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In those 16 minutes, 13-year-old Rouvanjit was told to come up with the name of the boy who burst two crackers inside a classroom. Caned by the principal on February 8 for bunking class, Rouvanjit failed to meet the deadline. He returned home and allegedly hanged himself.
Chakraborty admits he caned Rouvanjit, a Class VIII student, and apologised today, saying he would never cane another student. But he was clear “I am not going to resign from office”.
“Why should I resign? I am a teacher, not a criminal. I don’t think there is any association between my caning the child and his death.”
Chakraborty said he had been making “judicious use” of the cane to discipline students. “I have made judicious use of it in the past, only to express my pain that a child’s behaviour caused to me.”
Piecing together the sequence of events that led to Rouvanjit’s death, The Indian Express spoke to several people including teachers, guardians and students of the prestigious Kolkata school and found that Rouvanjit was under great pressure between February 8, the day he was caned, and February 12, the day he allegedly took his own life.
Consider this:
* On February 8, Rouvanjit was caned for bunking class. He and his two friends hid in a toilet after saying they had to hand something to a teacher. They did not attend one class.
* “I punished this child on February 8. He did not come to school on February 9, 10 and 11. On February 12, he came back to play a bigger prank. That day I did not scold or rebuke him. I said you have 16 minutes to find the culprit and you will be let off scot-free,” Chakraborty said.
* Rouvanjit returned to his class room but the teacher did not let him enter. He stood outside and cried. Minutes after he finally entered the class room, the final bell for the day rang. He was not able to meet the deadline the principal had set.
* “The school was left with very little choice to discipline students. Tomorrow if boys bring a stink bomb and burst it in class, how are we supposed to tackle the situation?” Chakraborty asked.
* Ashok Agarwal, member of the inquiry committee of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights who conducted a three-day probe, said: “In last two periods on February 12, the child was harassed, totally condemned by teachers and the principal. He denied the allegation and said he did not burst crackers. He was crying. He waited outside the class room but the teacher did not let him enter.”
* Agarwal said Rouvanjit told a teacher, L G Gunion, not to question him about the crackers as he was very disturbed.
* Family members said Rouvanjit called his father on phone at 1 pm and tried to say something. Around 2.30 pm, he allegedly hanged himself.
* Only when his father found his diaries and other writings, the family got to know why Rouvanjit did not want to go to school.
* Asked whether the incident had affected the image of the school which was established in 1836, school authorities said it had definitely taken a beating. But principal Chakraborty said the school would learn from its “mistakes”.
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How can just a caning drive a guy to commit suicide..we all get canned during our school life for the right reason...i got canned by Mr Chakraborty for bunking and i am still alive and rocking and at the same time i feel for the family of Rouvanjit..my opinion is that lets not jump the gun and see from the investigation as to what drove him to commit suicide. I personally stand by caning if done for the right reason.
The Church of North India is no less a monster than the catholic priests of the Vatican who sexually abused children and continue to do so. They are forwarding the same excuses as those priests had to defend one of their who had indeed committed the abuses. Indian laws are a sham. The principal didn't know that caning was prohibited. Then how come is he in charge of a school if he doesn't know the law of the land. He is a liar and so is the Church of North India. A child died after being canned and humiliated. Why is no action being taken against the culprits. A teacher of the same school abused another student for a laptop. Who knows how many more cases of abuses there are in this school. Is the Principal a CPM party member who is being shielded by the government? The head of any organization is responsible for the actions of that organization. The principal has to pay for the child's death. Either this is done or every teacher will start to abuse students with impunity.
As an ex-student of the school, and also being an investigative authority( posted in a different state), firstly, dont listen to aditi and if possible do get your children admitted to la martinere, just a few rotten apples are maligning the institutions name, there are more good and compassionate teachers then sadists like chakrovarty. secondly, a proper criminal investigation should be ordered into the issue as there are apparent many points of contention as per the facts so stated and as found out by me on a personal level, further it is also obvious that rouvanjit himself though just 13 wasnt a saint either, being obviously extremely disobedient and mischievious- indicating his parents inabilty to raise him correctly- (possibly as he was the youngest child hence most pampered). thirdly, i hope chakrovarty is removed from the school as this is not the only criminal investigation on going against him. As for draconian suggestions as to hittim him with swords etc. please grow up.
@Raghav, are you really serious. This principal and the church of north india are totally responsible for the childs death. There is something called an abatement to suicide. That what these missionaries are responsible of. Just because you are an ex student it doesn't give you the right to throw trash and venom on the victim and his family.
Let the public make judicious use of caning on the principal only to express the pain that he has caused all of us.
Chakraborty says he was pained by Rouvanjit, so he hit him with cane. Then by that same measure Rouvanjit's parents are now pained beyond words and they must be entitled to hit Chakraborty with a sword. That will be justice; everything else will be cover up for such criminally arrogant behavior of Chakroborty.
This is a horrific story. As an ex student of La Martiniere Calcutta, I am shocked but not entirely surprised. Bullying by egomaniacal teachers with poor pedagogical and interpersonal skills was, and clearly is, commonplace at the school where the teaching methods were archaic and gloomy to say the least. I can quite imagine a 13 year old thinking the world was coming to an end because of this kind of sustained harassment by sadistic authority figures. Not all teachers lacked skill and compassion of course, but the ones that were bad could be terrifying.
Sad, unacceptable, sadistic behaviour of principal Chakraborty.Caning in this days and age !!!Where did the school board find such a jewel of a principal?? Chakraborty should be caned first, followed by immediate dismissal and imprisonment. There should be examplary punishment of this low life, which should serve as a lesson for teachers in India. Family dynamics need reexamination and lessons need to be learned. Parents should STAY AWAY from getting their kids admitted to La Martiniere.