GUWAHATI: Following a bizarre practice by school authorities for making school children wear wrist bands of various colours to identify their castes, the Director of School Education has directed to identify such schools and take action against those responsible for the discrimination.
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“All the Chief Educational Officers are requested to take appropriate steps to identify such schools in their district, where such kind of discrimination is practised and to issue suitable instructions to the head masters and prevent such practice immediately and also to take severe action on the persons who are responsible for the discrimination,” the circular stated, which also instructed to send a report containing the action taken in this matter. It is to be mentioned that these wristbands, which come in shades of red, yellow, green and saffron indicate whether they belong to a ‘lower caste’ or ‘upper caste.’ In addition to this, rings and forehead tilak on the head were used as a caste marker.
Further, the discrimination starts in these schools from Anganwadi. In Anganwadis of some schools, non-Dalit children are allowed to bring separate vessels from home.
Allegedly, these practices were enforced by children themselves and supported by influential caste persons and teachers.
(Inputs The Hindu)
