Higher percentage of Gujarat families live in kuccha houses, Dalits dependence on casual labour more than India average

By Rajiv Shah

The latest Socio Economic and Caste Survey (SECC) 2011, released recently by Government of India, has revealed that, despite claims of Gujarat "model" to remove poverty, things are not so rosy as it may seem for the vulnerable sections of rural population. Not only do a much higher proportion of families in Gujarat live in kuccha houses, more Dalit households are dependent on manual casual labour than most of the 21 major states.

SECC data show that Gujarat’s 44.52 per cent rural families live in kuccha houses, which is worse than all major 21 states with the exception of poor states such as Chhattisgarh, Assam, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar. The national average of families living in kuccha houses is 43.5 per cent. Though it is supposed to be a caste census, there is, however, no breakup separately for Dalits, Adivasis and "Others" -- the three categories worked out by SECC for providing separate data -- for the type of houses they live in.

Yet, there are spots which show up what's wrong with Gujarat "model". Thus, there are higher proportion of Dalit households in rural Gujarat dependent on manual casual labour than 15 other Indian states. An analysis of 21 major states suggests that more Dalit households than Gujarat are dependent on manual casual labour only in four states – Punjab (77.2 per cent), Bihar (76.21 per cent), Haryana (73.22 per cent), and Kerala 64.92 per cent).

The SECC data further reveal that, when it comes to income, only 6.8 per cent of Dalit households have highest earning persons earning more than Rs 10,000 in Gujarat. This is less than eight out of 21 major states – Jammu & Kashmir (16.61 per cent), Himachal Pradesh (16.35 per cent), Uttarkhand (7.62 per cent), Assam (7.58 per cent), Maharashtra (7.29 per cent), Jharkhand (7.01 per cent), Punjab (6.98 per cent), and Haryana (6.8 per cent).

As for Adivasis in Gujarat, there may be a much lower proportion of Adivasi households compared to the Dalits who are dependent on manual casual labour (35.62 per cent), which is the exact equal to the all-India average. This may be because they may be dependent on collecting forest produce. Even then, this is worse than 11 other states.

Further, there are just 4.33 per cent Adivasi households in Gujarat whose highest earning members' income is more than Rs 10,000. This is against Dalits’ 6.8 per cent, and Others’ 11.39 per cent. The Others category includes all non-Dalits and non-Adivasis and consists of other backward classes, minorities and Hindu upper castes. The all-India average is 4.48 per cent families.

The SECC data further suggest that, in the ownership of assets, the state’s Dalits and Adivasis are worse off than those forming part of the Others category. Thus, in rural Gujarat, there are 29.99 per cent Other households who own a motorized two wheelers – model or motorbike – as against 18.11 per cent Dalits and 14.04 per cent Adivasis.

The SECC data also suggest that 20.19 per cent Other households which have refrigerators, as against Dalits’ 8.39 per cent and Adivasis’ 4.98 per cent. Further, while there are 79.52 per cent Other households which have either mobile or landline phone at their residence, as against 74.32 per cent Dalits and 56.27 per cent Adivasis.

Interesting though it may seem, average households' assets in Gujarat households are to be found be better than most of Indian Indian states. Thus, on an average, 25.83 per cent of Gujarat’s households own two-wheelers, which is higher than all states except Punjab (40.95 per cent), Tamil Nadu (29.91 per cent), Haryana (27.08 per cent), and Telangana (26.95 per cent).

Then, 16.19 per cent Gujarat households have refrigerators, with the national average being 11.4 per cent. And, Gujarat’s 25.8 per cent households do not have either mobile or landline, as against the national average of 27.93 per cent.

Comments

Gujarat Information Commission issues warning against misinterpretation of RTI orders

By A Representative The Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) has issued a press note clarifying that its orders limiting the number of Right to Information (RTI) applications for certain individuals apply only to those specific applicants. The GIC has warned that it will take disciplinary action against any public officials who misinterpret these orders to deny information to other citizens. The press note, signed by GIC Secretary Jaideep Dwivedi, states that the Right to Information Act, 2005, is a powerful tool for promoting transparency and accountability in public administration. However, the commission has observed that some applicants are misusing the act by filing an excessive number of applications, which disproportionately consumes the time and resources of Public Information Officers (PIOs), First Appellate Authorities (FAAs), and the commission itself. This misuse can cause delays for genuine applicants seeking justice. In response to this issue, and in acc...

