School Kids made to Walk on Embers, Glass in Gujarat


Surat (Gujarat), Apr 21 (IANS) : Some in tears and most in obvious agony. Students, only 10 to 14 years old, of a school in Gujarat's Surat town were made to walk barefoot on a bed of burning coal and glass shards as an exercise in enhancing determination while parents and elders watched mutely, an eyewitness said.

Talking about this exercise, the school authorities said they had been organising such and other events like river crossing and rope climbing as part of their two-day and one-night summer camp for over five years now.

District education officer K.R. Jhanjhuria has ordered an enquiry into the incident.

"We are looking into the incident," he added.



According to an eyewitness, the children were in pain and many of them were both hurt and weeping.

However, none of the elders or parents present objected to the children being put through this ordeal.

Kalpesh Patel, one of the directors of the school, said that invitations had also been extended to children of other schools and their parents to join the camp.

"We have not had any complaint so far," he added.

According to him a total of 126 students had taken part in the events and only one girl broke down before walking over the firebed and was promptly withdrawn from it.

"We give basic training in meditation and other self-confidence boosting exercises which build intrinsic strength," he added.

He said the school gave the children training in the basics of meditation which helps them to complete these tasks easily.

Surat is some 250 km from state capital Gandhinagar.

  

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Comment on this article

  • conrad franks, Arizona/Mangalore

    Fri, Apr 23 2010

    This is horrible. Why endanger the lives of our beloved children. This is crime and madness of the school authorities and parents. All of them should be booked for crime. I hope and pray the children will be safe.

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  • shahnawaz kukkikatte, dubai/udupi

    Fri, Apr 23 2010

    Mr Ashwin Pai/Mangalore,

    We dont have to w0rry about other countries. We have to really worry about whats happening in our territory. If such things are happening in India in the name of God, please bring it to the attention of authorities as a duty of true citizen of this country. Lets secure our home first and then talk about our neighbours.

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  • S.M. Nawaz Kukkikatte, udupi

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    we never accept 3 months baby to walk forcing by parents.

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  • A.S.Mathew, U.S.A.

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    The next exercise must be swallowing fire and dipping the  children by force in a pool for a
    few seconds for lungs exercise.

    In Japan, they force the children to walk over the ice to get immunity to cold, but forcing the children
    to walk over the coal fire is a total insanity.

    Both the parents and the school authorities must be booked for endangering the lives of the
    children. This is not a joke or child's play.

    If we justify this child cruelty since the parents have consented, then let us justify some insane
    parents who have sacrificed their children in religious ceremony by the misguided advice of fake
    godman.

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  • Vincent Mascarenhas, Valencia/US

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    This reminds of something I read earlier, i.e. "God made idiots for practice and then He united them together to make a School Board". I am pretty sure this happened in Gujarat. What is shockingly atrocious is the smile on the mother’s face – wait a minute - or do these children have some invertebrates for their fathers.

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  • Ashwin Pai, Mangalore

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    Indeed, its a horrific act where in the little ones have to endure so much pain.
    However, the motivation behind the act is commendable, though em sure there are other ways to boost the confidence of the kids.
    Atleast they are NOT brain washed like the kids in pakistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia and somalia, all for the sake of god!!!
    Any comments Mr Shahnawaz?
    - Ashwin

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  • huwaa, pakistan/dubai

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    dear all
    It is not horrific or nonsence i love this game for sure if i come to india i will meet the directors of the school its like children playing with kitten un bileveable disgusting

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  • Kadana Kuthuhala, Mangalore/USA

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    Was any child hurt in the process ? Why such a rush to judge ? It's unfortuate to see some of the biased comments.

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  • aysh, saudi arabia

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    r the directors who ask the children to do these exercise gone mad.first let the directors and parents do this.then ask the little children.how rude.

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  • Rajesh D'souza, U.S.A

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    Have they lost common sense? I am sorry, if they had it. It is not the question of parents or strangers but of innocent children. In Gujarat under N.Modi anything can happen. God save our innocent children and bless India.

