HYDERABAD: Six students of Sri Chaitanya Junior College, Nagole, inflicted injuries on themselves after being denied a holiday on December 7, which ironically is a public holiday on account of the Assembly elections.
In an audio clip being circulated on Whatsapp, the students of the residential college are heard speaking to child rights body Balala Hakkula Sangham, seeking help to pressure the residential school into giving them a holiday.
One of the students tells an activist that they are often denied leaves and holidays by the management. “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.