Qatar: Doha Modern Indian School, Qatar (DMIS) on Wednesday sent a text messages to the parents of all its students that the current academic year (2019-2020) will be the last operational year of the school. The message urged the parents “to ensure places” for their kids in other schools in Qatar for academic year 2020-2021.
The message triggered confusion and panic among the parents of over 2400 students studying in the school including about 300 students from Karnataka. One of the main reason the parents of the students have expressed concern over the development is that lack of Indian Schools in Qatar. The parents are now worried how more than 2400 students will be accommodated in the limited number of Indian schools with their own limited seats all of a sudden.
Faisal G, a Qatar based Udupi businessman and father of a student studying in school told Vartha Bharati that a WhatsApp group has been created by parents and that they are planning to visit Indian Embassy in Doha and Supreme Education Counsel of Qatar with their grievances.
“It will be a difficult scenario if 2400 students are forced to switch schools altogether. We don’t have many Indian schools in Qatar. How can we expect those schools to accommodate 2400 students.” Faisal who is residing in Qatar from last nine years told Vartha Bharati over phone.
Asked if he contacted any of the officials of the school in person or over phone Faisal added that his attempts to meet Principal of the school did not work as the Principal refused to meet or comment on the issue.
“But I spoke to the PRO and Vice Principal of the school. All they told me was it was management’s decision due to the financial constraints. They did not detail me about the matter” Faisal said.
The message sent by the school however noted that it was “due to unavoidable reasons” that the school was closing.
The full text of message sent by the school to parents read “Dear Parent, We are constrained to inform you that due to unavoidable reasons, the last academic year of the School will be 2019-20 and hence you are requested to ensure places for your kids in other schools in Qatar for the academic year 2020-21. However we shall update you on this matter in the coming days in case of any development otherwise. We are extremely sorry for the inconvenience caused to you and this message is sent to you as an advance intimation.”
The parents of students studying in class 9 and 11 are left into a jeopardy as the students are registered with Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and they have to complete their academics under CBSE. With no other options left, the last hope for the parents of these students lies in their visits to Indian Embassy in Doha and their meeting with Supreme Education Counsel of Qatar.
Despite attempts of Vartha Bharati to contact officials of the school, they remained unavailable to comment on the matter.
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New Delhi, Feb 16 (PTI): A day after a deadly stampede at the New Delhi railway station claimed 18 lives, the station remained overcrowded on Sunday with thousands of passengers struggling to board trains amid heavy rush.
Despite additional measures, the influx of passengers -- many of them Maha Kumbh pilgrims travelling to the city of Triveni Sangam -- continued with the sheer volume of travellers making the situation difficult to handle for authorities.
Foot-over bridges, staircases and platforms were packed with anxious travellers, many of whom were unaware of special train schedules leading to confusion. Long queues before water stalls added to the chaos, while passengers carrying heavy luggage struggled to navigate through the surging crowds.
The Saturday's stampede occurred at around 10 pm when a surge of passengers, confused by a mix-up in train announcements, rushed towards platform 16 via a narrow stairway.
Trapped between those trying to move up and others trying to descend, the crowd turned into a human bottleneck. Within minutes, panic spread, and people began falling, leading to a horrifying crush.
Yet, the congestion remained largely unchanged several hours later, with thousands still jostling for space on platforms and foot-over bridges.
"Even after what happened on Saturday, the situation is the same. We are trying our best, but the number of people is too high," said an RPF officer stationed at platform 16.
Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel were closely monitoring the situation, looking inside trains through windows to assist passengers and using small microphones to give instructions. They were seen urging travellers to wait for the next special train to Triveni Sangam, where the world's largest gathering, Maha Kumbh, is taking place.
Senior RPF officials, including DCP (Railways) K P S Malhotra and Special CP Robin Hibu, kept inspecting crowd management on platforms 14, 15, and 16 at regular intervals.
Delhi Police officials were also present to assist in controlling the massive rush.
With general tickets being issued at an estimated rate of 1,500 per hour, the passenger surge continued to strain resources.
Prayagraj special trains are departing at more than double their capacity, with people clinging to doors, stuffing themselves into packed compartments, and even climbing through train windows in desperation.
In the New Delhi-Bihar Sampark Kranti Express, which does not even travel to Prayagraj, the rush was so intense that passengers pushed and shoved their way into the train. RPF personnel had to physically close doors to prevent further overcrowding.
In a distressing incident, a girl aged around 15 years was seen crying inside the overcrowded train due to suffocation, while her mother, who couldn't board the train due to the rush wept helplessly.
"Don't worry, you will reach safely," she said, trying to reassure her child as the packed train departed, leaving many families separated.
"The number of people inside the train was so high that no one could even move. If anything had gone wrong inside, it would have been impossible to get out," said a stranded passenger.
Additional RPF personnel were deployed, and senior officials making regular rounds of the station to monitor the situation. The foot-over bridge and staircase, where Saturday's disaster unfolded, remained crowded as pilgrims rushed towards their trains.
Railway officials acknowledged that the passenger surge is overwhelming but said efforts are being made to manage the situation.
The rush to Prayagraj is expected to continue for days, making crowd control a constant challenge. The ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj will continue till February 26.
"We are working at full capacity, but managing such a large number of passengers is not easy," said an RPF official.
Meanwhile, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has ordered a high-level inquiry into the stampede and announced additional special trains to manage the rush.
Two senior officials have been appointed to investigate the causes of the stampede, but on the ground, the crowd remains difficult to manage.