Fearing Peshawar-like attack across disputed Himalayan state of Indian administered Kashmir, prominent schools here on Friday issued advisory, issuing guidelines to the students and parents on dealing with such situations.
Srinagar: Fearing Peshawar-like attack across Jammu & Kashmir, prominent schools here on Friday issued advisory, issuing guidelines to the students and parents on dealing with such situations.
“Security and safety are primary concerns for all of us. All the children have the right to live in a secure environment. Being exposed to violence can have a negative impact on children’s health, sense of safety, security and their feelings about the future,” Principal at prominent Srinagar based Delhi Public School, Athwajan, Kusam Warikoo said in a communique issued to guardians. Warikoo asked parents to respected some guidelines by for ensuring “better security”
“No child will be allowed to board the bus without their Identity Cards. No electronic gadgets will be allowed in the school, if confiscated it will not be returned,” she wrote to them (parents).
The school authorities said that the students will be allowed only to carry their study material and their lunch in the school bag.
Similar communication has been issued by many other Srinagar based schools working under the aegis of CBSE.
Meanwhile Indian home ministry on Friday issued an advisory to all states and Union territories reiterating CBSE’s 2010 guidelines to schools on dealing with “terror” situations.
The standard operating procedures (SOPs), apprise the school management on how to deal with kidnappings outside the school gate, random firing from road outside the school, armed intrusions followed by hostage taking and explosive objects and seek regular mock drills at schools to test their preparedness against possible strikes.
A set of guidelines issued to the prominent schools across India has urged the authorities to remain vigilant and also use telephone connectivity from the gate, CCTV systems along the boundary and inside, walkie-talkie communication between guards, alarm system and a centralized public announcement system are some of the other requirements to make the school secure.
The government has said that the in the event of kidnapping of children at the time of arrival/departure, the guards must rush children outside inside the school and close the gates, besides asking vehicles carrying children to leave the area. Mock drills should be conducted to ensure that a system is in place to set off the alarm, alert the police and respond to medical emergencies.
“If there is bomb scare, children should not be allowed to collect in one place without properly checking the area,” a guideline booklet book issued by Indian home ministry said.
‘Outraged camp’
Many Kashmiri leaders are outraged and strongly condemned the Peshawar incident wherein the Taliban stormed a military-run school in northwest Pakistan and gunned down over 145 people, most of them children, in one of the country’s deadliest attacks in recent weeks.
Huriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani while terming the attacks barbaric, said waging war against such elements is the duty of every Muslim.
Geelani said that there is no need to prove that those claiming to fight for Islam and are involved in such cowardly acts are in actual the biggest enemies of Islam and Muslims. He said that the attacks are inhuman and those involved in the incidents must be served the stern punishment.
Kashmir chief cleric and Huriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq while condemning the killings of school children said that those involved in the cowardly acts cannot be the well-wishers of Islam and Pakistan. Huriyat Conference leader Shabir Ahmad Shah condemned the attack saying that the killings are tantamount of killing the whole humanity.
(With inputs from Authintmail)
