27.07.24.U.T.NEWS.Untouchables News.Chennai.26.India.
Bihar: Villages suffering from the curse of Kosi lack basic facilities like health, education and land!
People no longer have any hope of improvement or relief from the misery spread in these areas due to floods.
Tarique Anwar, Translated by: Ankit Pachauri
Supaul/Darbhanga (Bihar): Every year, the Kosi river, which is called the ‘curse of Bihar’, floods and destroys remote settlements like Khokhanaha along with four other settlements. Isolated and neglected from the district headquarters, these villages face terrible problems. The people of these villages are forced to live in adverse conditions without any hope of change.
The fields and barns have been destroyed due to erosion due to the floods. Farming is no longer possible here due to the silt brought by the river. People no longer have any hope of improvement or relief from the misery spread in these areas due to floods.
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In particular, Khokhanaha village is not the only village in Ghonriya Panchayat, a village with 1,000 families, which is located in the middle of the river like an island. There are around 15 such villages spread across at least 10 panchayats. The total population of the ‘island’ is estimated to be around 30,000. Ghonriya panchayat alone has a population of 7,000 people who live in nine villages around it.
As for the loss of agriculture and livelihood in Khokhanaha and the neighbouring villages of Panchgachhia, Belagot and Begumganj, residents say the governments (both state and central) have not only promised to mitigate the fury of the river but have also shown no interest in providing adequate compensation.
Every year, the Kosi belt floods, causing thousands of people to lose their homes, fields, crops and even land. These villages also lack basic services, including secondary schools, electricity and primary health care.
Dharmendra Kumar, a resident of Khokhanaha, who runs a customer service centre (CSP) of Uttar Bharat Gramin Bank – a government-owned Scheduled Castes bank, tells The Mooknayak. “People from the Banjara community (nomads) also spend a few years in one place. But due to floods, we become homeless every year.” “Five wards of his village boycotted the 2019 general elections when the government allegedly did nothing to help them, but nothing changed even after that. The village is also deprived of basic necessities like primary health centres (PHCs), medicine shops, small markets, etc., so people have to go to Supaul for every need. In the absence of transport and roads, it takes them a whole day to reach the city and come back home, as the roads and transport are lacking and commuting is difficult.
“Before reaching the road that leads to Supaul, we have to cross two streams continuously while travelling in a boat and walk for several kilometres in this unbearably hot weather. Since there is only one boat, which takes about 35-40 minutes to go from one bank to the other, we have to wait for that boat to return to our side. So it takes a whole day to travel to and from the city,” Dharmendra said.
Women suffer the most “It is almost impossible for a stranger to reach our villages. When there is a flood, the entire area is submerged in water. The whole area looks like an ocean. We have to travel by boat from our villages where the water is knee-deep. The water flows two laghaa above the river bed, which we have to cross on foot. Since many of us do not have gas cylinders, cooking becomes challenging,” said Meena Devi, a daily wage labourer and mother of two children from the Ravidas community. We place earthen stoves on temporary elevated platforms.”
“Even when there are no floods, our settlements are so difficult to reach that not even candidates from every political party visit us. The only leaders who visited us to seek our votes were those whose election symbol is the lantern (Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD candidates). Neta log aave che, vote maange la, jitiyi ke baad ghur ke nai puchhaye chaye (leaders come here to seek votes, but do not return after being elected),” said Meena in the regional parlance.
We asked Kalkatiya Devi, a 40-year-old mother of five and belonging to the Musahar caste, what people do when they fall sick in the ‘island’ as the area lacks medical facilities and doctors. “Nothing,” she replied.
“If it is daytime, people carry them on a cot like a dead person to the river, where a boat takes them to the other side. The patient is then lifted again and carried to the road to be taken to a government hospital in the city in a vehicle,” she said, adding, “If it is nighttime, nothing can be done.
What happens if a pregnant woman goes into labour and is unable to deliver the baby at home due to some complication? “These days, women are expected to keep visiting doctors in the city and as the delivery date approaches, they are either admitted to a hospital or stay with their relatives in the city so that any emergency can be attended to immediately,” she said.
But during floods, if labour pains suddenly start at night, one can never reach the hospital from here. “There are many of us who do not go to the doctor during pregnancy and hope for a normal delivery. But in such a situation, it becomes very difficult for the women,”
Why does Kosi wreak so much havoc?
