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Untouchable

Untouchables, historically comprising the lowest stratum outside the four-fold varna system of Hindu society, were individuals and groups deemed ritually impure due to their occupations or purported accumulated sins from past lives, resulting in severe social exclusion and prohibitions against physical contact, shared resources, or communal participation with higher castes.^[1]^[2] This practice of untouchability, rooted in concepts of purity and pollution elaborated in later Hindu texts and customs rather than the Vedic scriptures themselves, affected an estimated 160 million people in India as of the early 21st century, primarily through hereditary assignment to menial tasks like sanitation, leatherwork, or scavenging.^[1]^[3] The defining characteristic of untouchables—later self-identified as Dalits, a term connoting those "broken" by oppression—has been the enforcement of spatial and ritual segregation, which extended to barring entry into temples, wells, or homes of caste Hindus, often justified by interpretations of dharma texts emphasizing hierarchical purity.^[4]^[5] Although untouchability lacks explicit sanction in the Rigveda or early varna delineations, it crystallized over centuries through socio-economic rigidification, with some scholars attributing its intensification to post-Vedic developments like the exclusion of beef-eaters or nomadic integrations into the hierarchy's margins.^[3] In modern India, the practice was constitutionally abolished under Article 17 in 1950, accompanied by affirmative action quotas for Scheduled Castes, yet empirical surveys indicate its persistence in rural areas through interpersonal discrimination, such as refusal to share utensils or inter-caste violence, undermining poverty reduction efforts among these groups.^[6]^[7] Key figures like B.R. Ambedkar, himself born into an untouchable Mahar caste, catalyzed reforms by converting to Buddhism en masse in 1956 to reject the system, while ongoing controversies revolve around enforcement gaps, with reports documenting thousands of caste-based atrocities annually despite legal prohibitions.^[4]^[8] This enduring legacy highlights tensions between traditional ritual logics and egalitarian legal frameworks, with urban migration and education gradually eroding overt practices but not eliminating subtler biases in employment and marriage.^[7]

Historical Origins and Religious Foundations

The varna system, foundational to later caste distinctions, first appears in the Purusha Sukta of the Rigveda (Mandala 10, Hymn 90), dated approximately to 1500–1200 BCE, which metaphorically describes the primordial being Purusha dismembered to form society: Brahmins from the mouth (priests and scholars), Kshatriyas from the arms (warriors and rulers), Vaishyas from the thighs (merchants and farmers), and Shudras from the feet (laborers and servants).^[9] This hymn establishes a functional hierarchy tied to cosmic order (ṛta) but contains no reference to untouchables or practices of ritual exclusion beyond varna roles; early Vedic society, as inferred from texts, emphasized mobility and tribal affiliations over rigid pollution taboos.^[10] Explicit notions of outcastes (avarnas) emerge in later Vedic and post-Vedic texts, such as the Atharvaveda (c. 1000–800 BCE) and dharmasutras (c. 600–200 BCE), where groups like Chandalas are depicted as impure due to mixed varna origins (e.g., Shudra women with higher varna men) or occupations involving death, waste, or execution.^[11] These texts prescribe spatial segregation and avoidance to prevent ritual contamination, marking the transition from fluid varna to hereditary exclusion; untouchability likely solidified during the Later Vedic period (c. 1000–600 BCE) amid agrarian expansion and incorporation of non-Aryan groups into polluting roles, though direct evidence remains textual rather than archaeological.^[12] Religiously, untouchability draws from Brahmanical doctrines of purity (śuddhi) and pollution (aśuddhi) in dharmashastras like the Manusmriti (c. 200 BCE–200 CE), which in verses such as 5.131–132 and 10.39–56 classify Chandalas as inherently defiling, requiring upper varnas to shun their touch, shadows, or dwellings to preserve dharma and ritual efficacy.^[9] This framework posits pollution as a metaphysical force disrupting cosmic harmony, hereditary for avarnas due to karmic or birth-based impurity, though the Manusmriti focuses more on Shudra subordination than a distinct untouchable category; scholars like B.R. Ambedkar argued such texts reflect later orthodox efforts to marginalize rivals like Buddhists, rather than primordial Vedic intent.^[13] Empirical analysis of ancient texts reveals untouchability as an accretion to varna ideology, intensified by jati (subcaste) proliferation around the Gupta era (c. 300–600 CE), where occupational pollution justified social ostracism without universal scriptural mandate.^[10]

Colonial and Pre-Colonial Dynamics

In pre-colonial India, untouchability emerged as a social exclusion mechanism tied to notions of ritual purity and pollution, with roots traceable to dharmashastra texts such as the Manusmriti (composed between approximately 200 BCE and 200 CE), which prescribed severe restrictions on interactions with groups engaged in occupations like cremation, sanitation, or leatherwork deemed impure.^[14] These texts categorized such communities as outside the fourfold varna system, subjecting them to rules of avoidance, such as prohibiting shared resources or physical contact, though the Vedic period (circa 1500–500 BCE) lacks explicit references to untouchables, suggesting the practice crystallized later amid the proliferation of jati (sub-caste) endogamy and occupational specialization.^[15] By the medieval era (circa 600–1500 CE), particularly in South India, untouchables—often termed panchamas or fifth category—were relegated to settlements outside village boundaries, barred from temples and wells, and enforced through customary sanctions, as evidenced in Tamil regional histories and inscriptions documenting their marginalization in agrarian societies.^[12] This system persisted variably across regions, with dynamics influenced by local power structures, guild monopolies, and periodic Buddhist or Jain critiques that occasionally mitigated but rarely eradicated exclusion.^[16] Under British colonial rule (1757–1947), initial non-interference policies evolved into administrative interventions that rigidified caste boundaries, beginning with the decennial censuses from 1871 onward, which enumerated and hierarchized thousands of jatis into varna-like categories for revenue and governance purposes, thereby amplifying self-identification and competitive claims to status among groups.^[17] Untouchables, labeled "depressed classes" in official discourse by the early 1900s, faced heightened visibility through these enumerations—numbering around 50 million by the 1931 census—prompting British reforms like the 1909 Morley-Minto Reforms' limited separate electorates and the 1935 Government of India Act's expanded provisions, which aimed to empower them politically but often served divide-and-rule tactics rather than socioeconomic uplift.^[18] Christian missionaries, active from the 19th century, documented and publicized abuses such as forced labor and temple exclusions, facilitating conversions among approximately 5–10% of untouchables by 1947, while colonial ethnography, drawing on Brahmanical sources, framed untouchability as an indigenous "racial" or occupational defect, influencing policies that preserved rather than dismantled the practice.^[19] These dynamics, critiqued by Indian reformers like B.R. Ambedkar for inadequate action, intertwined with emerging nationalist movements, setting the stage for post-colonial constitutional abolition.^[20]

