Srinagar: Schools and colleges reopened today for the third successive weekends in the Kashmir valley, where educational system remained paralysed due to separatist strike since July 9, a day after Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan Wani and two other militants were killed in an encounter in Anantnag.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir High Court (HC) has appreciated the joint efforts by the staff of educational institutions and respectable citizens for saving educational institutes from mysterious fire in the valley, where more than 30 school building were damaged.
Police has identified about 40 stone pelters allegedly involved in setting these fire incidents while separatists and locals alleged that innocent youths were arrested and later implicated in false cases.
Both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC) and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), spearheading the agitation since July 9, has already extended the strike till December 8. However, the separatists had announced full day relaxation for the third successive week in strike on Saturday and Sunday.
The management of private educational institutions have also announced that their institutions will function on relaxation in strike days on Saturday and Sundays.
A UNI correspondent visited a number of schools and saw students wearing winter uniform attending their classes. However, at some schools parents were seen collecting books of new classes and uniform for their children. Parents were also seen depositing tuition and bus fees as management of private schools have refused to waive off fee for the months of unrest despite protests. However, a case has been filed in the high court by some parents demanding that school management should be directed not to charge any fee for the period when schools remained closed.
Despite opposition Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (BOSE) conducted 10th and 12th class annual examinations in the Kashmir valley, where government had ordered mass promotion from Ist to 9th and 11th classes. Interestingly the separatists had also not opposed holding of examinations but had demanded their postponement till March.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has in his latest “Man Ki Baat” lauded the students for their participation in the examinations and said Kashmiri youths opted for development.
However, separatists strongly reacted to Prime Ministers statement and said nobody was against the education of youths and it was prime concern of Kashmiri society.
For the past two weeks students are attending their schools after separatists had announced full day relaxation on Saturday and Sundays. This is for the third successive week educational institutions are functioning normally today.
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