Childhood is not the dreamy ideal that we all think of.
There is another reality, an unpalatable one. Here’s how the cookie crumbles for many others in our country inspite of having fundamental rights granted by The Constitution of India
A Dalit student at a government run school in Uttar Pradesh was allegedly forced to clean toilets, give massages and do menial tasks for the district social welfare officer.
According to a report by Times Of India, this 14-year-old Dalit boy alleged that he was physically assaulted and starved. District officials have ordered an inquiry into the matter.
Amit Kumar, from Sikandarpur village, is a student at Rajkiya Ashram Paddhati Vidyalaya at Itora. In his complaint to the district magistrate, he alleged that school superintendent Rakesh Dubey ordered kumar to give him a head massage.
Amit was then told that he would be given Rs 8,000 for working at the residence of Sanjeev Mishra (district social welfare officer) in Ghaziabad.
According to the child, he was taken to Ghaziabad on the 16th of May where he was forced to give body massages,do household chores, look after Sanjeev Mishra’s dogs and also clean toilets. In his complaint, he said that he was very often beaten by the man.
Amit managed to flee the house after 33 days of this “forced labour”.
At Agra Cantt railway station, he was found by railway police travelling without a ticket and was sent to the school where he raised the matter and attempted to make a complaint with the social welfare departments. He alleged that he was warned to keep quiet or he would be made an accused in a theft case.
“The boy has made serious charges against the social welfare officer and the school superintendent A detailed inquiry has been ordered. If the charges are found to be correct, the district administration will ensure strict action,” was what additional district magistrate KP Singh had to say when he spoke to TOI.
“The allegations are completely baseless. I have never met the boy. This seems to be a conspiracy against me,” said Mishra,when speaking to TOI.
Meanwhile, child rights activist Naresh Paras has forwarded the complaint to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the chief minister’s ‘Jan Sunwai’ portal.