A school for Musahar girls in Patna, the state capital of Bihar, is challenging the caste system that looked down upon people who “ate rats”. As they get an education, they are slowly rewriting their future.
Hearing the phrase “Musahar ke aulad – tu padhai karbe” was common for the girls and boys of the oppressed communities in Bihar. The casteist slur, which translates to “how dare you, the children of rat-eater Dalits, get educated,” typified the oppression of the age-old caste system.
However, a school for Musahar girls in Patna, the capital of Bihar, has been challenging the status quo. Sudha Varghese, an activist who has dedicated her life to ending discrimination meted out to the Musahar (“rat-eating”) community, began Prerna School in Bihar’s Danapur in 2005.
Another such school was set up in Gaya later, under Varghese’s non-profit Nari Gunjan, which focuses on empowering the poorest communities by promoting education, health awareness, and economic independence.
“The objective to begin the schools was simple. To give wings to the girls who belong to this community,” says Varghese. UNESCO and the Indian government have recognised her work, further highlighting the growing impact of her efforts on the Musahar community and beyond.
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Over the years, the school has helped educate thousands of girls, providing them with opportunities that were previously inaccessible due to social and economic barriers. The residential schools provide free education, meals, and a safe environment to girls who might otherwise be forced into labour or child marriages.
The total Musahar population in Bihar hovers around the figure of 4,00,000 people, according to the state’s caste survey in 2022. The nearly 3000 girls in the two schools, aged between 10 and 20, study here from grades five to 12.
At the school, the comprehensive curriculum includes basic literacy and lessons in hygiene, health, and social awareness. Additionally, the girls are trained in tailoring, handicrafts and weaving, which helps them become financially independent.
One of the most remarkable aspects of these schools is their ability to foster a sense of solidarity among the girls. “Before I came here, I thought my only future was working in the fields or getting married,” says Anju, a 14-year-old studying at one of the schools. “But here, I have friends and teachers who care for me. I never imagined that I could find friends who would support me.”
Varghese believes that creating a space where these girls feel safe and valued is as important as education itself. The schools are a place where they can dream beyond the limitations imposed on them by the dominant narratives prevalent in our society.
They learn about nutrition, menstrual hygiene, and reproductive health, knowledge that they can take back to their families and communities. They are also taught about their rights and responsibilities. “It’s not just about teaching them to read and write,” says Varghese. “It’s about giving them the confidence to stand up for themselves, to know that they have the same rights as anyone else. That confidence can change everything,” she adds.
Caste hierarchies are deeply entrenched in the Indian subcontinent and Varghese’s school, too, had to face many threats and patriarchal hurdles.
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“Overcoming those challenges was not easy but here we are. The schools are running and the girls are getting educated. Outside challenges are easy as compared to, say, when parents want their daughters to get married at an early age or ask them to work as labourers to support the family,” Varghese explains.
The impact of these schools extends far beyond its students. Though challenges lie at the root of the efforts, they inspire more families to consider sending their daughters to school. Sunita, a graduate of one of the Nari Gunjan schools, went on to become a teacher herself.
“I was one of the first girls in my village to go to school. Now, when I teach the next generation of girls from my community, I see in them the same hunger for knowledge that I had. I feel proud to be a part of this change,” Sunita says.
Sudha Varghese’s vision for the future is clear: to expand the reach of Nari Gunjan’s schools and to create more opportunities for Musahar girls across Bihar. She dreams of a future where every girl in the Musahar community has access to education and can grow up in a society that respects her rights and potential.
Nari Gunjan’s schools continue to thrive and the girls from the “rat-eater” community still hear the echoes of the casteist slurs, but education is what is cancelling out the noise.
Also Read: Musahars in Bihar struggle to educate their children
The lead image on top depicts girls from the oppressed “Musahar” community performing at a Nari Gunjan school function. (Photo courtesy Nari Gunjan)
Kumar Gaurav is a multilingual audio-visual journalist from Bihar.
