Discrimination and Exclusion Against Marginal Castes and Tribes in Educational Institutions: An Empirical Analysis of Bondaguda Primary School

Abstract

Dalits are unable to enjoy their rights under the Indian Constitution. Though they are original residents of India, they are still treated as untouchables. This article sheds light on how discrimination at the primary school level in the mid-day meal (MDM) scheme is reinforcing the caste system. The school is supposed to be a prime site of democratic institution where the child could have a non-discriminative environment. But the MDMs cooked by Dalit cooks are not eaten by children of upper castes and tribes, thus grossly contradicting such claims. The study is based on primary as well as secondary sources. It shows that children from an early age are moulded into perpetuating the discriminatory mindset of the caste-ridden village society. This article is an attempt to analyse the violence against the Dalit cooks in the Bondaguda village.