Three of the five members visiting the team — Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak, veteran journalist Bharat Bhushan and Executive Director of the Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation Sushobha Barve – on Thursday called upon Geelani for the second time urging him to not let students lose this academic year in Kashmir.
Track II diplomatic efforts to persuade Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani to allow schools to function as usual failed. Instead he put up five conditions, 'to create a peaceful and conducive atmosphere' for resuming education in Kashmir.
Three of the five members visiting the team — Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak, veteran journalist Bharat Bhushan and Executive Director of the Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation Sushobha Barve – on Thursday called upon Geelani for the second time urging him to not let students lose this academic year in Kashmir.
Geelani also informed the delegation that if authorities were really concerned and bothered about education, they should have released the people including students, withdrawn the cases, stopped police vigil and put an end to the barbarism and night raids. He also said that they should have allowed peaceful demonstrations helping create a conducive atmosphere.
"Exams can be deferred so students have time to prepare and prove their worth. Concrete action should be taken to address the root cause otherwise beating the drum of education is nothing but a mockery of the imperialistic designs to strengthen unwanted occupation," said Geelani.
More than 12 lakh students have been sitting at home since schools and educational institutions were shut down following the unrest that began after Hizbul Mujhadeen leader Burhan Wani on July 8, this year. The miscreants had burnt more than 20 schools with the latest being the Government Primary School Pattan on Wednesday night. "We repeat what we have already said before; no sane person can oppose or deny the importance of education.
We believe education is a basic necessity for not only the building of the nation but also for an individual," Geelani continued.
Hurriyat hawk however did bring out the fact that while education cannot be ignored, it can only thrive in a calm, peaceful and dignified atmosphere thus making school attendance a mere farce that may sooth the eyes of perpetrators and their media, that may want to portray an "illusionary breakthrough". "These innocent kids will be far from receiving an education because they are mentally and psychologically disturbed and terrified. Ensuring peace and calm is the constitutional responsibility of those holding reins of power with lakhs of armed forces, police and paramilitary," he said.
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