Kolkata:
On Wednesday morning, Ajay Rawla received an SMS from La Martiniere School asking him to ensure that his bank account can cover Rs 6225 required in the next few days as school fees for his son, Rouvan.
Except that 12-year-old Rouvan killed himself in February, four days after being caned by the La Martiniere principal. The case forced schools and the government to take a long, hard look at whether teachers understand or pay attention to basic child psychology, and how much more needs to be done to curb corporal punishment.
In June, Rawla got an SMS from the school - an automated reminder sent to all parents - that close to Rs 9000 would be debited from his account for his child's fees. He reprimanded the school officials for this. Today, the next reminder beeped in.
Rawla, who wants a police investigation on his son's death to end with a giant penalty for the school, holds that the sms-es are additional proof that this is not a school which is capable of any sensitivity. A spokesperson for the school said he regrets the error and will send a written apology to Rawla.
Prinicipal Sunirmal Chakravarthi said Rouvan was beaten in February for setting off stink bombs in class. In June, he told NDTV that he was not aware that corporal punishment is illegal. The school took no action against him, leaving Rowla and several other parents incensed.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has said it believes that the caning led to Rouvan feeling humiliated and was a direct cause of his suicide.