‘We saw people screaming, burning vehicles’
Schools were already in session when the first reports of violence on Mysore Road trickled in around 11 a.m. As the violence spread to several parts of the city, and worried parents began calling in, school managements suspended classes.
Several schools quickly deployed buses staffed with teachers, to send students home. But, it was a nightmare of a ride as children saw buses and tyres being set on fire on key roads. “We saw people burning vehicles and screaming loudly, which was a scary experience. Although the protesters did not do anything to us, we were scared as we witnessed violence on our way home,” said K.H. Nanjundeshwar, teacher, Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial High School.
Other passengers were not so lucky. “Protesters stopped my child’s private van at Nayandahalli junction. When they didn’t let the van go, the driver called us,” said a parent of a private school in Banashankari.
As news of the incidents spread, several schools decided to keep students within the premises, and sent out alerts to parents asking them to pick up their children. “I work in Whitefield and my house is in Vijayanagar and I had to rush to my child’s school in Rajajinagar. It was total chaos. Schools said that only parents would be allowed to pick them up,” said Sujata S., a parent.
A parent of a class five student in a South Bengaluru school said his child was extremely traumatised after a protester stopped the school bus and barged into it looking for Tamil students. “The driver, a Kannadiga, handled the situation well and no harm was done. But, it is scary to think of the consequences of what could have happened,” the parent said.
Many college managements, too, asked parents to collect their students from the campus. Deepika B., a second year B.Sc student of Maharani’s Science College for Women, said: “With the metro services being suspended and infrequent buses, I had a tough time getting home.” M. Prakash, Director of Studies, Seshadripuram Group of Institutions which has 27 institutions in the city, said they received a message from the police asking to let students off. “Some protesters were raising slogans outside the main college, so we thought it best to stop classes in the interest of students’ safety,” he said.
Several parents were stuck at their workplace, so around four of us dropped 20 students to their homes.
K.H. Nanjundeshwar, teacher, Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial High School
We left school half-an-hour late. Although the protesters did not harm us, we were scared of violence we witnessed on our way. We saw people burning vehicles and screaming.
Roshini Kiran, class seven student, Delhi Public School, Mysuru Road
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