BY Pamodi Waravita

Fathima Famitha Rameez, who attempted to resume her duties as a teacher at the Sri Shanmuga Hindu Ladies College, Trincomalee, on Wednesday (2), was allegedly threatened and assaulted over wearing an abaya to school.

An abaya is a loose garment that covers the wearer from the head to the feet, leaving the face uncovered and visible.

Rameez, along with three other teachers, initially filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) on 21 May 2018, stating that they had been prohibited from wearing the abaya by the school’s management committee which is headed by the school’s principal.

On 2 February 2019, the HRCSL, following an investigation into the complaint, recommended that the complainants be allowed to wear the dress of their choice (in this case, the abaya) to resume their duties and to continue their work without hindrance or harassment.

However, allegations are levelled at the school for not implementing this HRCSL recommendation. Although three of the initial complainants have now accepted transfers elsewhere, Rameez decided to file a writ application at the Court of Appeal in 2021, requesting the school to implement the HRCSL recommendation.

“The case was called up for support in November 2021. The respondents – the Education Ministry, the Trincomalee Zonal Education Director, and the school principal – proposed a settlement and we were in the middle of discussions about the settlement, when this incident occurred this week. Rameez was asked to report to duty on 2 February, through a letter sent to her by the Education Ministry, which is when this incident occurred,” Rameez’s legal counsel for the said writ application, Attorney-at-Law Swasthika Arulingam told The Morning yesterday (3).

On Wednesday, when Rameez had reported to the school principal’s office, parties who were not part of the school had entered the premises, with one person threatening her while another had attempted to allegedly strangle her, following which Rameez had called the 911 police hotline. When the Police had arrived, the school principal had accused Rameez of pushing her (the school principal) and injuring her leg, following which she (the school principal) was admitted to the hospital. Rameez had also been admitted to the hospital for a check-up following the alleged attempted strangulation.

Statements have been recorded from both parties by the Police. The Court of Appeal is due to hear the case pertaining to the writ application on 7 February.

The initial HRCSL inquiry into the matter notes that the school had said that they were merely attempting to “protect the Hindu tradition of the school” and had noted that the four complainants had worn saris (an unstitched drape of varied length and breadth that is typically wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder, partly baring the midriff) to school when they were first hired in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2018 respectively, until 22 April 2018. Meanwhile, the complainants have said that the school principal and the school’s management have shared information about the case with parties not related to the issue, resulting in communal friction between coexisting communities in the area.

Following the incident on Wednesday, teachers have taken the students outside the school to protest against Rameez wearing the abaya.

Courtesy:The Morning