Students bear brunt of parents’ protest against fee hike

Wards of people who rallied against the step were thrashed by authorities of the east Delhi school and asked not to come

Students bear brunt of parents' protest against fee hike

Wards of people who rallied against the step were thrashed by authorities of the east Delhi school and asked not to come

Harassment and brutality handed over by a school to a bunch of innocent students is enough to bring anyone to shock. Students had to pay the price for the protest campaign taken up by their parents against arbitrary fee hike by Guru Harkishan Public School (GHPS), located at Har Gobind Enclave in Karkardooma, east Delhi.
Fourteen students were allegedly beaten up, pulled by the hair and made to stand outside the class for the day on Tuesday. The children from various classes were meted out the treatment as their parents had protested the unwarranted fee hike for the 2011-12 session.

Innocent victims:u00a0Vanshika Sharma, Nakul Verma

According to the school administration, the fee of these students is pending for the year. However, the parents welfare society of the school, in protest of increasing the fee by 40 per cent under different heads, had taken up this resolution to not pay the hiked amount till the time they bring down the fee to normal.

Amar Jyot and Kartik Nair, students who were allegedly harassed by
Guru Harkishan Public School authorities, in Delhi. Pics/ Mid Day

The parents' body of 600 members, a registered association, had recently participated in a protest rally held on Sunday, October 9, by the All India Parents Association (AIPA) against arbitrary fee hike by city schools.
"My son in class VII was among the children who were meted out the harassment. They were humiliated before a full classroom and were told not to come to school next day onwards. Also, the children were pulled by the hair and dragged out of the classroom," said JS Ahuja, president of the GHPS parents' welfare society.

"We were startled to know about the incident and immediately called the police. The policemen stayed in the school for three hours and have registered a complaint against the school authorities," said a parent whose son is in class III and was made to stand out of the class for the entire day. The association claims the school clerks also beat up the children. They have written to the directorate of education (DoE), and the Delhi commission for the protection of child rights (DCPCR).

The other side
Balbir Singh, chairman of GHPS, denying any such incident, said, "None of this can be true. The parents' society is telling all lies as they do not wish to pay the remainder of the fees, which amounts to about Rs 50 lakh altogether. The children were not humiliated, will never be; they were just reminded of their pending fee to the school." DCPCR officials, condemning the act of the school, said "Physical assault, mental torture or humiliation of children on any grounds is a serious offence. Also, the behaviour of the people responsible in the case amounting to torture is punishable under the RTE. An inquiry will be made on the issue and the rights of the children will be preserved."