Aditi Dhammachakra A recent report by Human Rights Watch has brought to light everyday instances of discrimination against Dalit, Adivasi, and Muslim children in primary schools. The report reminds us that caste and tribal status is invoked repeatedly in schools and is resulting in a large number of children being stamped with a stigmatized identity and leading to many dropouts. This massive gap between the role that education should play in bringing social transformation and the role that it is currently playing in perpetuating the existing social order is a cause for serious concern. I examine this in my second article in the series on inclusive schools. Caste It is interesting that the HRW report finds acts of discrimination so commonplace. I call it interesting because I have noticed fairly frequently in my interactions with teachers across the state I work in, that the first time you attempt to bring up the issue of caste-based discrimination, the immediate reaction is one of complete and total denial. “Nahi, yeh hamare yahaan nahi hota hai (No, this doesn’t happen here)” is the most typical response I come across. But children, unlike adults, are a totally different story. Their innocence and honesty are always striking. Recently, I was chatting with a group of children in class five in a government school and they asked me what caste I belonged to. I told them my last name (from which you can normally gather a person’s caste in India, especially if you belong to the same region which I don’t). Since they couldn’t immediately deduce my caste from my last name, they persisted in asking which caste I belonged to so I asked them, “Why is it important to know someone’s caste?” They said, “Because adults tell us it is important.” I pushed them further and asked, “Why do adults think caste is important?” After some hemming and hawing, one lovely, bright 10 year old girl said, “Because when you grow up and get married you must marry someone within your own caste.” I was taken aback by the certainty with which she had said it but I wasn’t prepared for what was to follow. Wanting to engage them further I asked, “What will happen if you don’t marry someone from the same caste?” Behind me I heard this little, 10 year old boy say, “You will die.” Some of the girls, seeing my surprise at this statement said, “No, you won’t actually die.” “Are you sure?” I asked, “Will