Gopal Jha, 70, of Belaghat village claimed that he has been seeing this village like this for the last 40 years. He told us, “Nothing has changed, there has been no development. People have been left at the mercy of God by successive governments. The irony is that the state government does not even acknowledge the destruction and displacement of settlements due to the floods. When people demand rehabilitation and compensation, it is outright rejected. When the matter goes to court, the district magistrate files a false affidavit, saying there was no flood in the area,”
Singheshwar Rai, 67, told that earlier the river water used to spread in a vast area (about 23-24 kilometres on both sides of the village). But urbanisation and the construction of dams have reduced the area to eight-nine kilometres.
“When Nepal releases large amounts of water, canalisation of the river results in huge torrents. Since the water can no longer spread out, it rushes through the narrows, eroding and damaging villages. In a 1960 map, the entire area covered 3,200 bighas of land (about 2,000 acres). But now 80% of the area has gone into the river. “After the devastation of the 2020 floods, around 200 men and women staged a sit-in for several days outside the district magistrate’s residence in the shivering cold demanding compensation and rehabilitation, but the officials did not even try to understand the suffering of the village people. On the third day of the protest, their officials promised us that our demands would be looked into and resolved. This proved to be a mere sham as nothing has happened so far,” he said. A youth from the Sahni community of the Scheduled Caste intervened in the conversation and said that 1,220 houses in the area were destroyed in the 2020 floods and the land on which the houses used to be is now part of the river, but no compensation was given to those affected people. “We went to the Patna High Court seeking a direction to the district administration for compensation and rehabilitation. We were surprised when the administration denied through an affidavit that there was any flood in the area that year. When we countered the lie with new paper reports, the officials said that they had surveyed the area. We had inspected the area but there was no flood. There was only waterlogging due to heavy rains.
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All the people the reporter spoke to refused to recognise their MP Dileshwar Kamait as he never visited the area after being elected to the Lok Sabha. People said, “We don’t know who our MP is. Even if you give us some photographs of different leaders so that we can identify them in them, we will not be able to recognise them.”
Children drop out after Class 5!
The village has only one middle school (up to Class 5). “The local government school is up to Class 5. It has one teacher, who comes occasionally,” said Rameshwar Mukhiya. “The school effectively runs for no more than five-six months. The area remains submerged in water for three-four months, and hence, the school remains closed. So, if you exclude all the official holidays for the entire year, the school remains open for only five-six months.
Gagan Dev Mandal, a resident of Belagot, said that after Class 5, children have to enrol in high school, which is on the other side of the river. “After Class 5, children have to cross the river to go to school. As a result, many of them drop out,” he said.
Marriage a big problem
Villagers said no one wants to get their daughters married in the villages as the village is completely cut off from the rest of the world. Outsiders cannot even “dare” to think of visiting their villages during floods, he said.
“The only people who marry their daughters here are those who are financially weak and cannot afford the wedding expenses. They happily marry our daughters but do not agree to send their daughters here.”
Pucca houses – a distant dream
All the houses on the ‘island’ are made of bamboo, reed, straw and tin. Even those who can make a good living do not build brick-concrete houses because the land they are living on is destroyed by the river.
“We have to spend at least Rs 50,000 to build such a temporary house. Today, if someone builds a permanent house by spending a lot of money, what will happen to his investment when the house falls into the river and the land on which he lives goes into the river? So, everyone lives here in these temporary shelters. This is no less expensive. After two-three years, we will have to change this place and continue investing the amount,” the chief.
CASTE DALIT NEWS NEWS SHUDRAS STATE
Despite untouchability, contractual service, meagre wages – why do Bihar’s scavengers scavenge for a living? Ground report
Despite financial constraints, the community has promising ambitious youth who are defying the notion that individuals from marginalised castes lack a desire for education.
Ankit Pachauri, Translated by Ankit Pachauri
Darbhanga (Bihar): Jyoti, a young woman from the Mehatar community, aspires to pursue a law degree from the National Law School of India University, Bangalore. But her likely failure to fulfil this aspiration will be due to financial constraints and not the notion that individuals from marginalised castes lack a desire for education.
The 17-year-old, daughter of a contractual sanitation worker in the Darbhanga Municipal Corporation, has passed her pre-university with good marks from the Bihar School Examination Board in the month of May this year. She wants to fulfil her dream.
Father Praveen Kumar Ram, despite financial constraints, is bearing the expenses of preparing for his daughter to appear in the entrance exams of various government law colleges across the country. Speaking to The Mooknayak correspondent, Praveen Kumar said, “That is all I want – that she flies high and gets all that she deserves. I will ensure that my humble background never becomes a hindrance to her education.”
