Non-dalit changes surname to get scholarship

BAGLUNG, June 9: A non-Dalit student here has changed his surname as a Dalit to get an Indian embassy scholarship allocated for Dalit students. Shankar Gautam of Baskot in Sigana VDC-4 changed his surname to Bishwokarma and got his name selected for the Indian embassy’s scholarship to study a bachelor’s level course. Shankar is the son of Hari Prasad Gautam, who is a university teacher at Mahendra Multiple Campus in Baglung. Meanwhile, it has been revealed that VDC secretary Lal Bahadur KC had written a recommendation letter, saying that Shankar Bishwokarma was a labourious Dalit student and his father’s annual income was a mere Rs 50,500. KC denied making fraudulent documents proving Shankar’s surname as Bishwokarma. He said he only proved the income source of Gautam.

However, Dalit Commission’s president Ram Lal BK said the commission certified Shankar as a Dalit student, based on KC’s recommendation letter. The photocopy of KC’s recommendation received by this correspondent clearly mentions Shankar’s surname as Bishwokarma and portrays him as a Dalit student. The embassy provides four scholarships to Dalit students among the 10 scholarship it provides annually for students across the country to study BE and MBBS studies. General Secretary of Dalit Sewa Sangh Chakaraman Bishwokarma said Shankar’s name has been selected for the scholarship. Because of this, genuine Dalit candidate Raj Kumar BK of Bardia, who is also from a squatter family, could not make it to the scholarship after falling behind Shankar by 0.5 points in the ranking. After the revelation, coordinator of the Society of Dalit and Oppressed Communities Govinda Nepali is set to file a case against KC for fraud. Shankar’s father Hari Prasad said he had requested the VDC to write a recommendation for scholarship for his son as a poor and labourious student. On query how his son’s name was selected for scholarship under Dalit’s quota, Gautam said, “Neither had I asked the VDC for recommendation to prove my son as a Dalit nor I know anything more about it”.Meanwhile, in Baglung, seventy-seven students belonging to poor family and reading at Shivalaya Primary School located at Bhimpokhara VDC, Ward No. 9 of the district were provided various materials by the HEFAR Nepal, Amrita Women’s Group and the school family.Each student was provided the materials- pen, pencil, copy, eraser, soap, bucket, jug, nail-clipper- worth Rs 500.Meanwhile, the dalit communities here have set up a Dalit Awareness Centre.

The Centre runs the informal classes on burning issues as dalit rights, inclusion, human rights, and social justice in the local level.Both men and women around the places gather here at evening to discuss on the issuesIn Makwanpur, the District Education Office (DEO) in Makwanpur is set to provide 19 relief quotas to all the primary schools, which have not been handed over to the community, by mid-July.With the decision of the District Education Committee, relief quotas of 19 teachers comprising 10 women would be provided citing the number of students and teachers, said Acting District Education Officer Him Sharma.

Source: Gorkhapatra