Days after her riveting ‘Beti Bachao’ speech, teen raped by instructor

AHMEDABAD/PALANPUR: A Class X scholar allegedly raped by her instructor days after successful deafening applause for her Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao speech at a Jan 26 occasion in her village college in Gujarat‘s Sabarkantha has stood up against the storm in her life to focus on impending board exams and her dream of becoming a cop.
Displaying extraordinary resilience in the face of trauma, she is ready for the exams from Feb 27, three weeks after the assault on Feb 7. The teacher has been arrested.
“I have always dreamt of becoming a police officer. Science and maths are my favourite subjects. I’ll select my tutorial stream based mostly on my board outcomes,” stated the 15-year-old whose dad and mom are agricultural labourers.
The turmoil in her life was unleashed simply 11 days after her rousing Republic Day speech on the significance of saving the lady baby and educating her. The 33-year-old schoolteacher allegedly assaulted her after luring her to a lodge on the pretence of his birthday celebrations. He’s additionally accused of threatening to fail her within the board examination.
Ever because the Feb 7 horror, the lady has been residing together with her father’s sister, who has two exam-facing daughters. “We don’t want people and relatives streaming in daily and disturbing her studies,” her uncle stated.
As she maintains the identical unwavering dedication to her research as she did earlier than her ordeal, immense emotional assist has come from her two cousins, who examine alongside her, providing her firm in these making an attempt occasions. “We are incredibly proud of her courage and determination. We will support her every step of the way, regardless of the challenges that lie ahead,” stated her uncle.
Residing in a joint household, most members make a residing as agricultural labourers. “We don’t want our future generation to toil as farm hands. After all, we are not landowners. We realise the importance of education,” her uncle asserted. The reward isn’t restricted to the household because the lady is seen as a beacon of resilience for numerous others who falter when confronted with far lesser challenges.
The principal of her grant-in-aid college is amongst a rising record of these applauding her fortitude – simply because the Jan 26 viewers did. “She has been a bright student who never missed classes. It’s inspirational, to say the least, the way she is navigating these challenging times with courage and resilience,” the principal informed TOI.