Cuddalore in north Tamil Nadu is dominated by Most Backward Class (MBC) Vanniyars, while Scheduled Castes (SC), the second largest in number, account for nearly 30 per cent of the population, with the two communities being at odds with each other for long.

The tug of war between the two has been spilling over to schools in deep pockets of the district, where compound walls are painted with graffiti of outfits espousing their respective causes, with students seeking to assert their caste identities.

A red and blue wristband denotes the suppressed caste or leanings towards a regional Dalit-based political outfit, the yellow-green one points to Vanniyars or support to a political party known to be backing the community, said a police officer.

Tattooing a single star or a mango, symbols of the rival parties, are among other means used by students to exhibit their caste affiliations.

Frequent conflicts erupt between students for reasons as innocuous as tucking in shirts, boys talking to girl students, wearing pressed clothes and having a neat haircut, an officer working in the district said on condition of anonymity. Inevitably, there is a backlash from the suppressed community.

Three FIRs — involving caste-based tiffs between students — were registered in a local police station so far this year, he added. In view of caste-based tussles among the students, a 17 point code of conduct, prohibiting among other things, use of such colour bands and tattoos in schools had been issued by the district administration.

The rules, later adopted by the Education Department for all schools in the State, were issued during the tenure of Johny Tom Varghese as the sub-collector of Cuddalore.

Varghese, who has since been transferred, said schools should be kept out of politics and electoral campaigns. “Students must explore the complexities of caste and culture, but in an academic sense, which does not promote hatred,” he said.

But the Dalits feel that flaunting of such affiliations help them. “The exhibits guard us against troubles. It sends a message that we have a network to fight back. No longer do we feel insecure of belonging to the Scheduled Caste,” a parent said.

The number of FIRs, the police officer said, could have been much higher had it not been for efforts by police in settling issues amicably.

A district official said a teacher was recently suspended for allegedly restricting Dalit students from using the toilet in a school.

The official, however, said the 17-point code of conduct was being strictly followed in the schools. Kaani Nilamum Mupporumai Aniyum, an activist collective working with government schools in Naduveerapattu, C N Palayam, Vellakkarai and surrounding villages in the district, came out with a report early this year in which it noted that there has been a sharp increase in cases against juveniles in the belt in recent years. 

Radhika Ganesh, one of the activist collective said the Dalit community felt injustice had been historically perpetrated towards them and hence believed aggression on their part was justified.

“Even parents advise their children not to be passive,” she said, the collective was extending its activities to southern parts of the State, where caste conflicts have been rampant in schools.