Is caste division a mania or a gruesome notion?

Casteism or racism is a perennial problem in India and its pervasiveness is seen sorely in Uttar Pradesh, a succession of events that befell lately is a glaring example.
Is caste division a mania or a gruesome notion?

Casteism or racism is a perennial problem in India and its pervasiveness is seen sorely in Uttar Pradesh. A succession of events that befell lately is a glaring example. On 23rd August a former village head, Manoj Kumar Dubey by name, purposely beat up a Dalit girl and threw her out of her school for not wearing a school uniform in Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohi. On 25th August, in a school situated at Kasili Kailashpur village in Dobhi block of Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh, one Sabhajit Dixit, a teacher belonging to the upper caste, mocked and abused children of classes 1 to 5, all of them belonging to lower caste, referring to them as "Chamar" and "sewage insects". Not only that, in a video that went viral Sabhajit was on telling the students, "Neither you nor your community will improve ever". The most horrific incident took place at Auraiya in Uttar Pradesh a couple of days ago. Teacher Ashwani Singh mercilessly beat a 15-year-old student of a government school for making two mistakes in an examination. Ultimately, the student died due to the injuries he sustained. Over and above this, sporadic incidents took place in which Dalit students used to face casteist slurs now and then.

Apart from Uttar Pradesh, in Rajasthan's Jalore district a nine-year-old Dalit student died after being severely beaten up by the principal of the school on 13th August. The reason for the beating is as shocking as it is despicable. The principal allegedly beat up the child only because the latter quenched his thirst by drinking water out of a clay pot meant for the principal, who was obviously of upper caste.

Repudiating the abominable incidents, for the time being, if it is explored from the educational point of view, ought it to be the role model of a teacher?

India is a land of Vedas and Upanishads. It is a land where two epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, were composed. Right from the ancient Veda teacher the Guru had been depicted as a graceful personality more than a father. We have been learning since childhood that teacher is an adorable person and his investiture is to be ratified as a guide to the philosophy of life. Best on the educational philosophy a teacher would be a true Guru. He must be a guide and true mentor who would motivate and stimulate the student for life. The teacher must be dedicated to learning regardless of the teaching profession. Moreover, a teacher can never truly teach unless he is still learning himself. A candle can never light another candle unless it continues to burn in its flame. So, a teacher is always being a teacher.

If so, if it is surmised that these persons are no longer compatible to be teachers, would it be a wrong judgment? From the aesthetic point of view, the perceptions can't go wrong at all.

Now let's talk about caste division. Caste is not a venomed physical object that infects others with its venom. It is a wrong grasp of the mind rather than mania or a delirious state of mind that is imminent due to the dearth of proper knowledge. This has been emanating conceptually, and it is a deep-rooted disease of society. Mere legal punishment is not adequate to annihilate the disease. More scathing steps ought to be taken.

When today the campaign goes "Har Ghar Triranga" under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav given impelling people to bring the Tiranga home and to hoist it to mark the 75th year of India's independence, is it feasible for the Dalit family who lost the life of his son or the family whose daughter has been facing casteist slurs, to hoist Tiranga in true spirit? Shouldn't the State perceive the fact? Isn't injustice to our aspirational freedom?

How long netizens would be silent conspicuously on violence against Dalits?

Amitabha Gupta

(Sukasa Twins Housing Complex, 181, Dr. B.C.Roy Road, Kolkata-700151)

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