Tragic Suicide of 14-Year-Old Student Sparks Outrage Over Caste Discrimination in UP School

New Delhi, Sep 01, 2023: In a heart-wrenching incident, a 14-year-old student in Uttar Pradesh allegedly took her own life after enduring relentless harassment and caste discrimination at her school. The tragic episode has once again brought to light the deeply rooted issues of discrimination and mistreatment in the region’s education system.

The victim, identified as Ayesha Bano (name changed), was a student at Azimuddin Ashraf Islamia Inter College in Barabanki district. Ayesha’s family had struggled to make ends meet since her father’s untimely death in 2018. With great determination, her mother managed to enroll Ayesha and her younger sister in the school in 2022.

The distressing incident unfolded when Ayesha paid her school fees of ₹1,100 on May 27, only to receive a receipt for a lower amount from her teacher, Wasfi Khatoon. When Ayesha questioned this discrepancy, she was allegedly met with derogatory remarks about her caste and economic background. Ayesha bravely stood her ground, but the discrimination continued.

Ayesha’s unbearable ordeal at the hands of Wasfi and another male teacher led her to take the extreme step. On August 4, she tragically ended her own life, leaving behind a suicide note that pointed to the constant humiliation as the reason for her decision.

Despite her family’s attempts to seek justice, the police reportedly hesitated to register a case until the superintendent of police intervened. An FIR has now been filed against the teachers for harassment and abetment of suicide based on the mother’s complaint.

The school’s principal, Jamshed Ahmed, denied the allegations against the teachers, adding, “The family had wanted to change the girls’ surname to Khan in the school records but had not submitted the documents.”