Madurai Dalit teen suicide: Mother seeks arrest of headmistress for casteist remarks

The mother of a 16-year-old scheduled caste girl who committed suicide in Madurai on August 25 has approached the district collector, demanding the arrest of the school headmistress after she allegedly made casteist remarks and humiliated the girl.

 

P Thavamani, a 40-year-old farmer from Ambedkar Nagar in Thottapanayakanur, Usilampatti, complained to the district collector on Monday about Vimaladevi, the teaching head of Government Model Higher Secondary School in Usilampatti, who allegedly harassed his daughter, P Nisanthi, before her suicide.

 

Mr. Thavamani told the collector that he and his daughter visited the school on August 24 on the recommendation of a teacher from her previous school to seek admission. He stated that they waited for over 30 minutes before meeting the headmistress, who was not convinced that Nisanthi should join the institution.

 

“She was rude to us and refused to accept my daughter’s request, even though a teacher from her previous school recommended her,” Mr. Thavamani said. He added that they were pushed away by Vimaladevi when he begged her hands in folded palms to convince her to accept his daughter, and that they were asked to leave the school because admission would not be given to Nisanthi, who belonged to the scheduled caste.

 

Mr. Thavamani said that Nisanthi was deeply hurt and upset by these remarks but consoled her saying they would find another school so that she could realize her dream of becoming a nurse. However, the teenager committed suicide the following day.

 

“The headmistress’ demeaning remarks and attitude resulted in the death of my daughter,” Mr. Thavamani said in his complaint to the collector. He has demanded justice for his daughter and asked for the headmistress to be arrested, with a chargesheet being filed against her within the next two months, along with compensation for the loss and damages suffered by his family.

 

A case was filed against Vimaladevi on August 25 under Section 194 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in relation to the unnatural death. Further, Section 108 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for abetting suicide and Section 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act have also been added to the FIR.

 

Now the collector has turned the spotlight on the authorities for such harassment of the students of marginalized sections and their parents.

 

However, the next step will depend on the probe into these allegations, and any further action will be taken based on the results of the investigation.