Following the discovery of alcohol and condoms in the principal’s room, a missionary school in the Morena district of Madhya Pradesh has been sealed. The State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (SCPRC) conducted the surprise inspection on Saturday, March 25. Premium liquor bottles and packets of condoms were recovered from a room next to the library, which is sometimes used by the school principal.

Along with beds, alcohol, and condoms, the SCPCR team also found egg trays and gas cylinders. An FIR has been filed against the school’s principal, and the police have been directed to conduct a thorough investigation into the case.

“I saw there was a gas cylinder and other objectionable stuff, including liquor bottles. Police are investigating the whole matter,” stated Nivedita Sharma, a member of the SCPCR inspection team. She also added that she has brought the issue to the District Collector’s attention.

She informed, “When we reached there for a routine inspection, we were surprised to know how both corners of the school were attached from the inside. It was a room and liquor bottles and condoms were found there. It was like a complete residential setup. It does not belong to only one person, but more people came out of the building who were living there. It was being used as an accommodation.”

Furthermore, she reported the room included at least 15 beds but lacked a CCTV camera. “The question arises that when CCTV cameras are installed in other locations of the building, why was that particular section left out? If the principal said he wasn’t staying there, then who was staying, and why 15 beds are present there? More importantly, why does that room have a direct entrance with classrooms of girl students,” she questioned.

She further emphasised that no alcohol is permitted anywhere on the school grounds. “It is a violation of the law. The excise department is also taking action on the matter as it is also illegal that anybody can keep such amounts of liquor. Some other objectionable stuff, including condoms, were also found,” she remarked.

The Dindori Case

Earlier this month, the principal of another missionary school in the state was arrested for assaulting and sexually exploiting minor girl students residing in the hostel premises.

On March 3, members of the state child commission and the Child Welfare Commission Dindori did a surprise inspection at a missionary school (JDES convent) and the hostel located in the Junwani village. Students reporting the case were mostly Tribals.

During this drive, the boys’ students told visitors about the physical assault and the vulnerable hostel conditions. At the same time, the girls told CWC about the sexual abuse by Nansingh Yadav and Khemchandra Sir.

A First Information Report (number–00/2023) was registered by CWC chairperson Dindori in this case at the Mahila Thana Dindori on March 4 under sections 354, 354(a)(1) i, 323, 34 with sections 7/ 8 of the POCSO Act and sections 75 and 82 of the Juvenile Justice Act.

Even after the statements of the victims and the complaint by the CWC members and MP SCPCR members, no action was taken by the authorities. Due to the lackadaisical police behaviour and administrative failure, the Chairperson for the National Protection of Child Rights, Priyank Kanoongo visited the town.

In his single visit, as many as seven FIRs were registered against the authorities.

After the visit, Kanoongo told Organiser |

“The visit opened a pandora box as the school was receiving government aid for four hostels whereas in reality they only had two. They were charging money from students, abusing them sexually, were converting them to Christianity, the condition of the hostels were vulnerable, and students were forced to have low-quality food and whatnot”

This correspondent accessed the statements of the minor children on camera, where they told the CWC members that teacher Khemchandra used to press the breasts of the minor girls in class. He used to press the breasts of the minor girls in class. He used to touch the part used for urination. He would ask them to bend down so that he can stand behind them.

The Mandla Case

On March 8, a FIR was registered against the authorities of the Missionary school in the Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh. Members of MP SCPCR and Chairperson Onkar Singh did a surprise inspection drive at various schools and hostels in the area. During the drive, they found irregularities at the Saint Joseph hostel. The students also reported forced religious conversions by the authorities.

A First Information Report (number–12/2023) was registered at the Mavai police station of Mandla district. In this complaint, Yogesh Parasher, a member of the district Child Welfare Committee (CWC) told the police that, with Chairperson SCPCR and other members they were inspecting schools and hostels of the Ghoreghat–Tabalpani area on March 2.

In this regard, they met Tribal students (12 boys and 18 girls) living at the Saint Joseph hostel. The conditions of the rooms, they were living in were vulnerable. The hostel did not have basic facilities of water supply, fan and coolers, bedsheets and others. The washrooms were unhygienic.

The students told the CWC and SCPCR members that the school authorities ask them to wake up at 5 and then come to the church for prayer. These students were all Tribals, still, they were forced to follow Christian religious practices. The students were asked to rear cattle including goats for the school.

After the complaint the accused authorities namely Father JB Sebastian were booked under IPC sections 374 (forced labour), 34 (acts done by several persons with common intent) with sections 42 and 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015. Furthermore sections 3 / 5 and 11 (1) of the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021  were also imposed. With this sections 3(1)(h) and 3(2)(v) of the SC-ST Act and sections 3 and 14 of the Child Labour Act, 1986 were imposed.

Repeated cases of Child abuse and forced religious conversions at the schools and hostels run by the missionary institutions are alarming. There needs to be a detailed inspection of such institutions, especially in Madhya Pradesh.

Notably, in all these cases there were problems with the permits, these institutions were taking government funds and using them for conversion activities. There have been cases of baptism and abuse. This raises alarming questions on the authorities.

References:

opindia.com
organiser.org