In a shocking incident at a girl's school in Arunachal Pradesh, several students were forced to undress by three teachers as a punishment for writing vulgar words against another teacher and a student.
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Though the incident occurred last week, it came to light only on November 27.
The police said that 88 girl students of class 6 and class 7 of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, Tani Happa (New Sagalee) in Papum Pare district were subjected to this humiliation, following which they reported the incident to the All Sagalee Students Union (ASSU). The students union then filed an FIR with the local police.
Here's what happened
On November 23, the teachers found a piece of paper containing vulgar words about the head teacher and a girl student, following which two assistant teachers and a junior teacher made the children undress as a punishment.
Papum Pare district Superintendent of Police Tumme Amo on Thursday said that a they have registered an FIR at the behest of the ASSU and also added that the matter has been forwarded to the women police station in Itanagar.
The officer in-charge of the (women) police station said the victims and their parents along with the teachers will be interrogated before registering a case.
Meanwhile, the All Papum Pare District Students Union (APPDSU) met the children and the teachers on Wednesday. They found out that it was one student, who has not yet been identified, who wrote the vulgar comments.
When no student of class 6 and 7 owned up for the act or gave an explanation to it, they were made to undress in front of other students.
According to APPDSU President Nabam Tado , "the school authorities did not speak to the parents of the students before punishing them."
Political party criticises incident
When the news reached Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), the party said that the punishment meted out to the students by the teachers was an "heinous act".
"Tempering with a child's dignity is against the law as well as the Constitution," PTI quoted the APCC as saying.
"To discipline a student is an attitude, character, responsibility and commitment of a teacher. Undressing a student is definitely not a corrective measure...Imposing such punishment is total violation of the child rights, and more likely it may accelerate the risk of child abuse," the party added.
