Schools out of strike loop: Committee - Date to reopen institutions to be announced after talks with stakeholders

Security personnel inspect the Mela grounds in Kalimpong , Picture by Chinlop Fudong Lepcha

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, Sept. 1: The Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee, which is spearheading the statehood agitation, today said all its constituents had “in-principle” decided to keep the educational institutions out of the agitation’s purview. 

The date for reopening schools would be announced after a few days because of various constraints, said Enos Das Pradhan, the chairman of the committee leading the agitation in the hills. 

“We had a two-hour meeting today and the only agenda discussed was the reopening of the schools. The committee has in principle decided to reopen the schools but the exact date will be finalised in a few days.” 

Sources in the hills said the committee was likely to announce the date for reopening of the schools after September 5. Mamata Banerjee is expected to leave the hills by then. 

The chief minister will arrive in Kalimpong on September 2 and attend the felicitation programme of the Lepcha community the following day. She will come down to Siliguri the same day and is then expected to hold an administrating meeting. She will leave for Calcutta on Wednesday. 

Bimal Gurung at Singamari on Sunday. (Suman Tamang)

Asked why the date to reopen schools could not be announced immediately, Enos Das said: “We are speaking with teachers and other stakeholders on the date. Reopening of schools means we have to exempt transport, keep markets open, may be even government offices. We also have to look into the fact that boarders have to return.” Bimal Gurung at Singamari on Sunday.

The schools have been shut since July 29. On August 16, schools were open but hardly any boarders were there for classes. 

Early during the day at St. Joseph’s Ground in Darjeeling, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung hinted that the schools would reopen soon but also said that schools should lecture students on the Gorkhaland movement and students should participate in marches in the weekends. 

“We cannot be stubborn always. Students have to be part of agitation but this does not mean that education must be hampered,” he said. 

“Every day, after the school’s assembly, we want the teachers to speak on the Gorkhaland agitation for five minutes so that they (the children) understand what the demand is all about. They should also participate in rallies on Saturdays and Sundays,” Gurung said. Students participating in rallies are a common phenomenon in the hills but most boarding schools refrain from sending the students to such rallies. 

A school head, on condition of anonymity, said: “Our primary concern is reopening the schools. We understand that the statehood demand is the people’s aspiration. In fact, this is the reason why the heads of all 45 ICSE schools have regretted the Centre’s indifference to the people’s agitation at a meeting held in Darjeeling yesterday. 

“We have already decided to write to Union home minister and other central leaders saying they should immediately intervene to ensure that the people’s aspiration is respected,” said the head of an ICSE school in Darjeeling. 

Gurung has also asked the ex-servicemen to hold a silent rally in Darjeeling on September 4.