18th January 2005 was Tuesday. It was the Arabic interval for thatched-roof courses on the Government High School in Kandala, a village 20 km south-east of Thiruvananthapuram. Within minutes of sophistication, al-Amin S., sitting on a entrance bench, was patted on the again by his finest pal. As he turned to ask him why he hit, the enraged instructor Sherifa Shajahan threw the pen in her hand at al-Amin. The nib went into his left eye, and regardless of three surgical procedures in a 12 months, the attention couldn’t be saved.
More than 16 years after the incident, which sparked state-wide protests towards the instructor and on September 30, the Additional District and Sessions Court (POCSO) in Thiruvananthapuram discovered him responsible of “voluntarily causing grievous hurt”, the sentence was handed down. He was directed to be imprisoned for one 12 months and pay a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to Al-Amin. The decide stated that “society would never expect such an act from a teacher”.
Al-Amin, now 25, says no compensation is sufficient for him. As mild rain floods their tiny home in Kamandala, he says: “The verdict was against her because she was guilty. God did it. But how does it help me? One side of me is still dark… Financial compensation does nothing for me.”
Government High School in Kamandal
Al-Amin claims that the sheriff, who lives 500 meters from her residence, by no means got here to interrogate her in all these years. Sherifa couldn’t be reached for remark. Almost not one of the lecturers working within the faculty at the moment now work there.
Recalling that morning, he says, the sheriff stored insisting that nothing had occurred, even when a instructor in an adjoining class rushed to listen to her scream.
His mom, Sumayya Biwi (43), says that when she went to high school when she was alert, a instructor advised her that Al-Amin solely had “minor injuries”.
Special Public Prosecutor Ajit Prasad JK stated that each one the important thing witnesses, the varsity lecturers, turned hostile throughout the trial. “From the very beginning, there were attempts by the teachers to dilute the matter,” Prasad stated.
Al-Amin says that the incident shattered his confidence, and he might by no means consider his research after that. After finding out until tenth commonplace in the identical faculty, he accomplished his education from one other institute after which joined a textile expertise course in a polytechnic, however finally dropped out. He says the incapacity additionally prevented him from staying on the job.
Once upon a time, he dreamed of becoming a member of the police, al-Amin says. “I ought to deal with my household, however as an alternative, they’re pressured to deal with me. I attraction to the federal government to assist me get a job.”
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
