Parents, students, and activists gathered at 11 am on Friday in Mahim to hoist the Indian flag to celebrate Independence Day and protest the sudden closure of MPS New Mahim School. The flag hoisting took place in a garden near the school as a mark of disapproval against the alleged abrupt closure of the Mahim-based civic school building. The dissent comes after the structure of Mumbai Public School New Mahim was locked and classified as a C-1 building (deemed extremely dangerous and unfit for habitation due to severe structural issues), marked for demolition, even though parents insist it is in good condition.

“The Mahim school was renovated only in 2018, and the structure still appears to be stronger and more resilient than many other civic-run schools. However, in June, the civic body suddenly planned to raze the school, and now the building remains locked, with nearly 2500 students moved to online classes or neighbouring schools. We are still not able to determine exactly where all the students have been relocated, or whether all of them are in school at all,” said Pranali Raut, a citizen activist and AAP leader.

The parents are now seeking a meeting with the additional municipal commissioner, and if it fails to yield results, they plan to move to court, Raut added.