untouchables

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untouchables Fifth and lowest varna (class) of the Indian caste system, making up c.20% of India's population. The term arises from the belief among higher castes, such as Brahmin, that to touch panchamas amounts to ritual pollution or defilement. Although their pariah status and the resultant social injustice were legally abolished in India (1949) and Pakistan (1953), much discrimination remains. See also Hinduism

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