CHENNAI: The deadly cocktail of corporal punishment and caste discrimination is not a child’s play. The type of punishment meted out by teachers often has a tinge of caste discrimination.
Dalit students being forced to clean toilets is an example of caste discrimination raising its ugly head in most corporal punishment cases. On Saturday, such cases came up before the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
Murugan, a Dalit studying in Standard IV at Sikkarasampalayam Panchayat Union Elementary School in Sathyamangalam, was forced to clean the toilets by the headmaster.
V Yogatharani (13), belonging to Arunthathiyar community and hailing from Kurinji Nagar in Theni, was discriminated upon by teachers of the P C Convent Girls School. The Class IX student committed suicide on October 14. The note that she left behind put the blame on her teachers.
Bama, a Dalit writer, said harassment of Dalit students was a common sight in schools.