Thread by @anticastecat

TW: child sexual abuse.
It’s amazing how #PSBB rot has came into light, thanks to twitter. It is a big reputed school, even more reasons to get more traction. I wanted to share what happened to me as a 9-year old child in a super unknown school in a super small town,Ongole,Andhra

It’s quite terrifying for me to even type this. But the whole #PSBB thing has thrown me back to those horrifying memories.I was in 3rd standard in a very small private school, always curious about learning english language as I was in Telugu medium. Our english teacher was a man+

There were only 12 kids in my class, 5 girls if I remember it correctly. He used to make all boys sit outside class during study hours. And the girls inside. He would walk around the class and suddenly would call a girl for OT (oral test/exam). +

Initially we all were enthu to show we studied well and go for the test. I still remember so clearly what I wore, it was non-uniform day. He asked me why I wore a Tshirt like a boy. And started touching my breasts during the test. I was NINE! +

Though I didn’t understand what was happening, I remember feeling very uncomfortable. He used to do that every time there was an oral test exam. I saw him doing that to my friend as well. We were literally kids to understand anything. Had zero knowledge on good touch-bad touch.

I stopped studying english deliberately to avoid taking the test and talking to him. I still am in awe of that nine year old me who knew how to save herself from sexual harassment. He noticed that, called me again to him, and made me stand in-front of him while asking questions+

And started aggressively touching my breasts and body. There was no one around in the room. I started crying. He left. Since then, he used to punish me in class or beat with wooden scale on palms if I made even a single mistake in exams. +

Eventually I told Amma that I don’t like that school and joined a different school next year. Since that day, I’ve never ever revisited those memories nor acknowledged it to myself that it was sexual harassment.But I used to get that image in my head so often- of him touching me+

whenever I’m in anxiety or fear. It was one of my first encounters of abuse as a child that added a lot of trauma now as an adult. To an extent that I don’t wear parrot green clothes anymore. Will I get justice? No. No one cares about what happens in rural areas and towns.

People will say it happened 16 years ago, and you were a kid how can we believe you. I’m just like any other child who faced this. In families, in schools, in the so-called safe spaces for children. Families and schools are most unsafe spaces as these men have more power there.

I was in town, so I had access to other schools to choose. In most villages there is only one school. Children drop out. Opt out of education, and start doing farm work or manual labour. This reason is much less talked about while discussing drop-rate of schools.

Every school is a #PSBB
IMPLEMENT policies. Schools don’t teach anything about this. WHY?
Please talk to your children. Teach them about touch. Trust them. Please trust your child not your relative or a school teacher. Don’t discount a child’s wisdom.

@dhrdnetwork covered caste atrocities that happened during lockdown, out of them there were MANY sexual assault and murder cases that happened on children below 15 years. Families get threatened by UCs after filing police cases, even killed. This is the reality of this country.