2 J&K schools torched, 24 so far
‘Obnoxious’ attacks on educational institutes trigger anger in Valley
It was the 111th day of unrest, triggered by the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani, and shops and other businesses remained shut in response to a call issued by an alliance of key separatist leaders.
As the mayhem continues, a primary school building was torched by unknown persons, called “miscreants” by the police, in Tappar village of Pattan area in north-western Baramulla district. An official spokesman said that it was the 23rd incident of arson involving a school building. A report from central district of Budgam said that yet another school — a government middle school — in the village of Habber gutted in fire late Thursday evening.
The increasing incidence of schools being targeted by unknown persons has evoked widespread condemnation across the Valley and beyond. Apart from the government, various mainstream and separatist political parties and leaders, social and religious organisations and civil society groups are aghast over “obnoxious” acts which they believe are aimed at depriving the Valley’s young generation of education, the key to their success.
The mysterious incidents have taken place at a time when the government’s decision to hold the final examinations of the Class 10 and 12 from midNovember despite stiff opposition of the Opposition parties, the separatists and other sections of the society, apart from select student and academics groups, on the premise that in present circumstances it would be risky to force the students to relocate to examination centres. They have also said that hundreds of students have been maimed and even blinded in shotgun pellet firings and other actions of the security forces in their attempt to contain the unrest and many more are languishing in jails.
While chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and education minister Naeem Akhtar have strongly condemned the incidents and vowed to bring those involved in these acts of arson to justice, the separatist leadership said it could be the handiwork of “enemies of the people and freedom movement”. Mr Akhtar said in a statement earlier this week, “The biggest causality has been the loss of human lives which is irreparable.”