Daijiworld Media Network - Mysuru (SP)

Mysuru, Feb 8: NTM Maharani Girls School in the city was demolished in a late night operation launched on Monday February 7. The demolition drive continued, duly ignoring efforts of the protestors to stop the operation. Those who continued to protest were taken into custody by the policemen.

The police blocked entry to the school at about 11.30 pm before the demolition began. Learning about the plan to raze the building, activists like S R Sudarshan, Ugranarasimhe Gowda, Chadrashekhar Meti, Karunakar, Mohan Kumar Gowda, Hoskote Basavaraju of the Raita Sangha, P Marankayya etc stopped the concerned from demolishing the building. The police said that this is private land and that the demolition was undertaken as per court order. When the protestors wanted to see the copy of the order, there was verbal friction between the protestors and the policemen.

When four backhoes began the demolition, some protestors laid down on the ground and blocked the movement of the backhoes. The police arrested them and took them to the CAR ground. As the police personnel outnumbered the protestors, they easily handled the protest and demolished the school.

It is said that Swami Vivekananda had stayed in the premises of the old NTM School during his visit here. Therefore, the government had handed over this land to Ramakrishna Ashram in 2013. But Kannada activists, farmer organizations and others had blocked the demolition. The school was shifted to the nearby Maharani B Ed college premises three days back. At that time too the protestors had objected and lied down on the road. This old school has now become a part of history.