MUMBAI, March 13: Tribal children from Thane district will march to the Vidhan Sabha with begging bowls in their hands to demand that the government release grants to run their schools.The children study at bhoga shalas or mobile schools run by the Sharamajivi Sanghatana and Vidhayak Sansad. And like the 23 children from Nashik who trekked 66 miles to demand better educational facilities, they will also `beg' for a hearing.
The shalas were started by Vivek Pandit and his wife Ciddhyulata in 1995 for children of migrant brick kiln workers. There are over 2,000 students studying in these schools. Said Pandit, ``Our demand is simple: the department for tribal development should release sufficient grants for the schools. Or, the state government should run the schools itself. But the government is not ready to do either.'' The tribal development department is not utilising funds released by the central government, charged Pandit. Added Paromita Goswami, Sansad's organising secretary, ``We also need crechesat the shalas. The children get their tiny siblings to school and study while they sit in their lap. They have no option, with their parents busy at the kilns.''
Pandit claimed that when the schools were handed over to the Zilla Parishad for ten days, the attendance was very poor, in some cases nil. ``Only help from the state government can make the schooling a success here,'' he said. The children juggle both work at the kilns and schooling. Like five-year-old Shaki Lakhya, who helps her parents lug bricks in the morning, sometimes up to 8 in one go, averaging 50 trips a day, attends school and then returns to work at the kiln in the evening.
However, Additional Tribal Development Commissioner Sharad Kulkarni disputed the fact that the children were employed at the brick kilns. He stated that the organisations were `asking for too much'. ``The cheque is ready for those shalas for whom the Working Children Welfare Society had approved grants for 1996-97. This year, Pandit increased the number of schoolswithout intimating us,'' he said. ``He has sought a grant of Rs 32 lakh, which we cannot disburse until we get approval from the central government. Despite repeated reminders Pandit has never bothered to collect the cheque,'' alleged Kulkarni. However, Pandit refuted this, saying, ``What if the number of schools has increased? We are only helping the cause of education.''
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
