Following the brutal attack on two Dalit teen siblings by dominant caste boys in Tamil Nadu’s Nanguneri, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday, August 12 ordered setting up a one-man committee under retired High Court judge Justice K Chandru to recommend suggestions to prevent caste consciousness among school and college students in the state. The committee is expected to gather suggestions from educationists, parents, students, social thinkers, and journalists and submit a report to the government.
பள்ளி - கல்லூரி மாணவர்களிடையே சாதி, இன உணர்வு பரவியிருப்பது எதிர்காலத் தமிழ்நாட்டின் நலனுக்கு உகந்ததல்ல.
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) August 12, 2023
இந்தச் சூழ்நிலையை மாற்றிடத் தேவையான பரிந்துரைகளை வழங்கிட ஓய்வு பெற்ற நீதியரசர் திரு. கே.சந்துரு அவர்கள் தலைமையில் ஒரு நபர் குழு அமைத்து உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளேன்.
கல்வியாளர்கள்,… https://t.co/rTyEI1GVZH
After the crime came to light, MK Stalin in a statement called it intolerable violence. “Let us all make it our duty to inculcate social harmony in the minds of the students. I request the teaching community in particular to inculcate such virtues. No success can be achieved by those who have a hateful mind. We are all united by our language! Younger society should realise this and there should be no hatred and prejudice among us,” the CM said.
He further said that the Minister of School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi will bear the complete medical and educational expenses of the Dalit victims, 17-year-old Chinnadurai and his 13-year-old sister Chandraselvi, who were attacked violently by students belonging to the Maravar community. Minister Poyyamozhi also assured that the law will perform its duty.
Chinnadurai, a class 12 student in a government-aided school in Valliyur, Tirunelveli, was regularly subjected to caste-based harassment by students who belong to the Maravar community. Since the last week of July, Chinnadurai was not willing to go to school following the bullying. When his teacher called Chinnadurai’s mother Ambikapathi to enquire, the harassment was revealed. After the teacher warned the students who bullied him, they attacked Chinnadurai and Chandraselvi with sickles at their residence.
Nanguneri police later nabbed the six accused and booked them under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including sections 294(b) (sings, recites or utters any obscene song in public), 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (causing hurt by dangerous weapons), 352 (assault), 452 (house-trespass), 506(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 3(1)(r) , 3(1)(s), and 3(2)(va) of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) (SC/ST(PoA)) Act.
The accused have been lodged at the Government Observation Home at Palayamkottai. The seventh accused, who was on the run, was arrested by the police on Saturday.