Abstract
Readers will be happy to know that we are planning to increase the frequency of the journal. From now onwards, we shall place before them three, instead of two, numbers of the journal each year. This will enable them to access a richer and more diverse bouquet of articles annually.
Even today, a large number of Dalits have to endure the pangs of extreme poverty. According to the United Nations, almost one-third of the Dalit population in India continues to live in poverty. As the interlinks between poverty and ill health are inseparable, it makes the Dalits particularly vulnerable to health hazards on multiple counts. Exposure to ill-paid, stressful and polluting working conditions that are frequently no better than death traps, together with perpetual nutritional deficiencies, tends to affect overall well-being and survival. Both physical and mental health are affected, as decent healthcare proves to be a luxury that the poor and marginalized Dalits can hardly afford. Under these circumstances, it is not surprising that the longevity of Dalit women happens to be around 15 years lesser than that of non-Dalit women, infant mortality rates are higher, and anaemia and stunting significantly higher amongst Dalit children. Needless to say, COVID-19 has had disastrous effects on the lives of an already stressed Dalit community. As Dalit health concerns demand urgent attention, we should not forget that the overall milieu of poverty afflicting the population group has to be addressed as a concomitant for effective correctives.
Several studies in this issue of the journal focus on the issues of poverty and health of the Dalits in India. These include an analysis of poverty estimates across the country, the dangers faced by the scavenger community during the pandemic and hunger in the state of Odisha. These apart, there are other articles such as those focusing on purely theoretical discussions, film and literature analysis. Further, in this issue, we have a couple of pieces that present the scenario of the hard lives of Dalits in Bangladesh and Nepal. In addition, there is our usual presentation of book reviews which we hope readers will find engaging.
Last but not least, we wish to remind our readers that the views expressed in the articles are those of the respective authors, and the Editorial Board is in no way accountable for them.