Mounesh Vishwakarma
Pics: Kishore Peraje
Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, Aug 11: Parents of children studying in Sri Rama high school in Kalladka and Sri Devi school at Punacha, which have now been deprived of grants from Kollur Goddess Mookambika temple under its adoption scheme because of a government order barring extension of financial assistance, and their children, are seething in anger at the unilateral action of the government.

Terming this as depriving of the poor children of their food, thousands of parents of students studying in these two schools, held protest in front of the taluk office at B C Road on Friday August 11.

The protesters said that about 2,128 students studying in Sri Rama school at Kalladka are being given afternoon lunch, uniform and text books free of cost. Since 2007, financial assistance from Kollur temple is being extended to the school under the temple's school adoption scheme and as per permission given by the government. Even after the state government led by Siddarmaiah came to power in the state, this assistance continued to be extended for four and half years. The assistance has suddenly been withdrawn to Kalladka and Punachana schools, which the parents termed as condemnable.

"About 94 percent of students of these two institutions belong to poor, backward classes, scheduled castes and tribes and minorities. 52 schools in the state are getting grants in this fashion. On account of political enmity, under an initiative supported by Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister, grants meant for only these two schools have been stopped. This is an atrocity on a Kannada school, and this inhuman initiative of the government it tantamount to violation of right to education. The government, which issued orders withdrawing funds being provided towards feeding the poor children in the form of blessings of god, on account of political considerations backed by enmity of the minister, should be withdrawn," the parents insisted.

The protesters said that they will continue to fight till justice is done if the said order is not taken back at the earliest.

The students of the schools too arrived at B C Road with their food plates in hand. They gave vent to their anger by incessantly banging their dinner plates.`

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