Principal dragged to court for not enrolling Dalit student

Jhapa, May 25

A case has been filed against a school and its principal in Jhapa for refusing to grant admission to a Dalit student.

Bhadrapur-based Krishna Dwaipayan Gurukul Bed Vidhyashran and its principal Rajendra Chapagain have been dragged to the court for refusing to admit Bikash Karkidhali (Darji) of Barbote, Ilam Municipality-5, in the school.

Earlier, Dalit activists of the district had padlocked the school for about a week over the issue.

“Dalit students are studying in other gurukuls, but the school refused to admit a student just because he was Dalit. This is why we had to file a case seeking action against the school and the principal as per the law,” said Jhapa secretary of Forum for the Rights of the Oppressed Sagar Portel.

On his part, Chief District Officer Janakraj Dahal clarified that the school concerned had defied his order to enrol the Dalit student.