Miscreants torch CCpur school at midnight
Source: The Sangai Express

CCpur, October 14 2015: In the face of a steady resumption of classes in the district, following the unrest over three 'anti-tribal Bills' forced school authorities to close down for over a month, an entire block of St Peter's School located at New Lamka's Vengnuam was burnt to the ground by unidentified miscreants last night, leading all private schools to close down for another day.

The midnight arson on the school occured barely a week after the schools and other educational institutions here resumed classes, despite the continuing unrest, and are required to wind it up by noon.

It may be noted here that some student groups were opposed to the idea of resuming classes while the fate of the nine 'Tribal Martyrs' is still to be settled.

This opposition had made the reopening of schools a sluggish affair delaying the exercise for more than a day.

The Principal of St Peter's School, Nenglianlal said he is at a loss on why anyone would wish to burn down the school.

School building going up in flames

However he categorically maintained that it was an act of arson.

'I myself heard some noise barely five minutes ahead of our noticing the fire at a far corner of the school.

I thought it might have come from the hostellers but when we noticed the fire it was already too late to contain it,' he said.

The school has three main blocks, one concrete and two wooden structures.

The block that was set ablaze last night was one among the wooden blocks with two floors.

Eight class rooms, four on each floor were completed gutted in the fire.

Not a single bench or desk from the rooms that contain about a hundred of them could be saved.

Taken aback by the arson on one of its member schools, the CDPSA has pronounced the closure of all private schools for the day.

However an emergency meeting of the school body today decided to resume their classes from tomorrow.

They have also offered to compensate the school with Rs one lakh.

Later in the day CDPSA issued a statement condemning the heinous act of arson on St Peter's School and demanded to know the motive and justification behind such a dastardly act.

The arson is an assault on the assets of society and the interest of the students community said the association that called on all right thinking citizens and social organisations of the district to condemn the act and take an all-out effort to prevent and pre-empt such act of crime against the society at large and the student community in future.

They also called on the district administration to take up necessary steps immediately to book the arsonist/s and deliver justice and security to St Peter's in particular and all educational institutions in general.

'The CDPSA fervently appeals to one and all to refrain from targeting any educational institutions for taking out their anger and grievances in future,' it added.

Three student bodies � the HSA, KSO and ZSF have issued a joint statement condemning the arson saying it was shaken to learn that 'a temple of learning' was burned to ground by unknown miscreants.

Calling for the arsonist/s to be apprehended at the earliest, the student bodies urged the public to remain alert so that such incidents can be avoided in future.

They also wished that one and all treat educational institutions as a free and safe zone.

Meanwhile, the locals of Vengnuam north and south under the aegis of their respective VAs and YPA today began a social work to assemble the benches and desks required for students of the school to resume their classes.

'We are told that 100 pairs of bench and desk are required so we will be assembling them until we manage them,' said a VA member.

He said other volunteers from their immediate localities were offering their services but they will call only if needed, by tomorrow, depending on how much the volunteers manage to assemble today.

He added, 'under any circumstances we are hopeful to get the benches and desks ready within a couple of days' .

The school Principal said he was bearing the expenses for the materials and the woodwork was offered free of cost by the volunteers.

Once the furnitures are ready, the auditorium and other under-construction structures will be converted into temporary class rooms to ensure that the students can resume their classes as soon as possible, he said.