Srinagar, Sept 27: Has the police taken over civil administration in Kashmir? The question Monday triggered suspense among the teaching and non-teaching fraternity in educational institutions across the Valley after the men in uniform were seeing checking the attendance of students and teachers, and also seizing arrivals at many places.
The academics have taken a serious exception to police’s barging into educational institutions. “It (attendance checking) is not the job of police but officials in the Education Department,” said Zahida (name changed), a teacher in a school in Wagoora area in north Kashmir’s Varmul district.
 “Early in the morning, two policemen came to our school to check the attendance of the students and teachers. We were reluctant to show them the attendance registers but they threatened us that they would inform the Chief Education Officer that nobody was present in the school. We strongly denounce the police highhandedness,” she said.
 Source said police seized attendance register in two schools in Wagoora. “It is not good that policemen barge into schools and harass the teachers. This way you can’t impart education to students, but live under the constant fear that police might tamper the attendance figures to show that all schools were operating normally,” Zahida said.
 In Ganderbal, teachers alleged that police barged into schools to check the attendance. “Once they finished checking the attendance, the policemen asked us why we remain away from schools during curfews and why we don’t help them in breaking the street protests,” a group of teachers told Greater Kashmir over phone.
 “We informed the Chief Education Office about the issue, but they said they are helpless. Police interrogated us by asking us shameful questions. What have we got to do with the present crisis? We are in a catch-22 situation. If we leave for schools, the students don’t turn up. And when we stay home, the government threatens us of dire consequences.”
 Policemen were also seen recording attendance in several Srinagar schools.
 Interestingly, the Senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar, was seen visiting some of the schools along with the Deputy Commissioner Srinagar to ascertain the attendance of students and teachers.
 “It is forced schooling. Some teachers had to go to HMT from Hazratbal, but they were not able to do so because police and CRPF didn’t allow them to move out,” said an official in the Chief Education Office here. “Several teachers called our office today, complaining that police was checking the attendance. We will have to see why they are doing so.”
 Earlier, police issued a number of press notes with regard to the opening of schools in Kashmir. “I don’t know if police had any instructions to check the attendance registers in schools. I am sure they must have been conducting a routine security check in the schools to ensure their smooth functioning,” said a police officer, insisting not to be named.
 Pertinently, apart from police, officials of the Crime Investigation Department were also seen recording the attendance in schools.

NO OFFICIAL WORD:
 When contacted, the Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, SM Sahai, and SSP Srinagar, didn’t respond to repeated calls from Greater Kashmir. The DC Srinagar, Meraj Ahmad Kakroo, said he was busy in a meeting at Police Control Room while the Director, School Education, was not available for comments.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 27 Sep 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 27 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:00:00 IST