TIRUNELVELI: Mother of the two Scheduled Caste students, who were hacked by dominant intermediate caste students, told TNIE that the government-aided school in Valliyoor is no longer safe for her children.
"My son had to undergo severe mental agony due to the casteist attitude meted out to him by the intermediate caste students at the school. They used to ask my son to buy idli, and even cigarettes and other tobacco products for them. He had to pay for everything from his own pocket. So, I have decided to find another school for my children," she added.
"They snatched money from my son and abused him using caste slurs. He had to suffer a lot; from being forced to whistle when a teacher was taking class, to fetching water for the intermediate caste students. Owing to all this torture, my son wanted to discontinue his studies and leave for Chennai in search of a job. But, the school administration summoned us and we told them about the continued harassment.
Subsequently, the management warned the intermediate caste students. Irked by this, they brutally attacked my son on Wednesday night. In this situation, I demand police protection for my family and our relatives," she said.
Noting that he would extend all help to the victims, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh said he would take steps to admit the SC boy and his sister to another school. "Every student should treat their classmates as siblings and friends without partiality. The student community must bring about a change in this regard within classrooms and must primarily focus on their studies," he advised.
When contacted by TNIE, Superintendent of Police N Silambarasan said Nanguneri police apprehended six students under sections 212, 294(b), 307, 324, 352, 452 and 506 (2) of IPC and sections 3 (1) (r), 3 (1) (s) and 3 (2)(v) of the SC/ST Act. "The juveniles were sent to a government observation home. Police protection has already been provided to the victims' family," he said.
Meanwhile, Executive Director of Evidence A Kathir demanded the state government to provide the victims' family a compensation of Rs 10 lakh and monthly financial assistance of Rs 5,000. "Political intervention is there to save the intermediate caste students as their relatives are holding important posts in the DMK and MDMK. The school teachers, who are taking steps to dismiss the accused students from school, are receiving threats over the phone," he said in a statement.
Film director Mari Selvaraj has also responded to the attack by sharing online a picture of blood drops seen on the stairs of the victim's house. "Ask someone soon to find out the story of the hot blood dripping down these stairs for the past two days. If this blood dries now, you yourself will evade this incident in the future, citing it as some old wound (roughly translated from Tamil)," he said.
The Nanguneri incident shows how deeply the poison of caste has permeated even the minds of young students. Those involved in the crime have been arrested. At the same time, let us all make it our duty to inculcate social harmony in the minds of students. I request the teaching community in particular to inculcate in their students such virtues, said MK Stalin.