Struggle for Education

Saheriya tribal Children

No More Silence

Sachin Kumar Jain

One day prior to Independence day, even it was heavily raining but 70 children of a village are sitting in the campus of Karahl block education office demanding their right to education and freedom from Discrimination, Exclusion and Corruption in Education system, as their school has become soulless building and no education is taking place because there is only one, Gopal Jatav, appointed teacher and he is also absent for last 7 years and just visits one or two days in every 2 months. Residents of Nichlikhori village were let with no option other then Lock out of Government Primary School by their own hands, and ultimately they jointly went to school and locked it on 13th August, Just 2 days before the Modern India's most precious day, The Independence day!! On 14th August all the 70 students marched to the office of the Block Education officer SK Fauzdaar Singh with Blackboard, sat in a queue and asked the officer to teach them till the school starts functioning properly.

We all are celebrating another independence day with energy, respect and enthusiasm. Most of us have enough reasons to enjoy this day, but 70 Saheriya primitive tribal Children of Nichlikhori village of Karahal block in Sheopur district have seen their primary school opening for exactly last one year from 15th August 2007. Last time they saw school gates open on 26th January 2008. There is only one teacher appointed in this school and Gopal Jatav visits this school once in two or three months to fill the column of presence in school attendance register and withdraw money, which is allocated for MDM and School uniform. “There is no accountability in education system, and Saheriys are most vulnerable and voiceless. Their demands and needs have never been considered seriously” - says Uma of Saheriya Mukti Morcha. She also points out the issue of quality education and un-equality in the system, which Saheriya children in their daily life.

Kunwar Lal, father of a girl student Parvati Says that “We don’t want Government to make false claim, they are misutilising public’s money, so we unanimously decided to Shutdown the School building and have asked administration not to release any money for our village, which is not contributing any more to the children’s right to education”. He also They prepared a panchnama saying that we have a school building in our village but there is no commitment for education shown by the Government, but politicians always claim we have done every thing for the Tribal children. It is not the reality, our children are most excluded and in fact Government discriminates with our society by taking no action on our regular complaint.

Gopi, resident of Nichlikhori village says -" We have made all efforts to let administration know about the Ground Zero situation of our school. It is a more shocking fact that no exams or tests have taken place, but in records students are successfully passing the various school levels. 10 Year old Parvati Saheriya has passed class 5th Exam, but she does not know when it happened!! Now Parvati is in 6th Class, but she can only write her name, nothing else. It is worth mentioning that Saheriya women falls in lowest level of Literacy among all tribes of Madhya Pradesh with only 15.9% literacy. It is not all; Saheriya in general also lives with lowest literacy level of 28.7% among all social groups in Madhya Pradesh.

We have sent 6 complaints and have discussed this matter in Pancahayt and Gramsabha meetings....but no change took place" says Paanchaya Adiwasi, Sarpanch of Meharwani panchayat. Chairperson of Parent-Teacher Association, Hari Singh Saheriya is in trauma, because Gopal Jatav forced him to signe the cheque and withdrew Rs. 5000.00 received for School uniform, PTA chief was told by him that Uniform will be distributed in by 5th of August but he (teacher) never came back and now Hari Singh has also joined the Children’s agitation against system.

Babulal Saheriya of the same village says that “only education can eliminate our poverty and deprivation, but it seems State does not want us to come out of it. It is horrible to see that a government teacher is rarely visiting the school after consuming alcohol. We have made 5 complaints to Tehsildar, but no enquiry took place and situation remains the same, and in reaction to these processes Teacher says I am not your servant, you all can not do any thing to me”. Only after this Gandhigiri, administration moved and said teacher will be appointed in next 48 Hours and action against present teacher will be taken in week’s time.

Finally Teacher was appointed and school started functioning. Studnets got uniforms and they have proved that children will also fight for their rights and will not live with Silence.........