Economic Status of Paraiya Women in Madurai Disrict

Abstract

Scheduled Caste people in Madurai District who constitute one fifth of the total population of Tamil Nadu become economically and socially backward for centuries together, of whom, major part of them lived in villages or segregated places. Wherever the Scheduled Caste people lived, their economic condition was not good. In the rural areas, they worked as landless agricultural labourers as coolies on daily wages. Most of them were agricultural coolies, on daily wages and dependent entirely upon the property owners. They lived under the control of the property owners, the land on which they worked belonged to the property owners. They did not have habit of saving. They suffered from repayment of debts. They lived in thatched huts in segregated places of no ventilation or sanitation. Due to the strict restrictions imposed on Scheduled Castes, They were socially immobilized largely. Moreover, they were denied good opportunities, their influence and ability were denied good opportunities, and their influence and ability were underestimated. The Economic backwardness would contribute to social backwardness; hence, the economic status of Scheduled Caste should be enhanced. The Central and State Government realized the fact that the government had to do something for the betterment of them in India since independence. The Government introduced schemes of assigning house-sites to the needy Scheduled Caste people from 1947 onwards.