RKM Narendrapur suspends classes 11 & 12, rest set to follow from July 5

Kolkata: The Narendrapur Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya has issued a closure notice for an indefinite period, effective this Saturday, following the death of a Class 12 student after he gulped down scalding hot tea.

The school authorities have started an internal investigation.The notice, issued on Thursday, stated, “All guardians of students of classes 5 to 10 are hereby informed that owing to unavoidable circumstances, all Bhavans will remain closed with effect from Sunday until further notice.” It also stated that all classes will remain suspended for the time being, and the date for the students’ return will be communicated by the authorities accordingly.

The school declared closure for Class 12 on Wednesday and Class 11 on Thursday.

An intra-school football tournament has also been postponed.The decision followed an agitation by parents and students on Wednesday evening after they learnt about the death of the student, Diptangshu Mahato.On Thursday, some parents visited the campus to take their children home. One parent, who came from Barasat, said, “My son has been studying here since Class 5.

When he comes home during vacations, he sometimes mentions the strict discipline, but he never revealed the kinds of things I have learnt about over the last 24 hours.”During a meeting between the school authorities and the students, as well as some parents, a section of students spoke out against the assault and harassment they faced on campus, saying they had never been able to voice their concerns before out of fear of rustication.

A Class 11 student said: “Many of us have been subjected to various forms of physical and mental harassment in the hostel for a long time. Three years ago, a student fled the hostel due to this torture, but instead of looking into the matter, he was rusticated.

”Debopriyo Biswas, Diptangshu’s friend who studied with him until Class 10, said: “They always create an environment of fear on the campus so that no one dares to open their mouth.

We want a proper investigation.”A parent of a Class 11 student expressed deep concern, saying: “It is so upsetting. Ever since I heard the news, the only thing haunting me is that it could have been my son. The school is not ready to explain the actual facts.”The school authorities on Wednesday night suspended three staffers due to their involvement in the incident. The school’s headmaster, Swami Ishteshananda, left the school during the agitation.

Sources said he wished to resign, though no further developments have been reported.A senior official of the school stated: “We always try to provide a safe environment for our students. Such an incident was never expected, and we took whatever steps were needed immediately. A police probe is also underway, and any decisions taken will be communicated accordingly. We have strict rules, regulations and guidelines for the staff. If few of them violate these, it does not mean the institution endorses their actions.

We always maintain a zero-tolerance policy in this regard.”(With inputs from Prithvijit Mitra)