A 7 year old was murdered in a Gurgaon school – a space we parents consider safe! Initially a bus driver was accused of sexual misconduct and murder by police and as per the latest twist in the tale – a class 11 student orchestrated the whole scenario in order to stall a Parent Teacher Meeting and delay an exam.
Though the case is subjudice and formal chargesheet is still not filed, I am taking the liberty to put forth my perspective in this matter. As a mother of a young child, this case has left me aghast. Either scenario – represents a grim social reality.
Child Sexual Abuse has to be vehemently eradicated. The punishments for such crimes have to be harsh because a child undergoing abuse is deeply impacted for life. Before anything else it is important for us as people to talk about Sex much more openly and bring sex education to schools. The idea is to have an open communication about it and also make reporting about it natural and easier.
And even if the murder was not an outcome of CSA but a deviant mind, I cannot imagine the kind of stakes that this PTA, exam would have for the boy to actually conceive and commit a gruesome act of murder.
Is our exposure to violence really high or are children playing too many aggressive digital games that desensitizes them to real human values? Are we not modeling behavior of empathy and compassion towards others? Or have we as a society placed too much weightage on academic performance? Have we linked our children’s academics to our standing in the society or made it a proof of the kind of upbringing we are giving them?
Are marks really the mirror of learning, understanding and application of knowledge imparted in school?
Parent teacher meetings: Are these a platform for appreciation or merely appraisal of the student? Has it become an open time for child bashing both by the parents and the teachers?
I am left with so many open ended questions. Is this really a world I want my daughter to grow up in?
All I know is the pain that Pradyuman’s parents are going through is unfathomable and nothing done could ever get him back.
This is an alarming wakeup call! We better address these issues before it is too late.
Dr Shruti Jaiswal is a Parenting Coach with Parwarish Institute of Parenting. These are her views
