The Kerala State Commission for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes has ordered the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Special Cell, to investigate the allegation that the Kerala Law Academy Law College had routinely press-ganged Dalit students into doing menial jobs.
Commission chairperson and retired judge P.N. Vijayakumar told The Hindu that the commission had admitted on record at least two complaints from Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe students and the allegations seemed grave. He has issued notice to Principal Lakshmi Nair. The commission has ordered the Director, Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes Welfare Department, to inquire into the complaint that the college management had unfairly denied Dalit law students their due educational benefits.
K. Selvam, a 4th semester student, deposed before the commission that the college authorities forcibly enlisted Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe students to do degrading jobs, such as manhandling heavy objects and serving food to participants during college functions, especially national-level moot courts.
He said he and fellow Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe students were compelled to distribute leaflets at a nearby liquor outlet to advertise a biriyani eatery and takeaway operated by Ms. Nair in the academy’s neighbourhood.
He said a girl student close to Ms. Nair had forced them out of their classes and compelled them to serve at the eatery. Mr. Selvam stated that the forced labour had caused him intense mental duress and eroded his self-esteem. He said students who failed to tow the Principal’s line risked scoring low in their internal assessment marks. Those who did were academically rewarded.
V.G. Vivek, another student, deposed that the Principal had “warned him at the time of admission” that he would not be eligible for any Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe student grants. He said Ms. Nair, for reasons known only to her, dissuaded his mother from admitting her ward to the college. Mr. Vivek could not also gain admission to the government-run post-matric hostel for Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe students. The denial of grants had financially burdened him severely, he said.
Ms. Nair was not immediately available for comment. However, the college authorities have repeatedly denied the allegations of harassment of Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe students and caste prejudice. The commission would hear the case again on February 27.
