Bhilwara – A controversy over alleged caste-based discrimination surfaced during an Independence Day programme at a government middle school in Bhakliya village under Amargarh gram panchayat of Mandal tehsil in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district. Members of the Dalit community allege that some people objected when two Dalit community members were invited as guests and seated on chairs on the stage during the August 15 programme.
According to members of the Dalit community, the objection escalated into an argument, with some people allegedly leaving the programme along with their children in protest.
The incident has not yet been reported to the police. The Dalit community is expected to hold a meeting on Sunday evening to decide whether a formal complaint should be submitted to the police and district administration.
The Independence Day programme was organised at the government middle school in Bhakliya village on August 15. Two members of the Dalit community, Gopilal and Ramesh Bairwa, were invited as guests and seated on chairs on the stage.
According to Badrilal Bairwa, a young resident of the village who spoke to The Mooknayak, some members of the general and OBC communities objected to the seating arrangement.
Badrilal alleged that during the argument, some people questioned why the Dalit guests were being seated on chairs while others would have to sit on the ground.
The disagreement reportedly intensified, following which school teachers and the principal attempted to intervene and calm the situation.
According to Badrilal, the school principal and teachers told those objecting that a government school could not discriminate against anyone on the basis of caste or religion and that everyone had equal rights to participate in the programme.
However, Badrilal alleged that the protesters did not accept the explanation. Some of them subsequently took their children and left the venue.
The Independence Day programme was eventually completed in the presence of members of the SC/ST communities. Badrilal also alleged that he recorded parts of the incident on video and was subsequently threatened during discussions over the episode. According to him, he was allegedly warned that he would “be seen to” if he came outside after the meeting. This allegation has not been independently verified.
Badrilal said that the incident needs to be viewed against the backdrop of the social conditions in the village.
According to him, Bhakliya has around 30 Scheduled Caste households and about 10 tribal households. He estimated that around 100 Jat community households and nearly 50 households belonging to Thakurs, OBCs and Brahmins live in the village.
Badrilal, who works as a supervisor at a biogas plant, said he is the first graduate in his family. He believes that increasing access to education among Bahujan children is gradually creating greater awareness among younger people in the village.
However, he alleged that caste-based practices continue in everyday social life. “Even today, discrimination based on upper and lower caste is very high in the village,” Badrilal told The Mooknayak.
He alleged that when members of the SC/ST communities visit the homes of people from socially dominant communities, they are generally made to sit separately. He further alleged that separate glasses and cups are kept for them and that they are expected to wash and keep the utensils themselves.
Badrilal contrasted this with the way members of other communities are treated when they visit Dalit households, saying that elders in his community stand up out of respect for their guests.
No police complaint has been filed so far. Badrilal said a community meeting could not be held immediately because of the death of a member of the community.
A meeting has now been scheduled for Sunday evening. According to Badrilal, if the community collectively agrees to pursue the matter, a complaint will be submitted to the police and district administration seeking action.
Bhanwar Meghwanshi, a prominent Dalit rights activist and author, did not mince words when he reacted to the Bhilwara incident. In a sharply worded post on social media, he declared, "This freedom is a lie!", a powerful indictment of the stark contrast between India's constitutional ideals and the ground reality of caste oppression. Meghwanshi highlighted that Dalits who had come to a government school to celebrate Independence Day were not only prevented from sitting on chairs but were also subjected to verbal abuse when they dared to protest.
His comment struck at the very heart of the hypocrisy: that a nation which proudly commemorates its freedom from colonial rule continues to deny dignity and equality to its own citizens based on birth. He asserted that as long as untouchability, caste discrimination, and inequality persist, the country's independence remains incomplete, a hollow celebration rather than a lived reality. With a firm demand for strict action against the perpetrators, Meghwanshi's words served as both a moral reckoning and a call to conscience, reminding society that true freedom cannot coexist with systemic prejudice.
The incident has raised questions about caste discrimination and equality at government educational institutions. Any legal action in the matter will depend on whether a formal complaint is filed and the allegations are subsequently investigated by the authorities.
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