Case Against 3 Journos for Report on Kanpur Govt School Students

An FIR has been filed for alleged ‘public mischief’ and ‘criminal intimidation’.

The syllabus has been reduced by 25 percent, to minimise the burden on students. Image used for representation. 

(Photo: iStockphoto)

An FIR has been filed against three journalists in Kanpur Dehat district for alleged 'public mischief' and 'criminal intimidation'.

The journalists were responsible for a news report, which alleged that several government school students 'shivered in biting cold while government officials were busy with an event' last week.

The journalists work for a local TV channel that aired the news report.

In his police complaint, Sunil Dutt, the district Basic Education Officer, has alleged the journalists were not even present at the event, and yet they 'misrepresented the yoga and exercise programme' that was conducted on Sunday to mark the 'UP Diwas'.

According to the visuals shown in the programme that was attended by the District Magistrate, a state Minister and local MLAs, the children, in what appears to be their summer uniform, are seen holding toy guns. Students can also be seen performing Yoga.

Another clip shows them in a room, performing exercises. A third clip, also shot indoors, shows them performing the 'head stand' or 'shirshasana'. They are not seen wearing sweaters or winter wear in any of the visuals.

All the guests at the event can be seen clad in winter wear.

According to the official's complaint, the children were made to take off their winter wear, only for the exercises.

"It is well-known that yoga and physical exercises cannot be carried out in winter wear and requires loose clothing. Local education officials followed this, and made the children take off their winter clothing and wear loose and light clothes for the exercises and then all the children immediately put on their winter wear again," the basic education officer said in his complaint.

District Magistrate Dinesh Chandra Singh said, "I am very pained to see that some journalists, who were not even there, have published news that the children were shivering in the cold. You can see that a child who performs Yoga cannot do it wearing a sweater or a coat or pants. These children have performed very well, I appreciate them. And we will see what is to be done for those who have carried this report."