Srinagar: People in Kashmir desisted from sending their children to schools, fearing they might get caught in protests between the youth and the security forces after the J&K government opened educational institutions on Monday following a fortnight of tensions in the region.
The Valley has been in the grips of an uneasy calm ever since the Union government revoked the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir and divided it into two union territories on August 5.
The sporadic protests which are being witnessed in several parts of Srinagar since Saturday, when authorities announced an easing of restrictions on public movement, are weighing heavily on the minds of parents.
Between ‘thin and nil’
The government decided to open elementary schools up to Class V, saying it was looking forward to starting the new week with “hope and optimism”. The turnout, however, wasn’t encouraging, even by government’s standards.
During the media briefing, the director of school education, Yunis Malik accepted that the students’ attendance in schools across the Valley was either “thin” or “nil”.
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There are 500 primary level schools in Srinagar and the department had planned to open 196 of them. But the director said a “thin attendance”
of students was recorded in 72 schools while “30-50%” of the teaching staff marked their presence.
In Shopian and Pulwama districts of southern Kashmir, the epicentre of the deadly 2016 uprising, not a single student returned to classes. In the 10-12 schools that opened in Kulgam district, thin attendance was recorded, according to the director.
In Anantnag, only 39 students marked their presence in 89 schools, along with 89 teachers, said the director, adding that the student attendance varied between 10% and 20% in Baramulla and Bandipora.
The director repeatedly ignored queries from the media to explain this “thin attendance”.
Several journalists that The Wire spoke to said they didn’t come across a single school in the city where the students had returned to the classrooms, except one Kendra Vidalya school in Sonwar cantonment area.
‘Not at the cost of children’s safety’
In uptown Chanpora and Lal Nagar localities, angry youth and elders had hit the roads to register their protest against the scrapping of Article 370. The roads were dotted with bricks and at some spots, the protestors had put up blockades.
The situation took an ugly turn when, according to locals, the police rounded up a “few boys” from Chanpora for allegedly creating a disturbance.
“Will anyone from the government guarantee the safety of our children in these tense times?” asked Nazir Ahmad Bhat, a businessman.
His son, Issa (7) is a Class III student in one of the private English medium schools in the city. “The government wants to give a semblance of peace by opening schools. They are politicising education,” Bhat argued.
At Haft Chinar, a locality on the road leading to the airport from Lal Chowk, a group of men were engrossed in a discussion over the prevailing situation, and the government’s decision to open schools.
“They are claiming the situation has returned to normalcy, why then are they opening only primary levels schools and not all schools?” asked one Tariq Mustafa.
“Why are forces controlling every road then and why are communication services still down?” he asked. “The government can’t take such a unilateral decision at the cost of students’ safety.”
‘No students have turned up’
The Wire visited at least seven schools in the city, including some missionary schools, only to find that not a single student had returned while the government had been expecting to start the new week with hope and optimism.
At the entrance of Burn Hall Missionary School in Sonwar, a security guard who identified himself as Bahadur said that “only a few” staff members had come in the morning.
“They too have left since then,” he said.
Asked if any student had come, he responded with a smile. “Are you seriously asking that? Come and check, there is not a single student in the entire school,” he said.
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A security guard at the main gate of another missionary school refused to come out to speak. Instead, he opened a small window carved out in the gate to inform about the absence of students.
“Even the government knows that no student will come out of their homes in a situation when we feel insecure even inside our homes,” he said.
The Valley is facing a communication blockade for the 16th straight day. Mobile and internet services continue to be down, though the government claimed on Sunday that some 23,000 landline phone connections have been restored. Authorities had closed schools and colleges after the August 5 decision in anticipation of protests on campuses.
Parents have, in fact, criticised the authorities for re-opening schools during a “volatile situation”.
“Rumours fly thick and fast in Kashmir. There is no way one can cross-check with school authorities in case the situation turns tense. It is better to be around with children at home rather than putting them at risk,” said Aijaz Wani of Sonwar.
In the days to come, authorities have decided to open more schools. But given the response, it is unlikely Kashmir will see classrooms brimming with noise anytime soon.
“Nothing is more precious for parents than their children. Studies can wait,” said Wani, whose seven-year-old daughter Bisma, an only child, is enrolled in a local private school.