Discussions on the caste system in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh tend to be less than those in India, but caste-based discrimination have been reported by the United Nations bodies and human rights groups in these countries. Unlike India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh do not have the official Caste categories as in India’s Central List (a catalog of castes) and therefore, there is little or no national data. This article highlights the major communities in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, differentiating the caste system in Sri Lanka from that of India, and identify Dalits in Bangladesh, and provide a legal framework in each country.
Caste system in Sri Lanka: how it is organized
Like in India, Sri Lanka also has its own caste system among Sinhalese and Tamil communities, and each operates differently (IDSN, ‘Caste Discrimination in Sri Lanka: An Overview’). As in India, Sri Lanka has no official caste categories of the Central list, and therefore no national quantitative data (‘Caste in Contemporary Sri Lanka, ResearchGate’). According to one author, unlike in India, the demographic shape is an inverted pyramid: the groups of high castes, like the Govigama and Vellala, are the larger segment of the population, and the so called untouchables, the smaller segment (Groundviews, ‘Caste in Sri Lanka and India’). Our comparison on India’s caste system, will be of help to understand this author’s argument.
Caste in Sri Lanka: Sinhalese society
Among the Sinhalese, the Govigama are the land-owning caste at the top of the status order (Wikipedia, “Govigama”). The low-country castes include the Salagama, Karava and Durava (Kalam, “A Historical Survey of Social Class and Caste System in Sri Lanka”). Some castes had low status but were not outcastes, and the groups described as the lowest are the Rodiya, Kinnara and Gahala (IDSN, “Casteless or Caste-blind?”). One source says that non-Govigama representation in Parliament is less than their population share (Wikipedia, “Govigama”). I did not verify this claim.
Rodiya caste
Rodiya is a Sinhalese social group described as untouchable, with a comparable status to untouchable castes in India, where they are segregated into separate communities and practice ritualized begging (Wikipedia, “Rodiya”). During the early years of the Sarvodaya movement, Rodiya villages were classified as neglected and depressed communities (IIDS, “Caste Discrimination and Social Justice in Sri Lanka”). See the log, since literature on the Rodiya is very limited.
Tamils in Jaffna and the Hill Country
Researchers say that the Tamils of Jaffna possess the most rigid system of caste within Sri Lanka. With discernible patterns of social inequity and discrimination based on a hierarchal notion of untouchability. The Vellalars who are the land-owning elite caste, are at the top, while the Panchamar which include the Nalavar and Pallar are at the bottom (IDSN, IIDS). In the Hill Country, the majority of Tamils who work in the plantation sector belong to Dalit caste groups. Caste in the Hill Country functions differently from the Jaffna peninsula, because Tamils here worked directly for the planters (Dravida Pozhil, “Social Justice in Sri Lankan Tamil Society”). Our Guide to Dalits explains the term used in India.
The laws of Sri Lanka
Article 12(2) of the Constitution of Sri Lanka 1978 states that discrimination on the basis of ‘descent, caste, religion, race, language, political or other opinion, sex, economic condition or birth’ is prohibited (IIDS). In 1957, the Sri Lankan Parliament passed the Prevention of Social Disabilities Act which penalized public officers for practicing or permitting caste discrimination (IDSN). Researchers have claimed the Act has been of little or no effect, and that no other caste-related legislation has been enacted (Caste in Contemporary Sri Lanka, ResearchGate). The IDSN study notes the current state policy as ‘caste-blind’ and argues that it inhibits the state from taking an active role in the implementation of positive measures to respond to the needs of the most affected and excluded groups in the communities (IDSN, “Casteless or Caste-blind?”).
What is the situation of Dalits in Bangladesh?
People from “low castes” in Bangladesh have been increasingly identifying as Dalits (IDSN, briefing note, 2015). An exact count is not available, but estimates range between 3.5 and 6.5 million of the 169 million people in the country (IDSN, joint NGO submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review, 2023). The Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement has grouped the Dalits in two broad categories. The first category includes people who were brought by the British to work as cleaners or in forest clearing and tea plantations. The second category comprises of people who have lived in the country and have traditionally been low caste due to their occupation (Sabrang India, “The ‘Harijans’ of Bangladesh”).
Of the documented Dalit castes, the Harijans are perhaps the best documented. A study on sweepers in Dhaka states that the stigma associated with their occupation and their low social status due to caste and class, has led to disparity in opportunities in education and employment. Further, the colony act, Britain’s policy of non-intervention in the political arena of the sub-continent, and capitalism created artificial scarcity and displacement in the country resulting in the impoverished condition of the people (ResearchGate, “Caste System and Resistance: The Case of Untouchable Hindu Sweepers in Bangladesh”). Our manual scavenging guide covers a related situation in India.