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Uttarakhand tunnel disaster: 'Question mark' on rescue plan, appraisal, construction

By Bhim Singh Rawat* As many as 40 workers were trapped inside Barkot-Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi after a portion of the 4.5 km long, supposedly completed portion of the tunnel, collapsed early morning on Sunday, Nov 12, 2023. The incident has once again raised several questions over negligence in planning, appraisal and construction, absence of emergency rescue plan, violations of labour laws and environmental norms resulting in this avoidable accident.

Targeted eviction of Bengali-speaking Muslims across Assam districts alleged

By A Representative A delegation led by prominent academic and civil rights leader Sandeep Pandey visited three districts in Assam—Goalpara, Dhubri, and Lakhimpur—between 2 and 4 September 2025 to meet families affected by recent demolitions and evictions. The delegation reported widespread displacement of Bengali-speaking Muslim communities, many of whom possess valid citizenship documents including Aadhaar, voter ID, ration cards, PAN cards, and NRC certification.

'MGNREGA crisis deepening': NSM demands fair wages and end to digital exclusions

By A Representative The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha (NSM), a coalition of independent unions of MGNREGA workers, has warned that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is facing a “severe crisis” due to persistent neglect and restrictive measures imposed by the Union Government.

Gandhiji quoted as saying his anti-untouchability view has little space for inter-dining with "lower" castes

By A Representative A senior activist close to Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar has defended top Booker prize winning novelist Arundhati Roy’s controversial utterance on Gandhiji that “his doctrine of nonviolence was based on an acceptance of the most brutal social hierarchy the world has ever known, the caste system.” Surprised at the police seeking video footage and transcript of Roy’s Mahatma Ayyankali memorial lecture at the Kerala University on July 17, Nandini K Oza in a recent blog quotes from available sources to “prove” that Gandhiji indeed believed in “removal of untouchability within the caste system.”

Job opportunities decreasing, wages remain low: Delhi construction workers' plight

By Bharat Dogra* It was about 32 years back that a hut colony in posh Prashant Vihar area of Delhi was demolished. It was after a great struggle that the people evicted from here could get alternative plots that were not too far away from their earlier colony. Nirmana, an organization of construction workers, played an important role in helping the evicted people to get this alternative land. At that time it was a big relief to get this alternative land, even though the plots given to them were very small ones of 10X8 feet size. The people worked hard to construct new houses, often constructing two floors so that the family could be accommodated in the small plots. However a recent visit revealed that people are rather disheartened now by a number of adverse factors. They have not been given the proper allotment papers yet. There is still no sewer system here. They have to use public toilets constructed some distance away which can sometimes be quite messy. There is still no...

Rally in Patna: Non-farmer bodies to highlight plight of agriculture in Eastern India ahead of march to Parliament

P Sainath By A Representative Ahead of the march to Parliament on November 29-30, 2018, organized by over 210 farmer and agricultural worker organisations of the country demanding a 21-day special session of Parliament to deliberate on remedial measures for safeguarding the interest of farm, farmers and agricultural workers, a mass rally been organized for November 23, Gandhi Sangrahalaya (Gandhi Museum), Gandhi Maidan, Patna. Say the organizers, the Eastern region merits special attention, because, while crisis of farmers and agricultural workers in Western, Southern and Northern India has received some attention in the media and central legislature, the plight of those in the Eastern region of the country (Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Eastern UP) has remained on the margins. To be addressed by P Sainath, founder of People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI), a statement issued ahead of the rally says, the Eastern India was the most prosperous regi...

India's health workers have no legal right for their protection, regrets NGO network

Counterview Desk In a letter to Union labour and employment minister Santosh Gangwar, the civil rights group Occupational and Environmental Health Network of India (OEHNI), writing against the backdrop of strike by Bhabha hospital heath care workers, has insisted that they should be given “clear legal right for their protection”.

Counterview

Search This Blog