In a deeply troubling incident, parents have alleged that a differently-abled Scheduled Caste student in Class 5 was expelled from Kannamangalam Panchayat Union Middle School in Sivaganga district after enduring caste-based harassment by school staff.
The student, Ajay Kumar, hails from Kannamangalam village near Ilayankudi and has been under the care of his aunt following the loss of his mother. According to the complaint, both the class teacher Manimekalai and the headmistress Anusuya subjected the child to repeated discrimination. It is alleged that the student was made to sit separately in the classroom, was verbally abused with casteist remarks, and was eventually barred from entering the school premises.
In a viral video, a student shared his plight and read an English text fluently. He pleaded for the opportunity to continue his studies, stating, “My name is Ajay Kumar. I have one eye that can see, and the other eye cannot see. I don’t have a mother. Only my father is there, and he’s is not well. If I study… because I study, they chased me out. But if you let me study, I will study well. But they expelled me from school.”
The student’s father further stated in a formal complaint to the Principal’s Special Division that he was pressured to transfer his son to another school and coerced into signing a transfer certificate. He also claims that he was threatened with legal action and told the boy could be placed in a juvenile home if he did not comply.
Following these serious allegations, the District Education Officer (DEO) launched an inquiry. The investigation confirmed that Ajay Kumar had been issued a transfer certificate and is now enrolled at Sacred Heart Middle School in Idakkattur.
However, the DEO has now directed that Ajay Kumar be re-admitted to Kannamangalam Panchayat Union Middle School if he wishes to return, ensuring his right to education at the institution is upheld.
(With Inputs From IE Tamil)
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