The death of a Class 6 student at the Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya (VKV) in Sher, in Papum Pare district, has traumatized the whole state. Before the death he was allegedly tortured and severely beaten up by two of his own classmates after a fight broke out among them. While the VKV authorities claim that the boy died by hanging, the boy’s family alleges that he was murdered. The police have started the investigation and hopefully the truth about the death will come to the fore at the earliest. The horrific death of such a young soul is extremely painful.
The Sher VKV authorities should extend all possible cooperation to the police, so that justice is delivered to the grieving parents. Last year also, the school was in the news for all the wrong reasons. The allegation of torture and bullying by the senior students had forced the authorities to take drastic measures of rusticating 60 students of Classes 9 and 10. The authorities seem to have failed to learn any lesson from the last year’s incident. Had they been more vigilant and taken corrective measures, the young student would not have lost his life. This is a wakeup call for not only the VKV but the schools across the state. Incidents of bullying should be taken very seriously. Whenever any student raises concern, the school authorities should take note of it and take strong action. The parents also need to keep an eye on their wards and regularly check their behaviour.