Students of a school in Ramnagar in Hubballi were taught on the road as a mark of protest, following a dispute over lease of land on which the school building is located. The authorities have declared three-day holiday for the school in a bid to find an alternative solution.
On Saturday, parents and members of the alumni association of the school met Deputy Director of Public Instruction Mohankumar Hanchate. Abdul Ghani Wali Ahmed, an alumni, told The Hindu that they were knocking on all doors to solve the issue, which concerned the education of scores of children.
The dispute is over the land that was reportedly leased out to “Harijan Kannada Hennumakkala Shaale Mattu Balawadi” at Ramnagar. As the lease period has ended, the office-bearers of Gandhiwad Cooperative Housing Society have taken possession of the school building and have locked it. They have a court order in their support. The police provided protection when the society office-bearers took possession of the building on March 10, even as some of the members of School Development and Monitoring Committee and alumni association members opposed it.
Nearly 100 students now have no building for their classes. On Friday, the teachers taught them on the road, while the SDMC members and some of the alumni staged a protest forcing the officials to intervene and declare three-day holiday for the school as a temporary measure. “We have met the district in-charge Minister Jagadish Shettar and aired our grievances. We met the DDPI and submitted documents to save the school. We will meet the society office-bearers too. The alumni association has taken up the responsibility to find a solution,” Mr. Abdul Ghani said.
The school, which receives grant in aid, originally started for girls of SCs and STs, now has coeducation and students of all communities.
School headmaster Virappa Hanchinamani filed a complaint with Keshwapur police in Hubballi alleging that while taking possession of the building, the society office-bearers took away important documents. However, the police said when asked to take the documents, the school committee members declined to do so and consequently, the society preserved the documents.
Meanwhile, Mr. Hanchate said an alternative arrangement for classes would be made immediately. He said action would be taken after consulting legal experts and higher officials.
