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Dalit woman reinstated as school cook
The reappointment came a day after the police registered an FIR under the SC/ST Act.
A 32-year-old Dalit woman, who was fired as the cook in a government school in Uttarakhand 10 days ago after upper-caste students refused to eat meals cooked by her, was reinstated on Friday following widespread criticism.
Also Read | After students refuse to eat food cooked by Dalit woman, she is fired for ‘wrongful appointment’
Her reappointment came a day after the police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against six named and 18-20 other unnamed — including a female block development committee (BDC) member and the president of the parent teacher association — under the Scheduled Castes (SC) and the Scheduled Tribes (ST) (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and 506 (criminal intimation), on a complaint filed by the Dalit woman, Sunita Devi.
“We held a meeting of the parent teachers association and school management committee in the college and reinstated the Dalit woman as bhojanmata (midday meal cook) who was removed from her post on December 22,” said RC Purohit, chief education officer (CEO) of Champawat district.
“I am so happy after all I have not only got justice but also will be able to financially help my family. Before my appointment and removal from bhojanmata post, I was not aware of the fact that a Dalit woman can apply for this post. My reappointment for the post has given me the strength to raise my voice for my own right,” Devi said.
Also Read | Uttarakhand CM orders inquiry into sacking of Dalit cook
Devi had joined as bhojanmata (midday meal cook) in the government inter college (GIC) at Sukhidhang on December 13. She replaced Shakuntala Devi, an upper caste woman who retired after turning 60. On Sunita Devi’s first day, all students had the midday meal together. But a day later, some 40 upper caste students in classes 6 to 8 — out of a total of 66 pupils in these classes — stopped eating the meals and started bringing their tiffin boxes from home, sparking a row over caste discrimination in the area.
She was subsequently fired by the education department on December 22, citing “procedural lapses” in her appointment. Two days later, Dalit students in the school boycotted the midday meal cooked by the upper caste woman who replaced Devi.
The incident sparked widespread condemnation and allegations of caste bias. On Thursday, Mukesh Kumar, chairman of the state commission for scheduled castes, met Devi and told the police to file a case.
Also Read | Uttarakhand Dalit cook case: Scheduled Caste panel chief calls for justice
“We have booked six named and 18-20 other persons, including a woman, under the SC/ST Act on the complaint of a bhojanmata (cook). A probe will be conducted by a circle officer (CO),” said sub-inspector (SI) Devendra Bisht, in-charge of Chalthi police outpost in Champawat district.
Among those named in the FIR were BDC member Deepa Joshi, parents-teachers association chief Narendra Joshi, Mahesh Chaurakoti, Babloo Gahtori, Shankar Datt and Satish Chand, said Bisht. The FIR was filed on Thursday.
Deputy inspector general of Kumaon range, Nilesh Anand Bharne confirmed the FIR.
Deepa Joshi refuted the allegations. “We have done nothing except raising voice against procedural lapses in Sunita Devi’s appointment. But it was made a case of caste discrimination by some elements. These elements have provoked her to lodge an FIR against us. We have full faith in the police probe,” she said.
