The Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme aims to provide nutritious breakfast to 1 lakh students studying in classes 1 to 5 across 1,545 government schools.
After eating the food made in the school, Collector Prabhushankar appealed to the parents to not sow discrimination in the minds of their wards and also explained the consequences of caste discrimination. (Supplied)
While Udhayanidhi Stalin and the debate about Sanatana Dharma have taken centre stage in Tami Nadu politics, a different form of the issue cropped up elsewhere.
The district collector of Karur had to intervene and issue a warning to a section of upper-caste Hindus for discouraging their children from eating breakfast at school because it was cooked by someone belonging to a Scheduled Caste (SC).
Karur District Collector T Prabhushankar received complaints from villagers last week that a section of upper-caste Hindu parents were preventing their children from eating breakfast prepared at a school in Velanchettiyur in the Aravakurichi block as part of the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme.
Social activist Rajagopal and members of the CPI(M) met with the collector last week and explained the situation prevailing in the village. They also submitted a representation to take action against those who were involved in the discrimination.
Following this, the collector sought details from the local panchayat and found that out of 27 students, only 10 were eating breakfast in the school.
Subsequently, the collector made a surprise visit to the school on Tuesday, 5 September.
“We monitor the number of children eating breakfast in all the schools through a mobile app. Out of 27 students, only 10 were eating breakfast at this school. We advised the parents about five days ago not to discriminate. Following this, two-three children started eating the breakfast served. But still, 15 children were not eating breakfast,” Prabhushankar said.
The Collector convened a meeting with the parents and had breakfast prepared by Sumathi, the cook, in the school.
“I visited the school and found that the quality of food was very good and the preparation was delicious,” Prabhushankar noted.
He appealed to the parents not to sow discrimination in the minds of their wards, and also explained the consequences of caste discrimination.
While so, one Balasubramaniam — an upper-caste Hindu parent — argued that his child would not eat if a Dalit woman cooked the food, and demanded a school transfer certificate.
Irked by the statement, the collector ordered the police to take the man to the police station and file a case.
Prabhushankar also warned the other parents that their children would be issued transfer certificates and this would make it difficult for their wards to continue their education elsewhere.
“I told them not to misguide their children. Following the interaction, the parents acknowledged their mistake and promised never to repeat it,” the collector said.
Hours later, Balasubramaniam was released after issuing an apology to the collector and agreeing to allow his children to eat breakfast at the school.
Meanwhile, Nagarani, the panchayat president of Velanchettiyur, has alleged that the collector, during his inspection of the school, scolded her in front of the parents and teachers.
She has since taken the issue to the Village Panchayat Presidents’ Association.
An urgent meeting of the association was convened and a resolution was passed against the collector for verbally abusing the woman panchayat president.
(With PTI inputs)
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