Bantwal: A video clipping of a teacher, engaged to teach Vedas, punishing a boy has gone viral during the last few days.
The boy hails from Kashimath and had an arm fractured, The teacher is also heard as having questioned his family background by asking whether he was a Brahmin or a Kshatriya, which many have felt as suggestive of a strong casteist bias. The incident is said to have taken place in a temple near Vittal in the taluk last May.
The audio-video version shows other students, some parents and others who were present watching without any reaction. How the matter remained under wraps and came in the open after four months has remained a mystery.
The teacher in question, Somasundar Shastri, who also doubles as an astrologer in Kula village, was not available for his views. His present whereabouts are not known. He is suspected to have absconded after the news spread worldwide.
Official action was apparently set in motion only after the Dalit Seva Samiti filed a complaint against the teacher in the Vittal police station. The police have registered a case against him under sections 504 and 323 of the Indian Penal Code.
Feeling the heat of the public and social backlash, the teacher is said to be evading arrest. The police are on the lookout for him.
As required by the department of woman and child welfare officials, the police brought the boy to the Vittal office and took his statement.
Beating up a young boy, who had a fractured arm, has been termed barbaric by several organizations. The Dalit Seva Samiti DK, CITU, Students’ Federation of India and others are among them.
Mangaluru: Video Clipping Shows Teacher Thrashing Boy with Fractured Arm
“The teacher is also heard as having questioned his family background by asking whether he was a Brahmin or a Kshatriya, which many have felt as suggestive of a strong casteist bias. The incident is said to have taken place in a temple near Vittal in the taluk ” – Report.
First of all, this temple is not ‘near’ Vittal, it is in the heart of vittal !!! Any person with an ounce of honesty can clearly see how teacher’s comments were not at all based on caste bias!!! Boy was getting disciplined for being a troublemaker. He was questioning why the boy sat on a chair specially designated for ‘arasu’ (Vitla has a royal family who are given a special treatment at local temple – This family belongs to ksatriya group). You can clearly hear teacher asking – ‘neenaa arasu ?’ (Are you the king?). At the end of video, teacher briefly reminds boy of his father’s sacrifice and poor working conditions. Based on the description, I have a feeling that Boy’s father works for a catering group. (‘kichu’ is the word for ‘fire’ in havyaka language)
As I have said many times before, I fully reject corporal punishment in our society. Nobody has the right to physically abuse others. Be it parents, teachers or police. Oh well…
This fellow looks more like Bhoota darshana paatri and not Soma Sundara SHASTRI. Radd bottunda maata sama aapundu Paatrile, I mean Shastrile.