Closure doubt on girls’ home

Kurseong, July 8: The St. Margaret’s Home, a 114-year-old residential facility for poor children run by Christian missionaries, has allegedly told all 42 kids residing there to vacate the premises and move to other residential homes.

The move has raised doubts that the Daughters of the Cross, the body running the home as well as two schools in Kurseong, was trying to close the facility without discussing the matter with the guardians of the children. The Daughters of the Cross runs one of the best educational institutions in the hills, the St. Helen’s school, as well as St Joseph’s school. There have also been allegations that two of the 42 children, who resided at St. Margaret’s and studied in the Madhyamik-affiliated St. Joseph’s, were given transfer certificates, meaning they would not be able to study in the school run by the Daughters of the Cross. “We had been hearing that the home would be shut down and some of the inmates were being sent to other homes in Calcutta and Siliguri. We approached Prabha Chettri, the executive GTA Sabha member in the department of women and child development, who took up the issue,” said Nirmal Kumar Pradhan, president of the Morcha-affiliated Janmukti Secondary Teachers’ Organisation (Kurseong branch). Navraj Chhetri, the president of the JSTO in the hills, said: “It is unfair to issue transfer certificates to two inmates who come from broken families, that too in the middle of the academic session. Students have been asked to leave the home on some flimsy grounds. Where will these students get admission in the middle of the academic year?” The academic session in hill schools starts from March and ends in November. One of the two St. Margaret's’ inmates who has been given a transfer certificate is in Class VIII and hails from Jorethang in West Sikkim. The other, a resident of Nimbong in Kalimpong subdivision, reads in Class IX. During a meeting between the home authorities and Prabha Chettri in Kurseong on July 1, Sister Sally Joseph, Sister superior of the Daughters of the Cross, gave a written assurance to the GTA executive member that since the building was in a dilapidated condition it was in need of extensive repair and “the children are being provided alternative accommodation in consultation with their parents/guardians”. But Prabha Chhetri said she learnt later that “transfer certificates were issued to two inmates. Many guardians are also approaching me now and saying the Sisters are asking for Rs 1,000 a month for their wards’ accommodation in a new place. People who keep their children or wards in homes cannot pay the amount. This is unjust and I have decided to take up the issue.” St. Joseph’s said the two girls were issued the transfer certificates as this was the “option of the guardian”. The two girls have denied this. One of the inmates said: “One of my relatives was told on July 4 that I should be taken home as the summer vacation had started. Once I had left the school premises, I was told that the Sisters had issued me a transfer certificate and that I will not be returning to the school again.” The student got in touch with acquaintances, who took up the matter with the JSTO. When Metro spoke to Sister Sally, she admitted that two girls had been given transfer certificates and cited health grounds and behavioural problems of the two as reasons, but the claims could not be cross-checked with the students or their guardians. Asked if the 42 girls would return to St. Margaret’s once the structure was repaired, Sister Sally said: “Most probably, as I alone cannot take all decisions.”