Indore: Three days after state service exam was held across the state, office-bearers of Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) were booked by city police under SC/ST Act for five questions based an unseen passage containing objectionable content against Bhil tribe.
“On the complaint of JAYS leader Ravi Baghel, an FIR has been registered under Section 3(1) (r) and Section 3 (1) (u) of SC/ST Act against MPPSC officers concerned over objectionable passage against Bhil tribe featuring in state service exam,” DIG Ruchi Varshan Mishra said.
AJK police station DSP will conduct investigation into the matter.
Mishra said that it would be taken in writing from MPPSC about the responsibilities of officers in inclusion of the objectionable passage in the exam paper. “Related documents will be gathered and responsibility would be fixed. Action will be taken against office-bearers found at fault,” she added.
Section 3(1) (r) is for intentionally insulting or intimidating with intent to humiliate a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe in any place within public view.
Section 3 (1) (u) is for words either written or spoken or by signs or by visible representation or otherwise promotes or attempts to promote feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will against members of the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes.
The SSE-2019 general aptitude paper carried five questions based on a passage describing Bhil tribe alcoholic and criminal-minded.
The passage read: “Bhil is a poor tribe. Their main occupation is agriculture. Apart from this, working on daily wages in farms, animal husbandry, sale of wild commodities and construction of buildings in cities, they live their lives. A major reason for the poor economic condition of the Bhils is excess expenditure….”
“The increasing interest of loans given by moneylenders and moneylenders works as a whirlwind in this sea, due to which the people could never get out of their vicious cycle. A major reason for the criminal tendency of Bhils is that they are not able to meet their liabilities with normal income. As a result, in the hope of earning money, they also indulge in illegal and unethical activities.”
The passage also touched upon the customs and habit of Bhils like bride money and prevalence of liquor and tendency to expend on that.
