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The political atmosphere in Andhra Pradesh has heated up after the coalition government's controversial decision to convert the Marikavalasa Tribal Welfare Residential School in Visakhapatnam into a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in partnership with a private coaching institute.
The move led to the abrupt relocation of hundreds of tribal students in the middle of the academic year, sparking strong protests from parents, student organisations and tribal bodies. When opposition leaders, including former Deputy Chief Minister Pushpa Sreevani, tried to visit the site to express solidarity with the protesting families, they were placed under house arrest and detained by police. Strongly condemning the developments, YSRCP President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, in a post on X, launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, questioning the government's empathy, the rationale behind the policy, and the suppression of democratic dissent. Denouncing the police action, YS Jagan questioned, "How can you resort to inappropriate behaviour towards former Deputy Chief Minister Pushpa Sreevani? Have you stooped to such a level that you are using police force to suppress their voices? Why are YSRCP leaders being placed under house arrest everywhere?" Highlighting the plight of displaced children, he asked, "Parents of students and tribal organisations have been protesting... but this government does not even have the patience to listen to their objections. Why is there a need to shift this Tribal Residential School at all?" Tracing the visionary roots of the Schools of Excellence established under Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy with inputs from educationist Chukka Ramaiah, he emphasised, "To excel in competitive examinations such as JEE and NEET, students need to build a strong foundation from at least Class VIII. Isn't that precisely the concept behind the Schools of Excellence?" Pointing out similar issues at Kota in Nellore and across other campuses affecting over 2,000 students, he warned, "From four Gurukulams with a large number of students, more than 2,000 students have been put to hardship and scattered across different places. Will you play with the lives and future of students?" YSRCP's core demands includes the government must immediately stop dismantling functional Schools of Excellence and address the grievances of parents and students; affected children should be allowed to continue their education wherever they choose, without mid-term displacement, and the administration must apologise for the disrespectful treatment of tribal women leaders and stop using police force to suppress peaceful protests. "Mr Chandrababu Naidu, you and your son, with your reckless decisions, are throwing the Education Department into complete disarray... The government must review its decision, listen to the objections of the students and their parents, and allow those children to study wherever they wish to continue their education," said YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. (ANI)
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