Dalit Students Face Casteist Slurs at Andhra Pradesh School: Parents and Students Protest Against Teacher Misconduct

Students expressed distress over both teacher's conduct and headmaster's inaction.

Hyderabad:

A protest erupted at Yandapalli High School in Andhra Pradesh's Kakinada district on Monday as parents and students staged a sit-in demonstration, alleging that an English teacher repeatedly used casteist slurs against Dalit students.

The demonstration took place in front of the school premises in U Kottapalli Mandal following accusations that a teacher identified as Srinubabu had been systematically humiliating and discriminating against students from the Dalit community.

According to students' testimonies shared by parents, the teacher allegedly made deeply offensive remarks such as, "You belong to a filthy caste... Do you think SCs are some kind of special people?"

Students additionally expressed frustration with headmaster Suresh Bhushan for his apparent failure to address the situation appropriately. One student complained, "Sir, the HM is calling girl students by insulting and inappropriate names," while others confirmed they had previously informed their parents about the ongoing discriminatory behavior.

The affected families initially attempted to resolve the issue by filing a complaint with headmaster Bhushan regarding Srinubabu's conduct. However, dissatisfied with the administration's inadequate response, the community escalated their concerns, culminating in the public protest against what they perceive as institutional indifference to harassment.

The opposition YSR Congress party highlighted the issue through social media, directly challenging the ruling coalition on the platform X: "Are you bringing caste discrimination even into schools under your government, @ncbn, @naralokesh, @PawanKalyan?"

While educational authorities at the district level have yet to release an official statement addressing the measures being taken, reports indicate local law enforcement was deployed to the protest site to maintain order during the demonstration.