Post-Independence Reforms and Persistence

India's Constitution, adopted on January 26, 1950, explicitly abolished untouchability through Article 17, which states that "untouchability is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden," with enforcement of related disabilities deemed punishable.^[21] Article 15 further prohibits discrimination on grounds of caste in access to public places and services, while Articles 16 and 46 mandate reservations in public employment and education for Scheduled Castes (SCs), formerly known as untouchables, to promote their upliftment.^[22] These provisions marked a foundational shift from colonial-era tolerance of caste practices to active state intervention against hereditary discrimination. Legislative efforts intensified with the Untouchability (Offences) Act of 1955, which criminalized practices like denying access to temples, wells, or roads based on caste, later amended and renamed the Protection of Civil Rights Act in 1976 to strengthen penalties.^[23] The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989 expanded protections by defining specific offenses such as humiliation, social boycott, or violence against SCs and STs, mandating special courts for speedy trials and prohibiting anticipatory bail for accused upper-caste individuals.^[24] Amendments in 2015 and 2018 restored stricter provisions after a Supreme Court ruling diluted safeguards, aiming to address implementation gaps.^[25] Despite these measures, untouchability persists in both rural and urban settings, with practices including segregated water sources, barred temple entry, and social exclusion reported across states.^[26] A 2025 government report indicated over 97% pendency in untouchability cases under the Protection of Civil Rights Act, with only 13 cases registered in 2022 and most pending or resulting in acquittals due to evidentiary challenges and witness intimidation.^[27] Conviction rates under the SC/ST Atrocities Act have declined, hovering below 30% in recent years, reflecting poor enforcement, underreporting, and judicial delays amid rising registered crimes—over 50,000 annually against SCs alone as of 2023.^[28] Affirmative action has yielded measurable gains, such as increased SC representation in education and bureaucracy—SCs comprising about 15% of India's population now hold reserved parliamentary seats and quotas in institutions—but socioeconomic disparities endure, with SC literacy rates lagging at 66% versus 74% nationally in 2021 census data, and poverty rates twice the average.^[29] Rural surveys document ongoing segregation, like Dalits using separate utensils in 40-50% of villages, underscoring that legal bans have not eradicated cultural norms rooted in endogamy and ritual purity.^[30] High-profile incidents, including the 2022 killing of a Dalit child for drinking from an upper-caste pot, highlight enforcement failures despite activism and monitoring bodies like the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.^[30]

Criticisms, Achievements, and Alternative Viewpoints

Despite the constitutional abolition of untouchability under Article 17 of the Indian Constitution in 1950, the practice endures in various forms, particularly in rural areas where over 80% of incidents occur, manifesting as social exclusion, forced segregation in public spaces, and ritual pollution avoidance.^[1] Empirical surveys, such as those from the India Human Development Survey, reveal ongoing caste-based discrimination in access to temples, water sources, and shared facilities, with upper-caste households often enforcing separation from Scheduled Caste (SC) individuals.^[7] Official data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) recorded 57,627 crimes against SCs in 2023, including murder, rape, and assault, reflecting a 0.4% rise from the previous year and underscoring enforcement gaps in laws like the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.^[31] Critics, including human rights organizations, argue this persistence indicates systemic failure, with low conviction rates—often below 30%—exacerbated by witness intimidation and police bias favoring dominant castes.^[32] Achievements in combating untouchability include robust legal prohibitions and affirmative action policies, which have elevated SC literacy rates to 66.1% as per the 2011 Census, up from 54.7% in 2001, narrowing the gap with the national average of 73% through targeted scholarships and quotas.^[33] Reservation systems in education, employment, and politics have produced SC representation in legislatures—over 16% of Lok Sabha seats—and enabled figures like presidents from Dalit backgrounds, fostering upward mobility and reducing absolute poverty among SCs from 52% in 1993-94 to around 31% by 2011-12 via economic schemes.^[34] State-level initiatives, such as Tamil Nadu's Untouchability Eradication Front surveys identifying 88 discriminatory practices since 2007, have driven awareness campaigns and panchayat-level awards for integration efforts, contributing to declining primary school completion gaps between SCs and others.^[35] Alternative viewpoints challenge the narrative of untouchability as an immutable Hindu doctrine, positing it as a later medieval intensification of jati endogamy rather than the fluid Vedic varna system, which emphasized occupational roles and ritual purity without absolute exclusion.^[36] Scholarly analyses suggest caste hierarchies served functional division of labor in agrarian societies, with pollution concepts evolving pragmatically from hygiene and guild protections rather than inherent inferiority, and some rural studies indicate Dalits themselves invoke caste ideology to assert superiority over lower subgroups.^[37] Pew Research data from 2021 shows only 20% of Indians perceive widespread SC discrimination, implying perceptual exaggeration in activist accounts, while materialist perspectives frame caste persistence as tied to land ownership and economic power dynamics rather than purely religious prejudice.^[38] These views critique affirmative action for entrenching divisions, arguing market-driven mobility and urbanization have organically diluted practices more than quotas, though empirical persistence metrics temper such optimism.^[39]

