In May, the girls of Gothra village made news when they decided to stage protests demanding that their village achool be upgraded to senior secondary. But of the 19 class 10 girl students who protested, nine failed to clear the exams.
Over 80 girls of a school in Gothra village sat on a hunger strike in May demanding that it be upgraded to a senior secondary school. (HT FILE PHOTO)
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On May 10, around 80 girls, studying in different classes, had decided that they would not go to the school in neighbouring Kanwali village, which is 3km away, to pursue higher education. They claimed that they were subjected to sexual harassment and abuse by boys on the way to the school.
They demanded that the school in their village be upgraded to a senior secondary school.
The failed students and parents blamed the teachers for their poor performance. “My daughter was a regular to school and studied hard for her exams but, shockingly, she failed. The teachers did not pay attention to the weaker students and those who passed the exam studied on their own,” said Maya Chauhan, whose daughter failed the exam.
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Another student said, “It is not easy to strike a balance between studies and household chores. I have to get up at 4am and go to sleep later than 10pm after finishing all the work. I hardly get time to study. I want to but I am helpless. Now my parents are planning to get me married as I failed the exam.”
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Another student said, “It is not easy to strike a balance between studies and household chores. I have to get up at 4am and go to sleep later than 10pm after finishing all the work. I hardly get time to study. I want to but I am helpless. Now my parents are planning to get me married as I failed the exam.”
The school administration were quick to blame the students and their protests.
“The girl students who were actively taking part in the protests have failed. I had warned them to focus on studies but they did not study despite being given extra coaching at school,” said Satish Kumar, headmaster.
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The villagers, on the other hand, alleged that some miscreants were pushing the girls to go to the authorities and to hold the protest, which were the main reason for the poor results.
“The authorities should conduct an investigation as to why the students failed. There were regular classes but many students did not attend the classes and were planning the protest during their exams,” said Vijay Chauhan, a villager.
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest.
Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents.
Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure.
Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing.
Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity.
Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations.
Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling.
A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.
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