‘Won’t send her back to that school’: Family of minor assaulted in Panchkula
Source Entity
Hina Rohtaki
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has mandated schools to implement anti-bullying policies targeting gender identity and sexual orientation. This follows tragic incidents of student harassment in Haryana, including a 2022 death and a recent assault in a Panchkula school.
Judicial Intervention in School Safety Protocols
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a significant directive to the Department of School Education in Haryana and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The court has mandated that all schools within its jurisdiction must strictly comply with the Supreme Court's guidelines established in Sukdeb Saha’s case. This legal intervention necessitates that every school institute robust internal committees specifically tasked with addressing complaints of bullying and harassment based on gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
The Catalyst for Judicial Change
This directive stems from a heart-wrenching petition filed by the mother of a 16-year-old boy from a prominent Faridabad school, who tragically died on February 24, 2022. The petition alleged that the school authorities and the headmistress failed to protect the student, who suffered persistent bullying due to his artistic inclinations being perceived as 'effeminate' by his peers. This case underscores a systemic failure to recognize and mitigate the psychological violence faced by students who do not conform to traditional gender norms.
Broader Implications for Educational Environments
By explicitly including 'gender identity' and 'sexual orientation' in the mandated anti-bullying mechanisms, the High Court is signaling a shift toward more inclusive educational environments. This move acknowledges that bullying is not merely a behavioral issue but often a structural one rooted in prejudice. Schools, as primary socialization agents, are now legally compelled to move beyond generic anti-bullying policies and address the specific, intersectional vulnerabilities that lead to tragic outcomes like the one observed in the Faridabad case.
Addressing the Crisis of School Violence
Beyond the issue of identity-based bullying, recent events in Haryana have highlighted an urgent need for overall safety improvements. The assault of a six-year-old girl at the Sanskriti Model School in Panchkula, which led to her hospitalization at PGIMER, Chandigarh, has sparked public outcry. The family’s refusal to send the child back to the institution reflects a deep-seated loss of trust in current school safety protocols, necessitating a holistic review of how schools manage student protection.
The Path Forward: Accountability and Recovery
As the affected child recovers from the trauma of the Panchkula incident, the family’s decision to explore other schooling options highlights the long-term psychological impact of school-based violence. The legal mandates issued by the High Court represent a necessary step toward accountability. For these measures to be effective, school administrations must move beyond mere compliance and foster a culture of empathy and vigilance, ensuring that schools remain spaces of learning rather than sites of trauma.
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