The Non-Religious Citizens (NRC), a non-governmental organization, has put forth as many as 11 measures to be implemented in madrasas to stop abuses in them. The suggestions include regulation of religious schools in Kerala, installation of CCTV cameras and establishment of toll-free helpline numbers for harried children.
The NRC’s press meet on Friday, May 19, comes in the wake of the death of a 17-year-old girl inside a residential institution that provides Muslim religious education at Balaramapuram of Thiruvananthapuram. The girl was found dead in the bathroom of the institution, and her family has alleged foul play in her death.
The NGO claims that they were able to calculate the number of sexual abuse instances in madrasas in Kerala in 2022 based on newspaper reports and that they arrived at a tally of 41. But the real number would be higher than that, they felt.
NRC also suggested implementing online classes for madrasas, and prohibiting the practice of residential madrasas for children below the age of eighteen. They have also demanded that women teachers should be appointed and a thorough background check be done of all teachers. They also demanded strict action be taken against teachers involved in any form of misconduct.
“As Non-Religious Citizens of India (NRC), we seize this opportunity to raise public awareness and emphasize the seriousness of a situation that is often overlooked even by parents. Our aim is to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future by promoting parental awareness and urging proactive measures from government authorities,” the group said in a statement.
The girl is a resident of Beema Pally in the district, before her death, had called her mother on phone and asked her to come over to the institution immediately and take her away from there. But the authorities allegedly did not allow the mother to meet Asmiya. Later, she was informed that her daughter was found dead in the bathroom. Balaramapuram police have registered a case and an investigation is underway.
If you are aware of anyone facing mental health issues or feeling suicidal, please provide help. Here are some helpline numbers of suicide-prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.
Tamil Nadu
State health department's suicide helpline: 104
Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050 (listed as the sole suicide prevention helpline in Tamil Nadu)
Andhra Pradesh
Life Suicide Prevention: 78930 78930
Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584
Karnataka
Sahai (24-hour): 080 65000111, 080 65000222
Kerala
Maithri: 0484 2540530
Chaithram: 0484 2361161
Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.
Telangana
State government's suicide prevention (tollfree): 104
Roshni: 040 66202000, 6620200
SEVA: 09441778290, 040 27504682 (between 9 am and 7 pm
Aasara offers support to individuals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.
24x7 Helpline: 9820466726
Click here for working helplines across India.
