Keonjhar: About 90 students Sunday returned to Bayapandadhar Ashram School under Bansapal block after the district social welfare department dispelled the fear of ghost among the children and their guardians.
Officials had to undertake a massive awareness campaign in Bayakumutia village after reports of an ‘unusual’ incident at the residential school surfaced July 24.
A girl’s unusual behaviour had spread panic among students and triggered their mass absence. Over 100 students had left the school July 24 and 25 after the girl student behaved ‘unusually.’ She was suspected to have been ‘possessed’. Since that episode, even the guardians had been refusing to let their kids go to the school.
Reports said despite earlier efforts by the school authorities the students had refused to return to the hostel. It was a cause of concern for the authorities how to bring back the students. They had tried to convince their guardians by calling meetings at the school. Though many of them had assured the school authorities to send their kids, they did not do that.
Headmaster Maguni Charan Nayak said only 12 students were left in the school by July 29.
Meanwhile, the department held an awareness camp against superstition with the help of Dalit Adivasi Surakhya Manch at Bayakumutia Sunday. As part of the programme, the Manch organised a ‘pala.’ Head of the organisation, Bidyadhar Dehuri, made the students and their guardians aware of irrational fear of ghosts.
Dehury urged all guardians to cooperate and give up superstition and dogma so that their children will have a bright future.
Ramakanta Patra, an activist of the organisation, assured the guardians and children that they need not panic and the kids should go to the school.
The kids were taken to the school in a procession.
Dehury said some other students who have not returned from other villages are expected to come back.
PNN
