New Delhi: Meira Kumar, a former speaker of the Lok Sabha said on Monday that the caste system is “still our greatest enemy” in response to the death of a Dalit boy in Rajasthan who passed away after being physically assaulted by a teacher for touching a drinking water pot in a private school.
The Congresswoman also recalled that her father’s life was saved by a “miracle” 100 years ago when it was forbidden for him to drink water from the pitcher intended for Savarna Hindus while attending school.
100 years ago my father Babu Jagjivan Ram was prohibited from drinking water in school from the pitcher meant for Savarna Hindus. It was a miracle his life was saved. 1/2
— Meira Kumar (@meira_kumar) August 15, 2022
---Advertisement---
Taking to her official Twitter account, Kumar wrote, “100 years ago my father Babu Jagjivan Ram was prohibited from drinking water in school from the pitcher meant for Savarna Hindus. It was a miracle his life was saved.”
“Today, a nine-year-old Dalit boy has been killed for the same reason. 75 long years after Independence, the caste system remains our greatest enemy,” she added.
Indra Meghwal, a student at a private school in the Rajasthani state of Jalore, was assaulted on July 20 and passed away on Saturday from his wounds in an Ahmedabad hospital.
Chail Singh, a teacher, was detained by police in the Congress-controlled state and is now facing murder charges as well as violations of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities Act).
The state department of education has launched a probe into the incident, and the chairman of the Rajasthan SC Commission, Khiladi Lal Bairwa, directed that it be handled under the case officer’s scheme for quick investigation.
The youngster was severely beaten, according to Jalore’s Superintendent of Police Harsh Vardhan Agarwalla, who also noted that the incident’s stated cause—touching a water pot—remains under investigation.
According to the boy’s father, he almost passed out and sustained injuries to his face and ear. The boy was brought to the district hospital, where he was later sent to a Udaipur hospital.
