In most of the schools, Mangoo Ram was the only Scheduled Caste student. He sat at the back of the class, or even in a separate room, and listened through the open door. When he attended high school on Bhajwara, he was forced to stay outside the building and listen to the classes through the windows. Once when he came inside during a heavy hailstorm, the Brahmin teacher beat him and put all the classroom furniture, which he had "polluted" by his presence, outside in the rain to be literally and ritually washed clean. Nonetheless, Mangoo Ram was a good student: he placed third in his class in primary schools. But whereas the other good students were encouraged to become patwaris("village record-keepers") or seek higher education, Mangoo Ram was encouraged to leave school and help his father at a more proper "Chamar task". To know more about the caste discriminations in Punjab and socio-political movements of ex-untouchables (Scheduled Castes) read book RELIGIOUS REBELS IN PUNJAB. To buy this book contact: Nikhil Sablania, Delhi M. 8527533051, 9013306236. sablanian@gmail (Price Rs 400, postage charge Rs 50, free postage in India for more than one copy of this book).
Posted on: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 16:38:40 +0000
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