Miscreants have damaged school infrastructure at a school in West Siang, forcing the police to launch an investigation after a complaint was lodged by the school authorities.
A subsequent inspection by a police team revealed that unknown individuals trespassed onto the school premises by climbing over the boundary wall and deliberately damaged government property. According to the police, the vandals destroyed a computer set, rummaged through the headmaster’s cabinet, damaged exam-related materials and papers, and vandalised mustard oil bottles meant for the midday meal, along with official registers kept in the teachers’ common room. Notably, nothing was stolen, indicating that the intent was not theft but something more sinister.
What makes the episode even more alarming is that this is reportedly the third such incident at the same school. Earlier acts of vandalism had also targeted the school’s property, including the headmaster’s office.
While the police have stated that an inquiry is underway and that a case will be registered shortly, repeated attacks of this nature point to a disturbing trend.
The school committee must support the school authorities and find ways to address these repeated attacks. The mission should not be limited to the protection of educational institutions alone, but must also focus on identifying the culprits involved. There is already evidence that this is not a one-time incident but part of a series of vandalism cases, which should raise serious concerns about the safety of educational institutions and the erosion of respect for public property. The police must act, and so must the school administration.