A girls’ school in Baguiati, that was forced to share premises with a boys’ school since 1938, finally got its own building a few weeks ago.
Chittaranjan Colony Hindu Vidyapith for Girls was so long housed on the same premises as Chittaranjan Colony Hindu Vidyapith for Boys, at Rail Pukur Road in Baguiati. On August 13, a separate building, exclusively for girls, was inaugurated 2km away near the Baguiati auto stand, off VIP Road.
“This was a much-needed project as the girls were not able to access all the facilities in the boys’ school. Right from toilets and drinking water to library books and science laboratories, everything had to be shared,” said Durga Adhikari, principal of the girls’ school. “We had been asking the state education department for a building for a very long time and things finally started happening in December 2017, although construction got delayed due to the pandemic.”
Member of Parliament, Saugata Roy, was the chief guest. “Girl students are extremely special,” he said. “To me, each one of them is an aspect of goddess Saraswati. May each girl child in this school be able to gain enough confidence to pursue her dreams.” Other prominent guests were chairman of South Dum Dum Municipality Kasturi Chowdhury and Ward 16 councillor Jayasree Bagui.
Principal Adhikari also read out a message sent by chief minister Mamata Banerjee: “Girls are our future and every girl child deserves to get an education and respect in society. A sum of Rs 2.32 crore was granted to build a separate school for the girls of this school. A souvenir has also been brought out to mark this occasion. Even though I cannot be physically present at the inauguration ceremony I convey my best wishes,” read the chief minister’s note.
Off stage, the girls studying in classes IX and upwards were serving tea and snacks to the 200-250 guests. “We have been asked by our teachers to volunteer for this kind of work. We feel happy to do it,” one of them, moving about with a tray, said with a smile.
Senseless and uncared
Just as Saugata Roy was about to get off the stage, a Class IX student fainted at the foot of the stairs. None of the dignitaries took a second look at her. Some among the attendees seated nearby rushed to her, but only to pull her out off the politicians’ path.
Suryachandra Roy, Bengali teacher and a volunteer at the event, said: “The leader will have a bad impression about the school’s management. He will think we don’t know how to conduct such an important event,” he said.
The girl, who did not wish to reveal her name, was taken aside and brought to her senses with splashes of water. On being asked what went wrong, she said it was too hot and that she felt dehydrated.
When The Telegraph checked with the principal about medical help for the girl, she said: “We have medical help on standby. She will be taken to the doctors soon enough.”
But the girl, a resident of a Kestopur slum, did not get any medical attention till the time this correspondent was present, which was an hour after the incident.