'I have been a victim of bias against Mahadalits'- Jitan Ram Manjhi

Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Sunday said he himself had been a victim of bias against 'mahadalits', claiming that a temple in Madhubani district was washed and purified soon after his visit a couple of months back. "A deep-rooted bias prevails against mahadalits and those from the down-trodden sections of society....I have myself been a victim of caste bias," he said at a function here to mark the birth centenary celebrations of former Chief Minister Bhola Paswan Shastri.

Manjhi, a mahadalit, said a temple in Madhubani district was washed and purified soon after his visit during Assembly by-polls some months ago. The Chief Minister said that he was not aware of the incident and it was narrated to him subsequently by Mines and Geology Minister Ram Lashan Ram Raman. Manjhi said, "When it comes to getting their work done, the upper caste people don't mind even touching my feet despite knowing my background." He said that the bias against dalit people also prevails in the official machinery and hurdles are created in execution of work related to welfare of the weaker sections of the society.

Citing another example, Manjhi said that he was in the process of complying with a court directive to fill up 69 vacant seats for admission of SC/ST students in medical colleges of Bihar, but has found to his horror that officials were not inclined to obey his orders for relaxing norms in this regard on one pretext or another. "We are like wounded soldiers of the society," the Chief Minister said ruing caste bias against the dalits and mahadalits.