Hindu and Muslim Dalits
Bangladesh has both Hindu and Muslim majority population, where both communities practise hierarchical caste systems, and discrimination and untouchability are practised against both Hindu and Muslim Dalits (IDSN, ‘Dalits of Bangladesh’ factsheet). A study conducted for the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies mentioned 29.2 per cent of Hindu Dalits and 45.3 per cent of Muslim Dalits being denied entry into non-Dalit households (IDSN factsheet). A 2014 study mentioned 59 per cent of Dalits faced discrimination at their workplaces and 21 per cent of Dalits faced discrimination while seeking treatments in hospitals (IDSN, joint NGO submission, 2023). These studies are advocacy-related. Our page on Pasmanda Muslims explains caste among Muslims in India.
What Bangladesh’s law says
Bangladesh’s Constitution outlaws state-sponsored discrimination based on religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth (Article 28, as cited by IDSN). Dalit Groups and the Law Commission has drafted an anti-discrimination law and submitted it to the Law Ministry in April 2014 (IDSN, 2023). The Anti-Discrimination Bill, 2022 was introduced on April 5, 2022, and sent to a Parliamentary Standing Committee (IDSN, 2023). The submission notes the bill doesn’t make discrimination a crime (IDSN, 2023). I could not find the latest status of the bill and therefore, you may check the latest updates. UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination has expressed concerns on the persisting case system in Bangladesh (IDSN, UPR Submission, 2017).
Comparing South Asia’s caste systems: Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
| Sri Lanka | Bangladesh | |
|---|---|---|
| Main groups | Govigama, low-country castes, Rodiya; Vellalar and Panchamar (Tamils) | Dalits, sweepers (Harijans); Hindu and Muslim Dalits |
| Official data | None | None; estimates 3.5 to 6.5 million |
| Constitution | Article 12(2) names caste | Article 28 names caste |
| Specific law | 1957 Prevention of Social Disabilities Act | Anti-Discrimination Bill 2022; status unconfirmed |
Our article about UN approaches to caste and our comparison of other countries’ caste laws cover the rest of the world. (Communities documenting their history are now utilizing blogging skills, AI tools and email marketing. The Ambedkarite Educational Program seeks to provide these skills.)
Takeaway
Caste exists in Sri Lanka among Sinhalese (Rodiya at the bottom) and Tamils (Jaffna Panchamar and the Hill Country plantation workers). In Bangladesh, Dalit groups report 3.5 to 6.5 million Hindu and Muslim Dalits, including sweepers. Both countries place caste in their constitutions, but neither provides official data. Sri Lanka’s 1957 law is ineffective, and the status of Bangladesh’s Anti-Discrimination Bill (2022) is unknown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there caste in Sri Lanka?
Yes. Caste exists among the Sinhalese and the Tamils. Researchers describe the caste system among Jaffna Tamils as the most rigid, and the Rodiya as an untouchable group among the Sinhalese.
Who are the Rodiya?
A group described as untouchable among the Sinhalese of Sri Lanka, historically with segregated communities and ritualised begging.
Is there caste in Bangladesh?
Yes. Dalit groups report caste-based discrimination against Hindu and Muslim Dalits, with estimates of 3.5 to 6.5 million people. There is no official count.
Does Sri Lanka have a law against caste discrimination?
Article 12(2) of the Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds including caste, and the 1957 Prevention of Social Disabilities Act punishes caste discrimination in public institutions. Researchers say the Act has been ineffective.
Does Bangladesh have an anti-discrimination law?
The Constitution prohibits caste discrimination by the State. An Anti-Discrimination Bill was placed in Parliament in April 2022. I could not confirm whether it has passed.
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SOURCES
- IDSN, “Caste Discrimination in Sri Lanka: An Overview”
- IDSN, “Casteless or Caste-blind? Dynamics of Concealed Caste Discrimination, Social Exclusion and Poverty in Sri Lanka”
- IDSN / IIDS, “Caste Discrimination and Social Justice in Sri Lanka” (working paper)
- ResearchGate, “Caste in Contemporary Sri Lanka”
- Dravida Pozhil, “Social Justice in Sri Lankan Tamil Society,” 2023
- Groundviews, “Caste in Sri Lanka and India,” 2011
- Kalam, South Eastern University of Sri Lanka, “A Historical Survey of Social Class and Caste System in Sri Lanka,” 2014
- Wikipedia, “Govigama”
- Wikipedia, “Rodiya”
- IDSN, Joint NGO submission for the UPR of Bangladesh, 2023
- IDSN, UPR submission, 2017
- IDSN, “Discrimination against Dalits in Bangladesh,” briefing note, 2015
- IDSN, “Dalits of Bangladesh: Destined to a life of humiliation” (factsheet)
- Sabrang India, “The ‘Harijans’ of Bangladesh”
- ResearchGate, “Caste System and Resistance: The Case of Untouchable Hindu Sweepers in Bangladesh”
