மல்லப்புரம்: முஸ்லீம் யூத் லீக் தாக்கியதில் தலைமைஆசிரியர் ஜேம்ஸ் அகஸ்டின் மரணம்

முஸ்லீம் பயங்கரவாத மாணவர் அமைப்பான முஸ்லீம் யூத் லீக் தலைமை ஆசிரியரை தாக்கியதில் தலைமை ஆசிரியர் ஜேம்ஸ் அகஸ்டின் மரணமடைந்தார்.

Schoolteacher dies after Youth League activists’ attack
Web posted at: 7/20/2008 1:2:16
Source ::: The Peninsula / By John Mary

Thiruvananthapuram • A schoolteacher died allegedly after he was assaulted by the pro-Opposition Muslim Youth League workers, protesting against a teachers training programme in Kerala’s northern Malappuram district yesterday.

James Augustine, 45, headmaster at the Aided Mappila Lower Primary School died on the way to hospital. He had contusion at the back of the head and his shirt had blood stains.

According to reports, James Augustine told colleagues on the way to hospital that the youths who had come to protest against the training programme had hit him. He was first taken to a local private hospital but doctors there referred him for expert treatment to the medical college hospital at Kozhikode.

The League youths tried to disrupt the Education Department-sponsored training, demanding the withdrawal of a controversial seventh standard social studies textbook.

Tension had been building up for the past two days at the Government Lower Primary School, the venue of the training programme. Sensing trouble as some 50-odd youths marched to the school yesterday morning, teachers who had already reported for the training decided to mark their attendance and leave the venue. James was in the process of signing the attendance register when the youths attacked him. James leaves behind his wife and two children. He belonged to Thiruvambadipuram in Kozhikode.

Education Minister M A Baby said the headmaster’s death was the tragic outcome of a violent agitation unleashed against the Left Democratic Front Government by the Congress-led Opposition. The pro-Left Kerala School Teachers Association condemned the incident.

The pro-CPI All India Students Federation has called for a State-wide shutdown tomorrow. CPM State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said Opposition leader Oommen Chandy should take the blame for the “tragic death”.

The Muslim Youth League said the unfortunate incident occurred on the account of the delay by the police in arriving on the scene of trouble.

The pro-Congress Kerala Students Union State president, Hybi Eden, said his organization could not approve of violence. But he demanded a proper investigation into the cause of death and urged others not to mix politics in death.

Director of Public Instruction A P Mohammed Haneesh has called for a report from the deputy director on the incident. Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan directed Malappuram Superintendent of Police, P Vijayan, to visit the crime scene and file a report.

The mishap had come on a day when the KSU unveiled a parallel textbook in place of the seventh standard book, which even a committee appointed by the Government had objectionable in parts.

A section of the teachers has been boycotting the State-wide cluster training programme, being held on the third Saturday every month.