*'There's no point teaching Chamars,' said the teacher'*
*tehelka* *http://tehelka.com/story_main25.asp?filename=Cr012007Shadow_lines.asp * If India were to ensure equal education for all its children, I would be the first to advocate the abolition of reservation. However, casteism in education, especially with regard to those labelled 'untouchable', still remains one of our ugliest realities. I will never forget how, when I was in Class V in my village school in Bhainimaharajpur in Rohtak, I was one of the very best students but a Jat girl, Darshana, forbade me to drink from the school's water pitcher. I was furious; I broke the pitcher and invited the wrath of the panchayat, which even accused me of saying vulgar things to Darshana. I remained unrepentnant — early on, the incident taught me self-confidence and the courage to speak my mind, come what may. As I grew up, I prospered because I was determined to educate myself and face the odds stacked against me. I got into government service in Haryana and became a member of the cm's Flying Squad. On innumerable occasions, I was painfully brought face-to-face with my 'untouchable' status. A member of a dominant caste once wanted to meet me for some work. When he was told I was busy, he shouted at my staff and said, "Why is this son of a Chamar not meeting me." One of the reasons why the government primary education system is in such shambles is, I think, that the children it caters to are from the so-called lower castes. The teachers' own children, or for that matter the children of rich dalits, never go to these schools. I saw this once when I was on an inspection in Narwana. I asked the local government school master why his school was not producing good results even though he himself was a well-qualified man. His reply shocked me. Matter-of-factly, he said there was little point in teaching the children in his care as these were the kids of the Churras and Chamars. Education is the one tool dalits have for their empowerment, but the forward castes just do not like to have to even acknowledge those whom they once trod upon. In Punjab University, there was once a dalit PhD student, Navin Chowdhry. His tutor, a Jat, was misled by Navin's striking looks and the Chowdhry surname into believing that the boy was a Jat. He was given very good marks all through until the very last when the teacher discovered — after persistent inquiries from Navin about his 'gotra' — that he was not a Jat but a dalit. That teacher not only gave him poor grades in the finals but also reversed all the good grades he had earlier given. We had to take the matter up at the highest level to restore Navin's marks. Caste is still the reality in India and along with money takes precedence over merit and capability. Why, for example, is the Chief Justice of India-designate KG Balakrishnan, identified as a dalit? Does he not have his own innate capability? I tell my people not to believe in Bhagwan and Bhagya (God and destiny). Work hard, educate yourselves and erase the negative mindsets that enslave us. * Singh is a dalit activist, working in Haryana. As told to Vikram Jit Singh* *Jan 20 , 2007* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Ours is a battle not for wealth or for power. It is a battle for freedom. It is a battle for the reclamation of human personality." - Dr BR Ambedkar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ greenyouth mailinglist is the activist support mailinglist for kerala run by Global Alternate Information Applications (GAIA) To post to this group, send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
