Vasant Kunj residents don’t want govt edu facility, say it’ll bring ‘outsiders’

The sector has three private schools, one of them a Japanese institution

A state government proposal to set up a sports facility for children from government schools in Vasant Kunj has set off an unusual controversy among residents, who on Wednesday resorted to protests and blockades to prevent the construction of the institution.

The site in Vasant Kunj Pocket C where the Delhi government plans to build a sports facility for the students of state government schools. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

Residents of Vasant Kunj Sector A, a neighbourhood that houses around 1,500families, claimed that the construction of the government facility, which will largely cater to students from underprivileged families, presents “a security threat”, will lead to the “entry of outsiders”, and “add to congestion in the area”.

The sector has three private schools, one of them a Japanese institution. The lanes in the colony are packed with private vehicles, which line the streets and even the footpaths of the gated colony.

The sports facility, said government officials, will serve students from poor families, most of whom cannot afford private education or training centres.

Experts said public educational and recreational facilities were vital for students, especially those who may not be able to afford more expensive private options.

The proposal led to dramatic scenes on Wednesday morning, as residents lay down in front of bulldozers and earthmovers to keep them from clearing out a plot that the state government has owned since at least 1984.

Vinod Kumar Pant, the former president of the Vasant Kunj RWA federation and the Pocket C RWA head, said, “They (authority officials) came with police personnel and started clearing the shrubs. We will go to court to oppose any further work.”

Around 60 residents stepped out of their homes to prevent work on the facility being started.

“We already have three schools in the area and 1,500 flats. The plot was allocated to the education department in 1984 and has since become a jungle. The new facility will lead to major congestion for us,” Pant said.

Some residents of the area, meanwhile, said there “will be no space left for residents”.

Geeta Vivekanand, secretary of the Pocket B residents’ welfare association (RWA) insisted the new educational facility will present a security hazard for locals and that “none of their children” will study there. She also insisted that several “outsiders” will visit the colony since none of the colony children will sign up for it.

“It is a government school that’s coming up, and none of our children will join it. Outsiders will come inside our colony and more than 2,000 children will be roaming around in our colony. How will we protect the residents?” she said.

Educational experts stressed there is no evidence that public education institutions present safety hazards for any neighbourhoods. To be sure, most colonies in Delhi have civic or government schools in them.

Khagesh Jha, an education activist, who heads the organisation Forum for Indian Parents, said the argument that government school will lead to increase in congestion is not correct. “Vasant Kunj has many private schools where roads are choked by buses and cars of parents picking up their wards. The government schools cater to children who neither use buses or cars. Can’t children even walk on our footpaths? These sections of society have equal right on public resources, and they already take so little out of it. There are EWS kids in and around Vasant Kunj as well and residents should recognize that access to schools in close vicinity is a right of children and any civilized society should recognize this. Delhi has lakhs of children outside recognized schooling system and thousands of unrecognized private schools. These children need to be brought under formal schooling system which needs more government schools.”

Delhi has more than 1,500 private schools, and only around 1,250 government schools.

A letter from Delhi’s education director dated June 13, said that the education department has been allotted a 8,657sqm plot at Sector A’s pocket BC, for construction of a government school building and it has been decided to develop sports facilities for the benefit of the students of government schools at the said site.

The Delhi government did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.

A senior Delhi Police official said that the education department had requested police presence for the initiation of work and adequate force was deployed to maintain law and order situation.