Karnataka Seer's stand on not opening school this year creates ripples

Seer Brahmananda Saraswathi Swami’s letter to DDPI and the government conveying his firm decision of not opening their residential school for this academic year raised the eyebrows of many people on Friday.

Brahmananda Saraswathi Swami of Kanyadi Sri Rama Kshetra said, “We have been forced to take such a difficult decision as the government, for reasons known to it, continues to dilly dally on the issue.”

The free residential school Sri Atmananda Saraswathi English Medium School at Devaragudde near Dharmashtala had over 350 children studying from LKG to SSLC last year.

The 20-year-old school, run on the lines of the Gurukula system, has nearly 250 children under the age 12. The seer, quoting a WHO report, said children below 12 years are most vulnerable to Covid-19.

“Ensuring that children use sanitisers regularly and practising social distancing is practically not possible. Parents also visit the hostel. Thus, closing the school for the entire academic year will prevent the sealing down of Kanyadi Sri Rama Kshetra, village and registration of FIR against me,” the seer said adding that the world will not turn topsy-turvy if a school is closed for a year.

The seer, before writing to the government took the parents into confidence at a meeting a week ago.

Even the parents felt that the health of children is important, he said. An ITI in Udupi, run by the Kshetra, also remains closed.