Editor TLN
The difference is thousands of rupees, according to an Oxfam report on discrimination in India. Something similar happens with access to agricultural credit: although disadvantaged castes and tribal groups are numerically significant, they only receive 25% of the financing granted to other castes.
New Delhi () – Every month, in urban areas of India, people belonging to disadvantaged groups (Scheduled costs Y scheduled tribes) earn an average of Rs 5 thousand less than other workers. On the other hand, Muslim workers earn Rs 7 thousand less than non-Muslims. These figures become very significant when compared to the average salary calculated without distinction of religion and caste, which is just over 20 thousand rupees (about 250 euros).
These are the data provided by the “Report on Discrimination in India 2022”, edited by the international NGO Oxfam, which provides an overview of the difficulties faced by Muslims and disadvantaged groups. For example, in the year 2019-20 only 15.6% of the urban Muslim population over the age of 15 had a regular paid job, compared to 23.3% of non-Muslims.
“When it comes to salaried workers, during the Covid period Muslims were the group most affected by the crisis: in rural areas, they recorded the largest drop in income -13%, while for the others the decrease was -13%”. nearly 9%,” the report reads.
“Caste,” the Oxfam study continues, “also acts as a major barrier in accessing credit for agriculture. Although many farmworkers come from scheduled caste communities or tribal groups, they receive less than a quarter of the credit other castes receive”.