Notable Individuals

Figures in Crime and Invincibility Narratives

John Gotti, who assumed leadership of New York's Gambino crime family in 1985 following the murder of Paul Castellano, became synonymous with untouchability through his nickname "Teflon Don," reflecting how federal charges in three trials from 1986 to 1990 failed to result in convictions due to aggressive witness intimidation and alleged jury tampering.^[40] Gotti's operations encompassed extortion, loan-sharking, and at least five ordered murders, yet his high-profile acquittals and media-savvy persona cultivated a narrative of invincibility, with public displays of defiance that mocked law enforcement.^[41] This facade crumbled in 1992 when underboss Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano defected and testified against him, leading to life sentences for racketeering and murder; Gotti died in prison in 2002.^[40] Leroy "Nicky" Barnes, a dominant Harlem heroin distributor in the 1970s, controlled a network importing and selling millions of dollars in drugs annually through the "Country Boys" syndicate, evading capture via strict compartmentalization and corruption of local officials, earning him the title "Mr. Untouchable" after a 1977 New York Times Magazine cover story highlighted his brazen impunity.^[42]^[43] Barnes's narrative of invincibility stemmed from his ability to operate openly amid New York City's heroin epidemic, boasting in interviews of outmaneuvering federal agents, but intensified RICO investigations and his 1977 cooperation with authorities—motivated by betrayal from associates—yielded convictions for him and dozens of accomplices, culminating in a life sentence later reduced for testimony.^[42] James "Whitey" Bulger, head of Boston's Winter Hill Gang from the 1970s to 1990s, exemplified protected untouchability as a secret FBI informant starting in 1975, supplying intelligence on the rival Angiulo crime family that shielded his own enterprises in extortion, gambling, loansharking, and at least 19 murders while avoiding scrutiny for over a decade.^[44]^[45] Bulger's story fueled perceptions of systemic invincibility, enabled by corrupt FBI agent John Connolly, until a 1994 tip prompted his flight; after 16 years as one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives—fleeing with $1 million in cash—he was arrested in Santa Monica, California, on June 22, 2011.^[44] Convicted in 2013 on 31 of 32 racketeering counts, including participation in 11 murders, Bulger received two life terms plus five years; he was killed in prison in 2018.^[44]

Cultural and Historical Personages

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891–1956), born into the Mahar caste classified as untouchable, emerged as a leading advocate for the rights of those subjected to caste-based discrimination in India. He organized the Mahad Satyagraha in 1927, a mass protest demanding access to public water resources denied to untouchables, highlighting the systemic exclusion embedded in Hindu social practices.^[46] As chairman of the drafting committee for India's Constitution, adopted on January 26, 1950, Ambedkar incorporated Article 17, which explicitly abolishes untouchability and forbids its practice in any form, marking a legal cornerstone against hereditary pollution-based hierarchies.^[47] His critique of untouchability extended to religious texts, arguing they perpetuated inequality, and in 1956, he led the mass conversion of over 500,000 followers to Buddhism as a rejection of Hinduism's caste framework, emphasizing self-respect over ritual purification.^[48] Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948), though from the upper-caste Bania community, conducted extensive campaigns against untouchability, viewing it as a moral stain on Hinduism incompatible with non-violence and equality. From 1932 to 1934, he undertook a nationwide tour, founding the Harijan Sevak Sangh to promote education and temple entry for untouchables, whom he termed "Harijans" (children of God), and fasted in 1932 against separate electorates for them proposed in the Communal Award, prioritizing Hindu unity.^[49] Gandhi's efforts included personal acts like cleaning latrines to symbolize rejection of pollution taboos, but his approach emphasized internal reform within Hinduism, differing sharply from Ambedkar's insistence on structural annihilation of caste, as evidenced by their public debates at the 1931 Round Table Conference.^[50] Among medieval Bhakti saints, Ravidas (c. 1450–1520), a Chamar leatherworker deemed untouchable, composed devotional poetry rejecting caste distinctions and advocating spiritual equality before God, influencing Sikh scriptures included in the Adi Granth. His verses, such as those envisioning a casteless "Begumpura," directly assailed untouchability as a human invention antithetical to divine unity, fostering early resistance among low-caste devotees.^[51] Similarly, Chokhamela (c. 14th century), a Mahar untouchable from Maharashtra, exemplified devotion to Vitthal despite exclusion from temples, authoring abhangas that equated untouchable labor with sacred service and critiqued Brahminical barriers, thereby pioneering bhakti as a vehicle for social critique within the Varkari tradition.^[52] These figures, through poetry and lived piety, challenged the causal link between birth and ritual impurity, predating modern legal reforms by centuries.^[53]

Works in Film and Television

Films

Untouchable (2019) is an American documentary film directed by Ursula Macfarlane that chronicles the career and downfall of film producer Harvey Weinstein, portraying him as an initially untouchable figure in Hollywood who wielded immense power before facing allegations of sexual misconduct from numerous women. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 26, 2019, and was released on Hulu on September 2, 2019, featuring interviews with accusers, former colleagues, and legal figures.^[54] It received a 6.7/10 rating on IMDb from over 3,300 users and emphasizes Weinstein's aggressive tactics in building Miramax and The Weinstein Company into industry powerhouses.^[54] Drew Peterson: Untouchable (2012) is a biographical crime drama television film directed by Mimi Leder, starring Rob Lowe as Drew Peterson, a Chicago-area police sergeant depicted as seemingly untouchable due to his law enforcement status amid suspicions surrounding the deaths of his third and fourth wives. Produced for Lifetime, it aired on January 29, 2012, drawing from real events including the 2004 drowning of Kathleen Savio and the 2007 disappearance of Stacy Peterson, which led to Peterson's 2012 arrest for Savio's murder despite initial investigative hurdles.^[55] The film highlights Peterson's charm and perceived invulnerability, culminating in his conviction in 2014 after a retrial, though he maintained innocence.^[55] The Intouchables (2011), released under the title Untouchable in markets such as the UK, Ireland, and Scandinavia, is a French buddy comedy-drama directed by Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, based on the true story of Philippe Pozzo di Borgo, a wealthy quadriplegic aristocrat, and his caregiver Abdel Sellou. The film follows their evolving friendship across class and cultural divides, with the "untouchable" referring to social barriers and physical inaccessibility, and it became France's second-highest-grossing film domestically, earning over €350 million worldwide.^[56] Starring François Cluzet and Omar Sy, who won a César Award for Best Actor, it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 18, 2011, and was praised for its humor and humanism while critiqued for potential stereotypes in portraying banlieue life.^[57]

