A disturbing incident emerged in Bihar’s Kishanganj district where a teacher reportedly asked a 12th-grade female student to enter into a romantic relationship with him as a form of “guru dakshina” (honorarium).
According to the reports, the Kisan High School teacher Vikas Kumar has allegedly harassed the teenager multiple times in the past. He had also proposed a trip to Siliguri in West Bengal.
The Bihar teacher had told the student to be his “girlfriend” and cited the example of Ekalavya, a character from the Hindu epic Mahabharata who offered his thumb to his guru (teacher) Dronacharya. The student alleged that the teacher questioned her, “why the student could not become his girlfriend as a similar act of devotion?”
Subsequently, the girl mustered courage informed her teachers and made a formal complaint against Vikas Kumar. It was alleged that the teacher had previously made similar advances toward a female teacher at the same school.
However, despite a formal complaint lodged with the school, no case has been registered with the police so far. School headmaster Shafiq Ahmed reported the matter to Bihar’s District Education Office, but nothing has been done against the teacher, except seeking an explanation, NDTV reported.
The reports suggested that Vikas Kumar is currently working as an invigilator for the Matriculation examination in a private school in Kishanganj.
The Education Office’s inaction has led to villagers’ outrage, with a dharna (protests) being organized outside the school.
Following the outcry, the District Magistrate stated they are taking the matter seriously. “After investigation, action would be taken,” he said.
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