Mahanthamma Shivappa Talawar, an 8-year-old Class 2 student in Karnataka‘s Kalaburagi district, tragically passed away from severe burn injuries in an incident that shocked the entire community. The terrible incident happened on Thursday during the midday meal preparation at the Chinmmgera Government Higher Primary School in the taluk of Afzalpur.
Image Source: Varatha Bharathi
Girl in sambar tragedy dies; mother files FIR against seven
Mahanthamma suffered about 40% burn injuries after unintentionally falling into a container holding more than 40 liters of extremely hot sambar. She was quickly taken to a nearby primary health center and given first aid after prompt action was taken. After it was determined how serious her illness was, she was sent to the Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences in Kalaburagi to receive additional care. Due to the seriousness of the situation, a subsequent move was made on Friday to Basaveshwara Hospital in Kalaburagi. Unfortunately, Mahanthamma’s health worsened and on Saturday she was admitted to the famous Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru, where she died on Sunday morning at around 3:30 a.m.
Sangeetha Shivappa Talawar, the bereaved mother, filed a First Information Report (FIR) with the Devalagangapur police to initiate legal action. Seven people were named in the FIR: the executive officer of the Afzalpur Taluk Panchayat, the assistant director of Akshara Dasoha, the cooks at the Chinmmgera Government School, the Headmistress of Chinmmgera Higher Primary School, the Deputy Director of Public Instruction, the Block Education Officer of Afzalpur, and the Zilla Panchayat officer in charge of the Midday Meal program.
Stampede chaos led to tragic sambar accident. Admin actions follow
Sangeetha described in the FIR how a stampede-like gathering of hungry students led to a chaotic situation. Her daughter tragically fell into the hot sambar vessel during this chaos. She underlined that one of the unfortunate incidents was caused by the absence of an appropriate system for students to queue up and pick up their food.
Sakreppagouda Biradar, Kalaburagi’s deputy director of public instruction, responded to this tragic event with prompt administrative action. Due to allegations of incompetence, assistant teacher Raju Chauhan and interim headmistress Lalabi Nadaf were placed under suspension. Furthermore, Kasturibai Talakeri, the head chef in charge of the school’s midday meal program, was in danger of losing her job.
The incident has brought serious concerns about the safety procedures and guidelines followed during the preparation and serving of midday meals in schools to light. A more thorough investigation into the duties of school personnel, particularly those in charge of meal preparation and student supervision during such critical periods, has been spurred by the incident.
Calls for probe and safety overhaul after tragic school incident
Public outrage over Mahanthamma Shivappa Talawar’s sudden death has resulted in calls for a thorough investigation and accountability for those involved. There have been complaints made regarding the midday meal program’s general administration, and stronger adherence to safety regulations is required to avoid similar tragic events in the future.
A thorough evaluation of safety procedures and training for school employees involved in meal preparation and distribution is imperative in light of this heartbreaking incident. Furthermore, there is a growing public conversation about how important it is to provide a safe environment for students to eat in, with the goal of pressing educational authorities to give students’ safety and well-being top priority in Karnataka and beyond.
Mahanthamma Shivappa Talawar passed away, and while the community grieves his loss, the tragic incident serves as a sobering reminder of how important it is for schools to have strict safety protocols in place, especially during regular activities like midday meals, which are crucial for young students’ nutrition and wellbeing.
