Dalit Students of Dr. Ambedkar Law College, Chennai,

Attempt to Murder or Self Defence?????

Dalit students have been facing various problems in education institutions including in reputed institutes like JNU, DU, TISS and AIMS. Recently there were student's death in Hyderabad Central University and Dalit girl students' death in Pondichery and Madras Universities and a Young girl's death in Engineering College in Kerala.There are many atrocities and discrimination against dalit students in cases in many colleges and universities. The Dalit students have been abused and harassed by caste Hindu teachers, students and goons as they (Dalits) face discrimination both inside and outside campuses. This is the situation throughout the country. The Dalit students suffer in almost in all colleges. The management always favors the Caste Hindu teachers and students and victimizes the Dalit students.

Case in Dr. Ambedkar Law College, Chennai

There was a series of problems for Dalit students in Dr. Ambedkar Law College, Chennai. Last four years especially since the establishment of Thevar Peravai(Thevar is the Caste Hindu leader for the community, which has the history of discriminating Dalits inaspect)the caste Hindu (Thevar) students have been abusing and attacking Dalit students in the college campus and hostels. This matter has been reported to police and both Mr. Karunanithi and Ms. Jayalalitha `s government was very aware of this incidence. The many of the Thever students have been asking to remove Dr. Ambedkar's name and rename the college as Chennai Law College . They always negatively comment and abuse Dr. Ambedkar in the presence of Dalit students. They also use derogatory words and caste names to abuse Dalits. Last four years many atrocity cases have been filed against Thevar students. Six month back a group of Thevar students planned to attack Dalit students and were caught by police.

But police did not take any action against them. Mr. Bharathi Kanna, student leader of Thevar Peravai is said to be an instrument for many of these incidence and three months back he was charged a case under SC/ST (POA) Act. FIR was filed but no interrogation happened after that and also he was instrumental for many problems.

The Thevar students organized a Guru puja (for Pasumpon Muthuramalingam, a Thevar leader) on October, 30 2008. They published a pamphlet in which they did not want to use Dr. Ambedkar's name, instead they just wrote " Chennai Law College ". Some of the Dalit students protested against this act and asked them to write full name of the college. These students were beaten by the Thevar students and were injured badly and hospitalized. These students were in critical condition. But there was no action against any students in this regard. The Dalit students were threatened to death. Many Dalit students could not go to examination out of fear as they experienced brutal attacks earlier by Thevers. On 12th Dalit students went to write examination and they were attacked by the Thevars with knife. Bharathi Kannan & Armugam attacked Chithiraiselvan, a third year dalit student of Dr Ambedkar Law College. They cut his ear and hit on his head which led him for life or death situation. This led some of the friends of the victim intervene to save Chithiraiselvan. Bahrahti Kannan was well protected and properly hospitalized in special ward at General Hospital , Chennai while Chithiraiselvan treated as an accused and denied proper emergency care and protection in Royapettah Government Hospital .

Chitraiselvan told the National Commission for Scheduled Caste on Saturday that he was the first to be attacked allegedly by students belonging to a backward community on that day. They were armed with deadly weapons, he told the commission. S.S. Sharma, Joint Director of the Commission told that Chitraiselvan who was inside the campus along with other Dalit students, when a group of backward class students attacked him causing injuries on his head and ear. Seeing blood oozing out of his ears, the Dalit students attacked the other group of students and later took Chitraiselvan to the hospital.

At this juncture we need to interrogate and find the truth regarding the incidents and make sure that the victims are ensured appropriate remedy and justice, and also to build need full mechanism to protect vulnerable Dalit students.