No children should be made to take part in political rallies: HC

The High Court’s suggestion comes after the government submitted the report prepared by Principal Secretary (School Education Department) Bikram Sen on the September 8 incident when 22 students from class VII to IX of Sahapur Mathurnath Vidyapith at Behala were “forcibly” taken to join rally of AIDSO,the students’ wing of SUCI.

On Thursday,acting on a departmental inquiry report the government had issued a notification prohibiting students,teachers and non-teaching staff from taking part in any political rally during school hours.

The Division Bench while appreciating the government’s move said in the past the government often did not implement its own decisions and this time it should properly implement its decision.

Earlier,government pleader Ashoke Banerjee placed Bikram Sen’s report to the court which stated that no teachers were directly involved in the incident as four outsiders had entered the school and took away the students for the rally. According to the report,a complaint was lodged with police which have started investigation.

Banerjee also informed the court that the four-member inquiry committee that probed the September 8 incident has recommended proceedings against two teachers and the headmaster of the school as he had allowed the outsiders to enter into the school. The Division Bench asked the state government to submit the action taken report on November 18.