Rajasthan: Lathi charge on people protesting against suspension of Dalit women teachers

Published on: 27 Feb 2024, 6:32 pm

Jaipur. On Tuesday, the police lathi-charged people protesting against the suspension of Dalit female teacher Hemlata Bairwa outside the Government Higher Primary School in Lakdai village of Baran district of Rajasthan. Many protesters have been injured during this period.

After the incident, additional police force has been deployed in the village. Two separate cases have been registered against the protesters. One case has been registered by the police, while the other case has been registered by the school headmaster. During this period the police have detained half a dozen people.

Bhim Army says that Dalit female teacher Hemlata Bairwa, who followed the Constitution, was suspended by Baran District Education Officer Piyush Sharma, citing disciplinary action on the instructions of Education Minister Madan Dilawar, and shifted her headquarters to Bikaner during the suspension period. This is against the rules. People of Bhim Army along with students and parents were protesting against this.

Former state president of Bhim Army, Satyawan Indasar, while talking to The Mooknayak, said that we were protesting peacefully. There was no dispute. Indasar alleged that the police were in front. Suddenly some people pelted stones at the protesters from behind. It is alleged that cases have already been registered against those people who had created a dispute regarding the installation of Saraswati Devi’s picture in the school on Republic Day. It is they who pelted stones at the protesters from behind the school. The police lathicharged from the front. Later, people in plain clothes also lathicharged the women. Police are treating those injured in the attack.

police claim

Superintendent of Police Baran Rajkumar Chaudhary told The Mooknayak that some outsiders were protesting by locking the school along with the school children and village women. On the other hand, there was a large section whose children wanted to go to school. He had asked the police to open the lock of the school. When the police did not open the lock, he promised to open the lock at his own level.

The SP said that sensing the situation at the spot, the police reasoned with the protesters. Even after two hours of persuasion, the protesters did not agree. Due to this, resentment was increasing in a section. On occasion, a situation of conflict would arise between the two groups. Earlier, the police used mild force to remove the protesters from the main gate of the school. There was no lathi charge.

The SP said that it was the protesters who pelted stones at the police. A government vehicle has also been damaged due to this. After this incident, a case has been registered by the police. A separate school headmaster has also filed a case. Here, regarding the cases registered after the controversy on Republic Day, the SP said that the investigation is still going on.