PM wants classes to resume this month.
The home ministry is working in close coordination with the Jammu and Kashmir government to ensure that schools and educational institutions in the Valley, which have been closed for about four months now, reopen this month. There is a considerable concern among the Centre and state over the issue with even Prime Minster Narendra Modi intervening in the matter, particularly since 26 schools have been burnt in the Valley over the last few days.
Mr Modi has already directed the home ministry to explore “all possible avenues” for reopening of educational institutions at the earliest, which have been shut since July first week when Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was shot dead by security forces in an encounter.
Sources said the PM was considerably concerned over the education and career of children in the Valley being severely hampered in wake of closure of schools. Home minister Rajnath Singh had a detailed discussion with J&K governor N.N. Vohra last week, and he asked him to prepare a blueprint on how the schools could be reopened this month, sources added.
The home ministry, state government and security forces are working on a plan, as per which schools would be opened in a phased manner.
“We are planning to open educational institutions with adequate protection from security forces till the situation gets normal. In the initial stage, we will open the schools that function in relatively peaceful localities and gradually, we will move to other areas with adequate security cover,” a senior ministry official said.
As part of the strategy, the home ministry has directed security forces, including the local police, to identity those responsible for burning of schools. Intelligence agencies have confirmed to the Centre that some hardline separatist elements are behind the incident and attempts were being made to zero down on them.
Intelligence sources said burning of schools, which comes close on the heels of an unprecedented violence in the Valley, was part of a well-orchestrated plan to push children towards madarsas or religious institutions to radicalise them at a young age.
The PM, sources added, has conveyed to the home ministry that reopening of schools would send out a “strong message” that normalcy is getting restored in the Valley.
“This is precisely the reason why the state government is keen to go ahead with exams for higher secondary students in November with whatever syllabus has been covered so far. So children and parents need not worry about the exams,’’the official added.
Home Ministry has also asked those security forces which are camped in about seven schools in Srinagar to look for alternate site so that the schools can be reopened. Additional security forces had to be rushed to the Valley in wake of the sustained agitation and most of these security personnel had to camp in school premises as they were closed and were at a strategic location. Sources said the process of security forces moving out of these schools could start soon.
