Bengaluru: A stand-off between Para Regiment of the Indian Army and government schools over three acres of land is threatening the future of 1,700 students in Bengaluru.
The dispute got uglier this week when Army officers landed up to reclaim the land on which the government had built three upper primary schools, one high school and a junior college.
But school authorities refused to give in and students locked themselves up in classrooms, forcing the Army to back down after a three-hour long standoff.
A June 14 order of the Army Estate Court had directed the occupants to vacate the premises within 15 days.
"Army allowed us to continue the school today. Children came and attended classes. The Army claims that the land belongs to them. But we too have documents. There is a meeting organised for it. Hopefully the matter will be resolved soon," a school teacher said.
The Primary and Secondary Education Minister has requested the Army to allow the institutions to function until the government makes alternative arrangements.
"A meeting has been called. We will take a final decision. I can't say anything more now," Sowjanya, Commissioner of Department of Public Instruction, said.
The land was given to the Army by the Mysore Maharaja in 1895 to build a school for soldiers' children. But the Army claims the land was subsequently encroached upon. While the Army and schools remain at loggerheads, the fate of students remains unclear.
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