In yet another incident fueled by caste pride in Tirunelveli, the Mukkudal police have filed a case against two Class 12 students and two youths from the MBC community for allegedly assaulting two SC students outside a government higher secondary school on 7 January 2024. One of the accused, a youth aged above 18, has been arrested, while investigations into the other three individuals are still underway.
According to sources, the attack resulted from an earlier dispute between the SC and MBC students. The MBC students, accompanied by two young men from their community, reportedly ambushed the SC students as they left school, causing injuries. Following a complaint filed by the victims’ parents, the police invoked the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the accused.
The district has witnessed a rise in caste-based clashes among government school students in 2024. In some cases, students involved in such altercations have been sent to government homes after being presented before the juvenile justice board. Reports suggest that some students have even brought weapons to school, threatening their peers and teachers.
In response to these tensions, District Collector Dr. K.P. Karthikeyan recommended transferring teachers accused of caste-related behavior to help promote communal harmony. However, this move was met with resistance from teacher associations, who sought the intervention of the Assembly Speaker, M. Appavu. In addition, the state government launched the ‘Anbaadum Mundril’ initiative, which aims to foster unity among students through awareness programs in both government and aided schools.
The rise in caste-based assaults among school students is deeply concerning. Below are some recent incidents that highlight this troubling trend.
- On 30 July 2024, two students at the Government Higher Secondary School in Valliyoor, Tirunelveli, were injured in a caste-related altercation. The conflict was sparked by derogatory remarks about a specific caste that were found written on a toilet wall at the school.
- Further, on 1 July 2024, another instance of caste-based pride sparked a clash among 12th-grade students at Rosalind Chelliah Government Higher Secondary School in Maruthakulam village, Nanguneri, Tirunelveli.
- Previously, at the end of the academic year in 2023, Periyar Government Higher Secondary School students in Cheranmahadevi, Tirunelveli District, attacked students from a nearby private polytechnic college over caste issues. This conflict at Kalakadu school saw one student being stabbed and requiring medical attention.
- Additionally, the death of a prominent student at Pallakal Pudukkudi Government School near Pappakkudi left a profound impact. The ongoing caste-based violence at Gangai Kondan Government Higher Secondary School highlights the deep-rooted influence of caste prejudices among students.
- This incident followed a tragic attack in August 2023, where three students from a dominant caste assaulted a Scheduled Caste teenager and his sister in Nanguneri. The recent violence has resulted in injuries and hospitalisations, further shocking the community.
(With Inputs From TNIE)
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