In a country where students’ voices often get drowned in a sea of paperwork and official indifference, the tragic self-immolation of a 20-year-old at Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, Balasore, Odisha, feels like a gut punch. It’s not just a headline, it’s a piercing reminder that beneath our ‘Digital India’ progress, real lives are breaking under old, rotten systems. When a cry for help turns into a desperate act like this, it’s time for all of us to stop scrolling and take a hard look at the mess our institutions are in.
1. Here’s What Actually Went Down: A Reality Check
Months of alleged sexual harassment by the Head of Education led this student to her breaking point. He reportedly threatened to tank her academic performance if she didn’t give in. Despite raising the alarm with both the principal and the police, all she got was radio silence. On July 12, 2025, she set herself ablaze right outside her college campus, making a final, unimaginable plea for justice. She fought for her life with 95% burns at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, but lost the battle two days later.
Image courtesy: collegebatch.com
2. The Deafening Silence of Authorities: Is Anyone Listening?
Instead of action, what followed was classic jugaad justice: form an internal committee, kill time, and hope everyone forgets. Students said this so-called committee was a total farce and biased from day one. Principal Dillip Kumar Ghosh didn’t just nap through the crisis; he was later suspended and arrested for literally not doing his job. And the alleged tormentor, Sameer Sahoo, was only taken into custody after the outrage went viral and pressure skyrocketed.
3. Political Firestorm and Public Outcry: When Everyone Suddenly Cares
Former CM Naveen Patnaik called the incident “shocking and deeply distressing” and begged the Governor to step in. The opposition, BJD, Congress, went full savage, slamming the state’s zero-protection-for-students vibes. Congress has even called for a statewide bandh on July 17, 2025, because apparently, nothing says “serious action” like making everyone stay at home. The National Commission for Women (NCW) took suo motu cognizance and has demanded a time-bound probe, so finally, maybe some grown-ups in the room?
Image courtesy: The Hindu
4. The Larger Picture: System Toh Tedo Hai, Bhai
Let’s not pretend this is breaking news; students across India have been shouting about broken redressal systems for ages. The sad truth? Our colleges still think “grievance redressal” means forming new WhatsApp groups or putting up helpline numbers that never work. There have been way too many similar horror stories, showing us that it’s not one college or one case, it’s a full-blown institutional crisis. Till we overhaul these systems and make accountability a habit (not a hashtag), students everywhere are at risk. We can’t keep waiting for the next tragedy to wake up and demand real, lasting change.
Yeh Wake-Up Call Ignore Nahi Kar Sakte
If this story doesn’t make you angry, nothing will. It’s high time we call out complicit silence and broken systems that fail our friends, siblings, and classmates. Let’s demand safety and justice that actually work, where students don’t have to fight alone or pay such a high price for being heard.