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Fri, Jun 8 Dalits open their own school to protest discrimination By IANS Friday June 8, 02:04 PM Ranchi, June 8 (IANS) Dalits in a Jharkhand village have set an example of how to protest against discrimination without creating unrest. Dalits in Thadi village of Dumka district, which is nearly 400 km from Ranchi, have opened a school in April exclusively for their children. The Dalits were prompted to open the school as teachers and students at the local government school were allegedly humiliating their children. They met the district administration and education officials and informed about the discrimination three months ago. 'We were assured that an inquiry will be conducted but nothing action was taken and the level of discrimination increased day by day. We then decided to open the school,' Sukari Hajzra a Dalit resident of Thadi. 'We do not want any fight with the people who look down upon us. We have adopted the Gandhian satyagrah method to protest,' said Surendra Mohali, another Dalit resident of the village. Nearly 50 children of the Dalit community are enrolled in one room the school. All the schoolteachers and members of the school management are from the community. 'We are proud that there is an overwhelming response to the school. We have more students than government schools. The teachers here are more serious than the ones at the government schools and the students are fast learning that they have the fire to counter the discrimination,' said Nagesh, a member of the school management.
