Govt officer out for inspection denied water 'Gets racist comment'

In a shocking incident, a senior government officer out for inspection of development schemes was denied water for over two hours by a group of villagers including District Panchayati Raj Officer (DPRO) and gram pradhan on the pretext that if she touched the bottle or glass it would get ‘spoiled’.

The incident was reported from Ambawa Poorab village in Manjhanpur block of Kaushambhi district on Tuesday. 

Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Seema Roz, a Dalit, lodged a complaint with the District Magistrate of Kaushambhi and sent the copy of the complaint to the government, about the ill-treatment meted out to her in the village for her caste. Following this, an FIR was registered under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against six people including Gram Pradhan of Ambawa Poorab village Shiv Sampat, husband of Bhaila Makdoompur village head Pankaj Yadav, Saibasa village head Ansar Ali, District Panchyat member Jhallar Tiwari, District Panchayati Raj Officer (DPRO) Ravidutt Mishra and Rajesh Singh at Manjhanpur police station.

In her complaint, Roz said that the DPRO was instrumental in provoking villagers not to provide her water. 

“I am a diabetic. I was feeling weak and asked for water. They (six people she had named) neither gave me water not allowed villagers to do the same. After one of the villagers tried to give me water, but the DPRO signaled him not to do so,” she said. 

Roz said that people around her told villagers that if she touched the bottle or glass it would get ‘spoiled’ (dushit ho jayega).

“I had gone to the village to review development schemes under government’s directives but the DPRO said that I should have taken permission from him before coming to village,” the Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer said.

The incident was reported at the backdrop of a similar incident when a temple was washed with gangajal and statues were sent to Allahabad for purification after BJP MLA Manisha Anuragi visited the Dhoomra Rishi temple, a saint of the mythical Mahabharat era, in Hamirpur on July 12. 

Women are not allowed entry in the temple as locals believe that the saint doesn’t like the presence of women inside the premises.

Ppposition parties have attacked the government over these incidents with the Congress demanding a high-level probe. Congress spokesperson Ashok Singh said: “Incidents of Dalit atrocities are continuously rising in Uttar Pradesh. This is of great shame that a lady Dalit official was ill-treated.”

SP spokesperson Sunil Singh Sajan said: “When a Dalit MLA of the ruling party visits a temple and after her visit it is purified with Ganga jal, then what can be said about this government.  The BJP still considers them (Dalits) as untouchables and do not believe in the Constitution, but want Manuwaadi (casteist) system to be implemented.”