Caste and Occupation: A Systematic Literature Review of the Studies on Charmakars and Mehtars

Abstract

The right to occupation is a Fundamental Right guaranteed by the Constitution of India. When the Right to Occupation was introduced in our Constitution, its primary purpose was to offer people the freedom to choose an occupation of choice without any kind of restrictions. It is a means for the depressed classes of our society to break free from the burden of performing traditional occupations, which they were carrying on for generations before. These occupations tied them to the caste system, occupation being an important defining characteristic of caste. How far has India been able to ensure occupational mobility? Why do certain individuals continue in their traditional occupation? Are there particular castes that are required to continue with the traditional occupation? And similarly, are there particular castes that enjoy the right to occupational mobility more than the others? These are some of the significant questions that come to the forefront when one tries to understand the dynamics of caste and occupational mobility. This work has attempted to address this issue by reviewing the published research work on two castes, namely the Mehtar and the Chamhar or Charmakar. The Mehtar caste is at the lowest hierarchy in the caste system. It's a Scheduled Caste in the Constitution of India. Traditionally members of this caste served the community as sweepers and drainage cleaners, and still, a large number continue in the same occupation. The Chamhar or Charmakar is also a Scheduled Caste. Traditionally this caste was engaged in the work of cobblers and leatherworkers. The Charmakar are politically more mobilized and organized. The Mehtars, however, have been able to fetch the attention of society in recent times about the inhuman nature of the work they are forced into. Reviewing together the studies on these two castes is expected to enrich our understanding of how occupational mobility operates in a caste-ridden setup. This exercise would be helpful in undertaking future studies to resolve the dilemmas of occupational mobility.