Karnataka: School in Bidar charged with sedition now a quarantine unit

BIDAR: Shaheen Urdu Primary School in Bidar, which was charged with sedition in January over an anti-CAA play staged by students, is now a four-storey quarantine centre for 193 people, providing food, medicine and even WiFi.
Bidar district of north Karnataka has reported 14 cases of Covid-19 so far; 277 people are under isolation in quarantine facilities across the district, authorities said.
Following a request from the district administration, the residential school handed over its four-storey building to be turned into a quarantine centre last week. As many as 193 people are isolated currently at the facility.
“The school honoured our request and provided the building to set up the isolation centre. We are thankful to them. Additionally, we have set up another quarantine centre at the Morarji Desai Residential School,” deputy commissioner HR Mahadev said.
“We consider it our duty to help the district administration in this time of crisis,” said school CEO Thouseef Madikeri. “On April 13, 133 people were shifted to the school and on April 15, another 60 were brought here. We provide three meals a day to the patients. The food is cooked in our kitchens, adopting all precautionary measures. We are also ensuring masks, sanitisers and other essentials are provided. The school building is sanitised on a daily basis for the safety of the staff working in the campus.”
Bidar school provides beds, rooms, vehicles
The school has provided about 500 beds and air-conditioned rooms as well. It had earlier pitched in with its vehicles to ferry health staff on Covid-duty in the region.
The district administration had initially isolated people under observation for Covid-19 at a backward class and minority hostel. However, following objections from residents in the neighbourhood, authorities turned to residential schools. Shaheen School, located at Shahpur Gate on the city outskirts, proved to be a suitable centre.
The school made national headlines earlier this year when the entire management was charged with sedition over a play by primary students. During the staging on January 21, one of the students made derogatory references to PM Modi which led to a complaint from a social worker who called the play “anti-national”. An FIR was filed and all the accused are on bail.