A Dalit man on Thursday, 26 September, staged a sit-in along with his four children at the Siddharth Nagar district magistrate's office, protesting the alleged ouster of his children from the school for his inability to pay fees.
Children's father Shiv Kumar told reporters that the Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandir at Shohratgarh area in Siddharth Nagar ousted his children Viraj (4), Yuvraj (8), Jyoti (10) and Chanchal (14) on 30 August for not paying the school fees.
He said the school principal even made casteist remarks against him when he met him to explain his inability to pay the fees.
"I also went to the police but they did not register my complaint," he said, adding he also wrote to the district magistrate and Basic Education Minister Satish Dwivedi apprising them of the cancellation of his children's admission from the school.
"If my children do not get justice, I will sit on fast unto death," he said. Asked about the incident, Basic Education Minister Satish Dwivedi told reporters that he would speak to the district magistrate on the issue and take requisite action if the school administration is found guilty.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)