Srinagar, June 3: The City police on Thursday registered a case against a leading private school at Sonawar for allegedly chopping off hair of over a dozen students for being late.
 The police action comes in the wake of a written compliant which the students of 11th and 12th classes lodged at Ram Munshi Bagh Police Station against the school administration, accusing it of “humiliating” them in public by chopping off their hair.
 “We have registered a case and are investigating the matter,” said a senior police official, pleading anonymity.
 The aggrieved students, who approached Greater Kashmir, said the administrators initiated the “disrespectful action” during the morning assembly as they were late to the school by a few minutes.
 “We were late because of the traffic jam. When we entered the school, we were made to stand up during the assembly. The officials started cutting our hair. We were humiliated in front of our fellow students. Some of us even broke into tears,” the students, pleading anonymity for fear of reprisals, said.
 They said hair of at least a dozen students was cut, forcing them to protest against the school administration.
 Shouting anti-school slogans, the students boycotted their classes and took to streets. “Down with cruel school administration,” they shouted.
 The students demanded action against the erring officials, seeking their immediate suspension. “Yes, we were a bit late. But where on earth are students treated so shabbily and humiliated in public,” they asked. “This is not punishment, but humiliation. We want justice. Let the school administration apologize to us publicly, the way they beat us up publicly. It is a condemnable action at a time when the corporal punishment across the country is banned.”
 The parents of aggrieved children have lodged a strong protest with the school administration. “Our children must have been a bit late. But is chopping off the hair a wise decision to address the problem,” asked Shabir Ahmad (name changed), a parent. “Such steps force children to take extreme steps like suicides. It is highly unfortunate on part of the school which has earned a name over the years. The action on students is unwarranted and condemnable.”
 The Director School Education Kashmir, Shagufta Parveen said: “We’ll look into the matter and initiate action against the school if the complaint is found true.”
 Experts fear such “harsh steps” would prove-counterproductive. “This generation is already traumatized. And actions like hair cut would hurt their self-esteem and further traumatize them,” said noted psychiatrist of Kashmir, Dr Mushtaq Margoob.
 He said teachers should not overreact in such situations. “There are ways to deal with such problems. But in any case cutting the hair is not the solution. These are toxic dozes which will further traumatize the generation,” Dr Margoob told Greater Kashmir.
 Despite repeated attempts, the school principal could not be contacted for comments.
 However, a school official said the punishment was intended to ensure discipline among the students. “They were habitual late comers. Some of them had grown a long hair which was trimmed as a disciplinary measure,” the official said.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 3 Jun 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 3 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 4 Jun 2010 00:00:00 IST