Upper caste students boycott midday meal
THE CHAMPAWAT CHIEF EDUCATION OFFICER HAS SET UP AN INQUIRY INTO THE MATTER
RUDRAPUR: Appointment of Dalit woman as “bhojanmata” (woman who cooks midday meals) at a government inter college (GIC) in Sukhidhang of Champawat district has sparked a row with upper caste students boycotting the midday meal.
The parents of the upper caste students alleged that the school management committee (SMC) and the principal had sidelined a deserving upper caste woman and appointed a scheduled caste woman as “bhojanmata”.
“The SMC has appointed a Dalit woman as bhojanmata in our college as per government norms. She was selected in an open meeting of the parent teacher association (PTA) and SMC held in first week of this month,” said Prem Singh, principal of GIC. He said the GIC located in Jaul village of Sukhidhang has 230 students.
Around 40 out of 66 students of class 6 to 8 have stopped eating midday meal saying that the cook is a Dalit, he said.
The Dalit woman joined her duty on December 13 and since then upper caste students are boycotting midday meal cooked by her. Instead of eating the midday meal, they are bringing tiffin from their homes, Singh said.
The college has two posts of bhojanmatas. One Bhojanmata Shakuntala Devi had to leave as she attained 60-years of age a few months ago. A post was lying vacant and that was to be filled by another woman. The appointed woman Sunita Devi, a Dalit, fulfils all the norms set by the government for the bhojanmata post, said the principal.
“On the first day, students of upper caste had midday meal cooked by the Dalit woman without any fuss, but from the next day, they started boycotting the meals. What made them stop eating the midday meals is beyond my understanding. Of total 57 students, only 16 students belonging to the scheduled caste had meal,” said Singh.
Narendra Joshi, president of PTA, said: “We had selected Pushpa Bhatt, whose child is also enrolled in the college, in an open meeting held on November 25. She was needy too but the principal and SMC appointed a Dalit woman. Since the number of the upper caste students is more than the scheduled caste students, an upper caste woman should be appointed as cook.”
The principal said: “I have informed higher authorities about the issue. Some parents are making controversy unnecessarily for their interests.”
When contacted, RC Purohit, chief education officer of Champawat district, said he had set up an inquiry into the controversy. “I am personally looking into the matter and an inquiry has been handed over to the deputy education officer Anshul Bisht. Appropriate action will be taken after I get a report,” he said.
Harshbardhan Rawat, former chairman of a municipality in the district, said boycotting midday meal cooked by a Dalit cook was violation of the law as well harmful for the social harmony.