Girl studying in a Christian school commits suicide in Tamil Nadu after alleged torture by teachers and nun

A 15 year old girl studying in a Christian school in Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu has committed suicide after being unable to bear the alleged torture from her teachers and nuns. She was in her uniform when she took the extreme step. The girl’s suicide has sparked a stir with her parents refusing to take back the body after autopsy. Hindu Munnani leaders have urged the police to file FIR against the school teachers and management.

According to Hindu Munnani leaders, Petchiammal, daughter of Perumal, aged 15 from Seithunganallur in Tuticorin district was studying in the 10th standard in Child Jesus Senior Secondary school in Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli town. She was an average student and reportedly teachers have been harassing her and threatening that she would not write well in the public examination due shortly if she failed to study well. It is alleged that the teachers scolded her in the open classroom. Unable to bear the humiliation, she started skipping classes for the past few days. It was alleged that the school sent her out with a direction to take the Transfer certificate (TC).

Petchiammal had narrated her ordeal to her family members who consoled her to attend school for the remaining days till examinations are over. Following her parents advice, she started attending classes as usual. On 30th January, it is learnt that one of her teachers taking her class had censured her for not attending the classes for the past few days. During the lunch break she left the school and reached her home. When her family members were away from home, she allegedly committed suicide by hanging. On seeing their daughter hanging, her parents brought her to the hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead.

Petchiammal parents, who belonged to backward yadava community, refused to take the body unless police file case against the school management for the continuous torture and harassment meted out to their ward.

None of the political parties have condemned the incident except the BJP. Hindu Munnani state general secretary Dr Arausu Raja, state secretary K Kutralanathan and others gheroaed the Seithunganallur police station demanding action against the school teachers for abetment of suicide. With strong protests by parents, relatives and Hindu Munnani, Tuticorin police realised the seriousness of the situation and came to hold parlays with them. Additional district police Superintendent has been given charge of conducting an impartial probe with a clear instruction that the probe should not be influenced by any political pressure or because it was a minority institution. Petchiammal parents and relatives held protests urging police to arrest Tamil teacher Daisey and Catherine. Only after filing the FIRs they took the girl’s body for funeral only on Sunday (2nd February).

Later the Hindu Munnani and BJP leaders went to the residence of Petchiammal and consoled her father, mother, sister and relatives. Her parents narrated her daughter was continuously harassed and beaten by the Child Yesu school management, and particularly Tamil teacher Loureds Daisy and a nun Catherine. They also said not only her daughter many others were undergoing the torture silently. Petchiammal parents claimed that the school management was trying to strike a deal by offering cash to cover up her death. The school has now asked the poor parents to get the transfer certificate.

Hindu Munnani has assured them that they would fight for justice and this was a dharma yudh. Kutralanathan of Hindu Munnani said, “Petchiammal did not attend school on 26th Republic Day. The next day the nun Catherine made remarks about her character for her absence. The girl was hurt and felt ashamed for the personal remarks and for casting aspersions. She went home in tears and did not sleep. Her parents pacified her again but on Wednesday she took the extreme step. Recently another girl unable to bear the torture leapt from the 2nd floor of the school but it was hushed up. Another student attempted suicide but was saved just in time. We were told by the parents that nun Catherine is a psychic personality and used to behave erratically. To achieve centum in school board examination results, it gave TCs to below average students in December who were not up to their expectations”.

When IIT student Fathima Latif committed suicide, DMK and other anti-National entities made a hue and cry and targeted a professor belonging to the Brahmin community and sought a CBI probe. But the same parties are now silent in Petchiammal’s case. Had it happened in any Hindu run school they would have held a slew of protests and TV channels would have conducted debates after debates blaming Sangh parivars and the Modi government. Tuticorin Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi who was camping in the district, has chosen not to visit the aggrieved family. Vijila Sathyananth, AIADMK Rajya Sabha member, an educationist and member of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Palayamkottai too did not visit the parents.

Hindu Munnani alleges that DMK MP Kanimozhi exerted pressure on the police not to take action against the school. But the police were forced to register an FIR after the intervention of Hindu Munnani. “Kanimozhi has time to visit Delhi to show solidarity with JNU students. She had organised a series of protests for IIT Madras student Fathima Latif. But the same Kanimozhi, who calls herself living Theresa, has no time to console Petchiammal’s parents and this has angered the voters of this district.” pointed out a Hindu Munnani leader.