From shadows to spotlight: How bollywood is finally embracing dalit identity
Mumbai, For decades, Bollywood’s protagonists paraded surnames that echoed dominance—Malhotra, Sharma, Singh, Verma—rarely reflecting the realities of caste and identity that exist beyond the silver screen. But tides are turning. With the rise of filmmakers and writers from the Dalit community, cinema is slowly shedding its upper-caste lens and stepping into more inclusive narratives. The upcoming film Dhadak 2, slated for release on August 1, has stirred conversations with its bold representation of caste identity. The protagonist Neelesh, played by Siddhant Chaturvedi, is unmistakably portrayed as a Dalit youth, even though his surname is never explicitly mentioned. In one striking visual, he is drenched in blue paint, a symbolic colour of Dalit resistance, paired with a blue scarf—a quiet but powerful assertion of his identity. Unlike older portrayals that kept caste under wraps, Dhadak 2 dares to bring it to the fore. As Neelesh grapples with the oppressive structures of society, his relationship with Vidhi, an upper-caste woman played by Triptii Dimri, evolves into a collective fight for justice and dignity. The narrative challenges not just societal norms, but also long-held cinematic stereotypes. This is not the first time Bollywood has explored Dalit consciousness. Films like Masaan, Kaala, and Newton have earlier laid the groundwork: Masaan offered a sensitive portrayal of a young man navigating the intersections of love, loss, and caste. Newton, with Rajkummar Rao in the lead, tackled the vulnerabilities of a government clerk conducting elections in a Naxal-dominated tribal belt, subtly hinting at institutional inequities. Kaala, led by superstar Rajinikanth, was a fierce Dalit assertion wrapped in the visual language of rebellion and colour. These films, often lauded at festivals but underrepresented in the mainstream, are finally finding their voice in theatres—and now, in popular conversation. As Dhadak 2 gears up for release, it is not just a love story—it’s a mirror to the caste realities that millions face. And in doing so, it marks another step in cinema’s long-overdue reckoning with caste identity—not as a footnote, but as the central narrative. Courtesy : Daijiworld Note: This news is originally published on https:/daijiworld.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Dalit woman brutally murdered in Hardoi, head and face were crushed in an attempt to erase identity
Dead body found in field near Gaura Road, mobile and purse missing, forensic investigation underway Hardoi/UP. A case of brutal murder of a Dalit woman has come to light in Madhoganj police station area of the district. The body of the woman was found on Monday morning on the way to the fields about 120 meters inside Gaura Road. The condition of the body was so horrific that her face and head were badly crushed, making it very difficult to identify. According to media reports, the deceased has been identified as Rani alias Ganga (48) wife of Ram Autar, resident of Axiya village. On Sunday morning around 9 am, she had gone to see her nephew at Singh Hospital in Sandila. While returning, she also contacted her husband Ram Autar on phone till Baghauli on the way. After this, there was no contact with him. On Monday morning, when the villagers saw the body of the woman lying on the way to the fields near Gaura Road, sensation spread in the area. On receiving the information, the police reached the spot and took the body into custody and sent it for post-mortem. The deceased’s slippers were found at the scene, but her mobile phone, purse and Aadhar card were missing. The body was found just one kilometer away from the house The deceased’s body was found just one kilometer away from her village. Vimala Guest House is also located about 100 meters away from the scene. In the initial investigation, the police suspect that the woman’s murder was planned and the head and face were crushed with the intention of erasing the identity. Rani was the mother of 8 children There is chaos in the family. The deceased Rani has 8 children, including two sons and six daughters. Five daughters are married, while one daughter and both sons are still unmarried. Husband Ram Avtar takes care of his family by farming. Police started investigation As soon as the information of the incident was received, the police and forensic team reached the spot and collected evidence. SHO Vijay Kumar said that the body has been sent for post-mortem and the forensic team has also examined the spot. All aspects of the murder are being seriously investigated and the incident will be revealed soon. This heinous murder has spread panic and anger in the area. Local people are demanding immediate arrest and strict punishment of the accused. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy : Hindi News
Dalit artist abused and beaten up? Serious allegations against Kannada Culture Department Director, case registered under SC/ST Act!
