Jaipur : On the night of April 27, around 10:30 pm, what seemed like a routine highway stop turned into a deeply concerning situation. While travelling from Ajmer to Jaipur, a halt at a roadside restaurant in Bagru on NH-8 raised serious questions about children’s safety.
As a journalist and a mother of two, I was not just observing the situation; I was assessing it. What I witnessed was alarming.
Children as young as five and as old as 14 to 15 were present in large numbers. Some were eating, others were wandering around, a few were inside the lobby, while many were moving freely in the garden and even towards the highway. It was late at night, with high-speed vehicles constantly passing by, yet there was no visible system in place to manage or supervise the children.
These children had travelled from Udaipur to Jaipur and were reportedly associated with SIP Abacus. As per available information, such groups are usually meant for younger children, but here, multiple age groups were seen together.
The most concerning aspect was the lack of supervision. Despite the presence of approximately 100 to 200 children, not a single teacher was clearly seen monitoring them. Even when people nearby were asked, no one took responsibility.
Inside the restaurant, the atmosphere was chaotic. Outside, the situation was even more relaxed. Children were laughing loudly, moving in and out of shops and roaming without any restriction. Some girls were seen walking around with headphones, while some boys were teasing them. There were also instances of open smoking and drinking nearby. The premises included a bar and lounge, making the environment even more sensitive.
This was not a secure campus, but a busy highway like NH-8, where trucks and high-speed vehicles move continuously. There were also dark stretches connected to the main road, increasing the potential risk.
During this time, a bus was also seen moving on the wrong side of the highway. The buses carrying the children left around 11:45 pm.
As a mother, I was genuinely scared. We send our children on such trips with complete trust and responsibility. But when children are seen roaming near a highway without any supervision, it raises serious questions. If this is the situation, how can we consider our children safe?”
Ankita Sharma, Journalist, Mother of two kids
This brings up a fundamental question : where are the safety standards?
On one hand, parents demand strict security, CCTV and monitoring inside schools. On the other hand, such vigilance seems to disappear during school trips.
It appeared that even if teachers were present, they were not actively supervising the children. After finishing their meals, children were left completely free to move around. In such large numbers, without any control, even a small incident could turn serious.
Across the country, several cases involving children have been reported, including kidnappings near school areas and serious crimes occurring even during school hours in broad daylight.
Parents today are highly vigilant, yet what was seen here was the complete opposite. Children moving freely on a highway from 10:30 pm till nearly midnight is not just concerning; it can be life-threatening.
As parents, it is our social responsibility to stay alert and aware of our surroundings. This is not the time to think, “It is not our concern.” Our own children step out into the world. If we choose to ignore such situations today, tomorrow others may do the same when our children are outside.
It is troubling to imagine how the parents of these children would feel if they witnessed this themselves. Can a child truly be considered safe when completely unsupervised?
Children were seen moving towards areas where smoking and drinking were taking place. Some were heading towards darker, isolated stretches connected to the main road. In such conditions, lack of supervision is not just negligence; it is a serious risk.
This is not about restricting children’s freedom. It is about ensuring their safety.
If this were the situation within just two hours, it raises an important question: what happens during the rest of the trip?
Parents deserve transparency. They deserve accountability. And most importantly, children deserve safety.
We attempted to contact the concerned department of SIP Abacus, but received no response.