MYSURU: Historians and activists who batted for retaining the century-old NTM Kannada School have reiterated that they will fight against any move to hand over the school to the Ramkrishna Ashram.
The school was in the centre of a controversy after the Education Department officials initiated the procedure to hand over the school to ashram for building a memorial for Swami Vivekananda triggering protests by activists and historians.
Though the protest was called off after Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa ordered against the demolition of the school, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha had recently directed officials to go ahead with the work.
“The chief minister’s order is clear about the issue ... that the school building should not be touched. Instead, the rest of the land can be used to construct the memorial. However, some people are putting pressure on the CM and are trying to rake up the issue again,” said former MLC Puttesiddashetty. He said they will resist any attempt to hand over the school. “If they use force, we will take out bigger protests,” Puttesiddashetty said.
Historian Nanjaraje Urs too criticised the MP.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi says Beti Bachao Beti Padhao ... but here Simha is engaged in Beti Bhagao, Smarak Banao,” Urs said.He said Simha can’t direct officials to take over the school since the chief minister has ordered against it. He said Swami Vivekananda stayed in the residence of Diwan Sheshadri Iyer and not in the school.
General secretary of Kannada Kriya Samithi Sa Ra Sudarshan called out the attempts to spread false news about court order on the school. “They claim that the court had directed authorities to hand over the school, which is not true,” he said.