International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) Volume 4 Issue 1, December 2019 Available Online: www.ijtsrd.com e-ISSN: 2456 – 6470 @ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID – IJTSRD29601 | Volume – 4 | Issue – 1 | November-December 2019 Page 483 Dalit of Odisha: A Case Study of the Dombos in Rayagada District Paramananda Naik Ph.D Research Scholar, Utkal, University Vani, Vihar Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India ABSTRACT The term “Dalit,” in Sanskrit is both a noun and an adjective. As a noun, Dalit can be used for all three genders, masculine, feminine and neuter. It has been derived from the root word “Dal” which means to crack, split etc. The word ‘Dalit’ has come to mean that things or persons come under, the category of downtrodden, scattered, crushed, destroyed etc. The listed 93 Scheduled Caste communities of Odisha are known as Dalit in Odishan social system. But, in fact, the untouchables among the Scheduled Castes are the Dalits. The Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes comprise about 16.6 % and 8.6 %, respectively of India’s population (according to the 2011 census). There are total population in socially untouchables and economically poor in the lowest point of social structure in Odisha. After of independence of India, their social, political, education justice, economic status has not been changed as expected. The examination and analysis of present status of Dalits will be made through empirical study. The outcome of this study will draw a clear picture of the position of Dalits in Odisha and it will motivate government and non- government agencies to take initiative to promote Dalits. KEYWORDS: Dalit, Scheduled Caste, Downtrodden, Scattered, destroyed How to cite this paper: Paramananda Naik "Dalit of Odisha: A Case Study of the Dombos in Rayagada District" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-4 | Issue-1, December 2019, pp.483-485, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd29 601.pdf Copyright © 2019 by author(s) and International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development Journal. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by /4.0) INRODUCTION The term “Dalit,” in Sanskrit is both a noun and an adjective. As a noun, Dalit can be used for all three genders, masculine, feminine and neuter. It has been derived from the root word “dal’’ which means to crack, split etc. The word ‘Dalit” has come to mean that things or persons come under, the category of downtrodden, scattered, crushed, destroyed etc. The term “Dalit” has also its parallel in Hebrew with the root “dal” means, weak, poor, helpless etc. Dalits have been the most degraded, downtrodden, exploited and the least educated people in our society. They have been socially, culturally, economically and politically subjugated and marginalized through three thousand years of our history and remain so, even after half-a-century of protective discrimination (as Scheduled Caste) under the aegis of the Government of India. The Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes comprise about 16.6 % and 8.6 %, respectively of India’s population (according to the 2011 census). The Constitution of India, introduced after the country gained independence included measures to improve the socio- economic conditions of Dalits. Besides abolishing untouchability, these include the reservation system, a means of positive discrimination that created the classifications of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward classes (OBCs). Communities that were categorised as being one of those groups were guaranteed a percentage of the seats in the national and state legislatures, as well as in government jobs and places of education. The system has its origins in the 1932 Poona Pact between Ambedkar and Gandhi, when Ambedkar conceded his demand that the Dalits should have an electorate separate from the Caste Hindus in return Gandhi accepting measures along these lines. In 2001, the quality of life of the Dalit population in India was not similar to that of the overall Indian population, on metrics such as access to health care, life expectancy, education attainability, access to drinking water and housing. In 2010 Dalits received international attention due to a portrait exhibition by Marcus Perkins that depicted Dalits. Odisha, a State in the union of India where in 51,311 villages and around 4,19,74,218 population are living (Census 2011). Rich in history and geography, the State is today one of the poorest states in the country. There are 22.85 percent of Odisha’s population belong to Tribal communities and around 17 percent population are belonging to Scheduled Caste in this State. The people are accustomed to celebrate a succession of festivals with great gusto round the year and are also reputed for producing by indigenous methods unique handicraft and excellent artefacts. Scheduled Caste population of the district constitutes 13.92 percent and among them the major Caste group is Dombo (76.12 per cent), within the Dalit community, there are many divisions into sub-castes. Dalits are dividing into leather workers, street sweepers, cobblers, agricultural works and manual “scavengers”. The latter group, considered the lowest of the low and officially estimated of dead animals, and cleaning human excreta. Approximately three-quarters of the country’s four million people who are bonded labours or Dalits. Their job rarely provided income for Dalits to feed their families or to send their children to school. As a effect, many Dalits are needy, uneducated and illiterate. IJTSRD29601