Now Reading: 600 tribal students leave Maharashtra school after ‘possession’ scare
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600 tribal students leave Maharashtra school after ‘possession’ scare
Nearly 600 tribal students left a government residential school in Maharashtra's Amravati district after four girls began crying and laughing uncontrollably on July 22, sparking rumours of spirits and possession. Authorities attributed the episode to mental stress, fear, superstition, and local beliefs, dismissing supernatural explanations.
The girls at the ashram school in Doma, Chikhaldara taluka, will move into a newly constructed hostel on the school premises from September 1. Additional Tribal Commissioner Sandip Golait said the new building has bunk beds and can accommodate all girl students, addressing longstanding overcrowding in the existing hostel.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Overcrowded hostels in tribal ashram schools are a persistent problem across Maharashtra, often leading to stress and fear among students. This incident mirrors similar possession scares in other states, where cramped conditions and superstition combine to trigger mass hysteria. The authorities' response, counselling by the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti and a new hostel, tackles both root causes. Watch for whether all 600 students return by September 1, as that will signal if confidence is restored.
Source: indiatoday.in
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