AGITATED LOT: Secretary of the organising committee of the Indian Science Congress, Venugopal Menon, pacifying students protesting against denial of permission to interact with President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, at Chidambaram on Thursday. — Photo: V. Ganesan

P.Sunderarajan and

Priscilla Jebaraj

CHIDAMBARAM: There was utter confusion at the Indian Science Congress on Thursday over who should be allowed to interact with President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam after he inaugurates the Children's Science Congress and exhibition on Friday.

Children who had been selected from across the country to take part in the exhibition through a three-tier selection process were agitated that not all of them were being allowed to meet the President.

About 30 children, along with their parents and teachers, went from pillar to post trying to get "justice" from one o'clock in the afternoon. Finally, they trooped into the media centre around seven o'clock.

With the media getting into the act, the authorities arranged a meeting to sort out the problem.

Heated arguments

After almost two hours of heated arguments, the organisers agreed to accommodate all the selected children, to an all-round applause from the gathering, including the media. The parents and teachers complained that the children have been badly treated ever since they arrived on Tuesday.

Raw deal

From conference kits to invitations to the inauguration function attended by the Prime Minister, they said they were given a raw deal.

They alleged that they were even charged Rs. 250 each for a picnic to nearby tourist spot of Pichavaram, which is just 16 km away.

`Unfortunate'

"We have come from such a long distance for this conference. It's very unfortunate that we are being treated as second-class citizens," said Rashmi Mishra, a teacher from Bhopal who spearheaded the protest.

"We would have perhaps not come if we had known that we would have such a bad experience. It is sad that we are being denied a meeting with the President of India when some other children from some local schools are being allowed to meet him," said Parvinder Singh Khalsa, a Class XI student who had travelled all the way from Jammu and Kashmir.

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