Tirupur: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has directed the state government to book block development officer of Avinashi for yielding to the demands of non-dalits and cancelling deputation of a dalit cook to a government school in Tirupur.
NCSC vice-chairman L Murugan has in his direction issued on Monday told the state government to make the posting of the dalit cook, P Pappal, permanent. The cook had faced severe opposition from the parents of non-dalit children of the Thirumalaigoundanpalayam Government High School in Avinashi taluk. They had pitched for her removal from the post.
The parents had also refused to send their children to the school as they did not want their wards to have noon-meal cooked by a dalit. Yielding to their demand, block development officer V Meenakshi had cancelled the deputation of Pappal. This resulted in a protest by dalit activists, following which Pappal was reinstated in the school.
Even as police arrested eight of the parents for humiliating the cook for her caste, NCSC took serious view of the discrimination and sought a report from the district administration and police. Officials narrated the action taken against the parents and told the commission that Pappal was reinstated.
However, not satisfied with the action, the commission directed the government to make Pappal’s deputation into a permanent posting in the school. Murugan also directed police to arrest the remaining accused in the case and file chargesheet within 60 days. He also told police to book Meenakshi under SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act.
