Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Aurangabad/Patna: The children at Amba in Bihar's Aurangabad district play on. They are oblivious of the fact that their chance of getting a formal education is in jeopardy.
Their school has been closed for two months, after Naxals threatened to blow it up, if school authorities did not pay a levy.
Their classrooms have been locked and their teachers are nowhere in sight.
“We haven't had teachers for a month. We usually come to school for a few hours, play and go home,” says a student, