Ranchi, June 24: State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR), Jharkhand, which had promised yesterday to look into allegations that a Class VI boy was subjected to corporal punishment at St Francis School earlier this week, did not initiate a probe today because one of its members was too busy to accompany the chairperson to the Samlong campus that is barely 6km from the district headquarters.
"I was ready (to go to the school) today, but another member (Manoj Kumar) wasn't free. So, we shall plan later next week," said SCPCR chairperson Arti Kujur. "I need at least one more member to accompany me to probe the matter as per the rule," she explained, adding that no one else was available.
Kumar repeated what Kujur said when this correspondent contacted him. He said he got busy with some work, but did not elaborate.
Mayank Sharma (11) was allegedly asked to do 250 sit-ups by class teacher Joy C. Lakra at the school. His parents initially claimed that the boy was punished for talking to his classmates. But yesterday the school seemed to have brokered a truce with the parents who then claimed the teacher had apologised and that Mayank's father had "forgiven" him.
The school clarified that Mayank was punished for not doing his homework and that he had misinformed his parents about the number of sit-ups he was made to do.
School manager Brother Jose, however, refused to specify how many sit-ups Mayank was asked to do. "The number as not 250 that is all I shall say. The chapter is closed," he told The Telegraph yesterday.
SCPCR's lackadaisical attitude towards issues it is supposed to take up did not surprise activists working for child welfare.
"Present members of the SCPCR should understand that their job is not just to hold seminars or issue advisories. It should be proactive in all cases concerning children. What will the members get if they go to the school later? By then, any injuries the child may have suffered would have healed. Pressured by the school, chances are that parents would prefer not to say anything. And the school would cite the truce it has brokered," said one who is associated with an NGO.
