Arrest Kusma ex-chief: Protesters

Condemning alleged discriminatory statements against the children entitled for free education under the RTE by Kusma former president G S Sharma, members of various organisations staged a protest at new bus stand in Kolar on Thursday. The protesters also burnt an effigy of Sharma. 

Sharma  had allegedly likened the children under the quota to drainage which would pollute the sea i.e. the rich studying at reputed schools. The protesters demanded that Sharma be arrested. 

They also criticised a few private schools which snipped hair of children who were admitted under the quota and urged the government to shut down such schools. They raised slogans against Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa who has been supporting the Kusma. Eshwarappa, instead of taking action against such organisations that discriminate among children, is supporting it. This is uncalled for, they said. The protesters also demanded the government to lodge a criminal case against such schools. 

Progressive Students Federation, district unit’s Hoohalli Nagaraj, Arun Kumar and others were present. 

In Shidlaghatta

The members of the Students Federation of India (SFI) and its office-bearers, along with the students from the various Government Schools in the taluk, staged a protest in front of the taluk office here on Wendesday. They were protested against the statements issued by the president of the Karnataka Unaided Schools Managements Association (KUSMA), G S Sharma. Sharma, in his statement, the protesters alleged that, had compared all Government Schools to sewage water. 

The protesters stated that Sharma had referred to all private schools as an ocean, while the Government Schools were dirty water. If dirty water entered the ocean, even the ocean would be polluted,” he had remarked.

Irked over his statement, the membes alleged that Sharma should be immediately arrested over his derogatory remarks. One should recall that most of the leaders our country who had studied in the Government Schools, now held top most positions. It was wrong on part of Sharma to make such allegations, without knowing the reality, they added.

At least 90 per cent of the children studying in the Government Schools belonged to economically weaker sections. They were not in a position to study in private schools.

They had to completely depend on the Government Schools for their education. In such case, if they are compared to sewage water, then it was highly derogatory, expressed SFI district co-ordinator Kundalagurki Muneendra.

Instances like students who were admitted to private schools, under the RTE Act, often received a ‘different’ treatment. They were made to sit in separate classrooms, their hair was cut, they were not tutored well and were deprieved of various academic assignments. All in all, they were being treated as ‘untouchables.’ Such acts put society in shame. 

These incidents should be condemned. The Government should try to make sincere efforts in implementing the RTE Act in toto, the members said and added that it should also take action against those school managements which were against the academic interests of the children.

The members revoked the protest after Shirastedar Prakash, accepting the memorandum, assured that it would be forwarded to the government. Taluk leaders Narasimhamurthy, Venkatesh, Suresh, Chandru and several others took part in the protest.