BANGALORE: No child should be denied a transfer certificate (TC) by a school for failing to declare his or her caste. The certificate will be issued immediately with information about the child that is available in the admission records.

Primary Education Minister Basavaraj S. Horatti made this statement in the Legislative Council on Tuesday after a lengthy debate on the news of nine children, all born to sex workers, being denied transfer certificates by Hootagalli Higher Primary School near Mysore on completion of their seventh standard, as they had not mentioned their caste.

Enthusiastic debate

Members from all sections of the House participated enthusiastically in the debate, citing the Constitution and commenting on the insensitivity of officials who ought to be humane in their response in such cases.

The discussion was initiated by Umashree (Congress) who said putting the children through such questioning was not only traumatic but also a hindrance to the higher objective of giving education to street children and children of sex workers.

Ms. Umashree said these were times when, in an effort to ensure the fundamental right of children to education, the signature of the mother was acceptable and not merely that of the father. Declaring one's caste was a matter of choice and the officials responsible for the incident should be punished so that the right message was conveyed to the people, she said.

V.R. Sudarshan (Congress) said raising the caste question, which was not relevant in a society that was aiming to mainstream all sections, could only be deemed a violation of human rights. He said the Government must enact legislation or issue orders to ensure that "being casteless" was not held against anyone, particular children. "Set up a Children's Commission, and put in place a mechanism that will respond sensitively," he said.

L. Hanumanthaiah (Congress) said the issue raised several questions over the sensitive issue. One was that children who did not declare their caste would not be able to change the records later.

Motamma (Congress), a former Minister for Women and Child Development , said the denial of the right to education would cost society dear.

`It was unnecessary'

M.P. Nadagouda (JD-U), reading from the Women and Child Development Minister H.K. Kumaraswamy's statement, said the officials seemed to have gone to great lengths to determine the children's caste, when it was not necessary at all. If officials did not have common sense, they ought to be pulled up and replaced if necessary, he said, and most members agreed.

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