Teachers and students of a girls’ high school in Burdwan town had to seek police protection following harassment, often physical, by a group of two-wheeler-borne men on their way to school and on the way back home.
A group of teachers and students of Burdwan Nivedita Kanya Vidyalaya (HS) on Wednesday went to Burdwan police station, which is barely 2.5 km from the institution, for a second time this month to demand security for the girls and action against the harassers.
“We could not find any other option other than going to the police. The target of those offenders were mainly our young students. Apart from making lewd comments and vulgar gestures, these teasers, who included a few middle-aged people, also harassed our students physically,” said Swagata Mondal, the headmistress of the school.
Before approaching police on Wednesday, a group of teachers had lodged a written complaint with Burdwan police on July 9. The high school has 350 students and 24 teachers, all women. Most of the students belong to the minority community and come from very poor families. As most parents work, no one has time to drop their children to school or accompany them after classes end in the evening.
“There was no improvement in the situation after we lodged the complaint on July 9. So, we had to approach the cops again,” said a teacher.
The school, which is located in Baburbag in Burdwan town, is located just behind the Burdwan University campus that falls under ward no 27 of Burdwan municipality.
A section of senior residents of that locality said it was very unfortunate that girls had to face such harassment on their way to school or while returning home.
“It is really unfortunate if the schoolgoing girls are harassed in broad daylight. I am a resident of the area and often find several outsiders roaming around. The police and administration should take some stern actions against the offenders,” said Sukumar Mukhopadhyay, former controller of examination of Burdwan university.
A section of students and teachers said the problem of teasing, which sometimes turned into physical harassment, increased in June this year after the school opened after a long gap.
“Earlier the problem was there but not of the magnitude that required police help. We observed that the number of teasers and the degree of harassment increased after school reopened after summer vacation,” said a teacher of the school.
According to students, a group of people, even middle-aged men, wait beside the roads during the time when they go to school or return home.
“Those who tortured us came on motorbikes and wore helmets to cover their faces. They make lewd comments and physically harass us on a secluded stretch near our school. At times we had to risk our lives and run to save ourselves from the harassers,” said a girl student.
A guardian said several students had begun skipping girls after the harassment increased since school reopened in June this year.
“My daughter had become so scared that she refused to attend school for the past several day. With the police finally stepping in, she returned to school on Friday,” said a guardian of a Class IX student.
Local residents said the approach road to the school is very narrow and lonely and the offenders used the area to harass students.
Asked about the delayed response, police said they had already deputed two civic volunteers at the gate of the school and a group of lady constables assigned to keep a vigil in plain clothes during the school time.
“We have deputed civic volunteers at the school gate and lady constables in plain clothes to keep a vigil in the area. The surveillance will continue,” said a police officer in Burdwan.
However, many in Burdwan town failed to recollect a situation when police had to step in to ensure safety to girls.
“The teasers disappeared after cops took action. Our demand is to make the area free from trouble. We want no girl from any school or college in Burdwan town to face such harassment,” said Mondal.
