Student protests continue seeking deferment of exams
With the delay in announcement of relaxation in syllabus, students Wednesday accused the government of playing a game over holding Secondary and Higher Secondary exams.
The students warned the state government to shun away from egoism and defer exams to March next year.
Amid the ongoing uprising, the JK government earlier issued dates to conduct class 10 and 12 exams from mid-November. However it faced criticism from students, parents and academicians who demanded deferment of exams to March.
The protests for deferment of exams continue with students saying that government can’t thrust exams on them in the prevailing situation.
“Government has taken our future for granted by making our exams a point of prestige. We are not able to concentrate on our studies and are not ready to appear in our exams,” said a group of students from Srinagar.
“Government is hell bent to ruin our career. The government’s indifferent attitude has put us under depression and we are suffering from mental trauma.”
Amid the continuous anti-exam protests, JK government played relaxation card to woo students towards exams, however it is yet to announce the pattern of relaxation to be provided to students in their exams.
“Just to portray normalcy in Kashmir, government is trying its best to hold exams without considering the future of students,” said a group of students from south Kashmir’s Shopian district.
Amid the uncertainty over the exam issue, the education minister and top officials of the department have remained tight lipped, leaving students high and dry.
“The criminal silence of the JK government, particularly education minister will cost us our future. Government made us scapegoats in the prevailing situation and wants us to appear in exams to break the ongoing anti-India agitation,” said a group of students from Sopore.
The indecisiveness of the authorities to announce syllabus relaxation has added to the miseries of the students. “The students are developing suicidal tendencies amid the chaotic situation created by the government over holding exams. Instead of being adamant and egoistic, government should defer exams till March and give some time to students for preparation,” said Muhammad Aslam, a parent from Anantnag district, whose kids have to appear in class 10 and 12 exams. “Both of them are under depression given the government’s failure to address their grievances.”
Disappointed with the government response, a group of students said they wanted to meet resistance leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq with a plea to address their grievance and safeguard their future.
“We went to meet him but security forces deployed outside his (Geelani’s) residence didn’t allow us to meet him. We wanted to convey our message to him that we are not ready to appear in exams given the atrocities committed by the state government and its forces on the students,” the students said.
The students also slammed the JK government for blaming the resistance group for ruining the career of the students saying that government was itself responsible for creating unrest in valley.
“We won’t appear in exams unless our class mates are released from jails. Government should revoke their PSA. It pains us to plan for appearing in exams when our mates and friends are blinded while as some of them are languishing in different jails.”
Another group of students were also denied meeting with Mirwaiz and asked to leave the spot.
“The students had decided to raise the issues with Mirwaiz as majority of us don’t want to appear in the examination, but government is adamant to conduct it in November,” the students said.
Interestingly, JK government has pushed for postponement of by-polls for Anantnag parliamentary segment in Kashmir and conveyed to the Election Commission of India (ECI) that situation was “not conducive” for holding the exercise at this stage.
