Girl’s death- a reason to vandalize school and its properties? Will UP like action be taken to prevent such occurances?
-> T.S. Venkatesan
It is a clear case of failure of intelligence and police machinery as a whole if the protests by public in Kallakurichi over the alleged suicide of a girl belonging to a private school vandalizing the school’s properties, is a pointer. TN police have formed a special investigation team to prove the (organized) riots. Two days after the death of the girl, the probe has been transferred to CB-CID.
In a video that is now viral on social media, protestors can be seen running towards the school in bikes. A mob pelted stones and vandalized the classrooms including the principal’s cabin, and set the school buses parked on the campus on fire. Even police vans were set on fire by the violent mob and fire engines which had come to the spot were attacked. The used tractors to damage the buses parked on the school campus. It has a similarity with the Sterlite protests that rocked the city of Thoothukudi in 2021.
The mysterious and alleged suicide of a 17-year-old girl Srimathi,who was studying at the ECR International School located in Kaniyamoor in Kallakurichi district. Srimathi is suspected to have committed suicide by jumping down from the school’s hostel floor on July 12. Her body was found lying on the ground.
According to reports, the school principal had informed Srimathi’s parents over phone that their daughter had fallen from the floor. Half an hour later, the parents were informed that the girl was dead. It is said that the Srimathi was not taken to hospital in an ambulance, and the school administration took the body to Kallakurichi Government Medical College Hospital without informing the Police and kept it in the mortuary for autopsy. Srimathi’s parents, relatives and people belonging to her village Periyanasalur, off Veppur in Cuddalore district have been staging non-stop protest seeking justice. Reportedly, the girl had left a suicide note in which she had complained about harassment from her teachers. Her mother in a video alleged that her daughter had bleeding wounds at chest and private parts. The school administration(SecretaryShanthiRavikumar) refuted the charges and blamed girl’s mother for the violence and put the onus on her.
It is learnt that, the teachers had yelled at her in front of her classmates and friends. She had also asked the school management to return the fee paid to her parents. Srimathi’s mother had released a video alleging foul play in her daughter’s death. She has asked for a CB-CID probe into the matter.
Meanwhile, curfew has been imposed in Kallakurichi. CM Stalin had released a statement promising action against the perpetrators and asking the protestors to maintain public peace.
As a solidarity with the Kallakurichi School, all the schools including Metric, CBSC and government would not function on 18th July. Government has warned of stern action if they go ahead with the strike.
BJP vice president Narayanan Tirupathi said the police should have initiated inquiry on hearing the death of the girl and the police or the government should have assured the family that justice will be done in her case. He said secondly, police or the intelligence agencies without sensing the serious of the burning issue and kept quiet. It was the reason for the flare up of the violence. And thirdly, how police and intelligence allowed a crowd of over 5,000 at the spot to unleash violence at large scale. The frenzied mob was seen smashing the glass windows, pulling down benches upside down, ransacking smart classes and equipment, throwing documents to be set fire, torching the buses and others.
It is a pre-planned violence by some vested interests who were waiting for the right opportunity. The school, had in the past allowed RSS to conduct camps which irked the Muslimfundamentalists,MakkalAthikkaranand urban naxals, left and VCK cadres. The cutting cow udders, nipples and seriously harming them would point out precisely who they are. No Hindu would ever even in dreams thought of doing such heinous things to cows. Secondly, no parents, relatives of the victim would set afire the documents. It could be a business rivalry as the ECR CBSE School and Sakthi International (Matriculation) school are so popular because the standard education they offer. Many locals the school was strict discipline but never penalize or use harsh words if they students fail to pay fees. Anti-social elements in garb of relatives moved to the scene. They could mobile a large number of mobs with enough paraphernalia of tools necessary to carry out the plot. A day before the violence, it is alleged, there was a long queue of two, three and four wheelers to fill petrol, diesel. The mob outnumbered the police and indulged arson without any fetters. Police remained mere spectators waiting for orders from the top to act. There were attempts to put the blame on RSS, BJP in social media sharing old photos of the management. But the pattern of attack clearly has a striking similarity with sterlite ,jallikattu protests.
According to reports, it may take a longer time for the school to reopen and come back to normal , as there was cracks at torched buildings, vehicles, computers, air conditioners, lab equipment, fittings, glass panels, damage tiles more particularly documents. Police have detained more than 200 protests besides school management top people including some teachers.
The police failed to control the mob that took the law into their hands which shows total collapse of law and order situation under the Dravidian model government. It is a shame that Stalin government and its police machinery total failed to keep the law and order in good stead.
Abdul Ahmed tweeted that “Past 2 months 7 death occurred in same school called ECR International School Kaniyamoor, #India . This case became more #Breaking after #Srimathi death. Her mother says that the death was a mysterious death .Now Protest Infront of school. #justiceforsrimathi “
The DMK government has transferred the KallakurichiCollectr PN Sridhar and Sravan Kumar Jatavath has been posted in his place. SP S Selvakumar was replaced with P Pakalavan.
As per the HC order a second autopsy was done on girl’s body by a team of doctors. The report is yet to be released.