Cauvery water wars: Bengaluru schools bear brunt

Bengaluru: Monday’s sudden violence, which brought the city to a standstill, created panic among school children and their parents, as several schools refused to operate their buses, making it difficult for many to get home.

One parent, a Central government employee from Malleswaram received an SMS at around 1.30 pm from his daughter’s school informing him that the school bus would  would not operate due to the Cauvery  protest and he had to pick her up before 4 pm.

Schoolchildren find their way home after miscreants took to the streets after the Supreme Court’s verdict on release of water to Tamil Nadu.

“When I got the SMS I was at work in Electronic City and as my wife was in Delhi, I begged the school management to wait till 5pm. She was alone in  school when I reached there. I want the city police to ensure that this sort of a situation does not arise again,” said the upset father.

Recounted another agitated parent, Rukmini Sukumarmma of Manjunathnagar, “My  husband and I work in a garment factory. Although we pleaded with the management to let us go and pick up our child from school, they did not allow us. My child was forced to wait in  school without food till 6 pm.”

But school principals said they had no choice in the matter and were forced to announce a holiday as a precaution. “We were afraid to send the children in our school vans because of the violence and so requested the parents to come and pick them up,” said a principal of a school  near Residency Road.

A school bus carrying schoolchildren had a narrow escape after miscreants ruled the streets

Six students were forced to remain till 7 pm at the New Blossoms Education Society School near Peenya as their parents could not come and pick them up sooner.  Principal  D Shashikumar, said the school announced a holiday at around 1 pm and requested  parents to come and pick up their children due to the violence.

“But as some of the parents were working and could not come on time, they  requested us to keep children till late evening,” he added. One school had to  lock the children inside as protestors roamed the streets outside, pelting stones and setting fire to things.