Karnataka   

115-year-old school asked to vacate

ANCIENT: The Hindu Aided Higher Primary School at Permude, near Mangalore, which has been asked to vacate in a week.

PERMUDE/MANGALORE: It was supposed to be just another day at school for the students of the 115-year-old Hindu Aided Higher Primary School in Permude village. With the final bell for the day, children burst out from their classrooms and into the school’s courtyard, screaming and shouting with joy. But everything dissolved into a silence when they saw some elders and leaders of the local community along with their parents discussing amongst themselves in low, serious tones about something. A notice had just come from the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) ordering the school’s management to vacate the premises in a week’s time to facilitate the construction of the Phase I of the Mangalore Special Economic Zone (MSEZ).Before they could gather what was going on around, the nine-year-old, fourth standard Yuvaraj, said: “We will not let them take our school.” The children from those villages which are not going to be acquired will be badly affected by the closure of this school. The people said, that was the only school in the surrounding eight kilometres.

Speaking to The Hindu the school’ Headmistress K.N.B. Padmini (57) said: “ We all knew that the school is going to be taken over. But we did not know that we will be given one week to vacate.”The school’s management, a family-run trust, has already accepted Rs. 11 lakh for the property. Ramesh Gowda, who manages the affairs of the school on behalf of the family, also shares the concern of the parents and teachers.

When the negotiations for the school’s take-over were in progress two years ago, the promoters of the project had promised that a new school would be built before dismantling the existing one, Mr. Gowda said.

The special land acquisition officer of the KIADB, Prabhulinga Kavalakatti, said: “We have been very sensitive to the needs of students. The announcement has been made at the beginning of this year.” However, according to him, the management knew about the school’s acquisition throughout.

Deputy Director of Public Instruction C. Chame Gowda expressed concern over the development. “Some alternative arrangement has to be made first,” he told The Hindu. He said that he would inspect the school on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Yuvaraj, the boy, said that he would become a “big officer” and build many schools.

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