Two teachers at St. Stephen's School in Kolkata have made a complaint of harassment against the school principal and school secretary. The principal has previously been suspended on account of harassment of teachers.

"I enjoy teaching. Meeting new children every year. Becoming a child with the children. I was teaching in [another] branch of this school for about 10 years. But nothing like this ever happened before. The way it is happening this time."This comment was made by 51-year-old Sarita (name changed). Who teaches at Kolkata's famous St. Stephen's School. The allegation is that the school's women teachers are being harassed in various ways.

St. Stephen's School in Kolkata is a missionary school and has 28 branches in Kolkata alone. A large number of the teachers in this school are women teachers. But, presently, this school is in the headlines due to a matter regarding harassment of teachers. Teachers at various branches of the school have mentioned being harassed. Some of them are speaking out openly about their concerns, while others are speaking in suppressed tones to each other for fear of losing their job. So that their livelihood is not compromised.

The principal has the protection of the management!

In this case of harassment of teachers at St. Stephen's School, an FIR [first information report] has been lodged in the police station by two teachers, Sarita and Anita (name changed), who teach at the Baruipur branch. Sarita previously had taught at another branch of the same school for about 10 years. In 2021, she again started teaching, at the Baruipur branch.

Sarita, who is about 51 years old, says, "I have always been against any wrongdoings at the school. My previous school became successful because of my personal efforts. Today, the children I taught are  also employed in jobs." She says that, since the beginning, I have taught in mostly Christian missionary schools. But I have never faced such difficulties before. Yes, every place has some shortcomings, however, what happened this time was wrong.

Speaking in one voice, Anita and Sarita say that we are made to stay back for several hours after school has finished. The principal says that if I am still in school then you people must also be here.  "The principal, Prithviraj Chakravarti, keeps us sitting in his office without any work and keeps talking about this and that [keeps beating about the bush]" they explain.

When he holds hands to give a handshake, says Anita, he takes his time to release our hand. "Oftentimes it happens that the more we step back, the closer the principal keeps stepping. We, quite often, ourselves start feeling uncomfortable about it. But none of this makes any difference to him. The principal has the protection of the school management. That's why he constantly harasses female teachers like this," she further says in anger.

Teachers in the previous school had also accused the principal of harassment

The Mooknayak tried to talk to Prithviraj Chakravarti, Principal of St. Stephen's School, Baruipur regarding the matter. At first, he refused to talk, saying that he has been strictly forbidden by the management to talk to anyone about this matter. When The Mooknayak team asked him about the allegation made by the teachers that you have been harassing them, he then put his point, saying, "The teaching contract of the two teachers who have made the allegations had ended. I had told them not to come to school anymore. That's why they are now making such allegations against me. Whereas I have never behaved like this with any female teacher."

After the principal gave his version of the matter, The Mooknayak tried to talk to some other teachers. Some teachers agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity. A teacher says, "Principal Prithviraj Chakravarti was the principal of our branch. The situation here too was the same with him. He used to harass the women teachers. Due to this, he was suspended from school. With so much already out there, there was no need this time to appoint him as principal in any school. But all these things are happening due to the negligence of the school management. If the school management wanted it, they would not have invited him again into the school."

Another teacher says that we are also pushed into such a situation many times due to which we are not able to speak out about our concerns. Women teachers are harassed in school, but no one wants to speak out about it. But this time, two teachers gathered courage and have spoken out about their issue.

Teacher compelled to undergo therapy due to mental harassment

Besides Anita and Sarita, another teacher has accused the school management of harassing her. Preeti (name changed) says that she had to seek therapy from a doctor because of the mental harassment she faced in school. To the extent that for a long time she was unable to be stable. Preeti says, "The school principal, Ila Choudhary, and the secretary, Sukalyan Haldar, had questioned her character. The principal is also a woman. All this happened between March and April of this year. After which Preeti was in regular contact with the psychologist. Yet even then, when Preeti returned to school after this year's summer vacation, she was again mentally harassed. She was asked to announce in front of all the teachers that she was now mentally stable [mansik roop se thik]. Preeti responded sharply to this by telling the school principal that you people are again wanting to trouble me again. After saying this she walked out of the school. Preeti is still undergoing therapy.

We are not allowed to speak to anyone: management

On the issue of the continued harassment of women teachers in the school, most of the teachers were of the view that this is all the fault of the management. When the principal had previously been accused of harassing female teachers, why was he then appointed as the headmaster? The teachers also claimed that in the last year changes were made in the school management. Sukalyan Haldar was appointed as secretary of St. Stephen's School. It has been only after his appointment that things changed.

St. Stephen's School, Baruipur, was established during the time of the corona pandemic. The new teachers were appointed only after the establishment of the school. In this, Prithviraj Chakravarti, who had been suspended for two years, was appointed as the principal. The teachers allege that the school secretary favored the principal. That is why he was appointed as the principal a second time. When The Mooknayak contacted Secretary Sukalyan Haldar, he said that management had not given him permission to talk to anyone. The Mooknayak team then asked him that you are the head of the school management, and if he will not talk to us then with whom should we talk? At this point, he too, like the principal, gave a pre-prepared reply, "Attempts are being made to defame us with this kind of FIR. Whereas nothing is like that. If the teachers had any problems, they should have informed the school management. But nothing of the sort happened."

The school does not have an ICC [Internal Complaints Committee]

Teachers Sarita and Anita, however, who have filed the FIR, say that "We had informed Bishop Subroto Chakravarti, who is the high authority of the school, about the incident before filing the FIR, but he did not heed our complaint." Anita says, "As far as the ICC is concerned, we don't have one here, so then how could we make a complaint? Therefore, when no one listened to us, on June 4, we lodged an FIR at Baruipur police station on. After this, we submitted our complaint to the Women's Commission, and also met the DM [district magistrate]. So that we get justice and also so that this does not happen to any other teacher."

Teachers will get justice as per the law

The Mooknayak tried to get in touch with the higher church authorities in the CNI (Church of North India) in regard to the matter of harassment faced by women teachers, but we were not able to talk to the general secretary of the CNI.

The Mooknayak then tried talking to Reverend Jyoti Singh of the NCCI (National Council of Churches India) for further details regarding the matter. Jyoti Singh runs a campaign called Black Thursday. In this campaign, women's issues, as well as problems faced by women, are raised at the societal level. She says, "We have received a mail from the teachers. And along with immediately acting on the mail, we have also started an investigation into the issue. Our organization fully supports the victims. As much help as is possible will be given. In this, all the work will be done within the ambit of the law. So that this doesn't happen with anyone again." Inderjit Basu, ASP (Additional Superintendent of Police) at the Baruipur police station, where Sarita and Anita lodged the FIR, has assured both the victims that an IO (Investigation Officer) has already been appointed in this case. The FIR has also been done and action will be taken as per law so that the victims get justice.

यहाँ हिन्दी में भी पढ़ें: कोलकाता : सेंट स्टीफेन स्कूल की टीचर्स ने प्रिंसिपल पर लगाया उत्पीड़न का आरोप, पढ़ें ग्राउंड रिपोर्ट

[Story Translated By Lotika Singha]