34-year-old Praveen, a resident of ward number 27, joined the civic body as a sanitation worker on a contract basis 15 years ago with the hope that one day his services will be regularised and he will get a salary based on the Pay Commission recommendations. However, he is still working in the same employment status. After deductions, he gets a salary of Rs 11,500 per month.
Despite not being in a good financial condition, he is ready to bear the expenses of his daughter’s education. But he has two other children (a daughter and a son) to take care of. “I know it is almost impossible for me, but the words of Babasaheb (Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar) – who said, ‘Education is a lioness’s milk, the more one drinks, the more one roars’ – give me strength,” he said.
“Our salary is not enough to meet the basic needs of our families such as food, education, healthcare and emergency savings,” said Praveen Kumar.
“While cleaning drains, public toilets, hospitals, roads and government departments, we deal with mud, human excreta, filth and garbage – prolonged exposure to which puts us at risk of life-threatening diseases. If we fall sick, it takes away our financial stability and the little money we have saved,” Praveen Kumar said, describing his and his fellow workers’ plight.
‘Negligence’ towards safety and physical health Several other Safai Karmacharis shared similar complaints, highlighting the alleged neglect towards their well-being.
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Meanwhile, on the condition of anonymity for fear of action against him, a 35-year-old supervisor who has been serving the city’s municipal corporation on a contract basis for the past 16 years said, “After our long-standing demand, we have now been provided with knee-high boots, helmets, surgical masks and cleaner aprons. Isn’t it ridiculous? What use will a surgical mask be in the confined space of a manhole, which contains toxic gases like gasoline vapors, methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide, etc.? Will it protect us from inhaling such toxic gases?”
He said that when they enter the sewer to clear the blockages, they have to go deep into the dirty water. But they are allegedly not provided with safety glasses to protect their eyes, costumes to avoid skin infections, creams, safety gloves, etc.
“These are the bare minimum, but who cares. Even our lives don’t matter to the government and this society we serve,” he said. According to him, they should be provided with safety gloves, reflective jackets, wader suit covering the whole body, gas protection or chlorine mask, airline breathing apparatus – manually operated air blower, gumboots with steel safety toe, helmet with headlight, safety glasses, cream, barrier, air compressor and searchlight.
“We are also denied regular medical check-ups and vaccination against respiratory and skin diseases,” he alleged, adding, “If illness occurs, even after years of hard work, we are immediately replaced without any monetary compensation.” Asked how it is done when manual scavenging is completely banned, manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks is required in areas where jetting machines cannot go due to narrow lanes and encroachments. “But it is allowed only in exceptional cases and that too with safety precautions, including equipment and protective gear,” he said. Ironically, all those who spoke to us (the reporter) unanimously alleged that there is no provision for compensation in case of an accident. “After a long fight by our union, the district administration has now agreed to pay an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh if ??any of us dies while discharging our duties.
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Our demand was Rs 10 lakh. But there is a catch here: it is applicable only to those who are serving the municipal corporation on contract (annexure). It does not include daily wagers and outsourced sanitation workers,” he said. Classification of services, saga of ‘exploitation’ There are three categories of employment of sanitation workers in municipal bodies across Bihar—contract or daily wagers, outsourced and permanent employees. Contract workers are actually daily wagers who get paid directly from the department at the rate of Rs 500 per day and outsourced workers are hired by various companies and NGOs to work on their payrolls. These firms and NGOs allegedly pay their workers a nominal amount but make them sign payment vouchers containing higher amounts. Most of the outsourced workers this correspondent spoke to said they get Rs 7,000-7,500 but are made to sign payment vouchers for Rs 11,000-12,000.
Raj Kumar Ram, 36, joined the civic body in 2001 as a contractual safai karamchari at a monthly remuneration of Rs 1,750. After his 23 years of service, he is now getting Rs 11,300 after deductions.
He was assured that he would be given priority over others if the government notified vacancies for safai karamcharis. Sadly, there have been no appointments in the Group-D category since 2004.
The father of two children aged six and eight asked if this amount was enough to survive in this time of inflation. To take care of his ailing parents and bear the expenses of a family of six, he goes from house to house and asks for cleaning work in his spare time.
“There is a hue and cry over the government’s free ration scheme. Is it possible to survive on 5 kg of wheat and rice? There are other needs at home. We cannot leave our children at the mercy of government schools, where quality education is a far cry. Private educational institutions are no less than an industry, but sadly, there is no escape from it. Most of my earnings are spent on school fees, books and stationery. The much-hyped smart card (Ayushman card issued to people below the poverty line under the central government’s flagship health scheme for free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh) is nothing but a fraud as no private hospital is agreeing to accept it,” he said.
