Kids stranded, parents worried sick

Kids stranded, parents worried sick
TIMES NEWS NETWORK


Horrific’ is an understatement to express the feelings of parents and their children who school in North Bangalore, as kids were cooped up in buses and vans for 3-6 hours Monday evening. For thousands of unsuspecting children, coming home proved to be a never-ending nightmarish journey to nowhere, that too without food, water or being able to go to the toilet. Many kids started crying in the buses, complaining of headache, stomach ache and sheer tiredness.
Worried parents and grandparents spent hours waiting at designated bus stops to pick up the children. At some pre-primary schools, children were kept at the school itself as parents were unable to reach the premises.
While people were aware that the JD(S) rally was scheduled at Palace Grounds, nobody imagined that it would be so ill-managed or that their children wouldn’t be able to come home till late in the night.
In some cases, children opted to get out of the bus and walk home. Some children from Delhi Public School got down at Ramaiah Hospital and walked a good 3-4 km to reach Mehkri Circle, Sadashivanagar and RT Nagar. Children trudging home with heavy bags and empty stomachs ran smack into hordes of JD(S) supporters who spilled out into the roads and neighbourhoods once the rally got over around 5.30 pm.
Sujay S of RMV Extension said it was dangerous for the children to walk, that it was safer to stay put in buses and vans, as the crowd milling around was rather intimidating. Said an outraged parent who accompanied her walking child home, “They were elbowing us off the pavements, were spitting and defecating on the roads. Why can’t Kumaraswamy have his rally outside the city? I am never going to vote for him and I can assure you that no parent who has gone through this today will either.”
Bellary Road and areas off it has one of the highest concentrations of schools in Bangalore, with almost 95% of the children using dedicated BMTC buses for commute. Most schools close between 2.50 pm and 3.30 pm in this area. Journeys that normally take 30-45 minutes took three to over six hours as the traffic gridlock brought the whole area to a grinding halt.
Along the long corridor starting from Sadashivanagar to beyond Yelahanka are schools such as Aditi Mallya, Vidya Shilp, Vidya Niketan, Delhi Public School, Air Force School, Kenshri, Kendriya Vidhyalaya, Canadian School, Daffodils, Poorna Prajna, Stella Marie’s and a dozen more.
Preethi Sundararajan, resident of Malleswaram 18th cross, was very tense as her five-year-old son did not turn up on time. Later, she came to know that he was stuck in the jam. “It is ridiculous to hold up traffic and disturb people’s lives for political motives,’’ she said.
Another mother, Suneetha from R T Nagar, was furious as her 12-year-old son studying at a school in Yelahanka, who reaches home around 3 pm, hadn’t turned up even at 6.30 pm. “Why do these politicians hold people to ransom for political gain? Why can’t they understand that if they really want to do the public good they should stop such activities?’’ What was very worrying for parents is that during flash strikes or bandhs, parents are able to rush to schools and pick up children. On Monday evening, gridlocked roads and chaos meant parents could not venture out in search of stuck buses/vans. They could only anxiously coordinate with other parents and with teachers or conductors in the buses, to track the snail’s progress of the vehicles.
Mrs Sarin, a resident of Cooke Town, was upset with the JD(S) rally on a weekday. Her children hadn’t reached home even by 7 pm. “Why should Kumaraswamy hold a rally on a Monday?”
We left school at 3.30 pm, were stuck on the way for three-and-half hours. Junior students in Standard 1 and 2 started crying. Even teachers couldn’t manage them. They don’t know the way to their houses, so the teachers couldn’t even leave them on their own. Our school is in Hebbal and some students are still stuck on New BEL Road. I am worried about the juniors below Class 5.
SANYA ZAVERI | STD 10, VIDYA NIKETAN
I was stranded in the bus for more than two hours, then our teacher asked us to get off and walk. We have walked more than 3 km. I don’t think I’ll be able to do anything now. Many other students, including very young ones from Standard 1 and 2, are still walking.
VINIT SHAH | STD 9, DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL
It took me one-and-half hours to travel from MG Road to the Golf Course today. I wonder how many people have missed their flights.
PRAVIR BAGRODIA | EMPLOYEE OF A PRIVATE FIRM