Controversy over school for caste

KADUTHURUTHY:  The controversy over the alleged hanging of slips mentioning the caste and religion around the neck of the kids of St Agnes English Medium LP School at Muttuchira, near here, on the opening day of the academic year took a turn for the worse on Thursday with leftist student organisations and backward community outfits storming the institution and District Collector Mini Antony ordering the filing of a report within 24 hours.The controversy erupted when 82 students who had joined the school were given tags describing not only their name and date of birth but religion and caste also, while they were attending 'Pravesanolsavam' the other day. The school authorities also took a group photo of the first time entrants into the world of letters and knowledge, marked with the controversial tags, it is alleged.The parents of a few kids took up the matter with the Kaduthuruthy DEO on Wednesday itself. The District Collector has ordered a probe and entrusted the job with Education Deputy Director M I Sukumaran and has asked him to file a report immediately. The DD opined that the issue is very serious and a final stance will be evolved after hearing all the parties concerned.The school authorities said that a similar pattern was followed last year also on the school opening day. The idea was to make the parents aware of discrepancies, if any, with caste description of their wards and to prevent instances of denial of benefits such as lumpsum grant to eligible children, said headmistress Sr Valsamma. It is not a routine affair but an exercise only on the opening day, she said.Meanwhile, a group of SFI activists led by its district secretary Satheesh Varkey and president Mahesh Chandran stormed into the school on Thursday after breaking the police cordon. They were arrested and removed from the scene after sometime and produced before the court. The activists of the Kerala Pulayar Maha Sabha's official faction and the Punnala Sreekumar faction and that of AllKerala Cheramar Maha Sabha also marched to the school.The district committee of the Misra Vivaha Sangham has announced a dharna in front of the school on Monday from 10 am, seeking the arrest of those guilty in the incident.