Kulgam school to be named after Rajni Bala; schools to observe '2-minute silence' today

In a bid to pay respects to the slain school teacher Rajni Bala, the Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to name the government high school in the Gopalpora area of South Kashmir's Kulgam after her name, announced Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday.

It came after Sinha in the day visited Bala's family members at their residence in Samba and spoke to them. He also assured her husband, Rajkumar of extending all the possible support. During his visit to their home, he was accompanied by Samba DDC Chairman Keshav Sharma, Jammu Divisional Commissioner, Ramesh Kumar; Additional Director General of Police Mukesh Singh, and Samba Deputy Commissioner Anuradha Gupta.

Later while addressing a programme on a road project, Sinha said, "We have decided that Gopalpora government high school will be named after Rajni Bala."

Two-minute silence in J&K schools

On the other hand, the UT government on the same day also ordered to observe a "two-minute silence" in all schools across the valley as a bid to mark the observance of the 10th day since the death of Rajni Bala, a school teacher who was killed by terrorists on May 31. In a communique issued by the UT's School Education Department, Undersecretary to Government, Mohmmad Iqbal Mir said that the two minutes of silence will be observed on June 9, Thursday, at 10:30 AM during the morning assembly. 

As instructed to the Directors of School Education of Jammu & Kashmir regions, the notice reads, “In view of 10th of the Martyr Rajni Bala, Teacher, a ‘Two Minute Silence’ shall be observed in all educational institutions in the morning assembly on 9th of June 2022 at 10.30 am.”

Furthermore, it also said that the photographs of the assembly shall be shared with the administrative department by 12 noon positively. 

Notably, this came in the backdrop of the recent targeted killings in the valley including the 36-year-old Hindu school teacher Rajni Bala, who was shot dead by terrorists in broad daylight at the Gopalpora area of South Kashmir’s Kulgam on May 31. According to the police, she was shot from a close range outside the High School Gopalpora Kulgam, further leaving her severely wounded. 

Following this, she was immediately shifted to the district hospital in Kulgam where she succumbed to her injuries. 

Image: Republic World