ITANAGAR: A case of ragging has come to fore from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Bordumsa Sub-Division of eastern Arunachal’s Changlang district, where 24 students were allegedly mercilessly beaten by their seniors, leaving them severely injured.
The incident, which has sent shockwaves across the state, was reported on Tuesday afternoon.
According to emerging reports, the 24 boarding students were physically and mentally tortured by a group of five 11th-standard students when they went for lunch around 2 pm after their classes had ended.
Rajiv Ranjan, the principal of the school, stated that all five accused students have been suspended following a decision by the disciplinary committee.
“They will be handed over to their parents today,” Ranjan was quoted as saying by a news broadcasting channel.
In response to the incident, a meeting of the school’s Parent Teacher Council (PTC) has been convened today to discuss further actions.
The injured students have received preliminary treatment.
The guardians of the victims have expressed their outrage, blaming the school administration, particularly Principal Rajiv Ranjan, for the incident.
They are demanding strict action not only against the guilty students but also against the school administration.
This is not the first such incident in Arunachal Pradesh.
In 2018, three 6th-standard students at JNV Doimukh in Papum Pare district were ragged by nine 7th-standard students, leading to the suspension of the perpetrators.
More recently, in 2023, over 20 students fell victim to ragging by senior students at Sangay Lhaden Sports Academy in Chimpu, 25 km from the state capital Itanagar.
The recent incident at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya underscores the ongoing problem of ragging in educational institutions and casts doubt on the effectiveness of anti-ragging measures and the accountability of school administrations in safeguarding student welfare.
