K’taka govt to sponsor education of Dalit boy who faced ‘untouchability’ trauma

 

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has decided to sponsor the education expenses of a Dalit boy, whose family was forced to move out of the village after the four-year-old boy allegedly entered the temple premises.

According to a IANS report, the boy will get admission to a reputed school for class 1-5,  whereafter he will be admitted to Morarji Desai Residential School without entrance for class 6-10. For II PUC also, he would be given a place in Morarji Desai Hostel. The Social Welfare department would sponsor graduation studies of his choice and if he wants to pursue a professional course like MBBS, the government would also take care of the fees, sources said.

Meanwhile the boy’s father, Chandrashekar Shivappa Dasar, talking to IANS, pointed out that the family is facing financial distress after they were forced to leave Miyapur village in Koppal district, abandoning their house and source of livelihood.

He expressed that the government should provide them a loan to help become financially independent instead of giving funds.

“Presently we have to pay rent and also struggle for earnings. We don’t want funds, financial assistance. I want a loan to be given by the government. Let them take my house and little land as mortgage. Lend me help to stand financially independent.

What my son had gone through, no one should ever. After the incident, he does not allow me to go near the temple fearing that people would assault me. Whenever he sees police, he gets traumatised,” Dasar told IANS.

It may be recalled that the state gvernment had earlier announced the ‘Vinaya Samarasya Scheme’ in name of Dasar’s son Vinay to bridge the gap between the upper castes and the Dalits.