Kolkata: The Visva-Bharati University has issued an apology over the shocking urine punishment incident. The University has assured the girl's parents that such an incident won't be repeated. The University in its statement said, "The University unequivocally regrets the traumatic experience of a Patha Bhavana student at the hands of the Warden Ms. Uma Poddar (of Karabi hostel). Visva-Bharati has allowed the girl to be a day-boarder, as an exceptional case. The University further assures the parents of the girl (and all other parents of Patha Bhavana children) that such instances will not recur."
The university in its statement requested the parents to send the girl back to the school. "Visva-Bharati requests the girl's parents to send her back to Patha Bhavana. Visva-Bharati has decided to overhaul the entire Warden-Matron system prevailing in its school hostels for years and seek avenues on how to improve the situation, befitting the stature of a Central University of national and international importance," the statement said.
Earlier, speaking to CNN-IBN, the 10-year-old girl, who was allegedly forced to drink urine, said being forced to drink urine was a punishment and not a cure.
Explaining what happened with her on July 7, the girl said, "The hostel warden came in the morning when I was getting ready for school. She asked me to take the wet blanket out. The blanket was very wet. She sprinkled salt over it and asked me to lick it. There was one Sandhya Mashi with the warden. She held my head and said you have to lick it. I said I won't. I said I won't lick it. I feel disgusted. They said I have to, this is my punishment."
She also said she was scared and didn't want to go back to school.
The HRD Ministry report that was forwarded to the PMO had claimed that the girl's mother had given the warden a go-ahead to 'cure' her child of bed wetting. However, her parents rejected the report saying they didn't approve any such treatment for their child.
"This is an allegation on us. No parent will allow such a treatment towards their child," the girl's father said.
"The warden never took any permission from us. This report is not true," the girl's mother added.
When asked whether their daughter had to go through a similar treatment earlier also, the father replied, "The warden had tried twice earlier but she was not successful. But on July 7, she was successful in doing so. She was admitted in Class 2. When she was promoted to class 5 she had to move out to another hostel. It's there that this incident took place. A similar treatment was attempted twice before, but my daughter had not spoken about it to us."
When asked whether the university officials contacted the family after the incident, the girl's mother said, "They are saying that we can send our daughter to the school again, but my daughter doesn't want to study there. She is scared. Even we are not ready to send her there."
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