Visvabharati apologises
Five days after a Visvabharati hostel warden shocked the nation by forcing a 10-year-old student to drink her urine, university registrar Manimukut Mitra issued a statement of apology on Thursday. The statement read: “The university unequivocally regrets the traumatic experience of a Patha Bhavan student Punita Singh at the hands of the warden Uma Poddar (of Karabi hostel). Visvabharati has allowed the girl to be a day-boarder, as an exceptional case. The university further assures the parents of the girl (and all other parents of Patha Bhavan children) that such instances will not recur.” Interestingly, the development took place on a day when posters in support of Uma Poddar were found pasted all over the Visvabharati campus. The unsigned posters, written in Bengali, claimed that there was a conspiracy to frame Poddar. In late afternoon, a section of students also took out a rally in favour of the warden.
Meanwhile, the varsity has also taken the decision of overhauling the existing warden-matron system at its various hostels. “Visvabharati has decided to overhaul the entire warden-matron system prevailing in its school hostels for years and seek avenues on how to improve the situation, befitting the stature of a Central university of international repute” the registrar said in the press statement. The university has also requested the parents of Punita to send her back to school, saying: “Visvabharati requests the girl’s parents to send her back to Patha Bhavan.” The statement further mentioned that the authorities are committed to holistic and humanised education, in the highest of traditions set by its founder Gurudev Tagore, and make its schools centres of excellence in the contemporary world.”
In the afternoon, Punita and her parents appeared before the inquiry committee set up by the varsity. After over two-and-half-hour of the interview with the inquiry committee, Manoj Mistry, the father of the girl, said: “They have noted our version. We have stated each and every details of the incident to them. They have also requested us to reconsider our decision of withdrawing our child from Patha Bhavan.” Mr Mistry reiterated that their daughter will not be continuing with this school anymore.
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