Television Series and Episodes

The Untouchables is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from October 15, 1959, to May 21, 1963, spanning four seasons and 119 episodes.^[58] Produced by Desilu Productions, the show dramatizes the efforts of federal agent Eliot Ness and his team of incorruptible law enforcement officers—known as the "Untouchables"—to combat organized crime during the Prohibition era, particularly targeting Al Capone's Chicago Outfit.^[58] Starring Robert Stack as Ness, with narration by Walter Winchell, the series drew from Ness's 1947 autobiography co-authored with Oscar Fraley, emphasizing themes of moral integrity and the pursuit of untouchable justice against corrupt figures deemed beyond legal reach.^[58] It achieved high ratings, peaking at number one in the 1960–1961 season, though it faced criticism from Italian-American groups for stereotyping ethnic gangsters, leading to casting adjustments after protests.^[59] A short-lived revival, The Untouchables, aired in 1993 on UPC/ syndication, featuring a reimagined team led by Eliot Ness's son, but only two episodes were broadcast before cancellation due to low viewership. In the Korean legal thriller Untouchable (2017), which ran for 16 episodes on JTBC starting May 24, 2017, the title refers to prosecutors navigating political power structures where high officials operate with apparent impunity; starring Jin Goo and Kim Sung-kyun, it explored prosecutorial independence amid corruption scandals. Documentary series addressing social untouchability include Daughters of Destiny (2017), a Netflix miniseries following six Dalit girls from India's former "untouchable" caste attending a residential school in Bihar founded by activist Asha Kowtal to combat caste-based discrimination.^[60] The four-episode production highlights persistent barriers like poverty and prejudice despite India's 1950 constitutional ban on untouchability, drawing on empirical accounts of educational interventions for marginalized Scheduled Castes.^[60] Similarly, Untouchable: Power Corrupts (2015), a Canadian investigative series aired on networks like Investigation Discovery, profiles real-life figures in medicine, law enforcement, and politics who evaded accountability, with episodes such as "Teflon Joe" examining corrupt officials' perceived invulnerability.^[61] Notable episodes titled "Untouchable" appear in procedural dramas, including NCIS Season 3, Episode 20 (aired April 25, 2006), where agents probe a murdered naval cryptologist linked to a departmental mole, underscoring vulnerabilities in supposedly secure intelligence circles.^[62] In Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 7 (aired November 13, 2024), firefighters revisit a suspicious storage facility blaze, revealing layers of institutional protection shielding perpetrators. These standalone narratives often invoke "untouchable" to denote elusive targets in investigations, reflecting broader cultural motifs of impunity in power hierarchies.

Literary Works

Novels and Non-Fiction Books

Mulk Raj Anand's Untouchable (1935) depicts a single day in the life of Bakha, an 18-year-old sweeper from the untouchable caste in a North Indian town during British colonial rule. The novel exposes the routine degradations of untouchability, including physical segregation, verbal abuse, and economic exploitation, while portraying Bakha's pride, curiosity about modern technology like the flush toilet, and encounters with figures representing Hinduism, Christianity, and Gandhian reform. Anand, drawing from observations of caste inequities, aimed to humanize the untouchable experience and advocate social change, though critics have noted its reliance on external perspectives rather than authentic Dalit voices.^[63]^[64] Other novels addressing untouchability include Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things (1997), which integrates caste discrimination into its narrative of forbidden love in Kerala, showing how untouchables face intersecting oppressions of class and gender. Bama's Karukku (1992), originally in Tamil and later translated, offers a semi-autobiographical account from a Dalit Christian woman's viewpoint, critiquing both caste hierarchies within Hinduism and conversion's limited emancipatory effects. These works emphasize personal agency amid systemic barriers, contrasting with earlier reformist literature by highlighting internalized caste dynamics and resistance.^[65] Non-fiction accounts often derive from Dalit-authored memoirs, providing firsthand evidence of untouchability's persistence. Narendra Jadhav's Untouchables: My Family's Triumphant Journey Out of the Caste System in India (2003, U.S. edition 2005) chronicles his parents' migration from rural Maharashtra to urban Mumbai, where his father, a former untouchable laborer, overcame ritual pollution and wage disparities through self-education and government jobs post-independence. The book documents specific humiliations, such as barred temple entry and segregated water access, while attributing upward mobility to affirmative action policies introduced in 1950.^[66]^[67] Sujatha Gidla's Ants Among Elephants: An Untouchable Family and the Making of Modern India (2017) traces her Telugu Christian family's trajectory from agrarian servitude in Andhra Pradesh to involvement in communist movements, illustrating how untouchables navigated landlessness, famine, and Maoist insurgencies amid ongoing social exclusion. Gidla, born into this caste, uses family letters and interviews to argue that constitutional safeguards failed to dismantle entrenched prejudices, with data showing Dalits comprising 16.6% of India's population per the 2011 census yet facing disproportionate violence.^[68]^[65] Viramma: Life of an Untouchable (1997), compiled from oral testimonies by Josiane and Jean-Luc Racine, recounts a Tamil Nadu Dalit woman's experiences of bonded labor, child marriage, and widowhood rituals enforcing impurity, underscoring rural untouchability's resilience despite legal abolition in 1950. V.T. Rajshekar's Dalit: The Black Untouchables of India (1987) analyzes untouchability as a racialized hierarchy akin to apartheid, citing historical texts like the Manusmriti and modern statistics on Dalit literacy rates lagging at 66% versus the national 74% in 2011. These texts prioritize empirical narratives over ideological framing, revealing causal links between ritual status and material deprivation.^[65]^[69]

