Question 6: Read the following news item.
Nimone is a village on the Chauphula-Shirur Road. Like many others, this village has also been facing a severe water shortage for the last few months and villagers depend on tankers for all their needs. Bhagvan Mahadeo Lad (35) of this village was beaten with sticks, iron rods and axes by a group of seven men. The incident came to light when some villagers brought a badly injured Lad to hospital for treatment. In the FIR recorded by the police Lad said that he was attacked when he insisted that the water in the tanker must be emptied into the storage tanks constructed as part of the water supply scheme by Nimone Gram Panchayat so that there would be equal distribution of water. However, he alleged that the upper caste men were against this and told him that the tanker water was not meant for the lower castes.
Adapted from Indian Express, May 1, 2004
a. Why was Bhagvan beaten?
b. Do you think that the above is a case of discrimination? Why?
Answer:
(a) Bhagvan was beaten because he asked for the equal share of water by emptying the water tanker into the storage tank. He alleged that upper castes man were against this and they said to Bhagvan that the tanker was not meant for lower caste men.
(b) Yes, there was a discrimination because Bhagvan was a lower caste men and he asked for his water rights, but the upper caste one’s did not want to share equal water with the lower caste people.
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