Srinagar, Oct 9: Government’s efforts to ensure normal functioning of schools in the summer capital seem to have come to naught with the attendance in schools, both government and private, showing no perceptible increase.
 The attendance of teachers in schools too is not showing any improvement because of the non-availability of private transport facilities due to curfew restrictions and shutdowns. “The teachers and students living at walking distances from the institutions only make it to schools. Those living far away from the institutions find it impossible to attend, excepting on normal days when the private transport is plying,” said a principal of a government higher secondary school on the condition of anonymity, adding that it was very difficult for a female teacher or student to foot the distance of more than five miles to reach the school daily.
 “If at all the government really means business it should make proper transport arrangements for the teachers as well as students otherwise it is but a ‘false show’ of administration.
 Teachers from downtown city have another story to tell. It goes like this:
 “When we leave our homes in the morning to reach the school, we are being watched and at times hooted by our own people as if we are traitors. We face same humiliation all along way to school and way back.
 Sometimes, we have to answer the queer and absurd questions from security forces manning the roads. At school, we do not know when the protesters will come. Once they come, we have to close the school in tremendous nervousness and shame.
 We are at a loss to understand what to do? When we are back home in the evening we feel reborn,” said Tabasum, a teacher.
 A Hurriyat activist working as a private school teacher had this say: “Government has failed to contain the obtaining situation with the arsenal and manpower at its disposal. It has now resorted to the cheap tactic of pitting people against one another to create a breach in the agitation.”
 “Teachers and students are the part of society. Once people start beating them, it means infighting among themselves,” he said, adding that such a vile ploy of government would ultimately come a cropper.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 9 Oct 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 9 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 10 Oct 2010 00:00:00 IST