It is probably accurate to say that most of us in the West think of India’s caste system as a thing of the past.  Discrimination against members of India’s lowest castes is, in fact, technically illegal in these days.  But the caste system — along with caste violence of the most brutal kind — is very much a reality in parts of today’s India.  Consider the story of Bant Singh, who was the victim of a brutal assault in January 2006.  Bant Singh has now lost both arms and a leg to a caste-related attack that occurred in the southern Punjab district of Mansa back in January 2006.  The details of the circumstances and consequences of the attack are discussed extensively in the Frontline article, “Casteist assault”:

from Frontline (“India’s National Magazine”):
On January 7, Bant Singh, a resident of Jhabbar in the southern Punjab district of Mansa, was surrounded by a group of Jat youths from the same village. The upper-caste men brutally beat him with iron rods. Three days later, after gangrene set in, doctors amputated his limbs.  (full article)

Bant Singh continues to undergo rehabilitative therapy at a hospital in Delhi, but he certainly faces an extrodinary battle that is complicated by the social and economic conditions of the enduring remnants of the Indian caste system.  In a recent bulletin, Radhika Menon detailed the ongoing struggles of Bant Singh and his family:
Medical Rehabilitation of Bant Singh
 
While Bant Singh continues to defy the fetters imposed by disability following the barbaric assault, he is currently facing several difficulties. He is unable to move on his own, a surgery is pending in the leg that was left intact but dysfunctional.   He has 8 very young children to look after; his piggery—the work that had freed him from the feudal bonds of being tied to the landlords' fields—has collapsed and there are multiple medical complications.
 
What needs to be done
 
Bant Singh's courage will be a source of inspiration to all but we need not be mere spectators to the tragedy unleashed on him. We can express our solidarity by helping him access the best possible medical rehabilitation, so that he is back on his feet. Doctors have pointed out that with the current developments in medical technology, it would not be impossible to fix artificial limbs, both arms and legs, for him. Given the nature of amputation and the extent of prosthetic aids required, it is an expensive procedure but this is also necessary to prevent his organs from getting atrophied.
 
The St. Stephen's Hospital, Delhi, is attempting to medically rehabilitate Bant Singh. While this procedure has started, there is an urgent need for funds so that the best possible prosthetic aids can be acquired for him. We urgently seek your financial support for this purpose.
 
Bant Singh's rehabilitation would give all struggling people immense courage and hope. We owe it to Bant Singh to enable him to walk again. 

Deatils regarding the reovery of Bant Singh and instructions on how you can aid in the financial support of Bant Singh and his family are posted on the website www.punjabdalitsolidarity.blogspot.com.
Further Reading
Bant Singh can still sing  from tehelka.com
Online petition  from petitiononline.com
Untouchable  from nationalgeographic.com