The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Monday came down heavily on the authorities for “failing to safeguard school infrastructure” in Kashmir and called for “reopening of all schools” even as the separatists’ shutdown call of the last 115 days continued to affect all aspects of life.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the mysterious burning of 27 schools, Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir and Justice Ali Muhammad Magrey observed: “It is the responsibility of the State to keep educational institutions open. Whether children come to schools or not, the authorities cannot say they have difficulty in protecting school buildings.”
The Court lambasted the authorities for “not taking a call by sitting together for devising measures for protecting these school buildings from being burnt”.
‘Mysterious enemies’ “All the necessary preventive and protective measures shall be taken to stop the mysterious enemies of education. The mysterious enemy shall be unmasked and dealt with an iron hand,” held the Court. It directed the government to submit a compliance report by November 7 on the matter.
“It is a collective responsibility of all to save the school buildings. A mysterious person may enjoy its flames and smoke, but that sadistic enjoyment can be only for an hour or so, least realising he is darkening the educational atmosphere,” the Court said.
State Education Minister Nayeem Akhtar told The Hindu : “It is not physically possible to provide security to all 14,000 schools. Around 13 lakh students have to sit for the exams. It is sad that a society needs to secure schools through the police.”
Mr. Akhtar said, “Separatists with their shutdown calls are trying to destroy academic careers. In reality, it is examination time for leaders like [JKLF chief] Mohammad Yasin Malik, who is now facing questions from the people over the way they are pushing Kashmiris into perpetual economic and academic dis-empowerment.”
With separatist leaders, including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik, condemning the burning of schools, United Jihad Council supremo Syed Salahuddin followed suit.
“The government should talk to the students. Instead, it is intimidating them into complying with its plan to hold exams, despite the loss of almost four months of classes,” said former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
