Govt view wrongly construed on caste discrimination: Min

Chennai: School Education Minister K. A. Sengottaiyan has claimed that the government’s view on caste discrimination has been wrongly construed by certain sections and claimed that the Adi Dravidar Welfare department had sent a copy of a government order asking the school authorities to discourage students from displaying their caste or religious affiliation.

“The Adi Dravidar Welfare department had sent a copy of the GO to us to ensure that students do not display their caste or religious colour in any manner,” the Minister told reporters here on Thursday. When reporters sought to know from him if the director of school education issued a circular, recently, asking schools to initiate action on those practicing caste discrimination, with his concurrence, Mr. Sengottaiyan initially denied knowledge of it. He declined to comment when persisted.

The Director of School Education has directed officials to identify schools in their districts where such discrimination is practised, and initiate severe action on those who erred.

“In some schools in Tamil Nadu, students were made to wear colour-coded wrist bands. These which come in shares of red, yellow, green and saffron indicate whether they belong to a lower or upper caste,” the circular issued by Director of School Education S. Kannappan said. The officer said rings and 'Tilak' on forehead were also used as caste marker, adding such practices were supposedly being used for sports team selection, reassembling during class and lunch intervals.

Several Hindu organizations including the BJP protested against the circular saying it amounted to interfering into the religious practices of applying sacred ash or kumkum on forehead.