The ongoing skirmishes between the armies of India and Pakistan along the Line of Control are not only resulting in the loss of lives and property, but are also severely affecting the teaching-learning process in border areas, where hundreds of schools are located in the firing range.
Highly placed sources told Greater Kashmir that schools ofsix zones in Poonch district and six zones in Rajouri district are located inthe firing zone (0-5 kilometre range of LoC).
Pertinently, the firing zone is regarded as a ‘sensitivezone’, owing to heavy pounding during cross-border exchange of mortars andartillery shells.
In Poonch district, forty four education institutions ofPoonch zone, sixty of Balakote zone, eighteen of Kunaiyan zone, fifty six ofMendhar zone, thirty six of Mankote zone and twenty six of Nangali zone arenotified to be in 0-5 kilometres range. All these schools remained closed for17 days in between
February 15 to March 15, as high tension was witnessed alongthe Line of Control post the Pulwama attack, sources said.
In Rajouri district, ten schools located in Rajouri zone arein the firing range, fifty six in Doongi zone, fifty eight in Manjakote zone,fifty four in Nowshera zone, twenty eight in Dandesar zone and eight schoolsare located in Sunderbani zone. Several of these schools also remained closed,but for different periods of time, sources said.
Ramesh Kumar, a resident of Kalal in Nowshera, told GreaterKashmir that the period in between February 15 to March 15 was similar to “war”for the border residents, as heavy firing and shelling was witnessed day in andday out.
“How will our kids concentrate on studies when theentire area is rattling with shelling and bullets are passing over the roof ofthe classroom?” Hanif Ahmed from Manjakote forward village asked.
The locals appealed to the authorities to come up with aproper policy for the students enrolled in schools located in shelling-affectedareas and to meet the loss of their studies due to firing.
They also appealed to bring in a system of grace marks for theshelling-affected students of the border areas.
Director school education, Jammu, Anuradha Gupta assured tolook into the demand if she receives a representation about it from the field.