While rail–rokos are not too uncommon as a means of protest, the method of rail blockade adopted by people in Pratapgarh district, about 175 kilometers from here, could have proved more dangerous.
On Friday, the management of the local GPS School took scores of kids from the school to he railway tracks near Kohnraur railway station on Pratapgarh-Faizabad section of the northern railway and held their classes there.
They were protesting against the closure of a level crossing near Makunpur canal by railway authorities and wanted it to be opened immediately as its closure posed serious difficulties for the people and school kids. The kids also raised anti-railway slogans.
The plan was to stop trains speeding down the tracks, which, quite fortunately, was foiled by the wiser parents who took their kids home.
Cops from the local police station, who reached the spot on getting wind of the protest, asked local people to approach the railway authorities to get their grievances addressed. “The school transport now can not reach the villages across the level crossing as it has been closed permanently....the kids have now to go on foot to the school'', the locals and the school management said.
“We now have to take a long detour to reach the areas across the level crossing'', the locals said. District education officials said they were looking into the reports about the protest.
“We have received reports that kids had been taken to the railway tracks...we are examining them...action will be taken against the school management if the incident is found to be correct'', the officials said.