A tale of three protests, courtesy Madhya Pradesh’s Gen Alpha

In Madhya Pradesh, three separate incidents involving schoolchildren protesting against administrative decisions unfolded this week. The first protest occurred at the Sironj bus stand in Vidisha district, where students of Kanya Higher Secondary School raised concerns over a bus fare hike from Rs 10-15 to Rs 25. Frustrated by the hike, students gathered at the bus stand and demanded intervention from local MLA Umakant Sharma.

The administration listened to their concerns and promptly reverted to the previous fare. Two days later, the administration announced that schoolgirls would once again pay the earlier fare.

In Ujjain, a dispute arose over the state's plan to merge six schools, located in various urban areas, into a single institution, Sandipani Vidyalaya. The protest involved over 300 girls from the Sarafa school, who held a sit-in outside the Ujjain Collectorate for nearly two hours. They expressed concerns about the longer commute to the new location, citing that many students and their parents could not afford the extended travel distance.

The decision was later made to allow students to continue attending classes at the Sarafa campus until a suitable alternative arrangement is made.

Bhopal saw another protest from schoolchildren, this time against a proposal to merge four institutions under the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan network. The students of Demonstration Multi-Purpose School carried placards reading "Save DMS" and "We Want Justice" and submitted a memorandum to the principal opposing the merger. They raised concerns over the potential impact on current students, teachers, and vocational courses.

The school principal responded to the students' concerns, assuring them that their voices would be heard and that the administration would carefully consider their demands.