Protests over sealing of hall in prestigious Agra convent

AGRA - Teachers, students, parents and even the city mayor are up in arms over the Agra Development Authority’s (ADA) move to seal the hall of a prestigious convent school - said to be one of the oldest in Asia.

The newly constructed multipurpose hall of St Patrick’s Junior College was sealed two days ago for allegedly violating building norms. But the school authorities and students say they are being singled out even as encroachments are mushrooming all over the city.

Agra Mayor Anjula Singh Mahaur said, “I will go to any extent to stop this madness, they can’t see what is happening in the city and are not able to stop encroachments all over. Shameful indeed.

“Students should be studying not protesting and marching in a procession with placards. What is the ADA doing in the city?”

On Friday, support poured in from all sections for the school management. The principals of over 40 schools have protested what they see as ADA’s high-handedness. The protest is set to snowball Saturday when schools reopen after two days of holiday.

The convent is run by the Congregation of Jesus and Mary. It was founded in 1842 by French sisters led by Claudine Thevnet, who reached this city in a bullock cart from Allahabad at the invitation of the then Archbishop of Agra.

ADA officials say the newly constructed hall had not followed the building plan submitted for approval. Its secretary Udayee Ram said the college had been served with legal notices but there was no response and this forced them to act.

But a parent Gautam Seth asked: “What was the need for taking action against only St Patrick’s Junior College - such a prestigious institution?”

Girls and teachers even marched in a procession to the office of Tanvir Zafar Ali, vice chairman of the agency.

But Ali told IANS: “It is wrong to say that we have targeted any particular institution. We keep taking action against whoever violates the norms.”

Sister Lawrence, principal of the convent, told IANS that ADA officials seem to be relenting and appear inclined to open the hall on or before Teachers’ Day Sunday.

Earlier, she had publicly accused the ADA officials of pressuring her to admit some students and when she refused, they threatened her with dire consequences.