Dalit men allege caste discrimination at Rajasthan school Independence Day event

Two Dalit men have alleged that they were forced to leave their chairs and sit on the floor during an Independence Day programme at a government school in Bhakliya village of Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district. Police have registered an FIR following their complaint, while an education department inquiry is also underway.

The two men, Rameshwarlal Bairwa, 35, and Gopilal Bairwa, 37, had been invited as guests for the August 15 programme, according to media reports. They said they were sitting on chairs when some people objected to their seating and allegedly asked them to sit on the floor. They also alleged that caste-based slurs were used against them.

The complainants further alleged that they were threatened with the closure of an Anganwadi centre where two women from their community worked.

The incident reportedly took place in front of schoolchildren, teachers and villagers. A video showing an argument over the seating arrangements was later circulated on social media, prompting education authorities to begin an inquiry.

According to subsequent media reports, the two men and members of the Dalit community approached the police after the incident. An FIR was registered at Bagor police station under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The FIR names five people as accused, and the investigation has been assigned to a deputy superintendent of police, according to the reports. The incident was first reported after the Independence Day programme, when members of the Dalit community raised objections to the alleged treatment of the two guests.

The police investigation and the education department inquiry are now underway.