Haryana: Victory for Rewari schoolgirls, govt upgrades school

Chandigarh: The Haryana government on Wednesday announced their decision to upgrade the Government High School in Rewari to the level of Senior Secondary School, eight days after the Gandhian protest by a group of 86 village girls.

Talking to media, Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said that a principal has been appointed who will take care of admissions.

"We have upgraded the school. We have also deputed a principal there who will commence the admission procedure from tomorrow," said Sharma.

The announcement came eight days after 86 girls studying in classes IX and X in the village school went on an indefinite protest.

Thirteen of them were on a hunger strike, according to village head Suresh Chauhan.

Rewari District Collector Yash Garg said that the state government has officially upgraded the school in wake of the hunger strike called by the students.

"The government has now officially upgraded the school. Soon the building will also be upgraded. We will start all the formalities from tomorrow," Garg said, who brought the confirmation letter of the government along with himself.

He admitted that the decision was taken after the state government came under pressure because of the protecting students.

Meanwhile, the students who were on hunger strike called off their strike by consuming fruit drinks.

Earlier in the day, around 10 girls were taken to the hospital as they fell unconscious during their hunger strike.

The girls feared harassment and even molestation if they were to travel to another village for studies.

Haryana is a state which has one of the lowest Child Sex Ratio (CSR) in the country. The state has also witnessed some horrifying crimes against women in the recent times.

But the biggest hurdle that stood in the way was that according to the district education authorities, the school did not fulfil the basic conditions required for up-gradation.

For higher education after Class X, girls of the village had to go to Kanwali village.

(With Agency inputs)