Nanguneri incident | Scheduled Caste schoolboy humiliated repeatedly by classmates: Fact-finding team of NGO ‘Evidence’

The teenaged Scheduled Caste boy, who was attacked by his classmates at Nanguneri in Tirunelveli district two days ago, is under stress, A. Kathir, Executive Director, Evidence, a Madurai-based NGO, said on Friday.

Speaking to reporters in Madurai, he said a fact-finding team from Madurai visited Nanguneri on Thursday. The boy and his younger sister were attacked with ‘aruval’ by three persons, who barged into their dwelling on Thursday night. It was said the attackers (who were the classmates of the victim) were annoyed after teachers had pulled them up and threatened to dismiss from the school.

The fact-finding team members said the attackers, who hailed from an inter-mediate caste of the same habitation, used to tease and victimise the SC boy frequently. Sometimes, they had even assaulted him. Since it happened regularly, he stopped going to school.

The injury inflicted on Thursday night was deep and the boy had lost a lot of blood from the cut on his thigh and both hands, Mr. Kathir said. He was in a state of shock when the team members met him at hospital, he added.

No bail for accused

The Tamil Nadu government should ensure that the accused persons were not granted bail until a charge sheet was filed. The boy and his sister should be given ₹10 lakh in compensation each.

The family should be given a pension of ₹5,000 per month as the parents, who are casual workers, can’t go for work at least for another six months since they were worried that the dominant caste group might again attack them and their children. The police should give protection to the family, and also to the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe families in the village.

Some teachers in the school, too, were receiving anonymous phone calls. Hence, the police should step up vigil, he said.

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