New Delhi/Srinagar: Schools across the country observed a two-minute silence today in a show of solidarity with Pakistan following an appeal from Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the dastardly terror attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar.
Special prayers were also held in some schools with children sporting black bands, many of them carrying placards in memory of the children who lost their lives. Candles were also lit as children reflected on the tragedy in silence.
“Save the Globe from cruelty, the world is one,” read one placard carried by students of a school in Kanpur.
As many as 132 children were among the 141 people who were massacred yesterday when seven heavily armed Taliban suicide bombers stormed a Pakistan army-run school in Peshawar firing indiscriminately.
“In the wake of dastardly attack in Pakistan, I appeal to schools across India to observe 2 mins of silence tomorrow as a mark of solidarity.,” Modi tweeted last night after he spoke to his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif offering his “deepest condolences” on the attack. Modi also said that India stands firmly with Pakistan in the fight against terrorists.
Some students also penned poems condemning the Peshawar carnage.
“We had a special morning assembly during which we observed two minutes silence paying homage to victims of terrorism. Some of our students had penned poems decrying the grusome incident. We held a poetry reading session too,” said Ameeta Mulla Wattal, Principal of Springdales School in Delhi.
Students of Sadhu Vaswani School in Shanti Niketan formed a human chain condemning the ghastly attack. Some students also held placards—“Save the world from terrorism, we are one”, “Ideas are bulletproof” and “bullets won't deter us from learning”, “Let humanity prevail over barbarism.”
A special prayer meeting after observance of 2 minute silence was held at the Air Force School in Delhi Cantonment. “We also held a mock security drill to check emergency response situation,” said Deepika T Singh, Principal of the school.
Students at Tagore International school organsied a signature campaign to show solidarity with Pakistan.
In Srinagar, funeral prayers were held in absentia in memory of the victims at the Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area.
The prayers were organised by chairman of moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Hundreds of people joined the special prayers which were followed by a peaceful protest led by the Mirwaiz. The protestors held black banners with messages of solidarity with the bereaved families who lost their dear ones.
Addressing the protestors, the Mirwaiz said the barbaric killing of innocent children was against the teachings of Islam.
“There is no place for terrorism in Islam. This act of cowardice has nothing to do with either Islam or Jihad. The people involved in this act are bringing disrepute to religion of Islam,” he said.
