De-recognise societies, edu institutions carrying caste names, Madras HC tells TN govt

CHENNAI: The State government should take steps to remove caste appellations from government schools and also take action against private or trust-run educational institutions that fail to drop caste appellations from their names, directed the Madras High Court.

Actions should commence within three months and be completed within six months, added the court.

“In the name of caste, parents are killing their daughter or son if they marry to other caste, and school children are wearing wristbands and concealing machete to attack the students from other castes,” observed Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy and issued a slew of directions to avoid such violence.

The judge directed the Inspector General of Registration to instruct all the jurisdictional Registrar of Societies to draw a list of societies that have caste as a part of its name and caste perpetuation and proliferation as their goal.

The government should issue directions to these societies to drop the caste appellation from their name, amend their goal to perpetuate and proliferate caste, and also amend membership clause in byelaws from making caste as a criterion.

"If any society doesn't comply with the orders, then treat their activity as unlawful and cancel registration as per section 38 of the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975, and their assets dealt with in the manner known to law," the court ordered.

If these societies run any aided or private schools, colleges, or other educational institutions, the government should ensure that the caste name is not depicted in any manner, either directly or indirectly, on any board within the campus or in their records.

Notices must be issued to the institutions run by individuals or trusts that carry caste appellations in their name to drop it within four weeks. If they fail to comply, steps should be taken to derecognise the institution and the students must be transferred to recognised institutions, ordered the court.

Caste prefixes or suffixes must be removed from the schools that carry the donor's name, directed the court.

The State should also remove caste names from government schools, including the Kallar Reclamation Schools and Adi Dravidar Welfare Schools; they should only be referred to as government schools, the judge added.

The HC issued the directions while disposing of a petition moved by South Indian Senguntha Mahajana Sangam seeking to direct the State not to interfere with its administration.