Kendrapara, Sept. 9: Local residents and teachers stopped a group of Dalit high school students from offering prayers to Lord Ganesh at a government-run school in Chakada-Gogua village, about 40km from the district headquarters town.

Over 50 Dalit children were stopped from breaking coconuts before the Ganesh idol and offering prayers while upper caste students were allowed to pay obeisance to the Lord.

What made the situation worse was that a section of Dalit students were allegedly beaten up by some upper-caste villagers when they insisted on praying. Police rushed to the village to bring the situation under control.

“Officers from Mahakalpada police station rushed to the village to take stock of the situation. Legal action is being initiated against those who ill-treated the Dalit students. No FIR has been lodged yet,” said Kendrapara superintendent of police Rabi Narayan Behera.

About 1,000 people live in the village and about 300 of them are Dalits. This was the first time the village witnessed caste-related tension.

“Teachers and guardians of some upper-caste students committed offence and they should be arrested immediately,” said Rabindra Nath Sethi, a Dalit leader and president of the Ambedkar-Lohia Vichar Manch. He said the Dalit students were deeply hurt by this discrimination.

“The teacher and some guardians of upper-caste students prevented us from worshipping Lord Ganesh at the school and abused us when we tried to pray along with other schoolchildren. We were scolded and manhandled,” Paravati Mallick, a Class X student, cried as she narrated her humiliation.

“The upper-caste students offered coconuts, flowers and sweets to the deity. When the Dalit students expressed their desire to do the same, the school authorities opposed and reacted. When they went forward to offer coconuts to the deity, they were stopped and some upper-caste guardians even beat them up,” said Ashok Mallick, a Dalit resident of the village.