Kashmir: Sopore school rusticates two sisters, accuses their mother of using ‘abusive language’

Secretary, J&K school education department, Farooq Ahmad Shah said that all efforts will be made to secure the future of two sisters. “I have asked my officials to take this case seriously,” he told The Indian Express.

Director School Education, Ghulam Nabi Yatoo said that he had constituted a committee headed by an upright officer. “The report will be submitted very soon. I am hopeful this issue will get resolved.”

On July 20, a mobile phone was recovered from the bag of Malaika by her school teacher in the presence of other students. The parents claimed that for this, Malaika and Eman were humiliated in front of other students. According to the parents, both the sisters were asked by the school administration not to come to school. The teachers even raised questions over their “upbringing”.

“My older daughter Malaika had taken the phone mistakenly to school and even the SIM was not activated. When it was found the school administration and teachers used abusive language against my daughter and once my daughter reached home she tried to commit suicide and remained hospitalized for two days,” Uzma, the mother of Malaika and Eman Dar told The Indian Express.

Uzma said the school principal called her and conveyed that mobile phone was recovered from her daughter’s bag. “I apologized and assured them such action will not be repeated in future. The teachers harassed my children and one of them even tried to end her life.”

Uzma said that after intervention of few elders, they sent their children to school. “Instead of taking them to class, both my daughters were humiliated. My younger daughter was beaten and kept confined in a separate room and teacher also didn’t allow them to eat their tiffin. Once my children reached home in the evening, I couldn’t bear it when my daughters started crying and narrated how they were humiliated by teachers and administrators of the school. In a fit of rage I called the teacher of my younger daughter and used abusive language and I am very ashamed for that. But, if my older daughter had committed some sin what was the fault of my younger daughter,” she said, adding that thereafter, the school administration asked her children “not to show their face in the school again”.

Since then, the parents Sonullah Dar and Uzma have been running from pillar to post for the future of their children. “It is an irony the school administration is asking us to get discharge certificate in the mid-session and when the final exams are just a month away. Is this justice? My both daughters are in depression and are not ready to even to go to school,” she said.

Welkin Educational Trust is run by one of the richest businessman of Sopore town. The school has been in the news before. In 2012, a teacher committed suicide in the school after she was allegedly humiliated by the school administrators. Recently a parent tried to lodge a complaint at Sopore police station after she was “humiliated and harassed” by the school administration. The school administration declined to comment on this issue.

Chairman, Private School Association, G N Var said that the matter has been resolved. “The school will discharge both the students as school has no option.” He said that he will, however, try to get their admission fee returned.