Will a ban on wristbands annihilate caste in schools?

In August 2023, a 17-year-old dalit boy M Chinnadurai and his sister were attacked by fellow students belonging to the Thevar community in Nanguneri in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli district. Chinnadurai has welcomed the recent report by the Justice Chandru committee that was constituted after the incident “to avoid violence based on caste and community feelings among college and school students, create harmony and to suggest guidelines”. Chinnadural says he “strongly feels that this is the first step towards eradication of caste from educational institutions”. If schools stop seeking caste information from students, fellow students won’t know each other’s castes and there will be equality in classrooms, he says.The one-man committee has given several recommendations to bring about social engineering in educational institutes including dropping caste appellations from names of schools, bringing all schools under one roof, a change in curriculum and abolition of wrist bands indicating castes. medium111166432Not so easyBut there are practical difficulties in implementing them, feel social activists. For instance, the recommendation to remove caste prefixes such as ‘Kallar Reclamation’ and ‘Adi Dravidar Welfare’ from names of schools, and to refer to them as government schools. A mere change of name will not result in a real change, says A Devaneyan, child rights activist and director, Thozhamai, an NGO based in Chennai. “The schools have been named Adi Dravidar or Kallar as they are maintained by the respective departments and more funds are allotted for them. If they are brought under the school education department, they will lose that priority and become one among the thousands of schools maintained by the department,” he says.“Also, social engineering and cultural change are possible only through the education system and for that, subjects such as caste-free society should be made part of the curriculum,” says Devaneyan. However, Devaneyan welcomes the recommendations which say that school officials belonging to a dominant caste should not be posted in the same area, and that students should be prohibited from wearing coloured wristbands that denote their caste. medium nocaption111167578The committee has issued both long-term and short-term recommendations which are key for social engineering. It also points out the role of society, parents and teachers in creating a caste-free society. Chandru told TOI, “I had a conversation with the three boys who attacked Chinnadurai and found out that they did not regret the attack. Their parents did not question them nor were there any adverse reactions from their neighbours. In fact, their parents served them good food that day and comforted them.”Long road aheadUnless the caste sentiments are addressed at the societal level, the recommendations will be of limited effect, feels Chandru. “At the most, they may reduce some tension and help increase vigilance. Ultimately, reducing caste violence or discrimination requires broader social change, the only true safeguard against caste and communalism.”While the committee speaks about caste differences in educational institutions, it has missed the external factors that influence students more, feels Punithapandian, vice-chairman of Tamil Nadu Commission for SCs/STs. “For instance, caste associations, caste-based matrimonial sites and marriages. Students are exposed to all this on social media and they have a strong impact on them,” he says. medium nocaption111167604To bring about real change at the school level, the curriculum should include chapters like ‘Annihilation of Caste’ by BR Ambedkar, at least at the higher education level,” says Punithapandian.Ambedkar Makkal Iyakkam president Ilamurugu Muthu, while welcoming the report, says he was shocked by the caste wristbands. “I saw the students wearing coloured wristbands based on their caste when I visited the town after the Nanguneri incident. I could not digest it. The report has addressed the issue in detail,” says Muthu.He also welcomed the recommendation of the committee to remove caste prefixes of schools. “Only the tahsildars can inspect Adi Dravidar schools, not the officials of the school education department. The schools will become systematic if they come under the dedicated department,” says Muthu.Illustration: Shinod Akkaraparambil