500 students of New Era School, parents block all six lanes on Peddar Road from 9 am to 4 pm to protest against school management in city's...
500 students of New Era School, parents block all six lanes on Peddar Road from 9 am to 4 pm to protest against school management in city's...
For once, Peddar Road saw more pedestrians than cars, as 500 students from New Era School and their parents took part in the longest rasta roko in the city.
They blocked all six lanes to protest the extension given to the school education department to respond to a Supreme Court notice that ordered it to continue operating the SSC Board section from its existing Hughes location, instead of shifting it to D N Road in Fort.
Traffic diverted
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Former state police chief P S Pasricha said, "This is the longest rasta roko that I have seen. I understand the problem of the students, but it is incorrect to disturb lakhs of people.
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Students block a bus during the protest |
They should have either sent a delegation, or held a token protest for 15 minutes."
Parents upset
A parent said, "We are very upset with the education department, as we were not informed that they had sought an extension to respond to the SC notice. For how long should our children wait for the school to reopen in its old premises?"
The HC had earlier ordered it to restart the school for SSC students by July 7, but it took the matter to SC, which in turn, granted it 10 days to respond to the notice. The school was, however, granted another 10 days to respond.
A school spokesperson said, "Lies are being spread by vested interests and our concern is the safety of our children.
Political parties held Mumbai to ransom by organising a rasta roko. We believe it is inappropriate to start a debate as the matter is sub judice."
The controversy started last year when the school management decided to permanently shift SSC students to a new location on D N Road in Fort, as they wanted to demolish the existing building at Hughes Road for IGCSE and IB Board. Parents approached the HC against decision and won the case in July.
On June 4, the school management had circulated a notice to parents that school would restart on June 29 at building in D N Road, Fort. The school, however, did not starts as the matter was pending in court
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