Now, dalit sarpanch on dharna for school in Morena village

BHOPAL: After winning her battle to hoist national flag on August 15 this year for the first time after she became a sarpanch four years ago, dalit sarpanch from a Morena village is now holding a dharna here in Bhopal for another cause — construction of a middle school in a dalit basti in a village for which the gram sabha has already passed a resolution more than two years ago.
Struggle of dalit woman sarpanch Badami Bai, is far from over as her five-year tenure ends in December this year and she is running out of time.
"Former sarpanch of the village is an influential person. He doesn't want the school to be constructed near a dalit basti. The government knows about this but no body is helping. I have little time left and they all know this fact too. Once I complete my tenure, the school will never be constructed," the sarpanch of Purawas Kalan village said.
Talking to TOI, she said, "The gram sabha held on August 15, 2012 and headed by me, had passed the resolution of constructing the middle school building on the premises of primary school of the village. However, despite this, a ?special' gram sabha was held on January 14 this year whereby a resolution to construct a middle school at a different place was passed. This is unconstitutional."
Badami also said that since then she has been actually running from pillar to post. She met district administration, collector Morena, commissioner Chambal division, MP Narendra Singh Tomar and BJP leader Arvind Menon on various occasions, but in vain.
However, despite going to such lengths, she is yet to get the middle school constructed on five bighas of government land. Also, her pleas have fallen on deaf ears with no one from the government coming to meet her.
Recently, Badami had tied 'rakhi' to chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Bhopal and had complained of her plight about casteism in hoisting the flag. Following this, directives were issued to district administration to ensure security to her to unfurl the national Tri-colour.
Badami again wants justice from Chouhan. "I want him to ensure that the administration respects the gram sabha decision taken on August 15,2012, and the construction of school starts as soon as possible."