Read the following news items:
Nimone is a village on the Chauphula-Shirur Road. Like many others, this village has also been facing a severe water shortage for the last few months and villages depend on tankers for all their needs. Bhagavan Mahadeo Lad (35) of this village was beaten with sticks, irons rods and axes by a group of seven men. The incident came to light when some villagers brought a badly injured Lad to the hospital for treatment. In the FIR recorded by the police Lad said that he was attacked when he insisted that the water in the tanker must be emptied into the storage tanks constructed as part of the water supply scheme by Nlmone Gram Panchayat so that there would be equal distribution of water. However, he alleged that the upper caste men were against this and told him that the tanker water was not meant for lower castes.
Adopted, from Indian Express, 'May 1, 2004.
Do you think that the above is a case of discrimination? Why?

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Solution

Yes, the above is a case of discrimination, because the upper caste men were tries to suppress the genuine demand of the lower castes. They look them upon and ignore their existence.

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Similar questions

Q. Read the following news items:
Nimone is a village on the Chauphula-Shirur Road. Like many others, this village has also been facing a severe water shortage for the last few months and villages depends on tankers for all their needs. Bhagavan Mahadeo Lad (35) of this village was beaten with sticks, irons rods and axes by a group of seven men. The incident came to light when some villagers brought a badly injured Lad to hospital for treatment. In the FIR recorded by the police Lad said that he was attacked when he insisted that the water in the tanker must be emptied into the storage tanks, constructed as part of the water supply scheme by Nlmone Gram Panchayat so that there would be equal distribution of water. However, he alleged that the upper caste men caste men were against this and told him that the tanker water was not meant for lower castes.
(Adopted, from Indian Express, 'May 1, 2004.)

(a) Why was Bhagavan beaten?

(b) Do you think that the above is a case of discrimination? Why?

A man called Rajesh lived in a village of Rajasthan and always faced scarcity of water. He was very stressed because of this and wanted to do something for his village. What do you think why people in the desert area face this scarcity?

Varsha went to her native village recently which is facing shortage of water. She found out that people in her village are basically involved in agricultural activities and use traditional methods of irrigation. They also depend on rain for most of the irrigation. In addition, they clear forests for agricultural activities. Also, a factory is being setup at a nearby site which will be drawing water from the only river beside the village. Many buildings are also being constructed for the factory. What effect do you think these activities will have on the problem of water shortage? Justify your answer. [5 MARKS]

Q. During the later part of the Vedic period, Ananya's village was suffering from droughts. So the townspeople approached the village headman about this problem. He decides that they need to hold a ritual to satisfy the rain god. So that he can bless their village with rains.

What was this ritual called?

Constitution of India visualised village panchayats as units of self-government. Think over the situation described in the following statements and explain how do these situations strengthen or weaken the panchayats in becoming units of self-government.

a. Government of a State has allowed a big company to establish a huge steel plant. Many villages would be adversely affected by the steel plant. Gram Sabha of one of the affected villages passed a resolution that before establishing any big industries in the region, village people must be consulted and their grievances should be redressed.

b. The government has decided that 20 % of all its expenditure would be done through the panchayats.

c. A village panchayat kept on demanding funds for a building for village school, the government officials turned down their proposal saying that funds are allocated for certain other schemes and cannot be spent otherwise.

d. The government divided a village Dungarpur into two and made a part of village Jamuna and Sohana. Now village Dungarpur has ceased to exist in government’s books.

e. A village panchayat observed that water sources of their region are depleting fast. They decided to mobilise village youth to do some voluntary work and revive the old village ponds and wells.

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