Kolkata, Dec 6 (IANS) The south Kolkata-based G.D. Birla Centre for Education, which has seen continuous protests over the past few days over the alleged sexual assault on a four-year-old girl inside the school premises, on Wednesday saw the agitating guardians were divided over the reopening of the school.

While a section of guardians held on to their previous demand of removing the Principal, another section of guardians of senior students demanded the school be reopened immediately.

The school has kept all its classes suspended since last Monday following massive protests by the guardians of students as the incident of sexual assault surfaced on December 1.

The two opposing sections engaged in a war of words outside the school campus on Wednesday evening even as the school authorities conducted the second round of meetings with the representatives of the guardians’ forum and administration inside the campus.

“We want justice. The school was closed down by the management. So, it is their responsibility to reopen the school. Our primary demand is justice to the victim child. The Principal must be removed for trying to suppress the issue,” a guardian demanding the Principal’s ouster stressed.

During the first round of meeting with the school authorities, the guardians’ representatives refused to discuss other issues, including reopening of the school and student’s security, till the Principal was removed.

They claimed the school authorities were trying to create a divide among the protesters by misinforming them.

“The school management is trying to create a division among the guardians by misguiding them. They did the same when another similar incident took place in 2014. But this time their dirty design will not work,” said another guardian.

However, another section of guardians questioned the movement and said that the education of their children was getting hampered as the school was closed.

“We are in favour of justice but not in favour of keeping the school closed. We want the school to reopen from tomorrow (Thursday). We will not allow any movement to go on keeping the school closed. This is not the way for protest. Our children’s education is getting hampered,” said another guardian.

A four-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by two P.T. teachers in a washroom in the high-profile south Kolkata school last Thursday. Both the accused have been arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and sent to police custody till December 15.

–IANS
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