Malappuram: Former minister and CPM leader K T Jaleel on Tuesday defended his interaction with students at a felicitation programme in Mannarkkad, saying his intention was to encourage reading habits and learning beyond examination scores, not to humiliate anyone.

Addressing a press conference a day after the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights registered a suo motu case against him, Jaleel said he approached such events as a teacher rather than a politician.

"I will not even seek anticipatory bail in this case. I'm willing to go to jail for this," he said.
"I usually interact with students and parents during felicitation programmes because I am basically a teacher," the former Education Minister added. "Our children are smart and intelligent, but their reading habits are declining."

Jaleel said he asked students whether they had read at least one Malayalam novel, following which the discussion moved to Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's 'Pathummayude Aadu' and the character Paathu. He said the interaction was intended to underline the importance of reading.

He also said he asked students questions on language, including identifying a letter found in Arabic but not in Malayalam, and requested students who had secured A+ grades in Hindi to write their parents' names in Hindi.

"When a student made a mistake, I playfully held his ear. None of the students had any issue with the incident," he said, denying allegations that he had physically or verbally humiliated children.

The controversy erupted after videos from Sunday's student felicitation programme in Mannarkkad showed Jaleel correcting students on stage and holding a child's ear while pointing out an error. The visuals prompted criticism from several quarters, with the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) demanding action against him and alleging that he had publicly humiliated students.

The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights subsequently registered a suo motu case based on the televised visuals. The Commission has sought a report from the Palakkad district Child Protection Officer before deciding on further action.

On Monday, Jaleel defended his conduct in a detailed Facebook post, saying he had spent 12-and-a-half years as a teacher before entering politics and had always maintained a friendly relationship with students.

"It is true that I playfully held a student's ear while smiling. The student was smiling too. I neither pinched the ear nor caused any pain. That is not my way," he wrote, adding that anyone who watched the full video would understand the context of the interaction.

Jaleel also said he did not deliver one-sided speeches at student programmes but preferred interactive sessions to encourage students and point out both their strengths and shortcomings through humour.

He maintained that it was the responsibility of elders, particularly teachers, to correct children's mistakes, even in a light-hearted manner, so that they improve their language and communication skills.

The incident has also drawn criticism from Minister Bindhu Krishna, who described such behaviour towards children at a public function as unacceptable.