'Remove shirts': 80 schoolgirls forced to go home wearing 'only blazers' in Dhanbad, parents blame principal

The principal objected to the celebration and asked the students to remove their shirts

A hunger strike demanding action against the principal of a reputed private school in Dhanbad, who had allegedly ordered Class 10 girls to remove their shirts for writing messages on them last week, was held by members of an organisation of parents.

However, those holding the strike  were not parents or guardians of the 80 schoolgirls who were allegedly made to return home wearing ‘only’ blazers by the principal as punishment.

According to the complaint filed by the parents with Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner Madhvi Mishra, Class 10 students, after completing their examination, were celebrating "pen day" by writing messages on each others' shirts.

The principal objected to the celebration and asked the students to remove their shirts, even though they sought an apology.

Jharkhand Abhivawak Mahasangh (JAM), the organisation of parents, accused the district administration of giving a clean chit to the principal. The district authorities, however, remained tight-lipped about the claim.

The district authorities that conducted an inquiry on Monday remained silent about the alleged "clean chit" given to the principal who is a woman.

Eleven office-bearers of JAM staged the hunger strike from 10 am to 4 pm at Randhir Verma Chowk in the heart of the city, demanding action against the principal.

JAM Secretary Manoj Mishra stated that an inquiry team, comprising the SDO and SDPO, was formed by DC Madhvi Mishra in response to a complaint lodged by the parents. Following the alleged humiliation of the children, the DC directed the SDO to investigate the incident.

However, Mishra claimed that the SDO gave a clean chit to the principal and recommended a compromise between the school management and the parents.

JAM Secretary Manoj Mishra said they now rely on the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) and the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), whose representatives were part of the inquiry team.

DLSA Secretary Rakesh Roshan said their report would be submitted to the Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority. Meanwhile, CWC Chairman Uttam Mukherjee confirmed that their report had been sent to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) in New Delhi.