Kamalika
Kamalika Das, who committed suicide after her principal and teachers humiliated her, called her characterless.Facebook/ Justice for Kamalika Das
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  • Kamalika
    Posters and placards painted for protest by Kamalika Das' friends.Facebook/ Justice for Kamalika Das
  • Kamalika
    Kamalika Das, who committed suicide after her principal and teachers humiliated her, called her characterless.Facebook/ Justice for Kamalika Das
  • Kamalika
    "Because survivors deserve our support. Not our scrutiny. End Victim Blaming." Day 2 of the candle light protest by Kamalika's family and friends outside the Kendriya Vidyalaya -2 school, Salt Lake, Kolkata.Facebook/ Justice for Kamalika Das

Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani is expected to call the family of the 17-year-old girl who committed suicide two weeks ago after two of her teachers and the principal of her school in Kolkata allegedly humiliated her by calling her "characterless".

Kisholoy Das, the distraught father of Kamalika Das, wrote to Irani on 27 January, seeking justice for her daughter who ended her life on 20 January by jumping off the roof of a seven-storey building.

The HRD Ministry has responded to his request and said it will take Kisholoy's complaint further by launching a probe against Kamalika's class teacher, Hindi teacher and Principal Snigdha Deb of Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2 at Salt Lake.

In his complaint, the father accused the teachers and the principal of calling his daughter "characterless" in front of her mother the day Kamalika died. Her father has blamed the three for her suicide, according to NDTV.

Kamalika, who studied in the 11th grade and was also the class topper, was rebuked for not completing her Hindi homework on 19 January. She had earlier borrowed a classmate's notebook as she had forgotten to get her own. After changing the cover and writing her own name on it, she had done the homework in that. On 19th, when the boy submitted the same notebook with his homework in it, the teacher found Kamalika's name on it.

The Hindi teacher as well as the class teacher took Kamalika to the principal and they called her mother the next day. It was then, in front of her mother, that the school head and the teachers insulted and humiliated Kamalika and maligned her character.

"In front of my wife, they said your daughter is characterless. Four years back also she had brought the media to school because of her complaint of sexual molestation. It was not the boy's fault, they said, It was her fault. She is characterless, arrogant, we are going to expel her," girl's father Kisholoy said.

On the same evening, Kamalika wrote a note - addressed to her principal - in her diary and left the house. She went to the housing complex where she used to stay earlier and jumped off a seven-storey building. Her death provoked her friends to protest outside the school along with Kamalika's family. They also launched a campaign on the social networking site, Facebook.

Their efforts have, however, not made a difference as yet. Neither the principal nor the teachers have come forward to speak about Kamalika's death and the allegations against them. The principal has not even responded to Kamalika's cousin's demand of a public apology.

Kamalika's father regrets having failed to protect her.

"She was very much attached to me. On Father's Day, she made big placard for me and she wrote there, I don't need any super power to protect me. My daddy is there to protect me. But I could not protect her," Kishloy said.