COMMENT | The hallmark of democracy

COMMENT | Three days ago, a 13-year-old student was punished by a senior teacher for wearing shoes with Velcro straps. She was forced to kneel on the tar road with her hands raised as punishment. The incident took place during the school assembly. 

Other students who arrived late to school were conveniently given a more lenient punishment as they were only made to stand behind the girl as she underwent her punishment.

The girl explained to the teacher that her father could not afford a pair of shoes with laces as he did not have the money. Earlier, the girl’s father had already informed the school that he will try his best to replace his daughter’s shoes sometime after Deepavali.

Later, the teacher took the girl to a quiet corner where she cut the girl’s holy string from her right arm and ordered her to remove her “pottu” (black dot) and “vibuthi” (holy ash) from her forehead. 

The girl who had just joined the school three weeks earlier used to be the head prefect and a top student in her primary school. She was also a school representative in sports.

Shaken up by the incident...