Tirupur: Children of non-dalit people, who vehemently opposed the appointment of dalit woman P Pappal to the post of cook on deputation under the noon-meal scheme at the Thirumalaigoundanpalayam Government High School in Avinashi taluk, are back to school. But unlike earlier, they carry with themselves home-made lunch - they are no longer in the habit of availing free food provided at the school.
In the past three days, only 32 students, all belonging to dalit families, had taken the food prepared under the noon-meal scheme.
It is to be noted that the National Commission for Scheduled Castes had directed the state government to make the posting of Pappal permanent.
Members of Theendamai Olippu Munnani have, meanwhile, urged the district administration to provide counselling to all the students, who have gone through the ordeal.
The government high school has a strength of 75 students. Of them, 65 had registered to utilise the noon-meal scheme until Pappal was appointed cook. Parents of 30 students opposed her appointment, as they didn’t want their children to have food cooked by a dalit.
However, the district administration intervened and ensured that Pappal continued in her post. This forced a section of parents to temporarily stop sending their wards to the school from July 20. “The school strength started to swell only from July 25,” said headmistress M Sasikala.
Instead of letting their wards have lunch under the noon-meal scheme, the protesting parents have now found solace in providing them with home-made food.
“We have cut down on the quantity of food being prepared. Only 32 students have been taking food of late. We will consider taking census on how many students want to benefit under the scheme,” a noon-meal scheme official, who didn’t want to be named, told TOI.
A source with the school said the students, who are presently availing the noon-meal scheme, were from the dalit community. “Food is served inside classrooms, where other students take food.”
A representative of parents, who hadn’t opposed Pappal’s appointment, told TOI that “we don’t have any intention to send our children to the school with lunch boxes”.
S Nandagopal, district secretary of CPM’s Theendamai Olippu Munnani said it was important to provide counselling to all the students. “The district administration should hold a peace committee meeting to nurture social harmony in the village, which is under tight police security. The school education department should, meanwhile, ensure that the school gets a building for cooking.”
