A mother in Coimbatore has filed a complaint with the District Collector, alleging caste-based discrimination in a school speech competition where her daughter was unfairly awarded second prize despite being the only participant.
Coimbatore: In a distressing incident of alleged caste discrimination, a mother from Rasipalam has filed a complaint with the Coimbatore District Collector's office, claiming her daughter was unfairly awarded second prize in a school speech competition due to caste bias.
Indiragandhi, hailing from Rasipalam in Sulur, Coimbatore district, stated that her daughter, a fifth-grade student at the Rasipalam Panchayat Union Primary School, was the only participant in the speech competition organized for Independence Day celebrations. Despite being the sole contestant, the girl was awarded only the second prize.
According to Indiragandhi, the competition, originally scheduled for August 15, was held earlier. She alleges that the headmistress, citing caste as a reason, awarded the first prize to another student who didn't even participate in the competition, while her daughter was given the second prize.
When questioned about this decision, the headmistress reportedly told Indiragandhi, "It was a mistake to give your child a prize at all." This response has caused significant emotional distress to both the mother and her daughter.
Indiragandhi has demanded action against the headmistress, Nirmala Arokiya Mary, and teacher Shanthi for their discriminatory behavior. She expressed her anguish over the caste-based prize distribution and emphasized that such incidents should not recur in the future.
The complainant also mentioned that despite lodging a previous complaint about this issue, no action has been taken so far. She has urged the authorities to take appropriate measures to prevent such discriminatory practices in educational institutions.
The incident has raised concerns about the persistence of caste-based discrimination in schools and the need for more stringent measures to ensure equal treatment of all students regardless of their social background.