It is a caste controversy that has now caught the attention of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in his home constituency Varuna.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said on Tuesday that he would intervene to settle a row that has erupted in a school in Kuppegala village in the constituency where several ‘upper’ caste children have been staying away from the government higher primary school following the appointment of a Dalit woman as an assistant cook for the midday meals programme. The ‘upper’ caste parents have forbidden their children from eating the food cooked by her. Among those who are attending school, many are bringing packed lunches from home.
Even as the Chief Minister, who was visiting his constituency to launch development works, promised to speak to both the groups and ensure that the matter was sorted out, about 40 children, of a total strength of 150, stayed out of school on Tuesday.
Over the week, authorities have been promising to sort out the issue by counselling the parents to send their children to the school, but the continued nonattendance of so many children showed that the issue was far from settled.
Sources said about 110 children attended the school on Tuesday. While 92 of them had meals prepared at the school, the remaining children either went to their homes for lunch or had food brought in lunch boxes.
Deputy Director of Public Instruction H.R. Basappa told The Hindu , “The matter will be resolved in a couple of days... The school will have cent per cent attendance and all children will have meals prepared at the school.”
The official claimed that the attendance of children had improved and expressed confidence that the parents would be persuaded to send their children to school.
‘Solution soon’Minister for Social Welfare H. Anjaneya, who was in Mysuru on Tuesday, told reporters that the Kuppegala school issue would be sorted out amicably and instructions had been issued not to register any case against anybody over the developments.
“A solution will be found soon. Police intervention is unwarranted. I am confident that the authorities will solve the issue cordially,” he said.
