People’s Watch calls for human rights curriculum in schools

MADURAI

The People’s Watch, a civil rights organisation, has condemned the killing of a young couple Solairaj and Jothi belonging to the Parayar and Pallar sub-sects of the Scheduled Caste communities, respectively which had taken place ironically in the Samathuvapuram (Equality village) at Keelurpuram in Vilathikulam, Thoothukudi district.

This is the third case of a brutal caste-triggered killing in the past two weeks in Tamil Nadu, while the State had seen around 190 such killings in the past years, said People’s Watch executive director Henri Tiphagne in Madurai on Friday.

When the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is in session, it is high time that all political parties come together to unanimously resolve to bring in a special law in the State.

The public no longer will trust political parties in this act after seeing the role caste played in the recent elections to Parliament and Legislature. “Therefore, for a long term lasting change, we need to simultaneously introduce the teaching of the core of the Preamble to our Constitution and our fundamental rights especially on the right to equality through a dedicated human rights education curriculum in all schools in Tamil Nadu, whether public, private, aided, non-aided or minority run...” he said.

Incidentally, the present Chief secretary was the first Director of the Adi Dravidar Welfare Department that granted permission to People’s Watch to introduce the teaching of human rights education in all Adi Dravida schools from class 6 to 8.

Mr Henri said the Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition must jointly call for a meeting of all political parties to collectively resolve to protect the freedom of matrimonial alliances.

He urged the High Court to give directions to the SHRC to take up such cases suo motu.