Punjab’s 32% Dalit Population Still Struggles for Power, Land and Equality

Out of Punjab’s 117 assembly constituencies, 34 seats are reserved for the Dalit community. Their numbers make them an important electoral force in the Vidhan Sabha, but Dalits have never ruled Punjab due to fragmentation within the community based on sub-caste divisions and religious differences.

The long-standing political and social dominance of Jat Sikhs has remained a major factor behind this imbalance. With ownership of agricultural land and influence over key rural institutions, the Jat community has continued to hold control over Punjab’s social and political landscape despite accounting for only 20 to 22 per cent of the state’s population.

The Bhagwant Mann-led cabinet has five Dalit cabinet ministers, including Harpal Singh Cheema, Dr Baljit Kaur, Lal Chand Kataruchak, Ravjot Singh and Mohinder Bhagat. This accounts for 27.78 per cent of the 18-member cabinet, including Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

The Congress government formed in 2022 had three Dalit Cabinet ministers, which increased to four after Charanjit Singh Channi, the first Dalit Chief Minister of Punjab, took charge of the government. Their representation stood between 16.67 per cent and 22 per cent respectively. The SAD-BJP government in 2017 had the same percentage of Dalit cabinet ministers.

The Congress appointed Charanjit Singh Channi as Chief Minister in 2022 in an effort to attract Dalit voters, but the strategy did not deliver the expected electoral outcome. The party secured only 31 per cent of Dalit community votes. The AAP received the highest share with 38 per cent Dalit votes, while SAD-BSP and BJP received 25 per cent and 6 per cent respectively.

Punjab’s only Dalit Chief Minister, Charanjit Channi, was last year seen seeking representation for the Dalit community in the state party organisation, which he said had been dominated by the upper-caste Jat community.

Despite having its roots in Punjab, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has never formed a government in the state. The Dalit community has largely expressed its political preferences through mainstream parties such as the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and AAP. BSP’s vote share declined from 4.3 per cent in 2012 to 1.5 per cent in 2017 and 1.78 per cent in 2022, indicating the party failed to gain the confidence of the Dalit community, which remained its primary votebank.

Economic inequality remains one of the biggest challenges facing Punjab’s Dalit population. Despite having a 31.94 per cent share in the state’s population, Dalits own only 3.5 per cent of agricultural land. Punjab has around 4.2 million hectares of agricultural land, which constitutes nearly 84 per cent of the state’s total geographical area.

Although Rule 6 of the Punjab Village Common Land (Regulation) Act 1964 provides for reserving one-third of cultivable Shamlat (village common land) for the Dalit community, the provision remains largely on paper. Lack of land ownership has restricted economic advancement among Dalits.

Around 73.3 per cent of Dalits live in villages and, being landless, many depend on agricultural labour for their livelihood. The absence of land ownership has also limited opportunities for migration abroad, unlike landowners who could mortgage their property to finance overseas movement.

In a state where 58 per cent of people follow Sikhism, a religion that preaches human equality and rejects the caste system, caste discrimination continues to exist. Dalits were not welcomed at Gurdwaras established by upper-caste communities. A study shows that Dalits who converted to Sikhism were compelled to establish more than 10,000 Gurdwaras and Ravidas Deras to assert religious and social autonomy. This has also contributed to mass conversions of Dalits to Christianity.

The Doaba region remains an exception, where Dalits form a majority in several areas. Some villages in the region have Dalit populations ranging between 40 and 65 per cent. Due to greater access to urban lifestyles, better education and non-agricultural occupations, Dalits in Doaba were able to migrate abroad, reducing their dependence on traditional village power structures compared with communities in the Malwa region.

“There is an urban and rural divide among the Dalit Communities. Those living in rural areas remain economically and socially weak. Migrations from the Doaba region have resulted in higher foreign remittances, which elevated the economic status of Dalit communities like Ad Dharmis and Chamars,” a study published in the National Geographical Journal of India, titled “Dalit Population in India: A Case of Punjab” by Surya Kanta confirms.

Education remains another area of concern. The 2011 Census recorded Punjab’s Dalit literacy rate at 64.81 per cent, compared with 75.84 per cent among non-Dalits. Dalit literacy in Punjab is also lower than the national average of 66.7 per cent.

Gender disparities are visible within the community. While 70.66 per cent of Dalit males were educated, only 58.39 per cent of Dalit females had received education.

Among different Dalit groups, the Ad Dharmis, who constitute 11.5 per cent of the total Dalit population and are concentrated mainly in the Doaba region, have one of the highest literacy rates at 76.4 per cent, matching or exceeding the state’s general average.

The Chamar, Ramdasia and Ravidassia communities together make up 23.5 per cent of Punjab’s Dalit population and have literacy rates between 68 and 72 per cent. The Balmiki community, which accounts for 9.8 per cent of the electorate, has a literacy rate between 52 and 56 per cent.

The Mazhabi Sikh community, comprising converted Dalits who adopted Sikhism and were called Rangrete Guru ke bete by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, represents 29.7 per cent of the Dalit population and has a literacy rate of 42.3 per cent.

The least educated among Dalit communities are nomadic and marginalised groups such as Bazigars, Bauria, Sansai and Dumna. These groups constitute 10 to 15 per cent of the total Dalit population and have literacy rates below 40 per cent.

Punjab’s Dalit communities are also regionally divided. The Doaba region is home to the Ad Dharmi community, the Majha region is the stronghold of Mazhabi Sikhs, while Malwa is jointly dominated by Mazhabi Sikhs and Chamars.

Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar has the highest Dalit population at 42.5 per cent, highlighting the demographic significance of the community in Punjab’s social and political landscape.