We take exception to the use of the word “pariah” in a recent commentary by Richard Smith.1 No aspect of Indian history has provoked more controversy than the chronicles of caste divisions and untouchability. However, caste-like divisions have been found in the history of most societies. In modern India, practising untouchability is illegal.
The word “pariah” was first recorded in English in 1613. The Encyclopedia Britannica definition reads: “formerly known as untouchables but renamed by the Indian social reformer Mahatma Gandhi as ‚Harijans' (children of the God Hari/Visnu, or, simply, children of God). The word pariah — originally derived from Tamil language word paraiyar, ‚drummer' — once referred to the Paraiyan, a Tamil Nadu caste group” (www.britannica.com).
When the word “pariah” is used in the international news media, it attributes the meaning of an outcast. This word has appeared at least 4 times in this sense in CMAJ since 2000. In English, it apparently conveys an undignified meaning that is undermining to an indigenous caste group. Its use should be avoided.
REFERENCE
- 1.Smith, R. The private sector in the English NHS: from pariah to saviour in under a decade. CMAJ 2005;173(3):273-4. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed]