Rameez Makhdoomi

(Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world – Nelson Mandela)
Schools are cradles of civilizations. School education lays the foundation stone in building the personality of a person. The growth and future of any  country highly depends upon health of its Schooling system. The knowledge learned in school plays a major role in peoples’ daily lives. …School is also important for developing important social skills.

Unfortunately in Kashmir on account of political turmoil spanning over past three decades the very schools have had to bear  the worst brunt.

More than 20 mostly Government schools in Kashmir have been burned in a wave of arson attacks over the past four months of unrest and agitation – with the arson incidents being blamed on unknown miscreants.

On the otherhand, according to local media reports Government has reportedly assigned the job of securing schools in Kulgam district to teachers and asked them to spent nights in their respective schools to thwart attacks by miscreants .Pertinently, the move  has however infuriated the teachers who accused the government of making them a soft target of the attacker.

Importantly, these continuous dastardly acts of burning schools in Kashmir are paining one and all. In an official statement, education minister and government spokesman, Naeem Akhtar lamented that the damage to schools is not just burning of an institution but a “colossal loss for the entire society”. “During the last few months Kashmir has gone through a bad phase which has caused pain to everybody,” he said.

Sometime back, Officials of the directorate of school education stated  that 17 government middle, high and higher secondary schools have been burnt mysteriously during the unrest. Of these, seven were reduced to ashes while 10 were damaged partially in the fire.Besides the 17 government schools, two prominent private schools were also been damaged in fires, But since these days more schools have been burnt down.

Most of the schools have been burnt in the dead of the night by unknown ‘miscreants’.

While talking to News Kashmir, Bilal Bashir Bhat, a young activist and Journalist stated – “ Schools are building blocks of every civilized nation of the world. We cannot think of a tolerant, educated, peaceful, civilized world without schools. The burning of schools has a direct negative impact on the right of children to realise their right to basic education. This heinous act clearly undermines the basic right of our children to education. Miscreants burning schools should be identified and handed exemplary punishment.”

Sadly, on Thursday 28 th October, the news of arson attack on two more schools- one at Pattan in North Kashmir, other at Khag area of Budgam in Central Kashmir came, with masses urging on the law enforcement agencies to nab the heinous forces behind burning of schools.

 

Certainly, arson is  the  big  issue which is plaguing the present and  future of education in Kashmir these days.

 

 

By Farzana Mumtaz

 

In the latest dramatic turnaround of events, The Mehbooba Mufti government in Jammu and Kashmir has sacked 18 officials for their alleged role in fuelling unrest in the state. More than 100 others are being watched closely, and there could be more sackings, sources said. Kashmir has been witnessing a 105 day upheaval since the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani which has lead to killing of more than 90 protesters, thousands injured and arrested.

On the otherhand, scores have been blinded by pellet gun. Now, many are stating that this move of terminating services of employees is brutal assault on freedom of speech and set democratic norms. Both employee leaders and employees have threatened government with massive stir if it does not revoke the termination. Importantly, the government has written to departmental heads to issue termination letters to these employees without any delay even though the latter can approach court to question the sacking ‘without holding mandatory inquiry into the charges leveled again them’.

 

The criminal investigation department (CID) and central intelligence agencies are reportedly said to have prepared a list of more than hundred employees for ‘leading or nudging’ protests in Kashmir.

Pertinently, President Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) Abdul Qayoom Wani told news agency CNS that the number of sacked employees was more than 12.

“The number of sacked employees exceeds 12 and it is round about 40,” he said, adding that the incumbent government has crossed all the limits of “suppression”.

“All the sacked employees are lower rung employees and we will protect their interests at any cost,” he said.

 

Accusing the government of trampling the rights of people particularly employees, Wani said that EJAC will convene a special session to discuss the future course of action. While as, reacting to the termination of more than dozen employees by the state government in wake of their participation in ongoing Kashmir agitation, Prominent Employee Leader and Government Employees Conference Chairman Ishtiyaq Beigh has castigated the move terming it as murder of Democracy.

” Employees are part and parcel of society, and are bound to participate in their sufferings, happiness, lows and highs .The termination of services of employees on pretext of being part of current protests is a step taken in wrong direction. This move has sent wrong signals to the employee fraternity – spread an environment of disappointment and sadness.”

Ishtiyaq Beigh urged Government to revoke the termination soon as to avoid a large scale protests from employees on the move .

 

 

Ground watchers  say such terminations had occurred in the 1990s when armed militancy and separatism was at its peak in Kashmir. Interestingly, Education minister Naeem Akhtar was among five government employees dismissed from service by the state government in 1990 for his alleged involvement in anti-national activities.

It is worth mentioning here that most of the sacked employees are lower run and employee leadership has maintained  sacking lower rung employees this government has virtually stabbed their families.

What will the future situation lead to remains to be seen.