Jaipur: “We wanted to wait until all relatives arrived, but the state administration forced us for a quick funeral. We were lathi-charged and got injured,” claim the nine-year-old Dalit student’s relatives.
On July 20, a third standard Dalit student died after allegedly being beaten up at a school in Rajasthan’s Jalore district for drinking water from a pitcher meant for upper castes. His teacher supposedly beat him so severely that his condition was critical.
The child’s uncle said that by the time they got to know about the assault, the child’s limbs were not working.
“In the 15 days, we took him to seven hospitals across the city, but no one could treat him. We finally took him to Ahmedabad, where he died on August 13,” he told NDTV.
The family said that they wanted to wait until all relatives arrived, but the state administration forced them into a quick funeral.
“We were lathi-charged, we were injured,” said the uncle.
The school headmaster rejects the allegation of caste discrimination and said that two boys were fighting over a book and that the accused headmaster Shail Singh beat both.
“The headmaster is wrong. There was no fight between boys – it was only about the Matka (water pitcher). They (the school) are obviously under pressure from the Thakurs (upper castes). They say he had a previous ear injury. That’s a lie,” said the boy’s relative.
Preliminary reports of the boy suggest that the vein of the child’s ear had burst during the beating. The incident took place at Surana village in Jalore district. Soon after the child died, the police detained Chail Singh, the accused teacher.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo moto cognizance of the minor’s death.
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has promised tough action and announced ₹ 20 lakh compensation and free education for two other children in the family.
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