Dalit artist alleges caste-related abuse and assault on demand for remuneration pending for three years, FIR lodged with police. Bengaluru – A case has been registered against Kannada and Culture Department Director K.M. Gayatri under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (BNS). The action came after a Dalit artist complained that he was abused on caste-related grounds and behaved indecently on demand for pending payments. This complaint was lodged by 55-year-old Jogila Siddaraju at SJ Park Police Station in Bengaluru. According to Siddaraju, he had gone to the director’s office to get the remuneration of a group of artists pending for the last three years released. The complaint states that during the conversation, when the director came to know about his caste, the atmosphere deteriorated. Siddraju alleged that when he threatened to report the matter to higher authorities, Gayatri threw a computer mouse pad at him and also snatched the mobile phone of his colleague, who was trying to record the incident. The complaint also said that the director used casteist slurs against him, which caused him humiliation and mental agony. Police have registered an FIR under several sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and sections of the BNS that deal with voluntarily causing hurt and insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace. Police officials said a detailed investigation into the case was underway. There was no public response from KM Gayatri till the time of writing the report. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy : Hindi News
Caste violence in Gujarat: Sarpanch and his associates beat up Dalit family for requesting them not to damage drain
Casteist men came together and attacked a Dalit family, using weapons like sticks and gadda patu. The attackers also pelted stones and tried to break the door of the family’s house. Patan: A minor dispute took a violent turn when the village sarpanch and his associates launched a deadly attack on a Dalit family in Datrana village of Santalpur taluka in Patan district of Gujarat on July 16. The incident started when a Dalit man requested them not to damage the drain constructed in front of his house. Enraged over this petty issue, the sarpanch and his associates not only used caste-related slurs but also attacked the family members with weapons like sticks and gadda patu. The incident is yet another example of rising caste violence against the Dalit community in Gujarat, highlighting social inequality and the apathy of the local administration. According to the information given in the FIR, on July 16, around 6:30 pm, Sarpanch Jeevanbhai Savabhai Ahir was removing mud from the road with a JCB machine in Datrana village. During this, Madevbhai Dhawal of the Dalit community requested him not to damage the drain built in front of his house, so that water does not spread on the road and dirt can be avoided. The Sarpanch got angry at this and started abusing Madevbhai, which included caste-related slurs. After this, the Sarpanch attacked Madevbhai with a gadda paatu (a type of tool). When Madevbhai’s family members Muljibhai Danabhai Dhawal, Naranbhai, his wife Upaben, Mayurbhai and Vinodbhai etc. intervened to save him, the Sarpanch called his companions. These included Kishanbhai Jeevanbhai Ahir, Bhachabhai alias Bhappu Patabhai Ahir, Virambhai Savabhai Ahir, Parbatbhai Lalabhai Ahir, Savabhai Lalabhai Ahir, Dalabhai Lalabhai Ahir and other unidentified persons. These people jointly attacked the Dalit family, using weapons like wood and gadda pattu. In the attack, Naranbhai, Upaben, Muljibhai, Mayurbhai and Vinodbhai suffered serious injuries, especially on the back and head. The attackers also pelted stones and tried to break the door of the family’s house. The attackers threatened that “today we have escaped, but next time we will kill you.” The injured were taken to the government hospital in Santalpur through 108 ambulance, where they were given first aid. Following this, Muljibhai Danabhai Dhawal lodged a complaint at the Santalpur police station. The complaint has been filed under sections 3(1)(r) (intentional insult of a person belonging to SC/ST) and 3(1)(s) (using caste-based slurs against a person belonging to SC/ST) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (SC/ST Act) along with sections of the BNS. The FIR names sarpanch Jeevanbhai Savabhai Ahir, Kishanbhai Jeevanbhai Ahir, Bhachabhai alias Bhappo Patabhai Ahir, Virambhai Savabhai Ahir, Parbatbhai Lalabhai Ahir, Savabhai Lalabhai Ahir and Dalabhai Lalabhai Ahir. Social activist Narendrabhai M Parmar from Patan says the incident in Datrana village is proof that caste mentality is still deeply rooted in society. Caste-based violence against Dalits has been reported repeatedly in Gujarat. According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), more than 1,500 cases were registered under the SC/ST Act in Gujarat in 2023, reflecting rising atrocities against the Dalit community. In many cases, especially in rural areas, Dalits are subjected to social boycott, humiliation and violence. Such violence often starts from petty disputes, such as personal lifestyle or participation in social activities. Geetha Sunil Pillai Courtesy : Hindi News
Dalit activists protest against Cong leaders, demand apology
