A government-aided school in the Sripuram area of Tirunelveli district has dismissed a student for carrying weapons, while three other students have been suspended following an incident involving a clash between tenth-grade students.
During a routine bag check by physical education teachers, a sickle, two knives, and an iron rod were found in the possession of a class 10 student. The student reportedly brought the weapons, concealed in a book bag, following a conflict between classmates.
On 18 September 2024, the teachers were conducting their regular inspections to ensure students were not carrying mobile phones or other prohibited items when they were shocked to discover the weapons in one student’s bag. The headmaster was immediately informed, and the police were called to confiscate the items.
School authorities also notified the higher officials of the School Education Department, who conducted an investigation. The student involved was dismissed from the school, and the parents were called in to discuss the incident. Additionally, the school principal was instructed to suspend three other students involved in the altercation until 3 October 2024.
#JUSTIN || புத்தக பையில் ஆயுதங்கள் – மேலும் 3 மாணவர்கள் சஸ்பெண்ட்
நெல்லையில் பள்ளிக்கு ஆயுதம் எடுத்து சென்ற விவகாரத்தில் மேலும் 3 மாணவர்கள் சஸ்பெண்ட்
ஏற்கனவே ஒரு மாணவர் டிஸ்மிஸ் செய்யப்பட்ட நிலையில், மேலும் 3 பேர் சஸ்பெண்ட்
ஸ்ரீபுரம் பகுதியில் உள்ள அரசு உதவி பெறும் பள்ளியில்… pic.twitter.com/wb0iDyK0n9
— Thanthi TV (@ThanthiTV) September 25, 2024
This incident highlights a growing concern in Nellai and surrounding areas, where students have increasingly been bringing weapons to school and engaging in caste-based conflicts.
It is noteworthy that Tirunelveli district is not a stranger to caste-based violence especially among school children.
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. According to reports, the clash involved students from the Backward Class and Scheduled Caste communities in the Valliyoor school. Members of one group made offensive comments about the other group by scrawling caste names on the toilet walls. This act provoked a heated argument, which escalated into physical violence between students from Classes 11th and 12th. The police, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police R Yogesh Kumar, swiftly arrived at the scene and began an investigation.
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.
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.
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