A couple has received a certificate of No Caste, No Religion for enrolling their daughter in school which is a first in Coimbatore.
Coimbatore: Setting a precedent of sorts, for the first time in Coimbatore, a three-and-a-half-year-old child was certified as "No Caste" and "No Religion."
S Naresh Karthik (33) of 5th Street, KK Pudur, Chintamani Nagar, Coimbatore District who is the Founder of the Seat Reeps Education and Foundation lives with his wife Gayathri who is an officer in the Southern Railway, and they are parents of a daughter, Wilma who is three and a half years old. Naresh Karthik obtained a certificate of "No Cate, No Religion" which is a first for the city of Coimbatore, to enroll his daughter Wilma in school. This has been lauded by the public from various quarters.
"I did not want any caste or religion to be attested to our daughter Wilma. I approached some schools to enroll her in kindergarten and on checking the application form I realised that there were no "'No Caste" or "No Religion" columns. If the applicant does not mention caste or religion, it was stated that the school administration will not accept the application. Social certification is mandatory, otherwise, the child cannot be admitted. I came to know about the 1973 order of the Government of Tamil Nadu that the Department of Education insisted that parents should not mention details about caste and religion when enrolling a child in school. Later, when I met the Coimbatore District Collector, G S Sameeran regarding this, he asked me to approach the Coimbatore North Tahsildar. Subsequently, I filed a self-affidavit on Rs. 20 worth of stamp paper and applied for a certificate stating that my daughter had no caste or religion. If so applied, no Government reservation or concessions will be available on the basis of caste and religion. Also, I have signed a promise that I will not apply for caste and religion conversions in the future, got the notary public signature and submitted it to the Coimbatore North Tahsildar, and obtained the certificate,” explained Naresh Karthik.
"Since Friday evening, my child Wilma does belong to any caste or religion. If anyone asks my daughter who God is, she will answer, "God is Love" and if someone asks what "love" is, she will answer "Love is Equality." Educational institutions should teach love and equality to students. I know my daughter will not get reservation offers in the future. However, this will help other needy children to reap the benefits under reservation,” added Naresh Karthik.
Naresh Karthik also revealed that many parents are without proper guidance on how to get a "No Caste, No Religion" certificate for their children and hoped that from now on many parents will come forward to get such certificates for their children and make a difference in society.
S Naresh Karthik (33) of 5th Street, KK Pudur, Chintamani Nagar, Coimbatore District who is the Founder of the Seat Reeps Education and Foundation lives with his wife Gayathri who is an officer in the Southern Railway, and they are parents of a daughter, Wilma who is three and a half years old. Naresh Karthik obtained a certificate of "No Cate, No Religion" which is a first for the city of Coimbatore, to enroll his daughter Wilma in school. This has been lauded by the public from various quarters.
"I did not want any caste or religion to be attested to our daughter Wilma. I approached some schools to enroll her in kindergarten and on checking the application form I realised that there were no "'No Caste" or "No Religion" columns. If the applicant does not mention caste or religion, it was stated that the school administration will not accept the application. Social certification is mandatory, otherwise, the child cannot be admitted. I came to know about the 1973 order of the Government of Tamil Nadu that the Department of Education insisted that parents should not mention details about caste and religion when enrolling a child in school. Later, when I met the Coimbatore District Collector, G S Sameeran regarding this, he asked me to approach the Coimbatore North Tahsildar. Subsequently, I filed a self-affidavit on Rs. 20 worth of stamp paper and applied for a certificate stating that my daughter had no caste or religion. If so applied, no Government reservation or concessions will be available on the basis of caste and religion. Also, I have signed a promise that I will not apply for caste and religion conversions in the future, got the notary public signature and submitted it to the Coimbatore North Tahsildar, and obtained the certificate,” explained Naresh Karthik.
"Since Friday evening, my child Wilma does belong to any caste or religion. If anyone asks my daughter who God is, she will answer, "God is Love" and if someone asks what "love" is, she will answer "Love is Equality." Educational institutions should teach love and equality to students. I know my daughter will not get reservation offers in the future. However, this will help other needy children to reap the benefits under reservation,” added Naresh Karthik.
Naresh Karthik also revealed that many parents are without proper guidance on how to get a "No Caste, No Religion" certificate for their children and hoped that from now on many parents will come forward to get such certificates for their children and make a difference in society.