TIRUNELVELI: After visiting the two victims of the Nanguneri caste atrocity at Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH), Health Minister Ma Subramanian said the severely-injured 17-year-old boy has to go through surgery on his hand for which a team of super speciality doctors would be brought from Stanley Medical College, Chennai.
Addressing reporters on Sunday, he said, instead of taking the boy to Chennai, doctors from Chennai would be called to Tirunelveli for the surgery. “These doctors are experts in performing hand surgeries and they are capable of even successfully reattaching a completely separated hand. They will stay at the government hospital for about 10 days. The TvMCH administration has already spoken to Stanley hospital dean Balaji in this connection. After the victims completely recover, the district collector will enrol them in a boarding school,” Subramanian said.
The member of the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Ragupathi expressed satisfaction over steps being taken by the government for the safety and well-being of the victims. “Chief Minister MK Stalin has already ordered the constitution of a one-man committee headed by retired Justice K Chandru to recommend steps to eradicate caste hatred among students. The victim’s mother has submitted a petition to the minister seeking a job for her son. I explained to her that the boy cannot be given a job as he is a minor. We can fulfil her demand once the boy completes 18 years of age,” Ragupathi added.
Meanwhile, Adi Dravidar Welfare Minister N Kayalvizhi Selvaraj inaugurated a ration shop in the victims’ street in Nanguneri in the presence of Assembly Speaker M Appavu, Tirunelveli MP S Gnanathiraviam, and collector K P Karthikeyan. She also disbursed a cheque for `3 lakh from the chief minister’s relief fund to the family members of the elderly man, Krishnan, who died during the protest demanding police action against those who hacked his grandchildren. When residents of the street demanded the installation of CCTV cameras on their street, the minister said she take up their demand with the chief minister. She also visited the victims at TvMCH.