Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
Dalits lack the bare necessities, such as living in substandard houses with constrained space and rooms devoid of the kitchen, bathroom, and sanitation facilities; with a minuscule living area and limited access to safe drinking water. These aspects of civic amenities are empirically examined with qualitative and quantitative approach in east Uttar Pradesh using significant variables such as housing conditions, access to safe drinking water and toilet availability in households. The article also discuss the dimension and level of civic amenities in Dalit households. Based on research-based field data and ethnography, poverty and a lack of civic amenities are the convoluted pathways and fundamental causes of Dalit families living in poor health, unhygienic conditions and without sanitation. The explanation justifies how Dalits’ lack of public amenities, particularly in micro-settlements, intentionally manifests organized caste identity.

Contemporary Voice of Dalit, Ahead of Print.
Drawing from empirical research, the article highlights the landlessness of the Dalits in eastern Uttar Pradesh vis-à-vis the social construction of poverty and the question of identity based on caste. It analyses the nature and extent of inequality in the ownership of land (both agricultural and homestead) among different social groups and presents a comparative perspective of Dalits at the national, state and local levels. Further, on the basis of block and village level analysis, the article reveals the size of landholding patterns among different caste groups of eastern Uttar Pradesh. The article seeks an answer to the question as to why the Dalits do not have land and for what reasons. It is observed that land for them is not only a source of livelihood but also a question of dignity. The article advocates that minimum size of land will provide them safety, security and dignity.