Momo challenge: Schools on alert, MHRD issues advisory

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After the deadly ‘Blue Whale challenge’, which claimed a number of lives last year by involving children in violent acts and suicide challenges, another bizarre challenge has cropped up recently — the ‘Momo challenge’.

This challenge targets teenagers and children and entices them to engage in a series of violent acts. The game administrator uses the social media to invite children to play the game, wherein the player is asked to inflict injuries on self, sometimes even suicide.

On September 6, the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) had issued an advisory/precaution regarding the ‘Momo challenge’ to the Heads of Department of Higher Education and the Department of School Education, on the directions of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEIT).

According to the MEIT, a few instances of children committing suicide due to Momo challenge have been reported in India. Some city-based schools have cautioned parents through emails and WhatsApp messages about the lethal game. St John’s High School has issued an advisory to the parents nearly a month ago.

The advisory urged the parents to be cautious about such challenges, so that their children do not fall prey to them.

Gurukul Global Principal Urvashi Kakkar said: “We are not completely aware of this challenge yet. So haven’t issued any advisory as we do not want the students to get curious about it.”

Anujit Kaur, District Education Officer (DEO), Chandigarh, said: “We will issue an advisory to all schools regarding the Momo challenge.”

‘Blue Whale challenge’ fatality recap

On September 25, 2017, a boy was found hanging from a fan in Panchkula. His last message on a notebook was: ‘I don’t deserve to live’. His family blamed the Blue Whale challenge for their son’s death. The boy had drawn pictures of a boy jumping off a cliff, drowning in water, cutting his wrist, lying in front of a train and a speeding car, and hanging from a ceiling fan.

What is Momo challenge

According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, in the game, the players are challenged to communicate with unknown numbers. The game consists of a variety of self-harming dares which become increasingly risky as the game progresses and finally ends with the ‘suicide challenge’. It instigates the teenagers/children to add unknown contacts on WhatsApp by the name of ‘momo’. After the contact is added, the image of a terrifying Japanese Momo doll with bulging eyes appears. The player is threatened if the instructions are not followed.

Schools take measures

Some city-based schools have cautioned parents through emails and WhatsApp messages about the lethal game. St John’s High School, Chandigarh, has issued an advisory to the

parents nearly a month ago. The advisory urged the parents to be cautious about such challenges, so that their children do not fall prey to them.