Preguntas Frecuentes

Jai Bhim: Victory to Bhim, slogan used by Indian social reformer Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar

tribal certificate, caste certificate: document proving that one is a member of a Scheduled Tribe or Scheduled Caste, social/economic/ethnic groups that historically were excluded and discriminated against and today receive some affirmative action programs.

Ration card: document that allows some low-income households to buy grain at a reduced price

tribal: member of scheduled tribe

STD code: Subscriber trunk dialling code, part of an India phone number

DGP: Director-General of Police

CMP: Criminal Miscellaneous Petition

SP: Superintendent of Police

SI: Sub-inspector

IG: Inspector general

HCP: habeas corpus petition

HC: Head constable

CBI: Central Bureau of Investigation

CM: Chief Minister

FIR: first information report, which begins an Indian criminal case

Untouchability: the state of being an untouchable or Dalit, the lowest caste.

Aavin: state government cooperative in Tamil Nadu, selling dairy products

lakhs: Hundreds of thousands (of rupees)

Silapathikaaram: Tamil epic poem about the love between a husband and wife

MISA, TADA, POTA: Maintenance of Internal Security Act, Terrorism and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, Prevention of Terrorism Act

Panchami Land: Land which was assigned to Untouchables in 1892; much of it was taken away since then