Jagran Correspondent, Haldwani: Panic broke out at a girls' school in Uttarakhand after several students suddenly began screaming and trembling during a unit test on Monday. The incident sent shockwaves throughout the school, and rumours of ghost possession spread rapidly among students and parents. Teachers stepped in to calm the students involved and later described the episode as a case of mass hysteria, or mass psychogenic illness.
The incident took place at Lalit Arya Mahila Inter College in Banbhoolpura, near Haldwani. On Monday, the first day of the unit tests, a high school student reportedly fell ill while taking her examination and suddenly began screaming loudly in the classroom.
Teachers immediately contacted the parents of the affected students. As the situation became difficult to manage, the school informed other parents and declared a holiday for the day.
Amid the chaos, rumours began circulating that the students were possessed by a ghost or spirit. Teachers, however, tried to reassure the girls, gave them water and attempted to restore calm. They also urged students and others not to spread rumours. The affected girls were later sent home with their parents.
Meanwhile, the school has more than 800 students. Since the unit tests had begun that day, attendance was reportedly nearly 100 per cent, making it challenging for the teachers to manage the sudden situation. The staff eventually brought the situation under control.
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Principal Manisha said the school was closed for the day and the remaining examinations had been postponed accordingly. The school will reopen at its scheduled time on Tuesday, with the tests continuing according to the revised schedule.
She appealed to students and parents to remain calm and avoid paying attention to rumours surrounding the incident.
What is mass hysteria?
In simple terms, mass hysteria, also known as mass psychogenic illness, refers to the rapid spread of physical symptoms, emotional distress or panic among a group of people. Medical examinations may not identify a corresponding physical or medical cause for the symptoms. Such episodes can be triggered or intensified by stress, fear, anxiety and observing others experiencing similar symptoms.
Similar incident reported in Maharashtra
The Haldwani episode comes amid reports of a similar incident at a government ashram school in Maharashtra's Amravati district.
On August 16, several students at the school in Doma village, in the tribal-dominated Melghat region, reportedly began laughing without an apparent reason before some later became quiet and unresponsive. The incident triggered fear among students, parents and villagers, with rumours that the school premises were haunted, reported TOI.
At least 608 students reportedly returned home with their parents as rumours spread through the area. Officials and doctors who visited the school described the episode as mass hysteria.
In one reported episode, 16 students suddenly began crying and laughing before experiencing numbness or becoming unresponsive. Some students also claimed to have heard the sound of ghungroos. Officials said the rumours eventually spread from the hostel to the surrounding village.
The Tribal Development Department subsequently pointed to several longstanding problems at the school, including overcrowding, poor food quality and inadequate sanitation.
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