The Bihar government (urban development and housing department) through an administrative order in 2017 had asked all government departments across the state to outsource the work being done by daily wage sanitation workers but the Nitish Kumar-led NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government in Bihar challenged the high court’s decision in the Supreme Court, where the matter is pending.
Vicky, head of an organisation called Mehatar Yuva Sangathan, alleged that the government was indirectly depriving them of reservation benefits. “Since the Constitution guarantees reservation to the Scheduled Caste (SC) population, no government can deny it,” he alleged. And so, the Nitish administration has resorted to outsourcing and contract system to deprive a socially, economically and educationally backward community of its rights.”
When asked to elaborate, he said, “Earlier the government used to employ people from Mehatar and Dom communities as sanitation workers in its various departments. Our community was economically prosperous due to proper pay scales and other employment benefits. Now, private companies and NGOs have been involved who pay meagre amounts and exploit the employees. This has pushed us towards poverty and backwardness.”
The outsourced employees reportedly do not get casual or sick leave except six weekly holidays. They have to work 24 days every month, while contract workers get 26 days of work every month.
She said she faces difficulties in getting emergency leaves sanctioned. She also said she does not get the privilege of enjoying holidays on festivals while her senior officials spend time with their families at home. “We have no personal life. Even if there is a tragedy in the family, we are asked to report the next day,” she alleged.
Gauri Devi, 35, works as a sweeper at the Darbhanga railway junction. She is also on a third party payroll. Earlier, she was made to sign payment vouchers for Rs 12,000 but was paid Rs 7,000 every month. But recently, the tender has been given to a new firm – which will pay her Rs 9,000 every month.
The mother of three could not hide her happiness over the Rs 2,000 pay hike. “Now, I will be able to save something every month. My husband also works as a daily wage labourer in the municipal corporation,” she said. His salary is spent. I take care of the household expenses and pay for the children’s education myself,” she says.
She got her eldest sister married soon after she passed Class 12. But her other two daughters are 15 and 18 years old and are in pre-university and university respectively. She wants them to study further and get government jobs.
She lives in a small hut built on three dhur (3.60 sq ft) of government land. Her husband inherited one kattha (1,361 sq ft) of ancestral land among his four brothers on the outskirts of the city.
Untouchables even among Dalits
The Mehatar and Dom communities are at the lowest rung of the caste-based social order. They are discriminated against not only by the so-called upper castes but also by their fellow SC communities, who are relatively prosperous and consider themselves above them. They suffer many kinds of oppression in Bihar’s feudal-agrarian society.
Rajendra Ram, 52, a research scholar whose Ph.D. dissertation is titled ‘Study of Social Reality with Reference to Mehatar Caste’, states that the ruling class designed the Hindu varnas or classes, which are hierarchical in nature, in such a way that traditionally oppressed communities could never rise up and become part of mainstream society.
He argued that the cosmology of the origin of society was added to the sacred texts to gain religious sanction for dividing society into occupational groups to establish hegemony and control.
Speaking to Mooknayak, general secretary of Bhartiya Bhangi Vikas Manch, an organisation working for the betterment of the Dalit community, said, “We were classified as Shudras and placed on the last rung of the ladder. We were assigned the dirtiest jobs, forced to work as bonded labourers and forced to survive on their leftover food. Our existence was always hated. We were forced to live in settlements on the south side of villages to ensure that the wind does not reach the higher castes after touching us. The wind blows from the east, west and north directions, but not from the south,”
According to him, though untouchability has largely declined in cities, it is still practised in rural areas. Untouchability is not very visible in cities as it is hardly observed physically. Instead, it has transformed into institutional untouchability, where institutions are built to separate people from each other. “Urban planning serves as a model for the exercise of privilege and power, resulting in the creation and maintenance of segregation that reinforces prejudices and stereotypes against particular communities,” he said. He further said, “It is important that we never forget that caste-dominated India is the source of housing segregation. Segregation is a historically widespread trend that results in cities becoming more and more homogenous places where particular classes of people can only have specific rights and the privileges that come with them.” He said that whether it was Auguste Comte (a French philosopher whose work focused on the social structure of Indian society, with special emphasis on caste and race), Emile Durkheim (a French sociologist whose concept of the scientific study of society laid the foundation of modern sociology), Herbert Spencer (a British philosopher and psychologist who incorporated the theory of evolution in society) or CA Moser (a British statistician who researched social phenomena and problems), all concluded that India’s caste system is a stigma; unless it is eradicated, India cannot develop. Ram said that the Mehatar and Dom communities are also considered untouchable by other SC communities such as Paswans, Dhobis, etc. He said, “They come to our functions but do not eat with us. We have to send raw food to their homes.” When asked about privatisation, outsourcing and contractual employment, he said these are the results of globalisation.
