Day after panel orders probe into casteist abuse allegations, Gurgaon school calls student's assault 'minor quarrel'

GURGAON: A day after Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) ordered a probe into allegations of casteist abuse and assault on a minor student by his peers over a period of 20 days - calling it an "institutional failure" - officials at Govt Model Sanskriti Primary School in Sushant Lok described the incident as a "minor quarrel".The child's father had alleged that the casteist slurs had culminated in physical assault, which caused an eye injury to his 10-year-old son on Dec 19 last year.On Tuesday, however, the school authorities released a statement saying that the altercation between a Bal Vatika (first-grade) student and the Class 3 boy was a "small incident" that was swiftly addressed as well."Both parents were informed, and counselling was provided as well. The matter was settled amicably," a school official said. The official also suggested that the injury suffered by the Class 3 student - an eye trauma - might not have even been the result of peer violence, but rather an accident during play.These conflicting narratives - initially acknowledging a student altercation, yet later suggesting the injury could have been caused by a door or wall - have further muddied the school's stance. Despite administering first aid, the school administration maintained that the incident was not severe, saying that "minor injuries are common" and behavioural counselling is part of routine school functioning.This stance, however, stands in stark contrast to a complaint filed by the injured child's father, who accused the school of ignoring repeated warnings about casteist abuse and showing negligence that resulted in the injury. The parent alleged that the class teacher failed to act on earlier complaints and that the acting principal dismissed their concerns and refused to provide access to higher authorities."Who will take responsibility if my kid loses his eye?" the father questioned in his complaint.The school authority said the dispute had been settled. "Both students have been coming to school on a daily basis. The mother of the injured child asked us to suspend the other student, but that is something we can't do at our level. Also, the other child's father apologised to the injured boy's parents and scolded his son. We never knew that this matter would become so big as it was already sorted at the school level," the official said. The rights panel has taken a more serious view of the complaint, describing the case and alleged inaction by the school authorities as a potential "institutional failure". It ordered the district elementary education officer to initiate an independent probe and demanded written responses from both the class teacher and acting principal. The local police, accused of inaction by the family, have also been asked to submit a report on steps taken by them.In the wake of conflicting accounts, the commission is expected to further scrutinise the role of the school authorities. The next hearing is scheduled for July 30.