http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Kanpur/Yet-another-battle-waged-over-Dalit-cooks/articleshow/6144329.cms
Yet another 'battle' waged over Dalit cooks
Faiz Rahman Siddiqui, TNN, Jul 8, 2010, 10.20pm IST
KANPUR: Even persuasion by senior district authorities yielded no
result when nearly 85-odd students of Jasapur primary school in
Sandalpur block, Jhinjhak village, refused to eat mid-day meal and
boycotted class on Thursday as the two newly appointed cooks were
`Dalit'. The 'strike' ended with the ousting of the two cooks.
"We have replaced both the cooks," a senior district official
informed. "We tried to arrange a meeting between the parents and the
senior officials, but there was no positive response from upper-caste
villagers. As of now, NPRC incharge Maan Singh Sengar has been
suspended with immediate effect and district magistrate Saroj Tewari
has directed adverse entry against additional basic shiksha adikari
(BSA) Anil Rawat," he added.
For the past three days, district administration and education
officials have been visiting the Jasapur primary school to persuade
students to eat the meal. On Thursday, the issue took a new turn when
parents of the students threatened to withdraw their wards from the
school. The school is located 25-km from Ramabai Nagar (Kanpur Dehat)
district headquarters.
On Thursday, TOI discovered that out of total 135 students, hardly 50
students- mostly Dalits and OBC-- were eating the meal that comprised
daal, chapati, rice and kheer. The remaining 85 students, mostly
Thakurs and Brahmins refused to eat the food or boycotted classes, a
practice that started on July 1, 2010, the day the school authorities
appointed two new Dalit cooks. There are two upper-caste cooks in the
school as well.
The upper-caste villagers, who were protesting against the issue, said
their children would not eat food prepared by Dalit.
Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA), Ramabai Nagar, Sanjay Shukla, who was
present at Jasapur primary school on Thursday, told TOI that the
matter had been sorted out and food would be prepared by upper-caste
cooks only. "We have sought a status report from the school, which has
some 135 students," the BSA said.
However, parents were adamant on their stand. "Us school mein hum apne
bacchon ko nahi padhayenge jahan par `achooton' se khana banwaya jata
hai (We will not let our wards study in a school where Dalits prepare
food)," said a villager, Lalla Bhadauriya. What is shocking is to see
that the sentiments of their elders have rubbed into the young
children as well. "I will not eat anything cooked by them. My father
has told me that both the cooks are of low caste. So, I bring my own
lunch box," said Shivam, a student of Class IV. Sheetal, also a
student of Class IV, questioned precociously: "When the school already
had upper-caste cooks, why did the school authorities appoint two new
Dalit cooks?"
School authorities claimed parents were totally responsible for the
decision and the cooks had been appointed by a village-level
committee, comprising the village pradhan, Anganwadi teachers and
parents.
When contacted, district magistrate, Ramabai Nagar (Kanpur Dehat),
Saroj Tewari said: "Senior district officials have been asked to visit
the school and I have also asked my subordinates to find out who had
instigated the villagers and their children in the first place. The
person or persons responsible will be punished severely."
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