Music

Albums

The Untouchable is the fourth studio album by American rapper Scarface, released on March 11, 1997, by Rap-A-Lot Records and Noo Trybe Records.^[70] The project, rooted in gangsta rap, features production from Scarface himself alongside contributors like Mike Dean and N.O. Joe, with guest appearances including 2Pac on the track "Smile."^[70] It peaked at number 1 on the US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and includes singles like "Untouchable" and "Game Over" featuring Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Too $hort, emphasizing themes of street invincibility and survival.^[71] Untouchable marks the second studio album by West Coast rapper Mac Mall, issued on April 23, 1996, through Relativity Records.^[72] Produced primarily by Mike Mosley, Khayree, Rick Rock, and Ant Banks, the release embodies Bay Area gangsta rap with tracks such as "Let's Get a Telly" and "Get Right," portraying narratives of untouchability amid criminal lifestyles and regional pride.^[73] Untouchable, the third studio album by post-hardcore band Before Their Eyes, came out on March 9, 2010, via Rise Records.^[74] Recorded in a heavier style compared to prior works, it includes songs like "Hey Dude!" and "Sing to Me," blending screamed vocals with melodic elements to explore emotional resilience and detachment.^[75] Anathema's Untouchable is a live album capturing the English progressive rock band's performance with the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra, released as a limited double vinyl on July 15, 2013.^[76] Drawing from their 2012 studio album Weather Systems, it prominently features extended renditions of "Untouchable (Part I)" and "Untouchable (Part II)," conveying existential themes of transcendence and isolation through orchestral arrangements.^[77]

Songs

"Untouchable" serves as the title for multiple songs across genres. Taylor Swift's rendition, a country rock cover of Luna Halo's 2007 track, appears as the thirteenth song on her third studio album Speak Now, released on October 25, 2010.^[78] Swift rewrote the lyrics while retaining the original's melodic structure, earning a co-writing credit; a re-recorded version was later included as a vault track on Fearless (Taylor's Version) in 2021.^[79] Eminem's "Untouchable," the fourth track on his ninth studio album Revival, was released on December 8, 2017, ahead of the album's December 15 drop.^[80] The hip-hop song samples 1970s soul music and addresses racial tensions in policing, drawing criticism for its second verse referencing the Black Lives Matter movement.^[81] British girl group Girls Aloud released "Untouchable" as the lead single from their fifth studio album Out of Control on March 30, 2009.^[82] Penned by producers Xenomania with band input, the electro-pop track peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, ending the group's streak of top-ten hits.^[82] Rapper Pusha T issued "Untouchable" on November 10, 2015, as a single produced by Timbaland, sampling The Notorious B.I.G.'s verse from Pudgee tha Phat Kat's 1995 track "Think Big."^[83] Featured on his mixtape King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude (December 18, 2015), the song boasts braggadocious lyrics highlighting Pusha T's career resilience and industry status.^[83]

Idiomatic and Miscellaneous Uses

Slang in Law, Sports, and Everyday Language

In legal slang, "untouchable" refers to a criminal or powerful figure deemed immune to prosecution or investigation due to extensive political connections, wealth, or influence that shields them from legal repercussions.^[84] This usage emphasizes a perceived invulnerability to law enforcement, as in cases where suspects evade charges despite evident wrongdoing because authorities "cannot touch" them.^[85] Historically, the term gained prominence in the 1920s U.S. Prohibition era, where federal agent Eliot Ness's incorruptible team targeting Al Capone's syndicate was nicknamed the "Untouchables" for their resistance to bribery attempts, ironically highlighting the contrast with bribe-proof integrity versus untouchable corruption.^[86] In sports contexts, "untouchable" slang denotes an athlete, team, or performer at an elite level of dominance, where opponents cannot compete effectively or "get to" them, often describing unbeatable streaks or skills.^[86] For example, a basketball player averaging 30 points per game over a season might be called untouchable for their scoring prowess that defenses fail to contain.^[85] This connotation underscores superiority and elusiveness, extending to entertainers but rooted in athletic metaphors of evasion and excellence. In everyday language, "untouchable" idiomatically conveys someone or something beyond reach of harm, critique, or alteration, frequently applied to those with unassailable status, reputation, or achievements.^[87] It implies a barrier against interference, such as a celebrity insulated from scandal by public adoration or a policy shielded from reform by entrenched interests.^[84] The phrase often carries connotations of exclusivity or sanctity, as in "sacred and untouchable traditions," but in casual use, it can denote overconfidence in one's impunity, like a colleague viewed as untouchable after repeated unpunished errors.^[88] This broad application reflects the term's evolution from literal intangibility to figurative inviolability across social interactions.

Other References

In the context of the Hindu varna system originating in ancient India, "untouchable" referred to outcaste groups outside the four primary varnas, assigned polluting occupations like manual scavenging, cremation, and leather tanning, which were believed to confer ritual impurity.^[89] These communities, later termed Dalits or Scheduled Castes, comprised occupations involving contact with death or waste, leading to prohibitions on shared resources such as wells, temples, and dining spaces with higher castes.^[1] Historical practices included physical segregation and violence, with upper castes enforcing separation through social norms codified in texts like the Manusmriti, though enforcement varied by region and era.^[6] Post-independence, India's Constitution of 1950 explicitly abolished untouchability under Article 17, criminalizing discrimination and enabling reservations in education, employment, and politics for affected groups, which constitute approximately 16.6% of the population per the 2011 census.^[90] ^[32] Despite these measures, empirical reports document ongoing atrocities, including over 50,000 reported caste-based crimes annually in recent years, predominantly against Dalits in rural areas where traditional hierarchies persist.^[32] Legal enforcement remains inconsistent, with low conviction rates—around 25% for such cases—attributable to witness intimidation and caste biases within policing and judiciary.^[1]^[32]

