Morung Express News
Dimapur | February 29
Class 11 cadets of Sainik School, Punglwa left campus on February 29 in protest over alleged apathy of the school’s administration towards them. The cadets, 45 in total, marched from Punglwa till Jharnapani where they were picked by their parents in the afternoon today.
The cadets told media persons that they left fearing retaliation from their senior class 12 cadets over a series of incidents which occurred on February 17 and 18 at the school campus.
According to the cadets, they were allegedly assaulted by their seniors on the night of February 17 at their hostel block. This was followed by another round of assault on February 18 morning, said one of the cadets, while adding that some 16-20 junior cadets were injured and had to be admitted to hospital.
The assaults were allegedly the result of the juniors not organising a farewell function for their outgoing class 12 cadets.
Following the incidents, the cadets said that the school administration suspended the class 12 cadets and asked them to leave campus till the final board examinations, which begins March first week. The junior cadets also left campus, while their parents lodged a police complaint at Jalukie Police Station on February 18.
As per the school administration’s decision, the cadets said that the seniors were to report to campus only for appearing their exams and not as boarding cadets.
With this arrangement in place, the class 11 cadets reported to campus only to receive threatening calls from the seniors, said the cadets, while they received news that the class 12 cadets will be re-joining campus on March 1. This was despite the school administration’s standing decision to suspend the senior cadets from the school campus as boarding cadets, it was added.
Apprehending a repeat of the February 17 and 18 incidents, the cadets said that they decided to leave before the seniors set foot in campus on March 1. “We’re going home and at the same time hoping that they (seniors) are not allowed to stay in the campus.”
A parent of one of the cadets expressed displeasure at the school administration’s response citing negligence and apathy.
Regarding the complaint at Jalukie PS, police are reportedly at a loss over jurisdictional authority. The school being a Defence-run establishment has apparently prevented the police from investigating the case.
Meanwhile, the school administration could not be reached for comment. Several attempts to reach the principal’s office since February 18 were unsuccessful.
