Telangana students self-harm after being denied holiday on election day

Six students from a Telangana residential school inflicted injuries upon themselves after being denied a holiday on the day of the Assembly elections. The students from Sri Chaitanya Junior College, Nagole could be heard speaking in an audio clip to a child rights activist body seeking help to pressure the school into giving them a holiday. 

In the audio clip now being circulated on WhatsApp, the students are heard speaking to an activist from Balala Hakkula Sangham complaining about often being denied leaves and holidays. "We feel mentally tortured. We are hardly ever allowed to go home,” the student said.

BHS activist Achyuta Rao who visited the college and met the students said they were depressed and suicidal. He flayed corporate colleges for treating students inhumanly. “This is one of the reasons there have been so many incidents of suicides among students of private junior colleges. The institutions routinely flout the Intermediate Board’s norms,” he said.    

Though the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) has already declared a holiday for all educational institutions as per directions of the Election Commission, the college chose to conduct classes.

Repeated attempts to reach Sri Chaitanya Group of Institutions academic director Sushma Bopanna were in vain. 

Meanwhile, TSBIE secretary A Ashok called for an enquiry into the matter. “Action will be taken accordingly. As of now, the college administration has been instructed to declare a holiday,” the official said. 

It may be recalled students of Sri Chaitanya Junior College, Bachupally, went on a rampage last March and tried to set a building on fire as they weren’t allowed to take a day off before their exams. Scores of suicides have been reported from the two colleges in the last several years.