References

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Dalit, a term that has become synonymous with Untouchable, is the name that many Untouchables, especially politically aware individuals, have chosen for ...
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May 2, 2025 · This study will use the data from the second wave, which introduced questions on untouchability. The IHDS data are well suited for an analysis ...
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Apr 22, 2016 · Even texts such as Manusmriti, let alone the Vedas, make no mention of untouchability. As Ambedkar writes in his book 'The Untouchables – Who ...
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Caste System: Vaishyas, Sudras, and Untouchables - ScholarBlogs
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[12]
Origins, History, and Present Practice of Untouchability (J. E. ...
Oct 29, 2019 · For the history of untouchability. Jha, Vivekanand. “From Tribe to Untouchable: The Case of Nisadas.” In Indian Society: Historical Probings, ...Missing: texts | Show results with:texts
[13]
[PDF] Human Rights Abuses of Dalits in India
In either instance, the notion of untouchability emerged at some point in the devel- opment of the caste system. Historically, the caste system entailed a life ...
[14]
SOME RECENT THEORIES OF THE ORIGIN OF UNTOUCHABILITY
ancient India untouchability was associated not only with birthand profession but with *mental states of persons also". In his view the above-quoted verse.
[15]
Rules of untouchability in ancient and medieval law books
Aug 6, 2025 · Rules of untouchability in ancient and medieval law books: Householders, competence, and inauspiciousness. January 2002; International Journal ...Missing: primary | Show results with:primary
[16]
[PDF] CASTE SYSTEM, UNTOUCH ABILITY AND THE DEPRESSED
THE DEVELOPMENT OF UNTOUCHABILITY IN MEDIEVAL INDIA. There were three prominent differences between ancient untouchability as described above and the ...
[17]
Viewpoint: How the British reshaped India's caste system - BBC
Jun 18, 2019 · Getty Images Group of Untouchables, India, circa 1890 Getty Images. Dalits, or untouchables, were at the bottom of the caste system. The ...
[18]
British Policy Regarding the Untouchable Castes
It is important that the British ruling circles set their task not to eliminate the untouchability by raising the economic well-being of the untouchables, ...
[19]
The Brahmanisation of Indian Sociology or the Birth of the Racial ...
Mar 21, 2024 · This article shows how untouchability was framed as an ethnographic problem largely through a racial and Brahmanical perspective.
[20]
[PDF] An Examination of British Interference with the Indian Caste System
He advocated for equitable social rights for the untouchables. He condemned the British Government's stance on the matter of untouchability. On 29 May 1928, he ...
[21]
IN-DEPTH MEANING OF UNTOUCHABILITY UNDER ARTICLE 17 ...
Mar 4, 2022 · Article 17[1] of the Indian Constitution deals with “Untouchability”. The framers of the Indian Constitution have not defined 'Untouchability' ...
[22]
The Origin, Evolution, and Contemporary Dynamics of the Caste ...
May 15, 2025 · Article 15 prohibited caste discrimination in public spaces, and Article 17 repealed untouchability. Moreover, institutionalized reservations, ...
[23]
A Milestone in Justice: Analyzing Untouchability Abolition Laws in ...
Dec 4, 2023 · The first major legislative step against untouchability came with the Untouchability (Offences) Act of 1955, later renamed as the Protection of ...
[24]
https://lawvs.com/articles/scst-act-safeguards-and-challenges
[25]
The Impact and Implementation of the Scheduled Castes and ...
Sep 17, 2024 · The study concludes that while the SC/ST Act is a powerful tool for combating caste-based atrocities, its effectiveness in Karnataka is ...
[26]
Lives, buried: Untouchability persists in India, across villages and ...
Apr 13, 2025 · According to dalit activists, untouchability has spread from villages to cities, infiltrating educational institutions, temples, barber shops, ...
[27]
Pendency of 'untouchability' cases in courts remains over 97 ...
Jul 15, 2025 · Pendency of 'untouchability' cases in courts remains over 97%, shows government report. 13 cases registered under PCR Act in 2022; almost all ...
[28]
Report on Atrocities Against SCs and STs - Drishti IAS
Sep 24, 2024 · What are the Key Findings of the Report on Atrocities Against SCs and STs? ; Conviction Rates: The conviction rate under the Act has declined ...
[29]
The Crisis of Extreme Inequality in India
Aug 10, 2021 · 2020. The Continuing Practice of Untouchability in India: Patterns and Mitigating Influences. Economic & Political Weekly 55 (2): 36–45. Google ...
[30]
Seven Decades After It Was Abolished, 'Untouchability' Continues to ...
Aug 23, 2022 · Seven Decades After It Was Abolished, 'Untouchability' Continues to be Practiced in India. The recent killing of a Dalit child for drinking ...
[31]
Over 57,000 Cases Registered For Committing Crimes Against ...
Sep 30, 2025 · ... report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The Crime in India 2023 report said that crimes against SCs increased 0.4 per cent over ...
[32]
Hidden Apartheid | Caste Discrimination against India's ...
Feb 12, 2007 · This report focuses on the practice of "untouchability"-the imposition of social disabilities on persons by reason of their birth in certain castes.<|separator|>
[33]
[PDF] Socio-Economic Status of Dalits in India- A Study
According to the census 2011, the literacy rate of Scheduled castes is 66.1 percent while the literacy rate of the general population is 73.0 percent. It shows ...
[34]
Changing Educational Inequalities in India in the Context of ...
The practice of untouchability was prohibited in the Indian Constitution, which was adopted in 1950. Additionally, the framers of the Indian Constitution put in ...Missing: eradicating | Show results with:eradicating
