Amid reports of rampant sexual abuse of minors at shelter homes in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, an alleged harrowing incident of sodomisation of junior students by the seniors and staffers has reportedly emerged in a Haryana-based Gurukul in a village of Rohtak district. The traumatic incident came to limelight when on Raksha Bandhan (August 26), parents visiting their wards to celebrate the festival, were told by some students about repeated sodomisation attempts made by their seniors. Angry parents alleged that even after their hue and cry before the Gurukul management, the school did not pay any heed to their complaints. Later on, in the complaints lodged with the police, some parents alleged that their wards were picked up from the Gurukul hostels at night by their seniors who sexually abused them.
SHO Sadar, Manjit Singh confirmed before the media that a case under section 202, 323, 34, 377 and 506 of IPC and section 4 of POCSO Act has been registered after receiving complaints from some students and their parents.
When we visit the website of this Gurukul, on the homepage itself we hear the chanting voice of Arya Samaj’s Gayatri Mantra, ‘Om Bhur Bhuva Swaha, which reflects the scene of an ancient educational institute. The Gurukul claims that the primary aim of the institution is the evolution of the strength of character and personality in the students. It also claims that the Gurukul is inculcating high moral values and a secular outlook to prepare the future generation for this 21st-century world of competing nerves.
It is evident that the matter will be investigated in due course of time, the culprits might be convicted, and the school management may rusticate the erring students, but here arises the question whether the black stain on the face of the Gurukul, a so-called representative of the ancient Hindu educational system, would fade down? Has the claim of the Gurukul to impart high-quality education with sound moral values to their students become ineffective? Have these institutes lost and forgotten the basic agenda of the Hindu educational system? It is also a matter of investigation whether these so-called Gurukuls are really the carriers and representatives of the ancient Hindutav Educational Ashram system or they are just money minting institutes like other privately managed schools flourishing here and there due to the failure of government managed institutes? Time will ultimately provide the answers to these questions. But it seems that now the Haryana Government will have to start looking out for their sons and daughters against predators equally.