“Outsourcing of Group-D employees started from Western Railway when Suresh Kalmadi was the Union Railway Minister. Since it was cost effective as at least four Safai Karmacharis could be appointed either on contract basis or outsourced in the salary of one permanent employee, it was adopted by state governments. In fact it is a conspiracy against the SC community to keep them economically unstable so that they keep struggling to make ends meet and never demand their upliftment,” he said angrily.
Asked what the Dalit leadership in various political parties was doing, he said, “They are not community leaders but power brokers. Once they reach the corridors of power, they indulge in nepotism and forget their communities. Whether it is late Ram Vilas Paswan (former Union minister), Jitan Ram Manjhi (former Bihar chief minister), Ashok Choudhary (minister of building construction department in Bihar government), Maheshwar Hazari (deputy speaker of Bihar assembly), all served only their families.” Except for a few thousand high school teachers and inspectors in Bihar, he said, no appointments were made in the police during Lalu Prasad Yadav’s 15-year rule. In the 2004 assembly elections, Dalits voted en masse for the Nitish Kumar-led NDA. But he went a step further and stopped appointments of sanitation workers.
Raja Ram, 42, an outsourced sanitation worker at an operation theatre in Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), said he feels hurt when he is called a “lower caste”. “Why should there be discrimination on the basis of birth in a particular community? We have no control over birth and death. If a child is born to ‘upper caste’ parents, he will indeed be of ‘upper caste’; but if a child is born in a Dalit community, he will be considered a ‘lower caste’. Why? As human beings, there is no difference in their physical character,” he said. He gets Rs 8,000 per month but signs payment vouchers for Rs 12,000. “Can a family of four be taken care of properly in this amount, leave alone the education of children?” he asked. Suraj Kumar Choudhary, 21, who has graduated in English literature and is preparing for the civil services, wondered why there is caste-based untouchability when even Hindu religious texts deny it. “The Bhagavad Gita says, ‘The one who has the knowledge of Brahman is a Brahmin’. He can be anyone, irrespective of his caste. It does not say that only those born in a Brahmin family will be Brahmins,” he argued. He quoted Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who said, “If God believed in untouchability, I would not call him God.”
Rajasthan: Notice to Education Department, Court asks- “Why action was taken against teacher Hemlata Bairwa?”
The Dalit female teacher was suspended and posted to Bikaner headquarters against the rules. Hemlata took refuge in the court against this order. The court has issued a show cause notice to the education department and sought a reply.
Abdul Mahir
Jaipur. Social organizations are coming forward to provide legal and financial help to Dalit female teacher Hemlata Bairwa, who refused to worship Saraswati Devi in ??the government school on Republic Day and called her “Savitribai Phule, the goddess of children”. Ajaak (Scheduled Caste Employees Officers Organization) has given financial help of Rs 50,000 to Hemlata Bairwa (Prabodhak, Government Higher Primary School Lakdai, District Baran) for legal aid. Here, the Dalit female teacher has challenged the suspension action in the competent court. The court has issued a show cause notice to the education department and sought a reply. Rajni Brijesh, Kailash Narayan, Dr. Satish Chand and Sumer Singh, an engineer from Kota, handed over a cheque of Rs 50,000 to Hemlata Bairwa. This amount will be used in Hemlata’s legal battle against the government order.
Ajak’s patron, retired IPS Satyavir Singh told The Mooknayak, “Our organisation works for the constitutional rights and protection of employees and officers. In Hemlata’s case, the organisation had asked for legal help. However, they have decided to arrange for a lawyer at their own level and fight a legal battle against the government’s suspension order.”
He said, “The organisation has tried to provide whatever financial help it can for her compensation. So that the morale of the employee remains high. She gets financial support. This will also inspire people to join organisations and unite. Apart from them, Pooja Bunkar and Mukesh Bunkar have also become victims of government harassment due to malice by the officials of the education department. The organisation has also helped them with Rs 15,000 each.” Hemlata talked about following the constitution in government educational institutions. Despite this, the government took action against her. On this, former IPS Satyavir Singh said, “The Indian Constitution was made under the leadership of Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, in which it was thought that gradually all people will move forward by adopting a scientific approach. The rights of freedom of the individual will be protected under the Constitution.” The Mooknayak spoke to Hemlata Bairwa. She again reiterated, “What wrong did I do? Under the Constitution, education of any religion cannot be given in a government educational institution. Neither can worship be done. On Republic Day, I was pressured to worship Saraswati. Citing the Constitution, I refused to worship. I told Savitribai Phule to be the goddess of children.” Hemlata asked, “Why so much aversion towards those who talk about the Constitution? When I spoke about the Constitution, one-sided action was taken against me. I was suspended for harassment and sent to Bikaner, 600 kms away from the headquarters against the rules. I am a Dalit, so action was taken against me only. Other teachers were also involved in this incident, but no action was taken against them?”
