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Social Exclusion and Marginalization Among the Gadia Lohars (Bhuvariya) In Urban Agra: A Sociological Study with Special Reference to Life and Society

Birpal Singh Thenua
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21013/jmss.v22.n2.p3
Abstract
Instead of constitutional guarantees, legal safeguards, affirmative action policies and welfare schemes and programmes for denotified and nomadic communities, the Gadia Lohars (Bhuvariya) community of Uttar Pradesh continue to experience persistent socio-economic exclusion and marginalization in multiple spheres of life. Historically stigmatized, pressure of urbanization & industrialisation, nomadic lifestyle and traditional occupation, the community faces systemic barriers in accessing education, healthcare, secure housing, stable employment, civic amenities, social status, and quality of life. The process of urbanization, decline of traditional iron based craftmanship livelihoods, and forced or gradual settlement have further intensified their vulnerability, often without adequate institutional support. At the same time, deep-rooted kinship networks, endogamy, and community solidarity continue to shape their social organization, cultural continuity and coping mechanisms. The central research problem, therefore, is to examine how the processes of settlement, occupational change, and state intervention have transformed the life, society, and identity and caused social exclusion and marginalization faced by the Gadia Lohar (Bhuvariya) community in urban Agra, and to analyse how social, economic, cultural, and institutional factors influence their life chances, identity, and integration within mainstream society.
Keywords
Gadia Lohar, Denotified Tribes (DNT), Traditional Iron Workers, Endogamy, Community Solidarity, Social Exclusion, Social Inclusion.
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