Office-bearers and activists of various organisations working for the welfare of the scheduled castes organised a protest against Congress leader and MLA Junior Henry for allegedly making derogatory remarks against AAP legislator Manwinder Singh Giaspura during the Vidhan Sabha session on Tuesday. Besides organising protest rallies and marches across the Payal Assembly constituency the protestors burnt effigies of Henry. Speakers alleged that the Congress leaders had no respect for Dalits as even their Leader in Opposition, Partap Singh Bajwa, had insulted them by calling them “material” and making a mockery of them through his jokes in the session. Protestors said that in a democracy, all, including elected representatives, must be treated with respect and derogatory language on a constitutional platform like the Vidhan Sabha must not be tolerated. They demanded that Henry and Bajwa apologise to the Sikh community and MLA Giaspura. Article_Author Our Correspondent Courtesy : The Tribune Note: This news is originally published on https:/thetribune.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Rahul Gandhi: Assam CM considers himself a ‘king’, Congress’s Babbar Sher will send him to jail, neither Modi nor Shah will be able to save him! Rahul Gandhi’s big attack
Rahul Gandhi targeted the CM of Assam. He said that the CM considers himself a king. But his time is about to end now. He claimed that the CM will soon be in jail. Rahul Gandhi said this at the Congress meeting in Chaygaon. He addressed the party workers. Guwahati: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi visited Assam on Wednesday. They held meetings with party leaders. Strengthening the organization and future plans were discussed in these meetings. Rahul Gandhi accused Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of corruption in a meeting in Chaygaon. He said that the Chief Minister will soon be in jail. He also attacked the ideology of RSS. Himanta Biswa Sarma will be in jail Rahul Gandhi said many important things in the party meeting in Chaygaon. He targeted Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. He said that the Chief Minister of Assam considers himself a ‘king’, but he will soon be in jail. He said that the Chief Minister of Assam is the most corrupt Chief Minister of India and in a short time the Babbar lions of Congress will send him to jail. The fear of this is clearly visible in his eyes. Because now neither Narendra Modi nor Amit Shah will be able to save him! He also said that the Chief Minister of Assam and his family will be held accountable for corruption. Election Commission and BJP working together The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said that fear prevails in your Chief Minister, he knows that fearless Congress workers will put him in jail. He alleged that the Election Commission and the BJP are working together. He claimed that the BJP won the Maharashtra Assembly elections by rigging through voter list amendment. The media is no longer our friend Gandhi said that they are adopting the same tactics in Bihar and will do the same in Assam. We have to be careful. The former Congress President said that the media is no longer our friend. They are not showing the truth. They are only showing Adani, Ambani, Chief Minister, Modi and Shah. However, Gandhi claimed that this will not help as Congress will win a landslide victory in the assembly elections to be held in Assam next year. Taken a dig at RSS The Congress leader said that there is a battle of ideologies going on in the country. RSS’s hatred and violence versus Congress’s truth and non-violence. Rahul Gandhi claimed that now there are two Hindustans – one of those few billionaires who hold lavish weddings, the other of those common people who are burdened with taxes. (Input agency) Curated by: Sujit Upadhyay About the author Sujit Upadhyay completed his MA in Mass Communication from HNB Garhwal University Srinagar, Uttarakhand. After this, he worked as a reporter in Hindustan and Dainik Jagran. Started digital with Zee Media. After working for two years at India.com Hindi, he joined Navbharat Times Online. Courtesy: Hindi News
Mainpuri urine scandal: Dalit couple beaten up in land possession dispute, forced to drink urine from shoe, uproar
Mainpuri Unire Scandal: After the urine scandal in Mainpuri came to light, there has been an uproar. It has come to light that the Dalit couple was made to drink urine from a shoe. The administration has also come into action after the case of the bullies using caste-related abuses came to light. Mainpuri: Another shameful incident of Dalit oppression has come to light from Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh. A Dalit couple was beaten up over a land dispute and forced to drink urine from a shoe. The victims alleged that the bullies used caste-related abuses and threatened them and stopped them from occupying their land. The video of this entire incident has gone viral on social media, causing a stir in the administration. The victim couple, who reached the Collectorate on Monday, alleged that the Tehsildar had measured the land a day earlier. The Dalit couple alleged in the Mainpuri district office that the Tehsildar had got the land occupied after measuring it. The bullies did not let them occupy it and abused them in casteist terms. They were treated rudely. The police have registered a case and started investigating the incident. This incident