Kolkata: After the Education Department of West Bengal sought a report from a girls’ school in Kolkata after they allegedly forced 10 girls to confess that they were lesbians, Education Minister Partha Chatterjee has said that he won’t support ‘the idea of lesbianism in schools’, reported the Indian Express.
The Press Trust of India also reported that the Minister said that Lesbianism was against ‘Bengali ethos.’
“Personally, I will not inculcate the idea of lesbianism in schools. We are not treating the issue lightly. We had not come across such reports at educational institutions in the past … If such an incident (lesbianism) had really taken place that will be against the ethos of Bengal. I will ask the school management what prompted them to seek such an undertaking. I will also want to know why the same school is getting embroiled in controversies repeatedly,” the Minister was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India.
On March 8, the students were allegedly made to sign a “confession” letter stating that they were lesbians. On Monday, when their parents met the acting headmistress, a heated argument ensued, followed by a protest outside the gates the next day. They blamed the school for arm-twisting the girls into signing the letter.
“The headmistress had asked them to write on paper that they were lesbians. She also showed us that paper. We had objected to it,” said a parent.
However, while talking to the Indian Express, the headmistress denied the charges and said that the girls were up to some ‘mischief’. She added that when she conveyed the same to their parents, they ‘misinterpreted’ the message.
“Now all issues have been resolved through a meeting. There was no need for the media to get involved as it was not a serious issue. The matter has been blown out of proportion and I will request all not to sensationalise the matter, ” she told the Indian Express.
