Scheduled Caste Welfare: Myth or Reality

It is some what surprising that there has been little interest among the social scientists till now in exploring the actual operation of the various Government Schemes for the upliftment of Scheduled Castes and finding out how the Scheduled Caste people themselves viewed these schemes. Our preliminary observations in the localities of Scheduled Castes in villages and towns in Punjab made us aware of the vast differences between the cold statistics of what the official reports show and what actually happened at the level of village and Scheduled Caste people. The present study helps us understand the decision making process, the actual manner in which the schemes came to be implemented, and gives a clue to the actual experience and perception of the Dalits in this regard in Punjab. It provides significant insight in to the myth and the reality of state’s efforts for the upliftment of Scheduled Castes.