WORLD : 3 Set Selves Afire Over Caste
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NEW DELHI — Three Delhi University students set themselves afire today in protest against plans to reserve more government jobs for Hinduism’s lower castes.
Riot police dropped their tear-gas canisters, guns and truncheons and rushed forward to save the students’ lives, suffering burns themselves as they tore off or beat at blazing clothes.
The three students were taken to a hospital, one of them with burns on about 50% of his body.
Students in the upper castes of Hinduism’s rigid heirarchy have led protests throughout north India against plans announced last month to increase the proportion of government jobs set aside for low castes to nearly 50%.
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