Tamil Nadu appoint committee to investigate assault on scheduled castes students

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has established a one-man commission led by retired Justice Chandru to propose strategies aimed at eliminating communal divisions in schools and colleges.

It is in response to the recent incident where two siblings from the Scheduled Castes community were brutally attacked in their home, allegedly by students from a dominant community. The assault occurred in Nanguneri, located in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, when a Class 12 student and his sister were attacked with sickles.

The attack reportedly stemmed from earlier incidents of alleged bullying and harassment faced by the Class 12 student, which led to reprimands from school authorities.

Expressing deep concern over the incident, Chief Minister Stalin affirmed, "This has shaken us up. The law will take its course." He further communicated directly with the victims' family, emphasising the alarming extent to which caste-based divisions have infiltrated even student communities. Stalin called upon educators and society at large to shoulder the responsibility of fostering social harmony among students, reported NDTV.

Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu visited the affected family to demonstrate support and solidarity. Additionally, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi assured the family of personally covering the medical treatment expenses and higher education costs for the two siblings.

Decades ago, certain regions in southern Tamil Nadu were notorious for communal conflicts, often leading to the caging of statues to safeguard them from desecration. Over the years, concerted efforts towards education and employment opportunities contributed to a significant reduction in such incidents.

Remnants of caste-based divisions persisted in some areas, exemplified by the practice of students from the dominant community wearing coloured wristbands that denoted their castes. This practice was subsequently prohibited.