Untouchability, though prohibited by the Indian Constitution, continues to persist in various forms. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s research on the origin of untouchability revealed that its roots were neither racial nor occupational. His research explored the historical and sociopolitical context, highlighting how the rise of untouchability was linked to the Brahmins’ adoption of vegetarianism.

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• Untouchability is not rooted in racial or occupational causes, according to Dr. Ambedkar.
• Ambedkar referred to “broken men” who were originally in conflict with settled communities and lived on the fringes.
• The rise of untouchability coincided with the Brahmins renouncing beef and adopting vegetarianism around the 4th century AD.
• Brahmins’ shift to vegetarianism was a result of competition with Buddhists who emphasized non-violence.
• Communities that couldn’t abandon beef-eating, especially the “broken men,” were eventually socially isolated and treated as untouchables.
• Untouchability is permanent, hereditary, and unique, distinguishing it from other forms of impurity or pollution.
• Unlike other cultures, untouchability in India involves systemic and territorial segregation.
• Untouchables were often forced to live outside village boundaries as a result of their social exclusion.
• Dr. Ambedkar criticized both the racial and occupational theories of untouchability, highlighting their inadequacy.
• The phenomenon of untouchability is a historical and sociopolitical construct, deeply embedded in India’s social fabric.