Parents protest against private schools, stage dharna before MLA’s house

LUDHIANA: Members of Ludhiana All Parents Association staged a protest against private schools and failure of the state government in taking action against them outside the house of Congress MLA Bharat Bhushan Ashu in Model Gram on Friday.
Parents also organised a protest rally in Kochar market, raising slogans against private schools and asking the government to rein them in. MLA Ashu however, accused parents of misbehaving in the course of the protest. Parents said he was not present at home despite having been informed a day in advance.
On Thursday, parents decided to stage a protest outside the houses of all the six MLAs (four of the Congress and two of Lok Insaaf Party) from the city to urge them to end exploitation by private schools.
Parents have been raising the issues of manipulation by private schools, overcharging, charging of annual fee and development charges and unavailability of books in the market.
Earlier, the parents said, they contacted deputy commissioner (DC) Pradeep Aggarwal and went to the regional office established under the fee regulatory act formed by the government last December, but to no avail.
Now, they said, they have decided to take their protest to newly-elected MLAs. On Saturday, they will protest outside the house of MLA Surinder Dawar. Meanwhile Ashu said that this is not the way to protest that they sit outside the house of MLA.
Meanwhile, MLA Ashu said sitting in front of MLAs' houses is no way to protest. He said when his wife, councilor Mamta Ashu asked for a memorandum from them, they asked her to read the newspaper. Sources said an argument ensued between protesters and Mamta Ashu, with both parties accusing each other of colluding with private schools.
Ashu said he was not in the city and denied that the parents association informed him of their upcoming visit on Friday.
Parents refuted the allegations. Vice-president of the parents association, Swaroop Singh said they waited outside the MLA's house for around two hours but no one came. He said they met Mamta Ashu during a protest march organised in the area and gave the memorandum to her. Parents alleged a few schools are not allowing students to attend classes as the parents have not paid the fees, including annual charges.
President, Private Unaided CBSE Schools, Rajesh Rudra said schools are working in the interest of people and students and are not indulging in unlawful activities. He said a few parents are trying to pressurize school authorities by staging protests.
: Parents called beggars
Parents of BCM school, Shastri Nagar school students also came together and staged a protest against school authorities on Friday. They said one of the school officials compared them to beggars. They accused the school of fleecing them in the name of transportation cost and annual charges. They also said books are available at only one book shop. Parents submitted a memorandum to school authorities about this.
The school manager, Capt (Retd) V K Syal refuted the allegations. On parents being compared to beggars, he said there was some miscommunication and parents misunderstood the official's remark. He said they have taken the memorandum from parents and a meeting will soon be held to resolve the issue.
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Our demands are justified but no one, including the administration or the government is listening to us. Schools are continuously harassing parents and we are left with no option but to take to the roads.
Swaroop Singh, vice-president, Parents Association
The government should come up with a solution. Otherwise, parents will continue their protest till justice is delivered
Swaran Singh, coordinator, Parents Association
The attitude of the parents is really bad. This is no way to protest. When my wife asked for a memorandum, they asked her why we don't read the newspaper. Such behavior is very bad. The government is working to find a solution to parents' problems
Bharat Bhushan Ashu, MLA (Ludhiana West)