Police crack whip on students bunking classes

Srinagar, Dec 17: The J&K Police has cracked a whip on the students, particularly college goers, found roaming in parks and other spots during official hours.

One such seen was witnessed on Tuesday after a team of police officials visited Jhelum view park during official hours (college hours) and scores of students were found roaming and sitting in the park alongside the Jhelum.

The Police team headed by the Assistant Sub-Inspector rank officer inquired from the students about the reasons for roaming in the park during the college hours. After spending around half an hour in the park, the Police official advised the students not to roam inside the park during the college hours.

"We advise them every time we find them sitting and roaming here but after a few days they repeat it and start bunking their classes," the official told Greater Kashmir.

"We cannot sit here at one spot and keep an eye on these students the whole day. We visit here and other known spots where students are found bunking classes," the official said.

Over the years, the famous Jhelum View Park along the Bund and other resting spots around polo view in Srinagar city have become favorite spots for school-going students who bunk their classes.

During school days, scores of students in their uniform are seen roaming idle or sitting in groups inside the Park, and playgrounds near polo view during school hours.

“These days schools are closed but still we find college students here. They have become habitual of spending their entire day in this park," said Muhammad Ashiq, a passerby near Jhelum View Park.

In the past, the schools would rusticate the students who would not attend their classes in schools for seven consecutive days. But the practice was later done away with because the move would result in decrease in the enrollment. Similarly in colleges, the authorities would act strictly against students with shortage in attendance.

An official of the Higher Education Department (HED) said the colleges have been given strict instructions not to compromise on the attendance of the students. "But still if students are found roaming in parks and bunking classes, the matter will be discussed in the department," the official told Greater Kashmir.

Over the years, J&K police would deploy Flying Squads and police personnel at various spots. The squad would not allow students to roam in parks and other spots during the school hours.

"The flying squad was deployed earlier but later the initiative got integrated with nationwide initiative taken known as Dial 112. So this number is meant for taking any emergency help from Police, Fire & Rescue, Health and other services," the official said.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vidhi Kumar Birdi said the police will definitely come into action if the "youth violate the law."

Besides students bunking classes, complaints of rowdy culture are pouring in from various areas across Kashmir wherein people complain that young boys mostly on their two-wheelers resort to hooliganism and perform stunts while the colleges go off during afternoons.

"As the students, mostly females, come out of their educational institutions, we see youth assembling outside the institutions. The scene depicts a rowdy culture outside the educational institutions. Such scenes are mostly witnessed outside the educational institutions located on the highways or link roads," the college professor told Greater Kashmir.