'Girl students screaming, collapsing!' Abnormal behaviour in Odisha school triggers panic

Abnormal behaviour by students in a school in Odisha's Bhadrak district has left parents and teachers in panic.

According to reports, some students of Adhuan Upper Primary School under Basudevpur block in Bhadrak district have been behaving abnormally. It is alleged that at times, they are screaming while grinding their teeth and at other times, they start limping. Whenever they go near the banyan tree on the campus, they collapse to the ground, said sources. 

Because of such abnormal behaviour, studies have been adversely affected. It has become a cause of headache for the parents and the school authorities alike. Even the school committee is struggling to find out the real cause behind such abnormal behaviour.
    

“For the last one month, children have been behaving abnormally. For the last eight days, four to five children have been behaving as if possessed by something. They are screaming and limping. Today, eight children behaved in that manner,” said Subash Mallick, a parent. 

Expressing her concern, another parent, Rambhamani Mallick said, “When they are behaving abnormally, they get attracted to the banyan tree on the school campus and collapse there. When they regain consciousness, they behave normally again.” 

When asked, the assistant teacher of the school Nikunja Bihari Mohapatra said, “Some specific girl students of Class VI have been behaving abnormally since October. While crying, they are saying they want to go and also plead to let them go.”