Haryana girls go on hunger strike for school upgradation; demand immediate action

A group of 86 girls from the Gothda Tappa village, Rewari, Haryana, have gone on an indefinite strike seeking measures for their safety. The protest  comes in the wake of recent reports in Haryana on gangrape, torture and murder. 

Haryana shocker: 23-year-old woman kidnapped, gang-raped and mutilated by 7 men in Rohtak

What was the demand?

The class 9 and 10 girls want their institution to be upgraded to a senior secondary school as they face sexual harassment when they have to travel to different villages for higher studies.

"We fear harassment and molestation by youths of other villages and hence, we are demanding up-gradation of our school up to class 12," said one of the protesters.

The District education authorities informed the higher officials of the girls' demand, and even sought the intervention of the Education minister Ram Bilas Sharma. Sharma reportedly accepted the demand on the sixth day of the strike.

"In view of the hunger strike of girls in the village and the government's commitment to provide education to every girl in the state, the Haryana Government has accepted their demand," the minister said.

However, the girls continued to protest for the eighth day as they wanted the authorities to take immediate action. Atleast 10 students have been shifted to hospital as their condition has worsened.

Sharma has said on Wednesday that though the order has been issued, a few formalities are still remaining. He also added that top officials of the district will go to the school today and meet the girls.

"The principal has been deputed there and from tomorrow admission procedure will start," Sharma added.

Interestingly, Sangeeta Kalia, the SP of Rewari has said that not a single incident of eve teasing has been reported in the last 1 year in the area.

Meanwhile, the medical board of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGI including three gynaecologists) has decided to abort the five-month-old foetus of a 10-year-old girl from Rohtak, who was repeatedly raped by her stepfather.