Cities 1

The modern cities of India have been developed on the basis of industrial and commercial activities. The untouchables moved to cities to escape the social indignity, oppression at the hands of landed castes and the innocence of villages overflowing with hatred. The failure of rural system to provide them with enough means of sustenance also lent a causative hand. The insulted, tormented, hand to mouth living untouchables moved to cities in much more number than other castes. After land reforms the upper castes also moved to cities and got entrenched in all the important activities where the social value added and economic value added was the highest. Others also moved out of villages out of necessities but most of them stayed back. They stayed back due to attachment with their piece of village land and their relatives who lived there. One more reason to stay back in the villages was that the people did not have any linkage with the cities in the sense they did not have any relative living in the cities who could offer them a place to live and offer guidance.


For the untouchables one added advantage was the anonymity provided by the city. They could move in the city crowd without any chance of being insulted. They did not have to feel tormented while moving on the streets. They could become simply another face in the crowd. There was nobody to call them by their derogatory caste names thus reminding them of their insulted selves.