A fifth-standard student of the Campion English School at Edapally in Ernakulam was reportedly asked to write “I will not speak Malayalam” 50 times on Thursday for yelling out ‘Ayyo’ (a cry of anguish in Malayalam) during school-hours.

The student’s father Suresh told The News Minute that the incident happened when his son was about to fall off his chair: “He naturally cried out ‘Ayyo’, to which a friend who sat next to him responded ‘Enthada’ (what is it?). Both of them were asked to write the said imposition.”

While Suresh maintains that he does not plan to file an official complaint in the matter, he feels that such cases should be discussed in public to avoid repetition of similar incidents in other schools in Kerala.

“This is an issue that needs to be taken up, because Kerala is one state where the mother-tongue (Malayalam) is the official language in use, even in government offices. In such a scenario, can such a punishment be justified,” he asks.

School authorities however insist they have not received any complaint in this regard, and can comment on the same only after that.