In a troubling development under the Dravidian model (DMK) government in Tamil Nadu, caste discrimination and clashes among students are emerging as a dangerous trend. On July 30, two students from the Government Model Higher Secondary School in Valliyoor, Tirunelveli district, sustained head injuries following a clash triggered by derogatory caste remarks found written on a toilet wall at the school.
Reports indicate that a violent clash broke out on July 30 between students from the Backward Class and Scheduled Caste communities at the Government Model Higher Secondary School in Valliyoor, Tirunelveli district. The conflict was ignited by offensive caste-related remarks written on toilet walls. The argument, which began over these derogatory comments, escalated into physical violence during the forenoon break among students from Classes 11 and 12. Teachers and staff intervened to end the altercation. The injured students were subsequently admitted to a private hospital for treatment.
The police, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Valliyoor R Yogesh Kumar and Assistant Superintendent Nanguneri Prasanna Kumar, promptly arrived at the Government Model Higher Secondary School in Valliyoor after a violent clash erupted between students from different caste communities. The investigation revealed that ten students from each group involved in the altercation will be referred to the Juvenile Justice Board for counseling and guidance.
Following the recent caste clash at the Government Model Higher Secondary School in Valliyoor, police detained 22 students for questioning, 11 from each side involved in the altercation. A case has been registered against these students, who have been sent to the Government observation home in Palayamkottai. The initial police probe revealed that a previous scuffle had occurred at the school about ten days prior. The current clash was triggered when derogatory remarks against a specific community were found scrawled on a toilet wall, escalating tensions between the groups.
Earlier, students from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community in Nanguneri, enrolled in a government-aided school in Valliyoor, faced violence from students of a dominant caste group after reporting caste-based discrimination to the school headmaster. In August of the previous year, Dalit student Chinnadurai and his sister Chandraselvi were attacked by six students from the Maravar community, who hacked them in response to their complaints.
In recent years, caste-based violence has been a recurring issue in Tamil Nadu schools. At the end of the 2023 academic year, students from Periyar Government Higher Secondary School in Cheranmahadevi, Tirunelveli District, attacked students from a nearby private polytechnic college over caste issues. This conflict resulted in one student being stabbed and requiring medical attention. Additionally, the death of a prominent student at Pallakal Pudukkudi Government School near Pappakkudi further underscored the severity of caste-related tensions. The ongoing violence at Gangai Kondan Government Higher Secondary School highlights the pervasive impact of caste prejudices among students.
On July 1, 2024, a clash broke out among 12th-grade students at Rosalind Chelliah Government Higher Secondary School in Maruthakulam village, Nanguneri, Tirunelveli, ignited by issues of caste-based pride.
Since the beginning of the academic year, at least five Government schools in Tamil Nadu have reported caste-related conflicts among students. District Collector K P Karthikeyan had proposed transferring teachers with casteist attitudes or criminal records to address the issue. However, this recommendation faced delays after members of the All-Teachers Federation Organisation intervened, prompting Assembly Speaker M Appavu to oppose the transfers through School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi. Minor clashes among students from different communities continue to occur in the district.
A recent report submitted by a panel headed by retired High Court Justice K Chandru has sparked controversy in Tamil Nadu. The report recommends banning wristbands, bangles, kumkum, and other Hindu religious identifiers but does not address the wearing of hijabs or rosary malas with the Holy Cross. The BJP and other parties have called for the report to be scrapped, while DMK allies, including the CPM, are urging the government to implement strict penalties against casteist teachers and act on District Collector K P Karthikeyan’s recommendations.
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