Classes in open for Prayagraj village students as stray cattle locked up in school
Principal Kamlesh Singh said that when he reached at 9am, he found over 100 stray cattle locked inside the premises of the school in Shankergarh development block and farmers, armed with sticks, sitting outside the gate.
Students of a primary school in Bhadivar village in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj district were forced to attend their classes in the cold outdoors after agitating farmers locked up stray cattle inside the school premises on Monday.
Students of a primary school in Bhadivar village of UP’s Prayagraj district study in the chill outside as farmers lock up stray cattle in the school premises (HT Photo)
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Principal Kamlesh Singh said that when he reached at 9am, he found over 100 stray cattle locked inside the premises of the school in Shankergarh development block.
“The school starts at 10 am. As the school gate was locked and over two dozen agitating farmers, armed with sticks, were sitting outside the gate, as many as 40 students were made to sit and study outside the premises. The agitating villagers were not in favour of opening the gates,” he said.
Sub-divisional magistrate, Bara, DS Pathak said the villagers were agitated as the stray cattle have been destroying their crops for the last several months. “We got the school premises vacated by 1.30 pm. Measures will be taken to ensure that such an incident is not repeated,” he said.
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According to reports, residents of Bhadivar village and its surrounding localities in Shankergarh block have been suffering from the stray cattle menace for the last few months. Failing to get any relief despite lodging a complaint with tehsil officials, they were forced to lock as many as 100 animals inside the primary school.
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According to reports, residents of Bhadivar village and its surrounding localities in Shankergarh block have been suffering from the stray cattle menace for the last few months. Failing to get any relief despite lodging a complaint with tehsil officials, they were forced to lock as many as 100 animals inside the primary school.
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Asked about the issue, district magistrate Suhas LY said an FIR will be lodged against villagers who locked up the cattle, thus hindering the functioning of the school.
The incident came barely a few days after chief minister Yogi Adityanath directed all the districts magistrates to ensure that farmers don’t face any problems due to stray cattle menace and also to shift the cattle to ‘Gau Sanrakshan Kendras’ by January 10.
Kenneth John is a seasoned journalist with over three decades of reporting experience with different national dailies. As a correspondent with Hindustan Times, he is known for his impactful grassroots journalism, focusing on stories that amplify the voices of marginalised communities and bring issues of public concern into the spotlight.
Over the years, he has reported extensively on education, women and child welfare, health, crime, infrastructure, environment, human rights, rural development, poverty, and public policy. His work has consistently highlighted the challenges faced by vulnerable sections of society, particularly in rural and underserved regions.
Recognised for his investigative and human-interest reporting, his notable stories include exposing severe child malnutrition in eastern Uttar Pradesh, where he documented instances of children eating mud to cope with extreme hunger. These reports drew attention to serious gaps in welfare delivery and prompted discussions on policy intervention and accountability.
A keen observer of social and cultural transformations, he has covered three Mahakumbhs and two Kumbh Melas at Prayagraj’s Sangam, reporting on their religious, social, cultural, and administrative dimensions.
Among his most widely discussed exclusives was the story on Uttar Pradesh’s first all-women gang, “D39,” in Kaushambi, revealing how poverty, child marriage, and domestic abuse pushed several women toward crime. His journalism continues to combine investigative rigour with deep human sensitivity.
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