Punish the inhuman teachers

Manual scavenging was banned 30 years ago but the practice continues to this day. The latest incident of manual scavenging has been reported from Kolar district in Karnataka, where a group of students from Class 7 to 9 were forced by the authorities of Morarji Desai Residential School in Malur to clean a septic tank, reportedly as punishment.

The incident came to light when a video of it was circulated on social media. Manual scavenging has been associated with the caste system with the ‘lower castes’ coerced into it. It was no different in Kolar where all the children belonged to the SC community. 

Schools are supposed to impart to students not only the knowledge contained in textbooks but also ideas of equality, dignity, mutual respect and love. The teachers who forced the students to do the dirty work violated the basic creed of their profession. The principal and a teacher, along with a few others, have been arrested under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. All those involved, including some who are absconding, should be punished for the crime. They violated basic human rights and dignity. The mental and physical trauma that the children had to undergo can easily be imagined. The children should not only be counselled, but should also be financially compensated, with the amount being deducted from the salaries of the teachers involved. Unless strong deterrent action is taken, such atrocities against the marginalised sections will continue.

The government should take the initiative to ensure that such degrading actions do not take place in any school. There is a special responsibility for the government and the school authorities to ensure the best living and learning environment in all residential schools because the students are away from their homes and families. There should be an effective system of superintendence and monitoring of the functioning of all such schools. Discrimination and ill-treatment of SC and ST students take place in other schools, too.

Last year, the headmistress of a school near Erode in Tamil Nadu was suspended for making SC students clean the school toilet. There were complaints that students in Nashik’s tribal schools were also made to clean toilets. Unfortunately, the authorities and teachers in many schools need education and lessons in humanity.