Karang school still occupied by SF
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, April 20 2011: Central security forces continues to occupy a school building in Karang of Bishnupur district despite a directive of the Supreme Court of India passed on September 1, 2010, asking security forces to vacate occupied educational institutions within six months from the date of the issue of the directive.

One of the directives of the Supreme Court of India had asked the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure that schools, hostels and children home complexes presently occupied by the armed or security forces to be vacated within a month's time from the date of issue of the order.

The order further directed to ensure that such educational institutes and buildings are not occupied by armed or security forces in future for whatsoever purpose.

An outpost of the 33 Assam Rifles is occupying some portion of the Karang Primary School at Karang Island in Loktak lake, 68 kms away from Imphal.

This was discovered by a fact finding team of child rights activists who visited the school today along with a team of local media persons.

The aided school to which Karang primary school is attached because SF occupancy of its original building

The team found the kitchen of the mid-day meal scheme, inside the school campus, being used by the AR personnel.

They also store their materials in the school building even though the personnel are not actually living within the school campus.

They are stationed at a structure adjacent to the school campus.

Villagers recalled that the school was first occupied by the Army who visited the island in 2008 as part of the Loktak operation.

Personnel of 8 GR first took over the school.

They were replaced by 7 AR then by the 33 AR who are still camping in the island.

When the Army occupied the school building, children were deprived of their studies in the school for about three months but government authority made an alternative arrangement for the students to go and study in an aided primary school on the island itself.

Since then, the students have been attending classes at the aided school till today.

Even though, the school is not totally occupied by the security forces, the academic atmosphere of the school has been disturbed by their presence, said the villagers.

There is no school for higher studies in Karang which has a population of about 3000. After completing primary level education, students go to schools at Thanga, Moirang or to Imphal for further studies.

The headmaster of the aided school where students of Karang Primary School are attending, Lukhoi Luwang said that with the assurance from the security forces to leave the school, plans for opening the school from this year's session is being considered.

When the fact finding team enquired about the matter to the ZEO Bishnupur, officials there said that so far they have received no intimation of the school being vacated by the security forces or of any plans of their leaving the school.

It is learnt that the Bishnupur district social welfare office has not taken up any steps to make the security forces vacate the school.

Prior to the Supreme Court passing its directive, nine schools were found to have been occupied by the security forces who later vacated following the SC's directive.