On the financial help received from Ajaak, she said, “Ajaak has provided financial support for legal aid. I have been given a cheque. I will use this amount in the legal battle against injustice.” She said, “I have faith in the Constitution. Truth will prevail.” She says, “I have appealed in the court against the departmental order. After the hearing in the Rajasthan High Court on Monday, the court has issued a show cause notice to the Rajasthan Education Department.” She said, “No action has been taken in the FIR registered in the local police station.” On the question of pressure after the FIR, she said – “Yes… some people have asked to withdraw the case through the villagers. They have also said that if she withdraws the case, she will be given posting in the same school.” On asking who are those people, she said, “I don’t know. They have not spoken to me directly.” She said, “I will fight for justice till my last breath. I have faith in the law. I can be harassed. I cannot be defeated. Hemlata Bairwa has not yet joined the Directorate of Education Department, Bikaner in compliance with the order.
TM Exclusive: Dalit teacher suspended over ‘Saraswati vs Savitri’ controversy gets posting after six months, know what Hemlata Bairwa regrets
Hemlata says that she regrets a lot that she never got a chance to read and understand Baba Saheb or Buddhism in school or college. “If I had got a chance to know and understand all this in the early stages of my life, then perhaps I would have started efforts to awaken my community and society earlier.”
Geetha Sunil Pillai
Jaipur – Dalit teacher Hemlata Bairwa, who had the courage to tell the villagers that ‘Savitri Bai Phule is the real goddess of knowledge’ by refusing to put up the picture of Saraswati during the Republic Day celebrations in a government school in Baran district, finally got posted on Tuesday after a six-month long battle.
District Education Officer (Headquarters) Primary, Baran Piyush Kumar Sharma issued orders to post Hemlata Bairwa in Government Primary School, Ahmeda with immediate effect.
Hemlata Bairwa was posted as Prabodhak Level-1 Government High Primary School Lakadai (PEEO Bandipura) Kishanganj District Baran but after the Saraswati vs Savitri controversy on 26 January, not only an FIR was registered against her but disciplinary action was also taken by the department after which she was suspended.
Despite strong opposition from some villagers, the teacher flatly refused to keep Saraswati’s picture along with the pictures of Gandhi and Ambedkar on the stage in the Republic Day program. When she was told that Saraswati’s picture should be worshiped in the school because she is the goddess of knowledge, Hemlata boldly replied – Saraswati has no contribution in the field of education, the real goddess of education is Savitri Bai Phule. Seeing the matter getting out of hand, the education department suspended Bairwa.
The Dalit teacher challenged her suspension in the Rajasthan Administrative Tribunal, after which the Education Department, on 10.04.2024, keeping the investigation pending, reinstated her from suspension and till further orders, fixed her headquarters as Chief Block Education Officer, Panchayat Chhipabaud, District – Baran due to the code of conduct.
It is noteworthy that Todabhim MLA Ghanshyam Mahar had recently raised the issue of Hemlata Bairwa’s suspension in the Assembly on the floor of the House and demanded the reinstatement of the teacher from the Education Minister. Recently, Mahar shared a video clip of the proceedings of the House on his social media handle and wrote that the minister has assured him of immediate action in this matter.
Information about posting from social media
When the posting order went viral on social media on Tuesday evening, the teacher also got information about the new posting through social media, she is yet to receive a copy of the order. When The Mooknayak called her to congratulate her, she was very happy and excited. Expressing her happiness, Hemlata thanked her family and villagers as well as the entire Dalit community and Ambedkarite organizations who supported her in this fight with body, mind and money.
Dr. Ambedkar Scheduled Caste Officers and Employees Association (AJAK) – an organization of Scheduled Caste officers and employees – provided Rs 50,000 as financial assistance to Bairwa to fight the legal case going on against her. Many social organizations came forward in support of the teacher. The Mooknayak had done a series of reporting on this entire episode from the very beginning, although the mainstream media kept avoiding coverage of the injustice done to the Dalit teacher.
