Teacher trying to incite caste row: Dalit HM

MADURAI: A school headmaster in Madurai district has accused a teacher in his school of encouraging caste discrimination among students and parents. A Chandran, a Dalit, who heads the panchayat union middle school at Chitoor of Kallikudi panchayat union, in his complaint to the Chief Secretary said, Girija (40), wife of Ramu, an English teacher, was a caste Hindu and had been insulting him.  Chandran said that she had persuaded caste Hindu parents of 17 students to take their children out of the school saying that it was an insult for them to send their children to a school where the headmaster was a Dalit. The headmaster said that he had the bureau of the office locked, since all documents pertaining to the school were kept in it. But Girija had quarrelled with him saying that it was not his private property and that every teacher had access.Chandran also said that the school had arranged a tour for students in March this year. Girija had spoken to him over phone and said that she would want to bring her son, studying in another school for the tour. He had told her that this was meant for the children of the middle school and not outsiders.Peeved by this answer, Girija had asked the parents not to send their children for the tour. According to the complaint, she said the children were ill-treated during the tour. The complaint further said, during the parent-teachers meeting the same day, Girija’s husband Ramu had attempted to stab Chandran with a knife. But was overpowered. It said, Chandran had lodged a complaint with the police and it withdrew it later, because it would show the school in a bad light. Chandran also said, after the incident Girija and her husband gave an undertaking in writing that they would behave properly in future.