J&K Education Minister calls for parental control in Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir's Education Minister Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari today urged parents to exert parental control to ensure that students attended classes and didn't "stray from their academic ambitions".

"Students should be busy and involved with academic and co-curricular activities instead of being chased by law enforcing agencies on the roads," he said while inaugurating a new building for a government school in Malroo, Batmaloo.

Kashmir has been witnessing roadside protests since April, with students complaining against police excesses and security forces alleging that young men and women have been pelting them with stones.

The education minister pointed out the government had reacted promptly after the forces allegedly roughed up students of the Pulwama Degree College last month.

We ordered a time-bound enquiry and completed it in eight days," he said, adding that three senior police officers were transferred.

"Now what is it that other students are demanding, he asked.

Bukhari appealed to students to return to their classes and urged teachers and parents to together work towards improving the situation.

"There is urgent need for requisite parental control so that children in Kashmir do not stray from their academic ambitions," he said.

The minister said students had every right to protest, but within their campuses.

No one will touch them if they don t come out of their institutes... But once they come on to the roads it becomes a law and order situation," he said.

Bukhari also said "some outsiders" were trying to "exploit gullible students" and creating a law and order problem in the garb of student protests.

He, however, did not specify who he was referring to.

It hurts me as a father to see children not attending their classes," he said. "We lost precious academic time last year."