Monday, February 8, 2010

[ZESTCaste] 1 held for assaulting Dalit women cooks

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=1+held+for+assaulting+Dalit+women+cooks&artid=rBWK0c14oWc=&SectionID=mvKkT3vj5ZA=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=nUFeEOBkuKw=&SEO=

1 held for assaulting Dalit women cooks

Express News ServiceFirst Published : 08 Feb 2010 10:50:02 AM IST

Last Updated : 08 Feb 2010 07:04:42 PM IST

KENDRAPARA: A Member of the village education committee in
Sanamarichapli village here, Niranjan Pradhan, was arrested yesterday
for allegedly assaulting and forcibly detaining two Dalit women when
they refused to quit from their jobs as cooks in Maa Sidha Marichandi
Nodal School on January 19. He was produced in JMFC, Pattamundei,
which denied bail and remanded him to judicial custody.


Ketaki Sethi, one of the Dalit women, had filed an FIR against
Niranjan, said Maheswar Sethi, the Officer-in- Charge of Rajnagar
police station.

Cooking mid-day meals at the school was stopped three weeks back after
students belonging to upper caste refused to eat meals cooked by the
two Dalit women. They were instigated by some upper caste persons of
the village including Pradhan.

The authorities had entrusted Ma Ambika SHG to provide mid-day meals
to students and the SHG appointed two upper caste women for the
purpose. But on January 19, the SHG replaced upper caste women cooks
and entrusted two Dalit women - Ketaki Sethi and Sebati Sethi - for
the work. This was, however, not accepted by the upper caste men who
assaulted and locked the two women in the kitchen for an hour before
the headmaster rescued them.

Headmaster Rabindra Nayak said he was being forced by the upper caste
villagers to disengage the two women. "But I pleaded my helplessness
as it was the decision of the higher authorities," he said.

The village has a population of 700 people of which about one-third are Dalits.

An administrative inquiry was initiated.

The situation has worsened to an extent that now both the Dalit and
upper caste communities of the village and its nearby areas are at
loggerheads over the issue. Sources said the upper caster people have
threatened to withdraw their wards from the school if upper caste
cooks are not appointed to prepare the mid-day meals.

District Collector Sishirkanta Panda said that police action would be
initiated against those opposing appointment of the Dalit women as
cooks in the school.


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