Why Understanding Casteism is Critical in Understanding India’s Informal Settlement Structure

10/01/23

“Why is understanding casteism critical in understanding India’s informal settlement structure?”

Tens of millions of people live in informal settlements in India. Often cut off from basic infrastructure systems, these people live at the margins of societal power, working strenuous hours for meager wages to support their livelihoods. But how did they end up in such a situation? Well, India has a rigid Caste system going back millennia that delineates a person’s hierarchical standing at birth. People viewed as the lowest worth, called Dalits, could not own land and had to labor in slave-like conditions for higher castes. This means that they were very poor, and the only places they could afford were in informal settlements. Rigid caste discrimination keeps opportunities out of their reach to this day, so they are often forced to stay in informal settlements. This is Why Understanding Casteism is Critical in Understanding India’s Informal Settlement Structure.