TIRUPPUR: In a horrific crime a 13-year-old Scheduled Caste student was allegedly flung into a burning garbage pit by two classmates on Friday evening. Though his parents alleged he was subjected to prolonged casteist abuse at the school, the police have refuted it and claimed he fell into the fire while friends were playfully pushing one another.
The incident happened on the premises of the NR Karuppanna Nadar High School in Kunnathur in Tiruppur district. Police sources say the boy is from Mariyapuram near Merkupathi village in Kunnathur and is a Class 8 student at this school.
It is alleged that the boy went to the garbage pit on the school premises after school hours to dump his class trash when two classmates allegedly pushed him down, held his hands and legs, and threw him into the burning garbage.
The boy sustained severe burns on his left hand and back. Other students rescued him and teachers sent him to the government hospital in Kunnathur. He was then rushed to the Perundurai Government Medical College Hospital and later shifted to a hospital in Coimbatore. The injured boy said,
“The duo held my hands and legs and threw me into the fire.” While addressing the media, the boy’s mother said, “Those two students had been teasing my son based on his skin colour and caste since Class 6. We have heard that even school teachers mocked my son based on his skin colour.”
However, the Tiruppur police denied the claims, stating, “On inquiry, it has been ascertained that the injured boy and the other students involved are classmates, and they frequently visit each other’s houses. On Friday, the students were playfully pushing one another.”
Govt urged to act against erring teachers
Coimbatore: Following instance of student abuse at schools, Palli Kalvi Paathukappu Iyakkam (PKPI) has urged the School Education Department to take departmental action against erring headmasters and teachers.
PKPI pointed out that in recent months, some incidents against children have been reported at schools, but strong action has not been taken against the respective headmistress and teachers.
S Chandrasekar, zonal secretary of PKPI, told TNIE that under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, headmasters and teachers should not physically or mentally abuse students, engage them in any physical work, beat them, give corporal punishment or discriminate against them.
He said some headmasters and teachers do not follow these norms or are unaware of them. Repeated attempts to reach Chief Educational Officer R Balamurali went in vain.