Dalits (formerly known as untouchables) are some of the republic's most wretched citizens because of an unforgiving Hindu caste hierarchy that condemns them to the bottom of the heap.
Although untouchability among Hindus is widely documented and debated, its existence among India's Muslims is rarely discussed.
One reason possibly is that Islam does not recognise caste, and promotes equality and egalitarianism.
Most of India's 140 million Muslims are descended from local converts. Many of them converted to Islam to escape Hindu upper-caste oppression.
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