On this occasion, Hemlata expressed special gratitude to The Mooknayak and said that by publishing a series of truthful reports on the entire episode, Mooknayak not only introduced unbiased journalism but also strengthened the struggle of people belonging to the Dalit and deprived community.
I did what is the responsibility of a teacher, Article 51 A in our Constitution also says – it is the duty of every citizen to develop a scientific outlook. I have just performed my responsibility which every teacher in every school should do.
It was difficult to travel 150 kms daily, son or daughter would accompany me’
In a detailed conversation with The Muknayak, Hemlata told that for the last three months she had to travel 150 kms daily for duty. “It is not possible for me to travel so far alone, so my son or daughter travels with me daily. I am happy that I was not alone in this fight for truth, my children, my villagers, community members supported me completely. If I was able to fight bravely, the credit goes to all of you” Hemlata said emotionally. Hemlata’s daughter Amisha wants to become a teacher like her mother, and has completed BSTC course while son Nihal is preparing for NEET. Hemlata’s husband does not work and they live separately.
When Hemlata was asked that after facing so many problems, will she continue to spread awareness about education by following the path shown by Baba Saheb, she says, “I did what is the duty of a teacher. Article 51 A of our constitution also says – it is the duty of every citizen to develop a scientific outlook. I have only fulfilled my responsibility which every teacher in every school should do. Instead of inculcating conservative and narrow-mindedness in children from a young age, we should develop scientific thinking to remove hypocrisy and superstition. They have to be told that Saraswati has no contribution in the field of education, rather Savitri Bai fought a long battle for women and girl education years ago and made many sacrifices.”
Does not celebrate any Hindu festival
Hemlata has deep faith in Baba Saheb and Buddha. Although she has not formally adopted Buddhism, she is very inspired by the teachings of Buddha. Hemlata does not believe in Hindu customs nor has she celebrated any festival for a long time. She told, “Earlier I used to celebrate festivals but later as awareness increased, I got a chance to read and understand Baba Saheb’s thoughts and his books. After understanding the negative aspects of religion, I started moving away from ostentation.”
Hemlata says that she regrets that she never got a chance to understand Baba Saheb or Buddhism in school or college. “If I had got a chance to understand all this in the early stages of my life, then perhaps I would have started doing effective work to awaken my community and society.” Hemlata says that it is very important to include content promoting scientific temperament in the curriculum. Apart from this, a lot of efforts will have to be made to promote education, especially in a state like Rajasthan, the condition of schools and education in rural areas is very bad.
Karnataka Legislature Committee slams State Government for alleged misuse of SC/ST funds
The Karnataka Legislature Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, on Thursday, July 25, came down heavily upon the state government for diverting SC/ST funds and utilising it on general programmes like free bus passes for students. The committee had tabled a report on how SC/ST funds are used in the state.
According to a Deccan Herald report, the committee had specifically raised an issue with the utilisation of Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) funds for general social sector schemes. The committee was also reportedly told by the Transport department that the students travelling in buses are “mostly poor and SC/STs" and so the bus passes are given to all students.
However, the committee took exception to this and strongly objected to the logic. “The Committee expresses its objection to the use of SCSP-TSP funds for this purpose as it amounts to misuse and violation of the law. The SCSP-TSP funds must be used for SC/STs by framing programmes. Going by this, it means that for the last 10 years, SCSP-TSP funds have been used in violation of the law, which is punishable. Funds must be utilised to provide basic infrastructure at hostels and scholarships under the social welfare department,” the committee had said in its report.
The Committee has also directed the government to scrap section 7(c) of the Karnataka Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan (Planning, Allocation and Utilisation of Financial Resources) Act, which allows diversion of SCSP-TSP funds for general social sector schemes which benefits SC/ST communities, along with others.
The Congress-led Karnataka state government is already under fire for diverting the funds from SCSP-TSP to fund the five guarantees of the Congress party. Earlier this month, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) sought a detailed report from the Karnataka government regarding the utilization of funds meant for the welfare of SC/ST.
“Suo-moto cognizance has been taken by the Commission following the media report on utilization of SC/ST funds to welfare schemes. The Karnataka government decided to utilize funds allocated under the Karnataka Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) for implementing five guarantee schemes. The government of Karnataka has taken the decision to divert Rs 14,730.53 crores from SCSP and TSP allocation to guarantee schemes,” Commission’s letter dated July 9 signed by Joint Secretary Rajeev Kumar Tiwari said.
