[Marxistindia] (no subject)

[news from the cpi(m)]

September 22, 2014

 

Press Statement

 

 

K. Varadarajan, Member of the CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following
statement:

 

I strongly condemn the dismissal of eleven dalit students from a government
school in Bikaner in Rajasthan. These students were dismissed from the
school after two of them were found drinking water from an earthen pot meant
for an upper caste teacher. The teacher Mangal Singh took this extreme
punitive step as he felt that the children "defiled" the water by touching
the pot. The parents were also compelled to sign or put their thump
impressions on 11 blank sheets of paper. 

 

This highly deplorable act is an indicator of the subordinate status of
dalits and the obnoxious practices being carried on by the so-called upper
castes even sixty seven years after the country attained independence.
Dalits continue to be segregated, confined to the margins economically and
socially and are denied basic amenities in many parts of the country.
Unacceptable practices like the two-glass system and untouchability are
still prevalent in many states. They continue to be denied entry into
temples in some states like Rajasthan. 

 

With a rightwing party like the BJP in power in the state and the centre,
preachers and practitioners of obscurantist ideas are feeling emboldened. 

 

While steps have to be taken to readmit all the dismissed students back to
the same school immediately, a proper enquiry should be ordered not just to
look into the incident but also the prevalence of such practices in other
educational institutions in the state.

 

 

 

 

Central Committee

Communist Party of India (Marxist)

A.K. Gopalan Bhawan

27-29, Bhai Vir Singh Marg, Gole Market

New Delhi 110 001

 

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