Confronting | Class 8 Social Science Notes
By ConceptScroll Team · Published on 17 July 2026 · 4 min read
Confronting – this guide gives you a concise, exam-ready overview of Confronting from Class 8 Social Science, written by ConceptScroll editors and reviewed against the latest NCERT textbook.
Invoking Fundamental Rights
This section explains how the Indian Constitution’s Fundamental Rights serve as a powerful tool for marginalised groups to claim equality and justice. Fundamental Rights, available equally to all citizens, lay down democratic principles that prohibit discrimination and untouchability. Dalits, for example, have used Article 17 which abolishes untouchability, making it a punishable offence to discriminate against them in education, temple entry, and use of public facilities. Article 15 prohibits discrimination based on religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth, reinforcing the fight against caste-based discrimination. Marginalised groups have not only insisted that these rights be recognized but have also compelled the government to enforce laws aligned with these rights. The section also highlights how cultural and educational rights protect minority communities like Muslims and Parsis, allowing them to preserve their cultural identity and practices without domination by majority cultures. Thus, the Constitution is a living document invoked by marginalised groups to assert their rights and demand justice.
📊 Diagram: No specific diagram in this section, but the text references constitutional articles and their impact on social justice.
🔗 Connection: Leads to the section on 'Laws for the Marginalised' explaining how rights translate into legal protections and policies.
Frequently asked questions
1. List two Fundamental Rights in the Constitution that Dalits can draw upon to insist that they be treated with dignity and as equals. Re-read the Fundamental Rights listed on page 14 to help you answer this question.
Two Fundamental Rights that Dalits can draw upon are:
1. Right to Equality (Article 14, 15, 17): This ensures that Dalits are treated equally before the law and prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. Article 17 specifically abolishes 'untouchability'.
2. Right to Freedom (Article 19): This includes freedom of speech and expression, assembly, association, movement, residence and profession, which Dalits can use to assert their rights and dignity.
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2. Re-read the story on Rathnam as well as the provisions of the 1989 Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Now list one reason why you think he used this law to file a complaint.
Rathnam used the 1989 Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act to file a complaint because this law specifically protects Dalits and Adivasis from atrocities and discrimination. The Act provides legal provisions to punish those who commit offences against these communities, including social boycott, violence, and humiliation. Rathnam likely used this law as it offers a strong legal framework to seek justice against the atrocities he faced.
3. Why do Adivasi activists, including C.K. Janu, believe that Adivasis can also use this 1989 Act to fight against dispossession? Is there anything specific in the provisions of the Act that allows her to believe this?
Adivasi activists like C.K. Janu believe that Adivasis can use the 1989 Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act to fight against dispossession because the Act includes provisions that protect Adivasis from being forcibly removed from their land and from other forms of exploitation and atrocities. The Act recognizes the vulnerability of Scheduled Tribes and provides legal recourse against acts that deprive them of their rights, including land rights. This legal protec
4. The poems and the song in this Unit allow you to see the range of ways in which individuals and communities express their opinions, their anger and their sorrow. In class, do the following two exercises: (a) Bring to class a poem that discusses a social issue. Share this with your classmates. Work in small groups with two or more poems to discuss their meaning as well as what the poet is trying to communicate. (b) Identify a marginalised community in your locality. Write a poem, or song, or draw a poster etc to express your feelings as a member of this community.
(a) Students should bring a poem discussing a social issue such as discrimination, poverty, or inequality. In groups, they should discuss the poem's themes, emotions, and the poet's message, fostering understanding of social concerns.
(b) Students should identify a marginalised community in their locality and creatively express their feelings through a poem, song, or poster. This exercise encourages empathy, awareness, and creative expression related to social marginalisation.
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Clear NCERT-aligned notes on Law and Social for Class 8 Social Science.
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Clear NCERT-aligned notes on Law and Social for Class 8 Social Science.