Sunny Dua
Brutal killing of seven-year old Pradyuman of Ryan International School in Gurugram last Friday has sent shock waves amongst parents whose wards are studying in different institutions across the length and breadth of country. About four years ago on February 6, 2013 Suruchi daughter of Surjit Singh – a student of class sixth of Delhi Public School (DPS), Jammu was killed on the spot when her own school bus crushed her and that too within the premises of institution.
Several other instances of school children getting drowned while on picnic or killed while travelling in overcrowded school bus or autorickshaw have been reported during past over a decade. These unfortunate incidents tough forced many to go in for short term remedial measures yet no one either Government or schools actually cared to order a safety audit of all educational institutions. Even the managements of educational institutions, who for most of the time adopt casual approach, never cared to introspect as to how safe their schools were.
Each and every gory incident, during the past, had ended with allegations and counter allegations. The blame was shifted to driver, traffic authorities, school teachers, parents and even students but no one ever cared to ensure safety of children within the school premises, vehicles that children use to reach schools and back or even play grounds and recreational areas that kids use after school. Pradyuman’s alleged murder doesn’t make us focus on children’s security within school premises but outside as well.
Many a time after such incidents Government including traffic authorities and education department besides school management comes out with long list of safety for children and put someone else responsible for implementing those unending guidelines. It’s like rubbing your responsibility off your shoulders. But that’s not done. Every such death will have our hands in blood whether you like it or not. Legal battle might fix one guilty and even hang him or her like Ranga and Billa but then again the society in totality will be responsible for the crime they committed in shrugging.
Be it Geeta and Sanjay Chopra’s kidnapping and murder case of 1978 wherein both kidnappers Ranga and Billa were hanged in 1982 or 2008 Aarushi Talwar murder case of Noida or even Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case that shook entire nation in recent in 2012, safety of our children is important everywhere. We need a safe home, a safe neighbourhood, a safe school, safe tuition centre, safe roads, safe play areas and safe social gathering areas like cinema halls, restaurants, hotels, parks and gardens.
We live in a society and not in jungle. We need to be sensitive enough towards our children and share responsibilities equally. Unlike TV serial-Fear Factor, governments as well as educational institutions can’t ask for an undertaking saying that parents or their wards will be responsibile for their own lives and then adopt a laid back attitude. They are equally responsible for safety of children as much as parents are. Educative programmes are run on TVs and radios besides in print media asking children to report undue behaviour of elders and not allow their private parts to be touched by neighbours. This is apt but can’t we convene meetings of neighbours and tell them to behave with society children including girls. Why is that children are made to grow in a scary atmosphere where they look upon every individual as a beasts. We need to change our attitude and let children grow in complete freedom while we tame beasts and stop them from preying upon our kids. Elders need lessons on morality as much as children need.
Like after Uphaar Cinema fire every theatre conducted safety audit and government agencies including fire brigade swung into action and this is what is done with other institutions after every accident. But then it’s too little and too late an action especially when the damage is done. To the debate is unending but to sum up sensing the gravity of situation, ideally, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari and Priya Sethi looking after education department in J&K State must order safety audit of all government run as well as private educational institutions so that we don’t face such tragedies.
We in J&K still have institutions that don’t have proper and separate bathrooms for girls as well as boys as ordered mandatory by even Supreme Court of India. Then there are schools which have constructed rooms in such a hap-hazardous manner that many little children are made to climb hundreds of stairs to reach fifth floor where there are no safety measures. As if this was not enough there are institutions which have installed mobile towers on their rooftops exposing children to radiations which are believed to be triggering cancer or causing affect to brains.
A lot many educational institutions in old Jammu city are located in so densely populated areas that they are having just one single entry as well as exit. In case of earthquake or fire school children of these institutions can in no way be evacuated as soon as needed. Still unfortunate was that these schools are continuing to buy old buildings and expand their institutions without any playground, other infrastructure or looking into safety concerns. Here we need safety audit and ask institutions to mend their ways and stop making money at the cost of lives of children.
Then there are schools which are run in small, shabby, not-so-airy and crowded localities. These are schools which have come up randomly without any planning. They lack play grounds, potable water facilities and even fire safety measures. Though some of the CBSE approved schools have done wonders when it comes to building infrastructure but safety still remains a concern there as well. CCTV cameras, security guards, proper entry as well as exit besides a check on parents taking their wards during school hours due to personal reasons are all being monitored yet a check on students’ activities remains a concern.
Schools buses of many institutions are still not safe, autorickshaws, mini vans and other modes of transport continue to flout norms and dump children like cattle-herd for ferrying them to schools and back home. On the other hand Government run institutions to a larger extent have improved. The practice of sending children to fetch water or tea by teachers has been done away with ever since peons have been appointed for each and every school. Earlier, children were exposed to risks while crossing roads to fetch one or the other thing for teachers. Still the shortcomings must be pointed out in safety audits and same rectified before it’s too late.
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