Students Seek Protection From Eve-Teasers Instead of Rakhi Gifts
Key Points:
- Students from 12 government schools tie rakhi to Dhanbad DC and SSP, demand repairs and safety
- Girls cite crumbling buildings, broken toilets and harassment on school routes
- DC promises action within six months, SSP assures patrolling near schools
DHANBAD – A scene at the Dhanbad collectorate stirred both the administration and the wider community ahead of Raksha Bandhan. Students from 12 government schools in the district, many belonging to Generation Z and Generation Alpha, tied rakhis on the wrists of deputy commissioner Aditya Ranjan, SSP Prabhat Kumar and other senior officials. However, the girls’ request was far from a typical rakhi gift. Their demand was pointed and unambiguous: repair their crumbling school buildings, and protect them from men who harass them near school gates and along the roads they use daily.
The girls spoke candidly during a dialogue held after the rakhi ceremony. Some of them showed photographs of dilapidated, cracked school buildings. Others spoke of clogged drains, broken toilets and a shortage of drinking water. Several students said they often feel scared while travelling to and from school. According to them, eve-teasers and unsafe traffic conditions on the way make the journey risky. Their voices carried both anxiety and a weary determination. The students no longer want token gestures of protection. Instead, they are seeking practical safety measures and stronger infrastructure.
Deputy commissioner Aditya Ranjan listened closely to the students’ concerns. He assured them that most of the problems would be addressed within the next six months. “It is the administration’s responsibility to ensure every student receives quality education in a safe environment,” he said. Meanwhile, SSP Prabhat Kumar promised special patrolling and a stronger police presence outside schools. He said this was necessary so that students would not have to face objectionable situations on their way to class.
The incident in Dhanbad has raised serious concerns about deep-rooted problems within Jharkhand’s education system. Indicators of crumbling infrastructure, a shortage of basic facilities, and a lack of safety on the way to school suggest that policy announcements alone have not been enough. Officials in the state have separately flagged education gaps elsewhere too; East Singhbhum recently topped a state-wide education performance review, underlining uneven conditions across districts.
The students said they do not want merely symbolic security measures. They listed several steps needed for effective change. These include immediate repair work at schools, and assured toilet and drinking water facilities. They also called for regular security patrolling, school campus monitoring, and clearly marked safe routes. A faster and more transparent grievance redressal system was another demand. Increasing the participation of local women, and deploying trained safety volunteers, could also help improve the situation, the students said.
Concerns over harassment near school routes are not new to the state; a similar case of eve-teasing leading to a clash was reported earlier in Khuntadih. More recently, a young woman was molested in Adityapur by men on bikes, an incident captured on CCTV. The Dhanbad students, through the rakhi ceremony, turned a traditional gesture into a pointed demand. They want the rakhis tied on officials’ wrists to translate into concrete safety commitments rather than remain a ritual act.
The development comes even as Jharkhand’s broader administrative and legal apparatus remains occupied with other disputes; the Jharkhand High Court recently stayed the cancellation of JPSC and JSSC exams, while students separately moved the High Court against the cancellation of recruitment exams. The students in Dhanbad said the responsibility now lies with the administration, policymakers and the community to implement the assurances given to them without delay.
