Letter To Editor: End School Violence Before Another Kashmiri Child Suffers

A 15-year-old schoolgirl was recently beaten by a staff member for trimming her eyelashes in Srinagar. She explained it was an accident, but the punishment went ahead.

The incident sent shockwaves through the city, exposing a troubling reality: some schools in Kashmir treat fear as discipline.

Reports from the same institution reveal a pattern. Girls slapped for minor missteps, chairs hurled over“improper” hijabs, beatings over low grades. These acts go beyond discipline, and inflict lasting physical and emotional harm.

Such practices twist the meaning of authority, faith, and self-worth. When adherence to religion or modesty is enforced through pain, compassion itself becomes a casualty.

Parents often stay silent, believing punishment builds character. Research tells a different story: corporal punishment increases anxiety, depression, and aggression. The effects are magnified in Kashmir, where mental health support is limited.

Forcing children into compliance risks alienating them from faith and school alike, replacing learning with fear.

Legally, these punishments are banned. The Right to Education Act prohibits physical and mental abuse, and Jammu and Kashmir's School Education Department reinforced the ban in 2023. Yet enforcement lags.

This June, a Class 3 girl in Srinagar was hospitalized after a teacher's thrashing. In April, a second-grade boy faced similar abuse. These events expose systemic failure.

The distinction between corporal punishment and abuse is misleading. Any intentional harm violates a child's rights and dignity. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by India, demands an end to such violence. Locally, IMHANS-K has documented the psychological toll of punishment, highlighting the need for counseling and positive reinforcement instead of sticks and slaps.

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