Chair used by Dalit  woman pradhan ‘purified’ in Kanpur Dehat

Faiz Rahman Siddiqui | TNN | Feb 5, 2016, 07.19 AM IST

 

(Representative Image)(Representative Image)

Kanpur: The headmaster of a primary school in Kanpur Dehat district on Wednesday allegedly ‘purified’ with water a chair used by a woman Dalit pradhan. A probe was ordered into the incident after the woman lodged a complaint with the district administration.

Pappi Devi, pradhan of Veersinghpur, had gone to the school in her village to register a protest following complaints about poor quality of midday meals. In her complaint to the administration, she said headmaster Santosh Sharma not only humiliated her, but also asked students and staff to clean and ‘purify’ the chair she had used. The administration asked the tehsildar to probe the allegations.

“Sharma humiliated me for daring to sit on a chair in the school,” Devi told TOI over the phone. “When I asked him why I should not sit, he again threatened me with dire consequences and demanded to know why I sat on the chair. He misbehaved and attacked me. Later, he asked students and class IV employees to wash the chair.”

Devi said she believed the ‘cleansing’ was performed since she belonged to an SC community and the act amounted to a violation of her human rights. According to the complaint, Sharma also threatened Devi’s husband, Shailendra Singh, who went to the school after hearing of the episode.

“ADM has ordered a probe against the headmaster named in the complaint. Action will be taken if the headmaster is found guilty ,” tehsildar Rakesh Kumar told TOI.”Headmaster Santosh Sharma humiliated me for daring o sit on a chair in the school.When I asked him why I should not sit, he again threatened me of dire consequences and demanded to know why I sat on the chair. He then misbehaved and attacked me,” al eged Devi.

She said she believed that he `cleansing’ was performed since she belonged to an SC community and it amounted o violation of her human rights and civil liberties.She also alleged that the headmas er threatened her husband Shailendra Singh, who reached the school on knowing about the incident.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/Chair-purified-after-Dalit-pradhan-sat-on-it/articleshow/50867437.cms