Cattle grazing on the school ground is among issues raised by the students. (Express Photo)Four girls from the Government Girls Senior Secondary School in Manesar approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court last week, seeking a solution to security issues they are facing at the institution. With the 20-acre land on which the school stands also housing a post office, a primary health centre, an under-construction panchayat bhawan and an anganwadi, the girls said the presence of strangers, many of whom allegedly misbehave with the teenagers, has left them feeling unsafe.
“People sit in the grounds or wander the corridors. If questioned, they say they have work at the other facilities. There have been instances of men peeping into our classrooms through windows during school hours, which have made us uncomfortable…,” a student anonymously said. Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner Amit Khatri visited the school Saturday and assured that necessary arrangements would be made. He said, “Though I’m satisfied with the security aspect, any other shortcoming will be addressed. Apart from installing CCTV cameras, barbed wires will also be erected on boundary walls.”
Students said people also litter the school ground and leave their cattle to graze there. “The men look at us in a way that makes us feel uncomfortable. Some even pass comments,” said another student, adding, “There is no security guard to watch over the area.” Students claimed they wrote to the District Education Officer on June 21, but nothing was done to assist them. “On July 12, we found the locks of some rooms were broken, and the doors and walls were painted black,” said a student. Though an FIR was lodged, arrests are yet to be made in the matter.
