste issue. It is not the days of the past, people do not have to get into those jobs if they don't want them. India is a developing country and it needs to improve the working conditions of the people. This is a psy-ops on India as usual.

[IntellectuallyHonest]

Working in the sewers - the kind of job Americans won't do. Oh, so if an American does that job, there's no way he's American? That's what Bush said. As if we don't have a caste system here...

[krumschlag]

Actually I'd argue that what the US has is more like a class system.

[vesaversa1]

This is terrible conditions to work in if India can spend million of dollars to produce nuclear weapons why can't they give their peoples more humane working conditions in thier country .

[DoesItMatter]

Because a country has to spend money on all issues, just not on one. Nuclear energy and security is as important to the country as improving the conditions of its people.

[prscnt1]

Here we call them homeless, prisioners, gang-members, illegal immigrants, disadvantaged, etc. all of them untouchables....

[AhnAmuru]

How would one tell a person is of one cast or another?

[RaWash]

i'm not sure how the Indian caste system started, but 'untouchables' are born 'untouchable' by family line.. yes, there're even baby 'untouchables'!

[Asean4Obama]

I have lived in India and the lower-caste have no rights in India. When I walked through the streets of Calcutta with my Indian friends I saw a lower-caste begger. When I bought him some food and gave him 150 rupees which is about 3.50US$, my Indian friends told me not to give him anything because he was bad in his past life.

The lower-caste are getting daily abused (specially in land rights) in India and that's why I have been saying for years India is not the largest democracy in the world as long they can't fix the mistreatment. The current PM of India M. Singh is however serious in trying to tackle the problem including eduction and landright reforms but it will take another 50 years.

[vishix]

Hopefully reporting on this will help to improve their lot. Give them better equipment (eg. gloves and clothes). You can't turn around a country overnight but progress is being made.

[RIXX]

O "Progress is being made"

Progress is being made toward uneven distribution of wealth. Slums are slums...rich are even more rich....

[vishix]

you are too negative, you need more positive thinking in your life my friend.

[HappyMarsden]

If I were an Indian, living in India, I would like to be an "untouchable". I would probably be the richest Indian there is. Because I could go around stealing things from richer folk, and the Indian cops couldn't "touch me", so I would never end up in jail. That's the life.

[SColbert]

oh another story showing India as primitive, thanks. India offers positive contributions to the world, please cover them with the same amount of time.

[discourse jockey]

Yeah, the Untouchables are an inconvenient truth. Poor you.

[dispassionateobserver01]

The picture accompanying the story on your "main page" is that of a family in a village walking through a flooded village.

What gives huffpost? If you don't know what youre talking about, you ought to really ask!

[davidwayneosedach]

Wow! Hopefully world wide exposure of these practices will put an end to them.

[discourse jockey]

HAHAHA. Good one.

[Indie2008]

Lets send some money!

[discourse jockey]

I can see it now: "War on Caste System" !!

[hpobserver]

Sadly, I don't think that will happen and here's why.
The people perpetrating this are not those that will be concerned about international opinion or the blogosphere.
International opinion can sway government policy. This does not have anything to do with government policy or laws. Untouchability and the evils of the caste system are a societal problem and can only be solved by education.

[RIXX]

..yet another forum where you will never find those Kumars here...They run way from such stories.

Let me call them!

HellooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo.............

[RIXX]

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