CHENNAI: Caste organisations mobilising people and preventing them from coming out of the caste structure is the main reason for violence in Nanguneri in Tirunelveli where a 17-year-old boy and his sister were attacked by their schoolmates and youngsters hailing from a dominant caste, said State Platform for Common School System-Tamil Nadu (SPCSS-TN) in its report.
The collective of educationists, in its report, said SC people living in Peruntheru in Nanguneri, who are a minority there, live without basic facilities and depend on the dominant caste for their livelihood as the government’s schemes have failed to reach them.
Along with its report, SPCSS-TN has also put forth suggestions to address the aftermath of the incident and to prevent caste-based violence, particularly in schools. Government schemes under the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) often do not reach areas where SC people are a minority. In Nanguneri, essential facilities such as bus stands are located in areas where dominant caste members live.
The report emphasised that even individuals wishing to live without caste consciousness are not permitted to do so by caste leaders. These leaders mobilise people along caste lines to wield political power and this compels political parties to cater to their demands for votes, the report said.
The Nanguneri incident is a result of political parties’ silence on such issues. In many cases, even parents who aspire to raise their children without caste bias find it difficult when their children are influenced by caste leaders’ activities. The government should make concerted efforts to eradicate caste consciousness. “When we visited one of the accused student’s house, his mother cried saying she enrolled her son in a school that was 15 kilometres away to prevent the influence of caste on him,” said the report.
SC people are forced to borrow money on interest from the dominant community, putting their homes and parcels of land at risk in Nanguneri. “We have found that six SC villages have disappeared in Nanguneri. The revenue department and land survey department should conduct an investigation. People in Peruntheru should receive essential amenities, including a bus stand, primary health centre, primary school, and ration shop, among others,” it further said.
Apart from providing full medical assistance to the affected Class 12 student, the government should facilitate his education from the hospital. The 17-year-old’s sister, who played a vital role in saving her brother’s life, deserves recognition and an award for her bravery. In addition to the government advocate, a senior advocate should be appointed at the student’s request to argue the case in court, the report said.
The report suggested the bail of the two juveniles, who were not attending school, should be revoked considering them as adults. “The proceedings and judgment in this case should serve as a warning to those who exploit students for criminal activities. ,” it added.
SPCSS-TN also warned that if the caste leaders come to the legal aid of the accused students, it would only increase the caste consciousness among others. Instead, the government should take responsibility for it, it added.