Incident Reports

Students padlock school after Dalit woman cooks their lunch

2018-02-08

Expressing anger against the school authorities for allowing a Dalit woman to cook their lunch, students of a local school in Teejdanda, Dailekh have padlocked the school office. As untouchability and caste-based discrimination is deeply embedded in the rural parts of the country, the so-called higher castes refuse to eat anything cooked or touched by the lowest castes. Students of Himalaya Adharbhut School at Teejdanda padlocked the school after learning that their school lunch was cooked by a low caste person. Accoding to the teachers, students refused to eat the lunch as their parents had taught them that their teeths would fall out if they ate anything cooked by a Dalit. According to Nirmala Nepali, the assistant cook at the school, students of grades 6 and 7 padlocked the kitchen at around noon on Thursday when she was preparing to cook their lunch. The non-Dalit students at the school boycotted the meals provided by the school after the school appointed Nirmala two months ago. It is thought that the students took this action as per the suggestions of their parents and teachers. There are altogether 286 students at the school. "I was away attending a meeting of school principals at Chamunda Resource Center when the students padlocked the school administration," informed Purna Kandel, principal of the school. Local Dalit leaders have accused the teachers of provoking the students into taking such action. "It could be their parents who compelled students to take such a step," said Kandel. He gave assurances that he would resolve the problem as soon as he reached the school. The number of such cases has increased in recent days, informed social activist and journalist Amar Sunar. Dalits here are discriminated against and ostracized from religious and public places.They have been tortured, beaten and even killed by the so-called upper caste people for going against their norms. In 2008, Amrit BK of Jagnath was beaten up and told to pay a compensation of Rs 60,000 for entering into an inter-caste marriage. Later, the case was taken to court where BK was provided legal remedy. Likewise in 2012, Sete Damai of Toli was beaten to death for doing the same thing. Two weeks ago, Pahal Bahadur Kami of Badakhola was beaten up by his neighbors Bhim Bahadur Rokaya and Nagendra Khatri of Kharigaira, accusing him of touching their mattress. There are many such cases which do not come to light. Only a few of the cases reach the police. According to social activist Prem Bhurtel, it is sad that children are taught even in their schools to discriminate against others on the basis of caste. चामुण्डाको हिमालय आधारभूत विद्यालय तीजडाँडामा विद्यालयमा दलितले पकाएको दिवा खाजा खाँदैनौँ भन्दै विद्यार्थीले तालाबन्दी गरेका छन् । ‘दलितले पकाएको खाए दाँत र्झछन्’ भनी घरमा अभिभावकले भनेका कारण ती बालबालिकाले खाजा खान मानेका छैनन् । माघ २५ गते दिउँसो १२ बजे खाजा पकाउने तयारी गर्न लाग्दा ६ र ७ कक्षाका गैरदलित बालबालिकाले दलितले पकाएको खाँदैनौं भन्दै भान्सा कोठामा एक्कासी ताला लगाएको खाजा पकाउने सहयोगी निर्मला नेपालीले बताइन् । विद्यालय व्यवस्थापनको निर्णयबाट २ महिना अघि प्रति महिना २ हजार रुपियाँ पाउने गरी नियुक्त गरिएकी निर्मलाले दिवा खाजा पकाउन सुरु गरेदेखि तल्लो जातिले पकाएको खाँदैनौं भन्दै ६ र ७ कक्षाका गैरदलित बालबालिकाले खाजा खाएका थिएनन् । विद्यालयका कार्यालय सहयोगी दण्डपाणी रिजालले बालबालिकाको लागि दिवा खाजा पकाउन सक्दिन भनेपछि विद्यालयको आन्तरिक श्रोतबाट व्यहोर्ने गरी विद्यालय व्यवस्थापनको निर्णयबाट निर्मलालाई नियुक्त गरिएको थियो । ‘केही बालबालिकाले पहिलेदेखि नै खाँदैन्थे आज म प्रधानाध्यापक बैठकमा चामुण्डा श्रोत केन्द्रमा गएको मौकामा ताला लगाएछन्’ विद्यालयका प्रधानाध्यापक पूर्ण कँडेलले भने । बालबालिकालाई नै उक्साएर शिक्षकहरूले विद्यालयमै विभेद गराएको भन्ने स्थानीय दलित अगुवाको आरोप छ । यस विषयमा ध्यानाकर्षण गराउँदा प्रधानाध्यापक कँडेलले टिप्पणी गरे ‘घरपरिवारको शिक्षाका कारण बालबालिकाले त्यति कट्टरता देखाएका हुनसक्छन् ।’ दिवा खाजाले विद्यालयमा विभेद सिकाएको जनगुनासो बारे शिक्षाका लागि खाद्य कार्यक्रम इकाई दैलेखका निमित्त कार्यालय प्रमुख उमेश शर्माले आफूहरूलाई पनि यसबारे जानकारी आएको र समस्या समाधानका लागि पहल गरिएको बताए । उब्जाउका हिसाबले खाद्यन्नको बढी समस्या भएका दैलेखमा २ सय ८६ वटा आधारभूत विद्यालयमा दिवा खाजा दिँदै आएको छ । विश्व खाद्य कार्यक्रम सहयोगमा हाल ११ जिल्लामा सञ्चालित दिवा खाजा दिइँदै आएको छ । दिवा खाजामा प्रति विद्यार्थीलाई हरेक दिन ८० ग्राम चामल, २० ग्राम दाल, १० ग्राम तेल र २ ग्राम नुन पुग्ने गरी वितरण गरिँदै आएको कार्यक्रममा यो वर्ष दैलेखमा २३ हजार ७ सय बालबालिकालाई दिवा खाजा पुर्‍याउने लक्ष्य छ ।
Details and Impacts
Violent / Non-violent Nonviolent
Onesided / Twosided Onesided
Collective / Interpersonal Interpersonal
Primary Form Gherau/Dharna (sit-in)/padlocking
Primary Cause Related to discrimination against Dalits
Actor 1 - Number of people 24
Actor 1 - Affiliations Students , Students
Actor 1 - Youth youth
Actor 2 - Number of people 1
Actor 2 - Affiliation (Target) Citizen/Individuals
Actor 2 - Youth unknown
INSEC , National/Online Media

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