Teacher sets up makeshift schools for children affected by Kashmir violence
Children in conflicts, Teachers and learning
Kashmiri students attand assembly at an Indian school in Uri
Wedding halls and prayer rooms have been turned into classrooms in Indian-administered Kashmir as families struggle to provide children with a normal life after more than 50 days of the region’s worst violence in years.
At least 68 civilians and two security officials have beenkilled and more than 9000 people injured, according to officialtallies, in clashes between those protesting at Indian ruleand security forces.
Authorities trying to stifle protests that erupted after ayoung militant leader was gunned down by the security forces onJuly 8 ordered schools and colleges to close two days later. There’s no sign of them reopening.
Teacher Ghulam Rasool Kambay, seeing children becomingincreasingly restless cooped up at home, decided to dosomething. He opened a tutorial centre in a village on August 3 and now has more than a dozen of them in villages in a district south of the region’s main city of Srinagar.
“The response is good. We have about 800 students in thesecentres. Parents are eager to send their children as they haveno option right now,” Kambay told Reuters.
Students find their way to the makeshift schools in smallgroups through back lanes, careful not to attract the attentionof police. They often sit on the floor as there are not enough desks and share books.
“It’s more like a self-learning exercise, just a way to keepin touch with books,” said Muneer Wani, 16, at his temporaryschool at a mosque where classes begin after morning prayers.
Kashmiri youthsshout slogans during a protest in Srinagar
Muneer said it was the only place to meet friends and study.
“We can’t even go outdoors,” he said.
Disputed Kashmir is claimed by both India and Pakistan andhas been a flashpoint for more than 60 years, sparking two warsbetween them.
Militant groups have taken up arms to fight for independencefrom Indian rule or to merge with Pakistan. India has blamedPakistan for supporting the violence. Pakistan denies that.
Thousands of teenage boys defy a curfew every day and gather in groups to throw stones at police. Almost all of the deaths have been caused by security forces shooting at protesters.
On the streets of Srinagar, people have scrawled “Go India,go back”.
Zubair Ahmad said he was too worried about the safety of histwo children to send them to classes at a nearby mosque. His wife has been teaching them at home instead – but the children were getting restless, he said.
“It is very difficult for children … they’ve becomeaggressive.”
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