Dalit (from Sanskrit: दलित, romanized: dalita meaning “broken/scattered”, Hindi: दलित, romanized: dalit, same meaning) is a name for people belonging to the lowest stratum castes in India, previously characterised as “untouchable”
Dalits were excluded from the four-fold varna system of Hinduism and were seen as forming a fifth varna, also known by the name of Panchama
Dalits now profess various religious beliefs, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Christianity, Islam and various other belief systems
Scheduled Castes is the official term for Dalits as per the Constitution of India
Persecution and discrimination against Dalits has been observed across southeast Asia and the Indian diaspora