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  • Asif , manglore

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    This is verry rubbish work from school authority.It is voilence to innocent tender age childrens.

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  • Alvaris Babuti, Bleman

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    Why don't they directors' of the school walk on the fire?

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  • Thomas Valder, Bahrain

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    Yoga is very fruitful in enhancing determination. Parents should encourage this exercise. However, making tender foot to tread on glass pieces and on burning coal is simply cruel. Look at the picture, how the elders enjoy when the little souls are frightened and hurt.

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  • shahnawaz kukkikatte, dubai/udipi

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    Children are angels and most innocent of all human beings. If you put a stone into their mouth ans ask them to chew, without any reservation they will bite it. In this tender age if you ask them to walk on the glass and ife , I am sure they will obey you. This is toruture in the name of imparting spiritual education and restraint. The people involved should be booked and punished for being cruel to these angels. Yoga/meditation all ok but cruelty is not justified. Even the parents who support this action needs to be jailed. People without feelings and without mercy running the schools. Disgusting.

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  • Harold D'cunha, Mangalore, India

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    Very disturbing exercise and horrific scene. These type of exercises are done at tender age by mafia groups to breed hardcore criminals when the children reach teen age.
    I feel the school body is ignorant or whoever conducted these type of exercise are not properly educated. Those who support this, let they first practise on their own children. As such children has no choice but to follow the parents and teachers. Might be even parents are pressurised and has no choice to complain.

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  • naser, bahrain

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    The school giving education like "puratana kalada shaili. the board still are "obirayana kala". they have courrage not like this, this will cause other small childrens.

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  • Manohar Dsouza, Mangalore/Bahrain

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    Such dangerous activities are meant for adults and not for minor school children. Hence, The Director, Teachers of the school and parents should be made to do such dangerous confidence building exercises. No parent and/or teacher have the right to put minor children in danger with such silly nonsense which only results in causing more harm than good.

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  • Jawar D'Souza, M'lore/Doha

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    What sort of rubbish is this these director's are gone mad and the parent's must be illiterate to watch a child walk on fire. Where will this exercize come in handy, when a building is on fire silly morons.

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  • Melwin, Vogga/Doha

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    minakshi , mangalore
    Those who were walking n seeing they are looking like black age ? This children's walking on Glass in front of parents. It is different if one or two kids made to walk on that, here all kids participated n they did't got hurt in that so why media more interested in controversy???

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  • kumar padubidri, dubai

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    well said Mr Arun, Mangalore .. Most of the comments from particular community people.. why so ???

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  • Arun, Mangalore

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    When the parents are not worried, why are you stranges worried ??

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  • minakshi , mangalore

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    these people are in blackage. They have to come out of it

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  • Rakesh Dsouza, Mangalore, Dubai

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    This is a pure non-sense. Insetead of theses tender age children give this training to the Directors of the school and it will usefull for them.
    What the parents are simply watching like it is a circus show???????

    Very strange attitude of the parents.

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  • Lancelot N Tauro, Mangalore/Doha Qatar

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    Horrific excercise. This is nothing but to feel the feel of those who burnt to death in Gujrat riots. Might be the school director has lost his brain.

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  • S Salian, Mangalore

    Thu, Apr 22 2010

    A good exercise to build up self confidence and as long as it is performed with the support and presence of parents no one should have any objection to this.It will also eradicate the superstition of so called "fire walk".

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  • John Pinto, Chickmagalur/ Qatar

    Wed, Apr 21 2010

    This is something horrific black magic as a civilised world this nonsence must be stopped by the authorities.

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  • shammi, Mangalore

    Wed, Apr 21 2010

    Hang publicly all the directors of the school

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  • ISMAIL K PERINJE, PERINJE/YANBU-KSA

    Wed, Apr 21 2010

    Considering the children's tender age these kind exrcises are utter nonesense.The motive of organaiser may be educative but the senario tells otherwise.

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