Classes are off, but Amar Shaheed Thakur Vishwanath Shahdeo Zilla School in Ranchi is still teeming with people.
Around 200 vendors selling Chhath samagri have set up shops on the 176-year-old campus, which turned into a Wi-Fi zone just last month, oblivious of the state HRD department rule that educational premises cannot be used for commercial purposes.
Devotees, who loathe to visit the crowded Jaipal Singh Stadium that has turned into a market in keeping with Jharkhand High Court guidelines to ensure that Main Road remained a no-vending zone between November 5 and 18 in view of Diwali and Chhath, are flocking to the temporary bazaar as they find it to be a far more convenient location.
"Every year, we sell sugarcanes from this place and no one stops us. Jaipal Singh stadium is already crowded with so many vendors. We couldn't find any place and chose to sell our wares here at the school," Md Munzal, a sugarcane-seller from Nagri, said.
Agreeing, another vendor, Pappu Kumar, who was seen selling mango leaves and branches, said, "We are doing business here since Saturday and no one raised any objection. Where we will go? This place fetches us good money."
Devi Dayal Mandal, principal of the state-run school that is shut for Chhath, admitted allowing the vendors inside the premises. "I gave permission to the vendors to sell Chhath Puja items from within the school because they pleaded with me. They have promised to keep the campus neat and clean."
State HRD secretary Aradhana Patnaik said that she was not aware of vendors selling Chhath items from the school premises.
Promising to look into the matter, she added: "It's true that vendors have been selling Chhath paraphernalia from zilla school for years now. But this time, we had banned the trade. When RMC commissioner Prashant Kumar had sought the campus for selling Diwali items, I refused."
Chhath vratis, who had come for shopping, agreed that educational hubs should not be used for commercial purposes. "What can we do? We will go wherever there is a market. We have been coming to zilla school for a long time. But the district administration can only say why a market has been set up on the school," said Moti Lal, who had come with his wife from Chutia to shop for Chhath.
