Proposal To Reserve Seats In Private Educational Institutions For Police Kids Sparks Row In Kashmir

SRINAGAR: A proposal mooted by J&K Police for reserving a quota of seats in private educational institutions at concessionary fee for their kids, has sparked a row in Kashmir with the school management opposing the “brazen intrusion” in their autonomy.

The proposal, a copy of which was leaked on social media, states that the J&K Police has constituted a committee to approach “reputed schools for providing reservation in the classes and concession in fee to the wards of police personnel.”

“..... in lieu of which police shall offer to provide necessary practice/training to the children in such schools on important National/School functions being celebrated during the year,” it states.

Sources said the top police brass is going to hold meetings with the management of private educational institutions of the Valley to discuss the proposal and one such meeting was proposed to be held at Anantnag district yesterday.

“We will discuss the matter with the stakeholders, including teachers and school management and we will try and allay their fears in order to secure a good future for our children. Unless all the stakeholders are on board, we will push it,” a senior police officer said.

The move has, however, not gone down well in Kashmir where the image of police has suffered a battering since the last three decades of turmoil due to allegations of gross human rights abuses.

The management of various private schools are also opposing the move which they see as an “attempt to erode the autonomy” of their institutions and “brazen intrusion” into their day to day affairs.

“Nowhere in the world perhaps has police sought reservation for their kids in private schools. It is a brazen intrusion into our autonomy which we are going to oppose at every cost,” a principal of a prominent school in Srinagar said, wishing anonymity.

The proposal has also attracted attention of people on social media in Kashmir. While many describe it as a “sinister ploy” that will have “far-reaching consequences” in the violence-wracked state, others have welcomed it.

“If the children of university staff have reservations in the Varsity, why should police wards not be entitled to the same courtesy by private schools? There is nothing sinister about it. Those who oppose it don’t want children of police personnel to get good education,” the police officer said.

(Photo by BASIT ZARGAR)