Are Dalits in India prosperous?

 Dalits in India are not generally prosperous. They face extreme levels of social discrimination, which directly impacts their ability to become economically empowered

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. According to a report, less than a third of Dalits are literate, and well over 40% survive on less than $2 a day

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. Infant mortality rates are dramatically higher among Dalits than among higher castes, and they are far more likely to be underweight and far less likely to get postnatal care

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. However, there is a tiny but growing group of wealthy Dalit business people, and Dalits have experienced gains as the country’s economy has expanded

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The new market economy has replaced social markers with material markers, and Dalits can buy rank in the market economy

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. According to Chandra Bhan Prasad, a Dalit activist and researcher who has championed capitalism among the untouchables, India is moving from a caste-based to a class-based society, where if you have all the goodies in life and your bank account is booming, you are acceptable

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bard

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nbcnews

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nytimes