Haryana schoolgirls move High Court, seek protection from daily harassment

In yet another incident which points towards deteriorating situation of law and order in Haryana, a group of schoolgirls has recently moved the Haryana and Punjab High Court, asking it for protection from harassment that they have been facing every day on their way to school.

The petition filed by five students, who studies in a government school in Manesar, alleges that their school does not have enough guards and boundary walls around its establishment which provides antisocial elements easy access to the institutional premises, allowing them to harass the girls.

"The school premises is being used for non-educational purposes and due to lack of proper boundary wall, the antisocial elements have easy access to the school premises," it reads.

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The girls belonging from the 7th to the 12th grade of the Haryana school also argued that such incidents violate their Right to Education and that repeated appeals to local authorities have gone in vain.

However, this is not first such incident which has been reported from the Manesar school. Earlier this month, the school saw an incident of break-in and vandalism owing to the lack of proper guards and boundary walls around its premises.

According to a report published on The Times of India, the school which has some 600 girls affiliated to it, is surrounded by open spaces frequently visited by men who drink, stare, passes abusive comments and disturb students.

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In the wake of such disturbing incidents, the school had to even shift its game classes indoors. Besides, the school compound also houses a post office, a primary health centre, panchayat building, anganwadi, and a park.

Meanwhile, the High Court has sought a response from the Haryana government on the basis of the plea filed by the school students by August 2.