reminded them of the storyteller incident of Etawah. There, urine was sprinkled on a storyteller in the name of purification. Now a case of making a Dalit couple drink urine has come up in Mainpuri. The incident is from Kotwali area The incident is from Gwaltoli village of Kotwali area. On Monday, the victim woman reached the Collectorate with her husband and submitted a complaint letter to the SP office. The woman told that she is in possession of the inhabited land and the Tehsildar had got the land occupied by measuring it with the police force a day before. After this, when they were starting the work of digging the foundation, Vijendra alias Tinku and Sheelesh son of Shrichand Yadav, Sushma wife of Vijendra and Sunny son of Chhotelal Yadav of the same village reached there and started abusing and beating them. According to the victim, Vijendra brought a gun and put it on her head, threatening to kill her. After this, all the accused dragged the couple to a nearby house and locked them up. There, Vijendra urinated in his shoes and forced her to drink it and said that now your religion has been corrupted. The accused also used abusive casteist words. The victim called it humiliating The victim said that the entire incident was very humiliating and in the video they are seen sharing their grief while crying. This video is becoming quite viral on social media. On this matter, CO City Santosh Kumar Singh said that the matter is under cognizance. Kotwali police has been instructed to investigate and take action on the basis of the complaint. If the allegations are found to be true, legal action will be taken by registering a case against the culprits under strict sections. Curated by: Rahul Parashar About the author Rahul Parashar, Senior Digital Content Creator at Navbharat Times Digital. Started journalism with Prabhat Khabar. Journey from Rashtriya Sahara, Hindustan, Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhaskar to Times Internet. Courtesy : Hindi News
Article: Dalit and poor population most affected by Election Commission’s campaign in Bihar
A campaign is going on in Bihar to correct the voter list. People are facing problems in getting documents made. Election Commission has approved only a few documents. Mithilesh Kumar works at a medicine shop. He is a resident of Raghopur in Patna, but the search for employment has brought him to Katihar. His name is registered in the village’s voter list, but he does not have a residential or birth certificate. If he had passed matriculation, he would have submitted a copy of the degree, but he failed. He can get two-three days leave from the shop to get the documents made, but given the crowd in government departments right now, Mithilesh’s work will hardly be done. Another problem is that of middlemen. Certificates are not being made quickly without paying convenience fee. Many such complaints are coming. Mithilesh has neither money nor time. He has Aadhar card, but it is not valid for the Election Commission. Lots of errors: This problem is common in Bihar which is undergoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). People are worried about getting their documents made and corrected. CM Nitish Kumar’s photo is on the voter card of Abhilasha who lives in Jalal Patti of Madhepura. Her husband Chandan Kumar alleges that when he complained about this to the BLO, he advised him to hide the error. Chandan is unable to understand how to complete the documents in the voter revision form. Voters in doubt: Assembly elections are to be held in Bihar by the end of this year. Before this, the campaign of the Election Commission has put the voters in doubt. More than two crore people are being directly affected due to the campaign. Most of them are Dalits, poor and the population which is not educated. Commission’s order: According to the Election Commission, out of 7.90 crore voters of Bihar, names of 4.96 crore are included in the voter list of 2003. They just have to fill the form and do not need to provide any document. The remaining 2.94 crore people, out of these, those whose parents’ name is in the 2003 voter list, also do not have to provide separate documents. But, those whose parents’ or their own name is not in that list of 22 years ago, they will have to provide documents along with the form. Valid documents: Election Commission has released a list of 11 documents, out of which one has to be given – Birth certificate, Matriculation or Education certificate, Passport, Permanent Resident Certificate, Caste Certificate, Forest Rights Certificate, Government employee or pensioner identity card, Certificate issued by bank/post office etc., NRC (not applicable in Bihar), Service Identity Card, Land or House Registry. Opposition’s demand: Aadhar card, ration card and MNREGA job card are not in this list. Citing the problems of the public, the opposition is demanding to include these as well. At the same time, Bihar’s Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal says that if the voters were facing problems, then more than three crore forms would not have been submitted till now. Fake Voters: The Election Commission says that the purpose of this entire campaign is to remove the names of illegal immigrants included in the voter list through fake Aadhaar, MNREGA job cards etc. In the past years, a large number of outsiders came to the state and became voters in an