Tribal projects should be completed in a time-bound manner, says Kerala Minister O.R. Kelu
The Minister directed tribal promoters to perform their duties effectively to bring tribal families’ issues to the attention of officials concerned
Published - July 26, 2024 11:49 pm IST - KALPETTA
Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes O.R. Kelu has said that projects for tribal communities should be implemented in a time-bound manner.
Speaking after inaugurating a review meeting here on July 26 on various projects for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes in the district, the Minister said that while many projects aimed at comprehensive development were under way, they remained incomplete owing to poor coordination among departments. He added that funds for the projects often lapsed due to the alleged apathy of officials.
Effective interventions from officials were crucial to addressing the issues, the Minister said. He added that follow-up meetings would be held every month after the review meeting.
The meeting assessed the progress in tribal projects, fund allocation and its utilisation, and faults in executing the projects.
The Minister directed tribal promoters to perform their fieldwork duties effectively to bring tribal families’ issues to the attention of the officials concerned. He also said that all possible steps would be taken to address the dropout rates of tribal students from schools.
He added that since tribal students often faced denial of grants and incentives due to lack of documents such as Aadhaar card and identity card, all steps would be taken to ensure that the documents were provided to all students.
Tribal Development Department Director Renu Raj, district panchayat president Shamsad Marakkar, District Collector D.R. Meghasree, and senior officials of various departments attended the meeting.
Plea to improve infrastructure in Adi Dravidar welfare schools in Tiruchi
Published - July 26, 2024 09:12 pm IST - MADURAI
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has sought response from the State to the public interest litigation petition seeking a direction to authorities to improve the infrastructure of the Adi Dravidar Welfare Girls and Boys Higher Secondary Schools in Kattur in Tiruchi.
A Division Bench of Justices R. Suresh Kumar and G. Arul Murugan sought response from authorities to a petition filed by advocate S. Mohammed Yunnis Raja of Madurai. The petitioner sought a direction to authorities to appoint sufficient teachers, construct new classrooms, introduce computer courses, raise the height of the compound wall at the girls school and to reconstruct the damaged compound wall at the boys school.
Govt spreading hatred towards Dalits, tribals, minorities: AAP MP Sanjay Singh
New Delhi : AAP MP Sanjay Singh on Thursday alleged that the government was spreading hatred towards Dalits, tribals and minorities as he criticised the decision of certain BJP-ruled states on display of names of shop owners on the Kanwar Yatra route.
Participating in the Budget discussion in the Rajya Sabha, he also said the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has not benefited any section of the society.
He dismissed the Budget as anti-farmer, anti-youth and anti-businesses.
In an apparent reference to the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments directive to eateries along the Kanwar Yatra routes to display the names of their owners, staff and other details, Singh said, “I want to ask the government whether the 10 crore street vendors do not contribute to the economy. They pay tax to the government…you asked street vendors to display their nameplates in front of their establishments…(and inform) whether you are Hindu, Muslim, Dalit, backward or tribal.”
He accused the government of creating differences among the society through such moves.
“Such things should not take place in the country. India is a secular country… You hate Dalits, backward classes, tribals, minorities, and Muslims,” he added.
On Monday, the Supreme Court had ordered an interim stay on the directives issued by the two state governments.
Pointing out that the central government has reduced allocation for jails, Singh took a jibe at the BJP, saying the condition of jails should be improved as “you all will go to jail”.
The AAP leader also criticised the government for using probe agencies to jail opposition leaders.
Independent member Kapil Sibal raised issues of unemployment in the country and said there is no roadmap in the budget to address concerns around rising unemployment.
He cited an ILO report which claimed that 83 per cent of India’s youth is unemployed.
“You can imagine the crisis that this country is facing. I would have thought that the finance minister should have given a roadmap to deal with the unemployment crisis. “Unfortunately, they have not been able to provide this roadmap because they will have to generate an employment of seven to 8 million people on a yearly basis for the next 30 years,” he said.
Sibal said the developed world is having a declining population and aged people are outnumbering the young. He said developed countries need artificial intelligence to get their work done but it is difficult to use AI in India due to 83 per cent unemployment.
Trinamool Congress member Dola Sen said a sensible government would have reduced tax burden on the middle class and increased taxes on billionaires.
YSRCP member V Vijaysai Reddy demanded special status for Andhra Pradesh. He said that the budget has only made provision for Rs 15,000 crore loan.
AIADMK’s M Thambidurai, BJP’s Bhagwat Karad and Congress member Akhilesh Prasad Singh also participated in the discussion on the union budget. ( With PTI Inputs ).
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