In bitter cold, children made to wait for chief guest wearing just vests

Lucknow: Most schools across Uttar Pradesh are shut or open only for students in higher classes due to the severe cold wave but there is one in Allahabad which forced its students to spend hours wearing just skimpy vests while waiting for the chief guest to arrive for their annual day function.

The MR Sherwani School, run by senior Congress leader Salim Sherwani, did the unthinkable yesterday, when these students, who were drawn from all classes, wore vests as they marched past the chief guest, Allahabad Commissioner Mukesh Meshram.

The event was scheduled to begin at 11 am but the children had no choice but to shiver in the cold as Mr Meshram arrived two hours late.

The senior official, who did not seem to be aware of the district magistrate's order to shut schools till December 24 to shield children from the biting cold, praised the students.

"I am proud of these students because they are braving the cold," Mr Meshram said. Most people attending the event had several layers of clothing on them.

The school management says that this mega event had been planned in advance. Since the show had to go on as scripted, the children had to wear only vests even in the biting cold, it said.