In pictures: The many lives of India's Dalits

In the image above, a Dalit (formerly known as untouchable) woman worker limps past an open-cast coal mine in India's Jharkhand state, where underground fires have burned for over a century.

The photograph is part of a black-and-white series titled "Broken" by Asha Thadani, who has been chronicling the lives of Dalits for seven years.
India's 200 million Dalits find themselves among the nation's most marginalised citizens, condemned to the lowest echelons of society by a rigid caste hierarchy.
Quotas in state institutions for Dalits have narrowed gaps in education, income and health. Dalits now boast a thriving chamber of commerce filled with millionaires. Many organisations actively champion their rights. Two Dalits have served as heads of state.
However, a significant number of Dalits continue to find themselves in occupations shunned by others, such as the disposal of dead animals and cleaning sewers.