Bengal school girls found singing vulgar parody of Tagore song

Even as a controversy over some young women writing obscene words on their back distorting Rabindra Sangeet lyrics refused to settle down, a new video of four school girls making vulgar gestures while singing a lewd parody of another composition of Rabindranath Tagore has surfaced on social media.

What was more objectionable, one of the girls in the video was seen making crude hand gestures as another participant took a selfie on her mobile phone.

In the now viral clip, the smiling students of the famous Barlow Girls High School in Malda district in northern West Bengal used choicest of slangs in every line of the Rabindra Sangeeet they were parodying.

The girls, in their school uniform, repeatedly burst into laughter as they sang the distorted version of the song, drawing all-round condemnation.

Stunned at the behaviour of the students, all of whom study in Class XI, the school's headmistress Depashree Mazumdar summoned their guardians. The students, teachers and members of the governing board were present in the meeting.

The four girls later gave an undertaking and apologised for their conduct, promising to never repeat such an offence.

"They have apologised in writing. They claimed they did the video for fun. We have reprimanded them. They need counselling. They will now be allowed to sit for the annual examination.

"The president of the governing body was not present. Once she is available, we will hold another meeting and decide on some exemplary punishment so that it acts as a deterrence for others to not do something similar," she said.

However, Mazumdar ruled out lodging a police complaint, saying the girls were minors. "They couldn't understand the implication of what they had done. We also have to keep their age in mind."

Facing flak from all and sundry for the viral video, three of the four girls had earlier apologised on social media.

"We did the video for fun. We never had any plans to defame our school. We apologise to everybody. Please, delete the video," said one of them.

Only two days back, some young college girls were seen participating in Basantotsav (spring festival) on the Rabindra Bharati University campus with obscene words from a distorted version of a Rabindra Sangeet written on their upper back with 'gulaal'.

Taking responsibility for the incident, University Vice-Chancellor Sabyasachi Basu Roychowdhury has resigned. Though Higher Education Minister Partha Chatterjee has indicated that he won't accept the resignation.

The university authorities also filed a police complaint against "unidentified people" for the incident.

After the university lodged a general diary at the Sinthee police station, the accused reached the campus and apologised for their 'mistake' to the authorities and the student council.

Their guardians later escorted them to the police station where they submitted written apologies promising not to repeat the mistake. IANS