A 35-year-old woman employed as a cook under the Tamil Nadu government's breakfast scheme has filed formal complaints, alleging she was removed from her job due to caste-based discrimination by a school headmistress. The incident has sparked an official inquiry and raised serious questions about social prejudice in public welfare programs.
The Allegations of Caste-Based Discrimination
Nirosha R, a resident of Ponnampatti village and a member of the scheduled caste community, was working at the Panchayat Union Middle School in Chinnareddipatty, located in the Thogamalai block of Karur district. According to her complaint, the headmistress of the school approached her on December 16 and instructed her to stop cooking. The reason given was that parents belonging to dominant caste communities had raised objections to consuming food prepared by her.
Nirosha stated that she was presented with an ultimatum: resign voluntarily or face termination. "I clearly told the headmistress that I would only step down if I received a direct order from the block development authorities," Nirosha recounted. However, the very next day, on December 17, she arrived at the school only to find another woman performing her duties. Her position had been filled without any formal communication to her.
Official Complaints and Conflicting Narratives
Following her discovery, Nirosha immediately approached the Thogamalai block development office. There, she was informed that a replacement cook had already been officially appointed. Determined to seek justice, she escalated the matter on December 18 by lodging formal complaints with multiple authorities. These included the Karur District Collector, the District Superintendent of Police, and the Thogamalai police station. In her complaints, she specifically sought action under the stringent Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Prompted by her allegations, officials from the education department conducted an inquiry on December 19. A district education official provided a different perspective, stating that Nirosha had been on leave and was not terminated abruptly. "It is true that parents had complaints about the food," the official added, though the nature of these complaints was not explicitly linked to caste by the authorities.
Current Standoff and Demand for Justice
In a subsequent development, police officials have contacted Nirosha and asked her to resume her duties. However, she has taken a firm stand, refusing to return to work until concrete disciplinary action is taken against the school officials involved in the incident. Her case highlights the persistent challenges faced by marginalized communities even within government-run initiatives designed for public good.
The incident at the Panchayat Union Middle School underscores the deep-seated social biases that can undermine welfare schemes. It has brought the implementation of the state's breakfast program and the protection of its employees from discrimination under scrutiny. The outcome of the complaints filed under the SC/ST Act is now awaited, as it will set a significant precedent for handling similar grievances in the future.
