Kanhaiyalal Baraiya, a teacher who was in the news a year ago being at the receiving end of caste-based prejudices is in news again. Transferred 75 kilometers away from his hometown Chhatriyala in Chuda taluka to Ninama village in Sayla taluka, Kanhaiyalal Baraiya, being from Valmiki community could not find residence on rent at his workplace and had to travel o his home every day on bike.
The Gram Panchayat of Ninama village has written a letter to the aggrieved teacher after a year indicating three rental houses to choose from. However, 50-year-old Baraiya has refused the offer saying that it is a conspiracy to kill him. Last year, the Gram Panchayat had written a letter to him saying since there is no Valmiki settlement in the village, he could not stay in the village.
Baraiya has termed the gesture of the Gram Panchayat a face-saving exercise. Meanwhile, NHRC ( National Human Rights Commission) has written a letter to the Surendranagar Collector to initiate appropriate actions within eight weeks’ time. Dalit activist Kantibhai Parmar who had filed the complaint to NHRC has said that despite orders from Social Justice Departments, Education department does not transfer Kanhaiyalal Baraiya to a more suitable place of posting.
