TIRUNELVELI: From being attacked for his caste identity, to scoring 469 in his Class 12 exams and a seat in Tirunelveli's St Xavier's College, M Chinnadurai, usually referred to as the 'Nanguneri caste-atrocity victim', has come a long way. In a gesture that further propels his journey, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi paid Chinnadurai's college fees, revealed the district administration.
In August 2023, Chinnadurai, a member of the scheduled caste (SC) community in Nanguneri, was attacked by three of his classmates, who belong to the MBC community. The point of contention was Chinnadurai's complaint to the school headmaster, about the three students harassing him. Chinnadurai suffered multiple serious injuries. In her attempt to save her brother, Chinnadurai's 14-year-old sister was also injured. Both were admitted to the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH), where Chinnadurai underwent treatment for four months. Doctors from Chennai were brought on board to perform a surgery on Chinnadurai.
On Saturday, Chinnadurai met with Collector Dr KP Karthikeyan, who gave him a tablet loaded with e-books. Chinnadurai also met and thanked the doctors who treated him at TvMCH, and the teachers who taught him at the hospital. Writer R Narumpoonathan, District Revenue Officer Suganya, TvMCH Dean Dr Revathy Balan, hospital Superintendent Dr Balasubramanian, and the team of doctors including Dr Saravanan, Dr Senthil Sivamuthu, Dr Amalan, and Dr Esthar were present at the collectorate.