In Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli district, an alarming incident occurred when a Class 12 student from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community was allegedly assaulted by his peers, highlighting the troubling emergence of caste-based conflicts among the youth. Chief Minister M K Stalin expressed deep concern about the insidious influence of "casteism poison" on young minds.
According to a PTI report, the assailants reportedly stormed into the victim's Nanguneri home, injuring both him and his sister. The attack was the result of a previous altercation between the victim and the attackers, according to police. Six minors were apprehended and placed in a juvenile facility in connection with the incident, it said.
Opposition leader K Palaniswami, who is also the AIADMK General Secretary, slammed the ruling DMK's handling of the situation and called for harsh punishment for those responsible. He accused the DMK government of failing to control the spread of illegal substances such as ganja and the consequences for youth.
"Despite repeated pleas for crushing the menace with an iron fist, the government has taken no action against ganja which takes the youth down the wrong path," he said in a statement.
In response to the incident, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi pledged to cover the victims' medical and educational costs. CM Stalin expressed his dismay, emphasising the importance of combating caste-based hatred. He emphasised educators' role in fostering positive social relationships among students, PTI reported.
CM Stalin further announced the formation of a one-man committee led by retired High Court Justice K Chandru. This committee will solicit input from a wide range of stakeholders, including educators, parents, journalists, and scholars, in order to develop strategies for eliminating casteism in educational institutions. The recommendations of the committee will be submitted to the government.
In a tweet, Stalin said: "The incident sends down shivers. It shows how much the casteism poison has crept into young students. It is intolerable to see such violence due to caste."
"The law will take its own course in the case. It was the duty of all to teach the need for good social relations to students and the teaching community should take the lead in this connection. Hatred will lead us nowhere and there should not be any feeling of discrimination," he said.