illegal manner. It is alleged that various parties got their documents made in vote bank politics. The purpose of SIR is to correct the voter list. Problem of infiltrators: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary says, a large number of Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators have settled in the border areas of the state. Efforts are made to get permanent resident certificates through fake Aadhaar and ration cards so that they can become voters. According to the November 2024 report of the Union Food Ministry, out of the 80 crore beneficiaries of the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, about 6 crore had fake ration cards, which have been canceled. What is the guideline: Patna High Court advocates Madhukar Mishra and Shashankdhar Shekhar say, ‘According to item no. 5 in the guideline of Form-6, it is not necessary to provide Aadhaar card. Aadhaar card is not a necessary document of citizenship. However, it can be a helpful document in filling Form-6 to get the name registered in the voter list.’ Voter awareness: The opposition continues to protest. Its enthusiasm has also increased due to the success and public support of the Bihar Bandh on 9 July. Despite this uproar, it is also a fact that voter awareness has increased on this pretext. People are worried about becoming voters. Most people are not creating any problem in submitting the form. Naresh Verma, a resident of Paru in Muzaffarpur, has submitted the forms of 8 members of his family. While talking, his happiness is understandable that his family will remain voters. Supreme seal: When the Supreme Court has made it clear that the voter list revision will continue in Bihar, then in a way the campaign has got a firm seal. The opposition has definitely got a little shock from this, but the apex court also suggested to recognize Aadhaar, ration and voter card. The opposition is considering it a success and is also sending this message to the lower sections of the society that the parties of the ruling coalition are using the Election Commission for their benefit. Author: Priyaranjan Bharti, Edited by: NBT Desk About the author Whether it is news of the country, world, sports or the inside story of the corridors of politics, NBT News Desk brings every news to you. Courtesy: Hindi News
Erasure Of Dalit Labour In The Prada-Kolhapuri Cultural Theft Discourse
What if the cultural erasure didn’t start with Prada, or with the West? What if the deeper, older story is not just about colonial appropriation, but about caste-based appropriation from within? The last few weeks have seen major upheaval within the tumultuous horizons of Indian social media, with allegations of “cultural appropriation” abounding. When global luxury brand Prada unveiled a new line of footwear that bore a striking resemblance to the Kolhapuri sandals, shoes familiar to anyone with an inkling of Indian “ethnic” wear. The brand had not acknowledged the roots of these sandals, nor credited any artisans, and the price was not disclosed. Estimations ranged from £600 to £1000, based on the retail rates of its other sandals on its website. Backlash by privileged Indians ignorant of caste appropriation Harsh Goenka, chairman of RPG Enterprises, tweeted on X, ‘Prada is selling products looking like Kolhapuri chappals for over ₹1 lakh. Our artisans make the same by hand for ₹400. They lose, while global brands cash in on our culture. Sad!’ His tweet is one of several that call out this blatant cultural theft. After a flurry of news media outlets picking this up, a supposed dig Kareena Kapoor at from the brand, a series of complaints and responses from Maharashtra Development Commission and Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, and the filing of a PIL – Prada said in a statement to BBC, “The company has ‘always celebrated craftsmanship, heritage and design traditions’, adding that it was ‘in contact with the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture on this topic.’” They also assured the MCCIA about a collaborative venture, with a possible partnership with the artisans who are the original makers and conservators of the shoes in question. This debacle also gained more ground with the propagation of other forms of Indian apparel, like the dupatta, gaining ground among designers and influencers in the West as a “Scandinavian scarf” while models and consumers sported clothing eerily resembling a mutated form of the salwar-kameez. All these conversations are necessary — they point out and criticise the contemporary strains of colonialism and gentrification of the craft of the Global South, and mention the well-being of “artisan clusters” and make comparisons between the original artisans’ rates and the corporation’s. However, none of them seemed to take any interest in matters regarding the actual well-being of these communities and their present situation, detached from this specific situation, nor the central issue of caste and the patterns of savarna consumption. Beneath the surface: The invisibilisation of Dalit artisans and their labour Purushu Arie, in an article for The Hindu, wrote, “When Italian luxury house Prada recently unveiled its version of the Kolhapuri chappal, Indian social media was quick to react. Accusations of cultural appropriation and erasure followed, accompanied by demands for proper attribution and a wider call to ‘decolonise fashion’. But what if the cultural erasure didn’t start with Prada, or with the West? What if the deeper, older story is not just about colonial appropriation, but about caste-based appropriation from within? Beneath the Indian diaspora’s outrage lies a deeper, more uncomfortable truth: the issue isn’t just about what is being borrowed, but who gets to borrow and who doesn’t. The Kolhapuri controversy exposes not only colonial legacies but also the casteist dynamics embedded within India’s cultural economy.” “What if the cultural erasure didn’t start with Prada, or with the West? What if the deeper, older story is not just about colonial appropriation, but about caste-based appropriation from within? The Kolhapuri controversy exposes not only colonial legacies but also the casteist dynamics embedded within India’s cultural economy.” Leatherwork has been deeply stigmatised in India historically because of its proximity to animal hides. The Kolhapuri chappals are crafted by the Charmakar (also known as Chamars), Dhor and Matang people, belonging to scheduled caste communities who are often put under the umbrella of the “Indian” or “Maharashtrian” label, erasing the caste-specific labour dynamics that are associated with this profession. There has also been little mention of the dismal conditions that most of the artisans behind the Kolhapuri sandals have to face, affecting them socio-economically. While nearly 100,000 artisans are involved in this industry, according to the MCCIA, most of them are relegated to working in an informal economy with extremely low daily incomes. Artisans making Kolhapuri chappals inside an Inga Leathers workshop in Kolhapur. Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini Although Kolhapuri sandals have been given a GI tag with regard to authenticity markers, artisans can barely keep up with the influx of machine-made, cheap synthetic copies that have flooded the markets, which Indian consumers have no issue purchasing, although this puts the artisans in a detrimental position. Moreover, with the election of the BJP at the centre, and the 2015 ban of the Maharashtra government on cow slaughtering, artisans are having to source the leather from other states, more expensively. All quiet on the Indian front: Problematising “cultural theft” The problems of cultural theft, it seems, are only acknowledged when it exists in the colonial dimension – when a Western “other” decides to take what’s “ours”. There is, however, a larger question – what is this “ours” that we speak of? The rendering of cultural theft into an “western colonization” issue acts as a defanging of sorts – where theft is only defined by nationality, and the imagined ideals of the “others (westerners) with a colonial past” and “us (Indians) subjugated by this colonial legacy” erases India’s own violent and troubling history of marginalizing and subjugating its citizens in systemic and structural ways. This is not a standalone phenomenon; it keeps recurring and is a structural part of our culture. As a Savarna Bengali person, I saw the intermixing of Santhali fashion with the Bengali bhadralok’s repertoire of apparel. I was also afforded the blissful ignorance of the same, where this homogenization of all these distinct identities of craft under the “Bengali” banner almost seemed natural. Aastha Jani writes in another article on FII,
Priyanka questions U.P. school merger decision, calls it directed against Dalits, backwards
If schools are located far from homes, how will small children, especially girls, walk several kilometers to reach school, she asked Senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday (July 14, 2025) alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttar Pradesh is set to close around 5,000 government schools in the name of merger and described the reported decision not only against the Right to Education, but also against the Dalits, backwards, tribals, minorities, poor, and deprived sections. “The Uttar Pradesh government is going to close about 5,000 government schools in the name of merger. According to teacher organizations, the government intends to close about 27,000 schools. The UPA government had introduced the Right to Education Act in the country, under which a school was arranged in every village so that education could be made accessible to children from poor families. If schools are located far from homes, how will small children, especially girls, walk several kilometers to reach school? Obviously, their studies will be disrupted. Why is this right being snatched away from children,” wrote the Congress leader on X. She added, “this order of the BJP government is not only against the right to education but is also against the Dalit, backward, tribal, minority, poor and deprived sections,”. Uttar Pradesh government initiated a plan to merge schools having enrolment of less than 50 students, with nearby educational facility to make the education system more functional and viable. As part of the consolidation plan, students from these schools will be accommodated in nearby facilities to ensure their continued education. The decision faced pushback from many teachers and opposition political parties who dubbed the decision as anti-poor. Mayank Kumar Courtesy : The Hindu Note: This news is originally published on https:/thehindu.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.