MP: Dalit sarpanch wins over upper caste lobby, gets nod for school

Dalit woman sarpanch of Puravaskalan village in Morena district, Badami Devi, finally won her fight against upper caste lobby which was opposed to opening of a middle school in Harijan basti. The construction of the school on a five-bigha of land began on Wednesday, claimed the sarpanch.

Badami Devi had been fighting for the construction of the middle school for the past two years as the land is located in the Harijan basti where upper caste lobby did not want to send their children for studies.

After HT reported on October 3, the gram sabha had sent a proposal to the district administration for the allotment of land but on November 28 some people beat up the sarpanch’s husband Chinmay Jatav and his supporters.

On the same day, Sehonia police station in-charge OP Chanderiya called Chinmay Jatav and said tehsildar had ordered to hold the gram sabha’s decision of construction of school.

Badami Devi and others sat on a dharna at the collectorate. Activist Jayant Singh said the administration was supporting the upper caste lobby. “The fight was not only for the construction of school, this was also against social evil of untouchability,” he added.

Collector has given a written assurance to sarpanch that she could start the construction work and land would be allotted for the school within a week. Collector Shilpa Gupta said she had ordered tehsildar to give a report on land for construction of middle school.