Dalit school principal KK Urmila Devi, who was penalized by Kerala’s Congress-led Government allegedly for showing disrespect to Education Minister PK Abdurabb of the Muslim league during a programme at her school, said on Wednesday that she would continue her fight against the practice of holding big functions during school hours.
Taking charge as principal at the Government Model School at Thaikkad, Thiruvananthapuram where she was transferred by the department, Urmila Devi also said she would continue her legal battle in the State Administrative Tribunal against the penalisation because “I have the right to know the contents of the report on the basis of which I was penalised.”
Urmila Devi, suffering from brain fungus infection, was transferred from the renowned Government Cotton Hill Higher Secondary School in Thiruvananthapuram to a school at Ayilam, Attingal, some 35 km away from the capital city, last week following what Abdurabb described as her disrespectful behaviour towards him.
The principal’s penalization triggered immediate protests across Kerala and the Opposition lDF raised protests inside and outside the State Assembly. Under pressure, the Government revoked the original transfer order and re-transferred her to the Model School within city limits on the basis of an appeal she had submitted as per the instruction of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
Abdurabb had said in the State Assembly that Urmila Devi had criticized him in her felicitation speech for being late in arriving for the programme on June 16. However, the video of the programme proved that the principal had not made any such remarks in her speech. However, she had asked the organisers to avoid holding such functions during academic hours.
The Minister then changed his version to say that action against the principal had become inevitable as she had humiliated him by keeping the gates closed as he arrived at the school for the programme behind schedule. The lack of clarity in Government position enhanced the credibility of Urmila Devi’s allegation that she was penalised because she was a Dalit.
According to the Minister and the Education Department, Urmila Devi was transferred on the basis of a report from the Additional Director of Public Instruction. However, the action was taken before the completion of the 15-day period she was given to respond to a charge memo served on her demanding an explanation for her conduct on June 16.
Urmila Devi said on Wednesday that holding of functions at schools during working time was causing inconvenience to the students and was leading to loss of valuable study hours. “To state this was the only crime I had committed. I will raise my voice against this practice irrespective of the action they are taking against me,” she added.