Former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar reacts to death of Dalit boy in Rajasthan: '100 years ago my father was...'

A nine-year-old Dalit boy died after he was beaten up by a teacher for touching a drinking water pot in a private school in the Jalore district of Rajasthan.

File photo (Credits: PTI)

New Delhi: Reacting to the death of a Dalit boy in Rajasthan who died after he was beaten up by a teacher for touching a drinking water pot in a private school, former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar on Monday (August 15, 2022) said that the caste system is "still our greatest enemy". The Congress leader also said that 100 years ago her father was prohibited from drinking water in school from the pitcher meant for Savarna Hindus and that "it was a miracle" his life was saved. 

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, caste system remains our greatest enemy," she added.

Today, a nine year old #Dalit boy has been killed for the same reason.

75 long years after Independence, caste system remains our greatest enemy. 2/2 — Meira Kumar (@meira_kumar) August 15, 2022

Dalit boy dies after being beaten up by teacher for touching drinking water pot

Indra Meghwal, a student of a private school in the Jalore district of Rajasthan, was beaten up on July 20 and succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

Police in the Congress-ruled state have arrested the teacher, Chail Singh, 40, and charged him with murder and under sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The state education department has initiated an inquiry into the matter and Rajasthan SC Commission chairman Khiladi Lal Bairwa ordered that it be taken up under the case officer's scheme for fast investigation.

Superintendent of Police of Jalore Harsh Vardhan Agarwalla said the boy was beaten up badly and added that the reason cited for it -- touching a drinking water pot -- was yet to be investigated.

The boy's father said he suffered injuries in his face and ear and almost became unconscious. The boy was taken to the district hospital, from where he was referred to a hospital in Udaipur.

"He remained admitted at the hospital in Udaipur for about a week, but seeing no improvement, we took him to Ahmedabad. But his condition did not improve even there and he finally succumbed on Saturday," the boy's father Devaram Meghwal was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Hurt by atrocities against Dalits, Congress MLA resigns

Congress MLA Pana Chand Meghwal on Monday sent his resignation to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, saying he doesn't have the right to remain a legislator if he can't protect his community. The resignation came two days after the death of the Dalit boy in Jalore.

"When we fail to protect the rights of our community... We have no right to remain in the post. After listening to my inner voice, I resign from the post of MLA so that I can serve the community without any position," Meghwal wrote in his resignation letter.

Even though the country is celebrating 75 years of independence, atrocities against Dalits and the other deprived classes continue, he said.

"I am hurt looking at the atrocities. I cannot express my pain in words (at) the way my community is being tortured," the Baran-Atru MLA added.

राजस्थान में बढ़ रहे दलित वंचित वर्ग के विरोध में विधायक के पद से त्याग पत्र देता हूं
मेरे लिए पार्टी और पद से कई ज्यादा महत्वपूर्ण मेरा वंचित शोषित समाज है #जयभीम pic.twitter.com/ZVuBgs0WcD — PanaChand Meghwal (@pana_chand) August 15, 2022

Dalits are being killed for drinking water from a pot, sporting a mustache, or riding a mare during a wedding. The judicial process is stalled and case files are passed from one table to the other. Cases of atrocities against Dalits have been on the rise in the last few years. It seems there is no one to protect the rights granted to Dalits by the Constitution, he added.

"In most of the cases lodged by Dalits, the police submit the final report. I have raised such cases in the state assembly many times but no action was taken by the police," Meghwal rued.

(With agency inputs)