Dalits and Education

The term Dalit is synonymous with 'downtrodden' in India. The former 'untouchables', the lowest on the caste rung, haven't earned a great deal of social acceptance yet, even though there have been brilliant chaps like the late Dr. Jagjivan Ram, whose birth centenary passed by unnoticed.

[Dalit Man enjoys something cool in a Gaya village]

The Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar and his government came up with the concept of Maha-Dalit - a brand new term that at first included the seven castes which were the dregs in the social teacup. These 'most downtrodden people' were earmarked for quick injections of development schemes: free textbooks, clothes, even scholarships and so on. But the ink hadn't properly dried on Doctor Nitish's populist prescription, when the crafty politicians got other castes in the dalit recipe book all shaken and stirred, and the poor man had to stretch the envelope to include 20 of the 21 listed scheduled castes.

[The grandmother says that kids have become regular schoolgoers thanks to the young 'community volunteer' who helps them with studies]

As a result of this adjustment, certain schemes which seemed a very good idea at first have simply started flounedring, partly because of the sheer increase in the cost. A very innovative idea, thought up by the bright sparks in the Musahar Community, was to have their own literate youth engage in community service and ensure that the children of their impoverished labouring communities get access to school. A young person, who had attained at least secondary schooling, would donate four hours everyday to collect the kids from the neighbourhood and lead them to the neighbourhood government school, ensure that they were seated with the other students, and later on, in the evening, teach these groups of twenty children, helping them with their homework. This was found to work well and had excellent results.

 [Most dalit kids feel school is an unwelcoming place, like a prison]

That was when the Bihar Government took over the activity, began appointing 'tola sevaks', paying them a small honorarium. The scheme was called 'Utthan' and extended to 'Maha-dalit' habitations. Right now, the scheme has run into financial and administrative roadblocks, partly because the Nitish Kumar government , try as it might, cannot feed the multitudes with a loaf and a couple of fishes. Even though loafing and fishing are common traits specially within the government school fraternity.

These women were resting under a tree, they said that teachers in government schools still shun lower caste kids, and that Dalit kids are often deprived of benefits

The dalits themselves -- at least most of those who have had a taste of the Utthan scheme -- say that it is the one constructive action that had been offered to them since Indian Independence. Those left out blame the government for dividing the lower castes for political gains and vow vengeance in the coming elections.