TIRUNELVELI: A Class 10 student of an aided school in Tirunelveli was caught carrying weapons — a sickle, two knives and an iron rod — inside his school bag, allegedly to ‘protect’ himself from some students belonging to a different caste. The school administration immediately issued a transfer certificate and expelled him, apart from suspending four other students on Tuesday. The five students were involved in a caste-related clash some weeks back, with two of them belonging to one caste, the other three another.
The incident itself is the latest in a series of such caste-related conflicts reported among school students across Tirunelveli district in recent times. Thalaiyoothu police apprehended a Class 10 student only weeks ago for bringing a sickle to school for threatening his classmate. Last month, a Class 9 student attacked his classmate with a sickle, while three others who brought a knife to attack their headmaster were apprehended by Nanguneri police.
In the latest incident, the two groups of students had allegedly threatened to kill each other on school premises. Fearing for his life, one of them began carrying weapons in his school bag. The physical education teacher, who grew suspicious, checked his bag and found the weapons. The student was immediately expelled, the other four have been suspended till October 2. The school administration did not report the incident to the police.
This concerning trend has led to activists urging the state government to take measures to curb such clashes and ensure the safety of all students.
“This is a social problem that can only be gradually corrected. We have been instructing teachers to monitor students and resolve disputes among them. We are also taking action against teachers who mislead students in the name of caste. The district administration’s ‘Anbaadum Mundril’ initiative was inaugurated by Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin to promote social harmony among students,” said an official from the education department on condition of anonymity.