Row over caste-based wristbands in Tamil Nadu: The issue of school children being asked to wear coloured wristbands to identify them by their castes has taken a new twist with the Tamil Nadu Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan making a U-turn. The AIADMK minister, who had earlier said that he was not aware of the issue and that the tradition will continue, has now taken a completely different stand. It all began with a circular issued by the Tamil Nadu School Education Department which warned of strict action against institutes which continue the discriminatory practice.
Sengottaiyan, who had come under attack from state BJP leaders and other quarters too over the circular, denied there being any practice of making school children wear colour-coded wristbands altogether. He accused the media of distorting facts while reporting about caste discrimination.
“You tell me where they are being worn and bring it to our attention. There is no such discrimination going on. I am telling the TV channels and media that education is going on well in the state. Students have undertaken their journey with harmony. Please cooperate with us, without creating cracks in that harmony,” The News Minute quoted Sengottaiyan, as saying.
“In some schools in TN, students were made to wear colour-coded wrist bands. These which come in shares of red, yellow, green and saffron indicate whether they belong to a “lower” or “upper” caste,” the circular issued by Director of School Education S Kannappan said.
The official notification added that rings and ’tilak’ on forehead were also used as caste markers. “Such practices were supposedly being used for sports team selection, reassembling during class and lunch intervals,” it stated.
BJP national secretary H Raja, however, had condemned the circular. He said putting tilak on forehead was a norm in Hindu tradition. The BJP leader also demanded action against the Director of School Education for issuing the circular.
“Banning these in schools is a blatant anti-Hindu action. Does the School Education Director have the courage to ban the symbols of other religions? This circular must be withdrawn immediately,” Raja said in his tweet.