‘Father also stopped from drinking water at school’: Ex-Speaker Meira Kumar on Dalit boy’s death in Rajasthan

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar spoke out about the injustices faced by several lower caste communities in India in the backdrop of the killing of a Dalit boy in Rajasthan, which sent shockwaves across the country due to its brutal nature.

Meira Kumar talked about how her father had almost faced the same plight around a century ago when he was subjected to the same treatment by the school authorities. She further said that it was “a miracle” that her father’s life was saved.

This comes just a day after a Dalit boy was beaten to death in a Rajasthan school for drinking water from a pitcher belonging to an upper caste teacher. The incident has sparked a major political row in Rajasthan, with opposition leaders slamming the Congress-led state government.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar said a century ago her father was subjected to the same treatment as the young boy who was killed in Rajasthan, but his life was saved. Kumar’s father Jagjivan Ram was the Deputy Prime Minister of India.

While talking about the incident, Meira Kumar tweeted, “100 years ago my father Babu Jagjivan Ram was prohibited from drinking water in school from the pitcher meant for Savarna Hindus. It was a miracle his life was saved.”

100 years ago my father Babu Jagjivan Ram was prohibited from drinking water in school from the pitcher meant for Savarna Hindus. It was a miracle his life was saved. 1/2

— Meira Kumar (@meira_kumar) August 15, 2022

The former speaker of the lower house said, “Today, a nine-year-old #Dalit boy has been killed for the same reason. 75 long years after Independence, caste system remains our greatest enemy.”

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the death of the third standard student of Sarasvati Vidyalaya in Rajasthan`s Jalore district, who was thrashed by the headmaster of the school. He later died during the course of treatment at a hospital in Ahmedabad.

The Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, seeking a detailed report on the matter.

Meanwhile, the death of the schoolboy has caused an internal rift in the Congress party, with a faceoff between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot. The former met with the family of the deceased boy, adding to the heat faced by the CM.

(With IANS inputs)

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