An NSUI worker saw four small kids walking with their school bags on NH33 near Demotand. All four were in school dress having their bags on their back and were going towards Charhi valley.
It was neither a time of school going nor there was any school on that way so in curiosity he stopped them to enquire.
In reply to his questions the boys narrated a horrifying story. After which the NSUI worker contacted the local mediapersons of Hazaribagh.
It was found that these boys are the students of St. Robert School, Hazaribagh, studying in class I and were living in school’s hostel. They all belong to the endangered tribe, Birhor.The boys told the mediapersons and the principal that their hostel warden use to beat them everyday and due to his continuous torture they decided to left the school and were going to Ghatotand where their parents live.
Since they had no money with them so they were going on foot. It became clear that the boys namely Santosh Birhor, Prem Birhor, Prabhu Birhor and Karan Birhor were admitted St. Robert School in April 2014 by Tata Company. Tata Rural Society was bearing their entire expenditure.
Till some days ago Surendra Paul Mahto was the warden of the school hostel and during his tenure everything was going good until one fortnight when Vineet took charge as the new warden. The boys said that the new warden is very cruel and even on small mistakes he use to beat them mercilessly.
Initially the school administration all the allegations and said that the boys were telling lies. Principal Soren said that they had never made any complain to him. In the meantime, someone informed Bablu Kumar, a member of District Child Welfare Committee, who along with District Child Protection Officer, Sanjay Prasad came to the school and enquired the things. Both talked with the boys, warden and principal and after consulting with the mediapersons and others present there it was decided that the boys to be hand over to school administration.
Principal first resisted but finally agreed and gave a written undertaking to both the officials that in future such incidents will not occur and they will take proper care of the boys. The officials said that they will also inform the officials of Tata Rural Society about this whole episode.