2 students expelled over caste ‘tilak’
College Says Their Families Sought TCs
Jaya.Menon@timesgroup.com
Tirunelveli:30.08.2019
Caught in a caste turmoil, two final year college students, a dalit and thevar, have been ‘expelled’, six months ahead of their final semester examinations.
The 140-year-old Madurai Diraviyam Thayumanavar Hindu College at Pettai, Tirunelveli, last week issued transfer certificate (TC) to the two students after they fought over a ‘caste tilak’.
The college, however, maintained that the families of the students had sought the TC, concerned about their safety.
It was about a year ago that the dalit youth, a final year BA (Economics) student and member of the Students Federation of India (SFI) from the nearby Sutta Malli village, confronted his thevar collegemate outside the institution’s premises for wearing a yellowred ‘tilak’ on the forehead. “I just advised him that he should not wear it to college as it may cause problems,” the dalit student, seeking anonymity, told TOI.
On August 19, a year after the incident, the thevar student came to college accompanied by two relatives, who were carrying swords, and threatened the dalit student with dire consequences.
A shaken college management decided to expel the two students just months before the final examinations. “The dalit student’s family voluntarily sought TC fearing for the safety of the student,” said principal Dr A Subramanian. Police made inquiries about the incident, but no case was registered, said the principal. “We are a philanthropic institution. The management is proud of serving the poor and the downtrodden. It does not take capitation fee for admission or for appointments,” said Dr Subramanian. The dalit student, however, said his brother was ‘pressured’ to submit a requisition letter to the management seeking the transfer certificate.
As the afternoon sun beats down on Sutta Malli village, the expelled dalit student has already found a vocation — working at a construction site. “I hope to complete the exams,” he said. A fairly bright student, he has six arrears to complete.
Faculty members of the college said the two students could take their final exams as private students and complete their arrears.
Activists in the region were critical of the college’s decision to send out the students, pointing out that it had the responsibility of ensuring students’ safety on the institute’s premises. “My safety outside the college is equally a question mark,” said the dalit student.
CASTE CONUNDRUM: The Madurai Diraviyam Thayumanavar Hindu College in Tirunelveli
College Says Their Families Sought TCs
Jaya.Menon@timesgroup.com
Tirunelveli:30.08.2019
Caught in a caste turmoil, two final year college students, a dalit and thevar, have been ‘expelled’, six months ahead of their final semester examinations.
The 140-year-old Madurai Diraviyam Thayumanavar Hindu College at Pettai, Tirunelveli, last week issued transfer certificate (TC) to the two students after they fought over a ‘caste tilak’.
The college, however, maintained that the families of the students had sought the TC, concerned about their safety.
It was about a year ago that the dalit youth, a final year BA (Economics) student and member of the Students Federation of India (SFI) from the nearby Sutta Malli village, confronted his thevar collegemate outside the institution’s premises for wearing a yellowred ‘tilak’ on the forehead. “I just advised him that he should not wear it to college as it may cause problems,” the dalit student, seeking anonymity, told TOI.
On August 19, a year after the incident, the thevar student came to college accompanied by two relatives, who were carrying swords, and threatened the dalit student with dire consequences.
A shaken college management decided to expel the two students just months before the final examinations. “The dalit student’s family voluntarily sought TC fearing for the safety of the student,” said principal Dr A Subramanian. Police made inquiries about the incident, but no case was registered, said the principal. “We are a philanthropic institution. The management is proud of serving the poor and the downtrodden. It does not take capitation fee for admission or for appointments,” said Dr Subramanian. The dalit student, however, said his brother was ‘pressured’ to submit a requisition letter to the management seeking the transfer certificate.
As the afternoon sun beats down on Sutta Malli village, the expelled dalit student has already found a vocation — working at a construction site. “I hope to complete the exams,” he said. A fairly bright student, he has six arrears to complete.
Faculty members of the college said the two students could take their final exams as private students and complete their arrears.
Activists in the region were critical of the college’s decision to send out the students, pointing out that it had the responsibility of ensuring students’ safety on the institute’s premises. “My safety outside the college is equally a question mark,” said the dalit student.
CASTE CONUNDRUM: The Madurai Diraviyam Thayumanavar Hindu College in Tirunelveli
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