If it is just used as a word for its meaning, which I suspect is the case then the argument is a product of hopeless fantasy. Pariah means outcast alone. If someone doesn’t go to parties it is reasonable to say he is a party pariah. There is no further presumed implication.
Meena’s issue might be with etymology but that is something Tehelka cant help. If we want to go on being careful not to offend all the people in the world then we could be left with only the articles a, the and an. I can think a twenty odd such words from the top off my head which can be deemed as hurting: chevalier ( lowest ranking French nobleman), Taliban (Islamic student ), assassin ( Arabic hashish users) to name a few examples.

Confusing use and the meaning of the term with its etymology would be funny if not boring. A classical example is Thassar’s misreading of the newspaper headlines.

Stray dog is a stray dog. The word Rabid has a meaning and pariah dog is a accepted breed of dogs. They are not mutually exclusive. There is nothing in the article to suggest that a stray barking mad dog of the pariah breed wasn’t involved in the incident. If one or other isn’t true then its just false and hence the use of those words wrong. Period.

To argue that some upper caste chap used the word just to hurt the sentiments of people he plainly ludicrous.

As i can recall now there is a movie and videogame called Pariah. Media did not create those language. Holding it responsible for using it for what it means is preposterous.

And yes, Dogs have breeds, like cows and plants.

Cheers