Adil Lateef
Srinagar, Oct 16: Education sector in Kashmir has been severely hit due to over three month long civil unrest in Valley as not only learning institutes are shut but ten schools have so far been gutted in mysterious blaze incidents in several districts of the region.
According to a senior official in divisional administration, these 10 educational institutes, three of them private, were gutted mysteriously since the month of September when State Government started its efforts to get the school and college work resumed amid the cycle of violence. “But soon, a worrying but dangerous pattern of school burning started in an apparent bid to sabotage the State Government’s efforts,” he said.
The official said that first school that was set ablaze allegedly by miscreants was Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) School in Mirhama village of south Kashmir’s restive Kulgam district. However, the locals said that the school was gutted due to a teargas shell fired by security forces to quell the demonstrators during stone-throwing clashes in the area.
The official said that the JNV was beginning of the ‘dangerous pattern’ and another Government school at Botengoo in Anantnag district was damaged in a blaze incident during clashes between protesters and security forces on September 10. The police blamed miscreants for the blaze but locals said the fire occurred due to teargas canister explosion. Following this incident, Government Middle School Kanjikullah in Yaripora area of Anantnag went up in flames in the intervening night of September 13 and 14.
In a major loss, one of the oldest schools of Valley, Islamia Hanfia Educational Institute at Lal Chowk in Anantnag district was gutted in a mysterious fire incident. The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) blamed miscreants for the “criminal act” while Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said she was “pained” at the incident.
Education Minister, Naeem Akhtar, himself paid a visit to the school and expressed “anguish” over the loss to the iconic educational institute. On the same day, Government Middle School in Vihil village of Shopian district was damaged in a mysterious blaze incident. The pattern didn’t end here but it was also witnessed in north and central Kashmir districts.
The official of the divisional administration said in Kupwara district, Government Primary School in Wangam village of Handwara was gutted in a blaze incident on September 12 while Government High school Lilam in Vilgam went up in flames on September 27. In Baramulla district, Government Middle School in Palpora village of Pattan went up in flames on October 10. On the same day, Government Middle School Thuru in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district was also gutted after being set ablaze by miscreants.
Alarmed at the school gutting incidents, Education Minister, Naeem Akhtar, said: “it is a matter of great concern for not only the Government, but every right-thinking citizen of Kashmir that amid disturbances… several schools have gone up in flames especially in South Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Kulgam and Shopian.”
Even as the situation was showing some sort of improvement, another school at Pantha Chowk on the outskirts of city here was gutted only two days ago. Though the schools in Valley are still shut, the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education has decided to conduct examinations of class 10 and 12 next month.
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