A Dalit teacher and a tribal police head constable in Rajasthan were suspended on March 1 for allegedly asking Brahmin students to remove their janeu (a thread considered sacred by Brahmins) at the examination centre for the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers (REET) that was conducted on February 27 and 28.
The Dungarpur district collector office initiated a departmental inquiry against the Dalit teacher Sunita Kumari who works at a government school in Khera Kachwasa village.
Similarly, the Dungarpur superintendent of police suspended head constable Shivlal for the same reason.
However, both Kumari and Shivlal have denied the charges against them, The Wire reported.
Suspension orders issued after videos surfaced online
The issue flared up after videos went viral on social media claiming that REET aspirants from the Brahmin community were made to remove their janeu.
“My wife’s duty was posted as a field supervisor and her task was to check the identity cards of officials coming inside the examination centre. Other officials were in charge of checking students during their entrance. No outward incident took place and the examination was conducted peacefully,” Kumari’s husband Vikas Kumar was quoted by The Wire.
Vikas Kumar is also a government teacher. On the videos, he alleged they are not from the examination center his wife was posted in.
“How can my wife, a woman teacher, frisk male students? It was neither her responsibility nor did she ask anybody to remove their janeu. But on March 1, she was suspended. We are unable to understand why this has happened when no such incident took place. We hope that the suspension is lifted,” said Vikas Kumar.
Head constable’s suspension order not correct, says fellow colleague
Head constable Shivlal, who belongs to the Meena tribal community in Rajasthan, was also suspended. However, his colleague claimed that the viral videos were made by miscreants.
“We had received orders that items such as mobile phones and jewellery were not allowed inside the examination hall. But we had not asked anyone to remove their janeu. The staff members present in the examination centre have already said in writing that no such incident took place. I hope the action against me is reversed after the inquiry,” Shivlal was quoted by The Wire.
Protests from Brahmins and Dalit, tribal communities
Soon after the videos went viral, members of the Dalit, tribal and Brahmin communities in Rajasthan held scattered protests.
While the Brahmin community demanded strict action against the two officials, many Dalit and tribal organisations protested against the unceremonious suspension and accused the state government of targeting marginalised communities.
Rajasthan is governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headed by Bhajan Lal Sharma.
In an interview with a local channel, a leader from the Vipra Foundation, Narendra Paliwal, alleged that the act was done to insult the Brahmin community and Sanatan Dharma.
On the other hand, Dalit and tribal community members questioned as to why only Kumari and Shivlal were singled out.
Ambedkar Memorial Welfare Society Rajasthan, an organisation advocating for the rights of Dalit government employees, demanded the suspension orders of Kumari and Shivlal be cancelled with immediate effect.
Political party Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) has termed the whole incident as a propaganda by the Brahmin community. It holds a significant influence in the Dalits and tribal areas of Rajasthan’s Dungarpur.
“We have learned that no candidates were asked to remove their janeu. It seems that such propaganda is being deliberately spread by organizations like Vipra Foundation, which encouraged REET aspirants to create such videos,” Banswara MP Rajkumar Roat was quoted by The Wire.
“Dalit and tribal employees have been unfairly targeted out of malice in Rajasthan. There were many individuals from various castes and religions present at the examination centers, yet only a Dalit and a tribal government employee have been singled out. They have denied that any such incident took place,” Rajkumar added.
