Squabbling guardians put at ease with removal of principal

Kolkata: GD Birla School witnessed an unprecedented incident on Wednesday where opinions were divided among two groups of guardians, who were at loggerheads with each other over the reopening of the school.

Both the groups were seen quarrelling with each other outside the school campus, triggering tension in the area. One section of guardians, whose children study in higher classes, stressed the importance of reopening the school as its closure has been affecting the students set to appear for board examinations.

They said that the members from the other group must allow the school to start its normal functioning and the investigation that has been initiated in this regard must go hand in hand, with action taken against the principal if she is found guilty.

They also said if the agitation continues, it would affect the children who were in trauma after their classes remained suspended for the past few days.

But the other guardians stuck to their demand that the school would not be reopened until the principal is removed. They stated that there was no point in discussing the resumption of the school's functioning if the school authorities do not remove the principal from her present post.

It may be mentioned here that the agitation was lifted after the school authorities relieved the principal Sharmila Nath from duty and the school will resume its classes from Thursday.

Nath was questioned by police at the police headquarters in Lal Bazar, for nearly seven hours on Tuesday in connection with the case of sexual abuse of a four-year-old girl inside the school campus.

Following the incident, the Women's Grievance Cell (WGC) of Kolkata police's detective department had taken up the investigation of the case on Sunday from

Jadavpur police station and lodged a case against the principal of the school on the basis of a complaint lodged by the victim's father.