NHRC notices to concerned authorities in the Government of Tamil Nadu over reported use of colours by students for identifying caste (26.11.2015)

PRESS RELEASE

New Delhi, 26th November, 2015

The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that in schools of Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, caste comes in shades of red, yellow, green and saffron. This is what the students wear on their wrists, foreheads, around their necks, under their shirts, indicating their caste. In this belt in southern Tamil Nadu, known for violent caste conflicts between OBCs and Dalits, these bands are markers that tell children who is a friend, who is not. While the dominant communities use markers such as wrist bands to single out and subjugate Dalits, for the Dalits, these were ways of asserting themselves.

Reportedly, a Dalit student of a school in Tirunelveli town said the 'pottu' (bindi or tilak) worn by students were also colour coded. Any deviation from the colour scheme may invite questioning by the other communities.... In November, 2013, after a caste tension in Gopal Samudram Village in Tirunelveli district, a separate branch was set up for Dalits. But in June this year, the District Administration refused to renew permission to 'Dalits only school' forcing most of the students out of 140 to drop out.

Mr. Justice D. Murugesan, Member, NHRC has observed that the content of the press report, if true, raises a serious issue of human rights of Dalits. Accordingly, notices have been issued to the Principal Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Government of Tamil Nadu and District Collector, Tirunelveli calling for factual reports within two weeks.

According to the media report, carried on the 5th November, 2015, the District administration, while investigating the increasing number of clashes between student groups, found that wrist bands were often used to target on the basis of caste. The District Collector had, therefore, asked the Education Department to ban wrist bands in schools. There was no written order but only a direction issued during a meeting of the education department. However, there were also other caste markers as well.

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