[35]
TAMIL NADU UNTOUCHABILITY ERADICATION FRONT
Nov 10, 2019 · By this survey, 88 forms of untouchability and 28 forms of atrocity were listed and an awareness campaign conducted throughout Tamil Nadu. The ...Missing: India | Show results with:India
[36]
Caste: Some Alternative Narratives - Indiafacts
Jan 22, 2023 · They were subjected to the inhuman practice of untouchability”. Summarily, the caste system rests on four principles: Occupational division, ...
[37]
Replication and Consensus: Untouchability, Caste and Ideology in ...
Furthermore, even though untouchables may refer to caste ideology to explaill the infcriority of the castes below them, they do not accept their own position ...
[38]
Attitudes about caste in India - Pew Research Center
Jun 29, 2021 · Fewer than one-quarter of Indians say they see evidence of widespread discrimination against Scheduled Castes (20%), Scheduled Tribes (19%) or ...4. Attitudes About Caste · Indians In Lower Castes... · Most Indians Ok With...Missing: empirical | Show results with:empirical
[39]
On the Futures of Caste - Surinder S. Jodhka, 2025 - Sage Journals
Jun 23, 2025 · The alternative view that I propose is to approach caste as a material process. ... Caste and untouchability in rural Punjab. Economic & Political ...
[40]
John Gotti - FBI
He was slippery, yes, but even the “Teflon Don” couldn't escape justice forever. Surveillance photo of mobster John Gotti, walking down a street in 1980s in New ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[41]
'Dapper Don' John Gotti dead - June 11, 2002 - CNN
Jun 11, 2002 · ... crime family. He also was called the "Teflon Don" because government charges in three trials failed to stick. Indeed, he seemed untouchable ...
[42]
Crime's 'Mr. Untouchable' Emerges From Shadows
Mar 4, 2007 · Thirty years after receiving a life sentence, a dashing Harlem drug dealer turned government witness tells his own story.
[43]
New York Times Magazine | DEA Museum
This magazine was published June 5, 1977, and features an article on the infamous Harlem drug dealer Leroy Barnes – better known as Nicky Barnes.
[44]
How Mobster Whitey Bulger Evaded Law Enforcement for So Long
Aug 4, 2020 · How Mobster Whitey Bulger Evaded Law Enforcement for So Long. For over a decade, Whitey Bulger was America's most wanted gangster—the FBI's ...
[45]
Watch Gangland Chronicles Season 1 Episode 6 | HISTORY Channel
Sep 2, 2024 · Whitey Bulger's notoriously violent and untouchable Winter Hill Gang are the kings of Boston's underworld, until a secret alliance comes to light.
[46]
Dr. Ambedkar: Abolishing Discrimination - Drishti IAS
Jan 25, 2022 · Ambedkar led a movement against untouchability in 1927. Here, he criticised Hindu religious texts for their propagation of untouchability. He ...
[47]
B.R. Ambedkar: Architect of Indian Social Justice | BARBRI Resources
Oct 14, 2025 · Born into the Dalit caste once deemed “untouchable,” Ambedkar rose above systemic discrimination to become one of the most influential figures ...Missing: fought | Show results with:fought
[48]
From 'untouchable' to architect of India's constitution: film tells story ...
Nov 3, 2023 · It stipulated the abolition of “untouchability” and allowed Dalit people and other minorities fair access to education. In the final months ...
[49]
Campaign against Untouchability | Mahatma Gandhi Pictorial ...
After his release Gandhi devoted himself almost wholly to the campaign against untouchability. On November 7, 1933, he embarked on a country-wide tour which ...
[50]
'Vaishnava Jana To': Mahatma Gandhi's fight against untouchability
Oct 2, 2020 · His revolt against untouchability began at a very young age in 1881, when his mother warned him not to touch a boy named Uka who cleaned their ...
[51]
Sant Ravidas - Social Studies Foundation
Feb 5, 2023 · He belonged to the cobbler caste, mainly involved in leather work—chamars among those castes considered untouchables. Sant Ravidas was married ...
[52]
Medieval Maharashtra Saint - Saint Chokhamela - NIRVAHAN
May 20, 2023 · Chokhamela was a saint in Maharashtra in the 13th to 14th century. He belonged to the Mahar caste considered untouchable in India during those days.
[53]
Saints of Maharashtra: Sant Chokhamela: Devotion Beyond Caste
Jul 4, 2025 · ... Chokhamela. Born in the 14th century into the Mahar caste, a group labelled “untouchable” under the rigid Brahmanical hierarchy, Chokhamela ...
[54]
Untouchable (2019) - IMDb
Rating 6.7/10 (3,360) Release date · September 2, 2019 (United States) ; Also known as. Untouchable: The Rise and Fall of Harvey Weinstein ; Filming locations · Los Angeles, California ...
[55]
Watch Drew Peterson: Untouchable | Lifetime
Charming Chicago-area officer Drew Peterson (Lowe) seemed virtually “untouchable” in more ways than one when it came to his womanizing ways, having been married ...
[56]
Untouchable - Movies on Google Play
An irreverent, uplifting comedy about friendship, trust and human possibility, UNTOUCHABLE has broken box office records in its native France and across Europe.
[57]
‎Untouchable - Apple TV
Untouchable. Movie · Drama · Comedy. A Parisian aristocrat, quadriplegic since a paragliding accident, hires a young man to be his live-in caretaker. Although ...
[58]
The Untouchables (TV Series 1959–1963) - IMDb
Rating 8/10 (3,335) The Untouchables: With Robert Stack, Walter Winchell, Nicholas Georgiade, Paul Picerni. Special Agent Eliot Ness and his elite team of incorruptable agents ...
[59]
The Untouchables (TV Series 1959-1963) - TMDB
Rating 7.8/10 (122) The Untouchables (1959) · The true story of FBI man Eliot Ness's savage war on the notorious mobsters Al Capone left behind! · Overview · Series Cast · Last Season ...
[60]
Review: 'Daughters of Destiny' on Netflix Explores Caste Struggles ...
Jul 28, 2017 · Review: 'Daughters of Destiny' on Netflix Explores Caste Struggles in India · India Picks Ram Nath Kovind, of Caste Once Called 'Untouchables,' ...
