Inclusion-Exclusion Game: The Case of the Kami, Damai and Sarki in Sikkim

Abstract

The Kami, Damai and Sarki caste-communities of Sikkim are traditionally viewed as the ‘untouchables’, who find their place in the lowest rungs of the Nepali caste hierarchy. According to The Constitution (Sikkim) Scheduled Castes Order, 1978, the only Kami, Damai and Sarki who are classified as Scheduled Castes (SCs) are those who practice Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. However, the Kami, Damai and Sarki who follow Christianity or lack a Certificate of Identification (COI) are not included in the aforementioned category and are unable to obtain a Scheduled Caste (SC) certificate. While reservation and protective discrimination are in place to uplift the marginalised communities, such efforts and policies will never fully be efficacious when all the sections of the marginalised are not included in the schedule. One of the key goals of the “Reservation Policy” is upward social mobility, but including some and excluding others leads to a lopsided upliftment. Those sections of Kami, Damai and Sarki who are not a part of the SC category cannot avail the benefits of reservation in education, jobs, etc., therefore, they do not just face the caste exclusion and discrimination but are also administratively deprived. Based on the data drawn from fieldwork in Mellidara-Paiyong GPU South, Sikkim, the present paper attempts to explain the challenges faced by the Kami, Damai and Sarki who are excluded from the SC category and how this administrative exclusion translates in their everyday life. By making use of case studies, the paper seeks to highlight how everyday life experiences and interactions are impacted by inclusion in and exclusion from the Scheduled Caste Category.