No feasibility of reopening schools in Kangpokpi
Source: The Sangai Express
Kangpokpi, July 05 2023:
With schools turned into relief camps in Kangpokpi districts, the district is unlikely to comply with the decision of the State Government to re-open schools.
However, some private schools in the district reportedly resumed classes which had a mixed response from various sections of the people.
While vehemently opposing the reopening of schools, KSO Sadar Hills Education Secretary, Abraham Haokip said that most of the relief camps (60 opened in the district) are Government schools and thus it was not really feasible to reopen the schools.
He said that most of the schools in the district have been turned into relief camps and thousands of Internally Displaced Persons including more than 4000 students are sheltered in those relief camps.
Besides this factor, there are many more factors put up by the school authorities as well as the student body in the district, he said.
Since lawlessness continues to prevail in the State even after 62 days, the decision to reopen schools is just another drama of Chief Minister N Biren Singh and his Government to impose forceful normalcy so that they can answer or show to the Supreme Court that peace and normalcy has been restored, he said.
He also pointed out that despite setting up buffer zones the Kuki villages are under attack almost every day.
Even this morning, armed miscreants attacked Kuki volunteers protecting the peripheral areas of Kangpokpi in the hill range of Phaileng village, he said.
Abraham continued, "Meitei's schools can be opened for education as the tribals do not attack the Meetei villages, but our tribal villages are being attacked almost every day and thus, the question arises how will we open school?" .
Kukis cannot trust the CM of Manipur anymore and the Government of Manipur as a whole, as their claim of peace is just a drama to please the central and to mislead the people of other States, he added.
He also instructed all the schools in the Sadar Hills area not to resume classes until the Meiteis stop attacking and the student community are out of fear and live with peace of mind.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh and his Government should not just give orders without knowing the ground reality the Kukis are facing, he asserted.
Meanwhile, Seikholen Singsit, Headmaster of Keithelmanbi Government High School, said the policy and initiative of the Government to reopen the schools is appreciative but not really feasible as there are more than 500 Internally Displaced Persons in his school alone.
He also said that the parents also do not consider it as a right time to reopen the schools as they are not in tune with the prevailing situation.
He further said that the ratio of the students and the teachers will also not be appropriate with the enrolment of displaced students getting registered.
More than 200 displaced students have been enrolled in Keithelmanbi Govt High School alone and the school has only ten teachers available to attend, he added.