Students in Uttarakhand school exhibit ‘abnormal behaviour’, team sent for counselling
Several female students at a government junior high school in Uttarakhand’s Bageshwar district were allegedly seen shouting, crying and behaving abnormally without any apparent reason in what appeared to be a case of hysteria, sources said.
According to Bageshwar district magistrate (DM) Reena Joshi, the incident occurred in a government junior high school in the Rakhauli area and a medical team was sent to investigate the matter. They are yet to determine what triggered the ‘abnormal behaviour’ by the students, she said.
After a video of the incident went viral on Thursday, the district administration sent a medical team and counselled the students. In the video, at least six female students are seen sitting or lying on the ground and shouting in the local Kumauni language. A few staff members are seen asking the girls to calm down, while a man is seen trying to cast off an evil eye.
“There is nothing serious and we sent a team to counsel the students. We are handling the situation and everything is under control. All the girls are in Class 8 and all of them are in perfect condition. In all, the problem was seen in four to five students. There must be some mental trauma in one student that resulted in others behaving abnormally too. We are working to find out the exact reason behind the incident,” said Joshi.
“The medical team is in regular touch with the students and there will be daily counselling until we find its cause and solve the issue,” she said, adding that the situation is under control and there is nothing to be worried about.
As per sources, the unusual incident was reported on Tuesday in a few students. The students were reportedly crying, shouting, shivering and even trying to bang their heads. A local priest was initially called to help with the situation as many believed that the matter was connected to “ghosts and or the evil eye”.