[61]
Watch Untouchable: Power Corrupts Streaming Online | Tubi Free TV
Untouchable: Power Corrupts · S01:E01 - White Coat, Dark Heart · S01:E02 - House of Pain · S01:E03 - Teflon Joe · S01:E04 - Courtroom Killer · S01:E05 - Mobster Cop.
[62]
"NCIS" Untouchable (TV Episode 2006) - IMDb
Rating 7.6/10 (832) Untouchable ... A naval cryptologist is found dead shortly before she is scheduled to be interviewed at NCIS about a mole in her department. All signs point to ...Connections · Pauley Perrette as Abby Sciuto · Leroy Jethro Gibbs · Full cast & crew
[63]
Untouchable (Penguin Classics): 9780141393605: Anand, Mulk Raj ...
A powerful story of an Untouchable in India's caste system, "Untouchable" by Mulk Raj Anand, follows Bakha, a proud and strong young man, as he navigates ...
[64]
https://litcharts.com/lit/untouchable/summary
[65]
11 Books to Read If You Want to Understand Caste in India
Dec 4, 2017 · Fair warning—the novel is long and dark. Viramma with Josiane Racine and jean Luc Racine, Viramma: Life of an Untouchable. Or should I say “by ...
[66]
Untouchables | Book by Narendra Jadhav | Official Publisher Page
4–8 day deliveryUntouchables by Narendra Jadhav - Every sixth human being in the world today is an Indian, and every sixth Indian is an untouchable.
[67]
Untouchables: My Family's Triumphant Journey Out of the Caste ...
30-day returnsEvery sixth human being in the world today is an Indian, and every sixth Indian is an untouchable. For thousands of years the untouchables, or Dalits, ...
[68]
Ants Among Elephants: An Untouchable Family and the Making of ...
Free in-store returnsSujatha Gidla was born an untouchable in Andhra Pradesh, India. She studied physics at the Regional Engineering College, Warangal. The author of Ants Among the ...
[69]
DALIT: The Black Untouchables of India - Clarity Press
In stockRajshekar offers a penetrating, often startling overview of the role of Brahminism and the Indian caste system in embedding the notion of “untouchability” in ...
[70]
Scarface - The Untouchable Lyrics and Tracklist - Genius
Mar 11, 1997 · The album was released on March 11, 1997, by Rap-A-Lot Records and Noo Trybe Records.
[71]
The Untouchable by Scarface (Album, Gangsta Rap): Reviews ...
Rating 3.4 (663) The Untouchable, an Album by Scarface. Released 11 March 1997 on Rap-A-Lot (catalog no. 7243 8 42799 2 9; CD). Genres: Gangsta Rap, Mafioso Rap.
[72]
Untouchable - Mac Mall | Album - AllMusic
Rating 6/10 (4) Release Date: April, 1996. Duration: 01:02:44. Genre: Rap. Styles: Bay Area Rap, Gangsta Rap, West Coast Rap. Recording Location: Big Bad Ass.
[73]
https://www.discogs.com/release/566064-Mac-Mall-Untouchable
[74]
https://www.discogs.com/release/3900145-Before-Their-Eyes-Untouchable
[75]
Album Review : Before Their Eyes - Untouchable | Indie Vision Music
Overall: Before Their Eyes' new release “Untouchable” is crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. It's heavy in places and soft in ...
[76]
https://www.discogs.com/release/4765496-Anathema-Untouchable
[77]
ANATHEMA Untouchable reviews - Prog Archives
Free delivery over $125Untouchable is a music live recording by ANATHEMA (Experimental/Post Metal/Progressive Rock) released in 2013 on cd, lp / vinyl and/or cassette.
[78]
Taylor Swift Puts on an 'Untouchable' Halo - The Boot
Nov 25, 2009 · Even more surprising was the song she chose: 'Untouchable' by Nashville-based rock band Luna Halo. "She could have chosen any cover in the world ...
[79]
When did Taylor Swift release “Untouchable”? - Genius
Oct 26, 2009 · Taylor Swift released “Untouchable” on October 26, 2009.<|separator|>
[80]
Eminem Drops New Track "Untouchable," Reveals Album Track List ...
Eminem has released another new track from his forthcoming LP, Revival, while also revealing the album's track list and artwork.
[81]
Eminem premieres new song "Untouchable": Stream
Dec 7, 2017 · Revival, Eminem's ninth album to date, is out December 15th. The Beyoncé-featuring “Walk on Water” serves as its lead single. Other notable ...<|separator|>
[82]
UNTOUCHABLE – GIRLS ALOUD - Official Charts
Latest chart stats about UNTOUCHABLE - peak chart position, weeks on chart, catalogue number, week-by-week chart placement and latest news.Missing: performance | Show results with:performance
[83]
Pusha T Debuts 'Untouchable' With Timbaland Beat & Biggie Verse
Nov 12, 2015 · Music president has released his new track “Untouchable,” which samples Notorious B.I.G.'s distinct verse on the 1995 Pudgee cut, “Think Big.” “ ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[84]
UNTOUCHABLE | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary
not able to be punished, criticized, or changed in any way: He believed the police would never arrest him, that he was untouchable.
[85]
Untouchable - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms - Vocabulary.com
untouchable · adjective. not capable of being obtained · adjective. beyond the reach of criticism or attack or impeachment · adjective. impossible to assail.
[86]
UNTOUCHABLE definition in American English - Collins Dictionary
an anti-corruption squad nicknamed the "Untouchables." 2. adjective. If you describe someone, especially an athlete or entertainer, as untouchable ...
[87]
UNTOUCHABLE Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of UNTOUCHABLE is forbidden to the touch : not to be handled. How to use untouchable in a sentence.
[88]
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/untouchable
[89]
An introduction to the basic elements of the caste system of India
Dec 21, 2023 · Unfortunately, Dalit groups are unable to transcend their “untouchability” even through Sanskritization; though that did not stop that process ...
[90]
Under India's caste system, Dalits are considered untouchable. The ...
Apr 16, 2020 · Under India's caste system, Dalits are considered untouchable. The coronavirus is intensifying that slur · Lower access to services and higher ...Missing: persistence 2020s