A Dalit Poet’s Words Were Expunged from the Rajasthan Assembly Records. Here’s Why (The Wire)

Soon after Congress MLA Harish Chaudhary finished reading a poem written by Omprakash Valmiki, it became obvious that he had ruffled the feathers of several leaders irrespective of party lines.

Rajasthan Congress MLA from Baytoo Harish Chaudhary. Photo: Facebook

By Deep Mukherjee

Jaipur: On July 19, Rajasthan assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani stood up and informed the House that he has decided to expunge remarks made by Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders thanks to objection raised by others.

The remarks expunged by Devnani from the House proceedings included the poem ‘Thakur Ka Kuan’ which was read out by senior Congress MLA Harish Chaudhary a day before, on July 18.

The famous poem written by Dalit poet Omprakash Valmiki talks about the exploitation faced by the marginalised communities by asking the question, that if everything, right from the ponds, to the bajra (millet) used to prepare roti, to the land used to grow bajra belong to the thakur (landowner), then what is left for the person from the oppressed class, who, despite ploughing the field, doesn’t own anything.

Congress MLA Chaudhary had recited the poem inside the state assembly before saying that the budget announced by the BJP government in the state earlier this month has nothing for the oppressed and everything belongs to the thakur.

This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.

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