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Dalit girls death shatters villagers will to educate girls
On March 29, Delta Meghwal, 17, the only Dalit girl from Barmer to pursue higher education, was found dead in the water tank in Bikaner. Her death has plunged her village into a regressive state where parents don’t want their girls to study.
Trimohi, a tiny village in Rajasthan’s Barmer district has a history of resilience after it surmounted the destruction and despair of the 1971 war. However, this time, the hamlet is finding it difficult to bounce back.
On March 29, Delta Meghwal, 17, the pride of Trimohi and only the first Dalit girl from the village to pursue higher education, was found dead in the water tank of the Jain Adarsh Teachers’ Training Institute for Girls in Nokha, Bikaner.
Delta’s death, however, is shrouded in mystery. While the Bikaner police claim it was suicide by drowning, however, no water was found in her lungs. The suicide story claimed that she took her life after being caught in a compromising situation with the college’s physical education teacher, Vijendra Singh. It seems that the hostel warden, Priya Shukla, was in cohorts with Vijendra Singh as she used to send Delta to the PE teacher’s room for cleaning.
Delta’s father, Mahendra Ram is a primary school teacher and a vocal advocate of education for girls, made sure his children got every opportunity to gain education. Delta followed in the footsteps of her brother Prabhu, who went to Bikaner to pursue Bachelor of Veterinary Sciences from a private college and Ashok who is preparing for the pre-medical test. The youngest, Kumari Nakhu, is a Class XII student.
Delta imbibed qualities that her father had imagined when naming her. “Just like a river that gets distributed into different streams, leaving beautiful patterns in the earth, Delta was named because of her multitalented persona,” Mahendra said.
She wanted to become a teacher like her father. In fact, she along with her father and another teacher, Ganesharam, gave free tuitions to 15-20 children of Trimohi and adjoining villages.
From a tender age, Delta was a shining example of inspiration and hope for girls in Trimohi. She won awards from local legislators and even the then CM Vasundhara Raje for her oratory, singing and painting skills and always led the pride of place in the Independence Day and Republic Day parades.
A media storm emerged after the news of Delta’s death came out. Dalit activists raised a furore asking for inquiry and justice for Delta. However, once the media found new news, silence has once again enveloped Trimohi.
Delta, once an inspiration, is reduced to an example to prevent girls from studying. Almost all the girls in Trimohi and adjoining villages have quit school. Dejected, Mahendra’s resolve is breaking.
Mahendra said, “If my daughter receives justice, then I will motivate more girls to continue their education and pursue jobs. If not, then I will never ask any father to send his daughter to school.”
The fear is thick in the air that the justice may elude the village and the perpetrators allowed to go scot-free. But what Prabhu fears most is the flame of an educator going out.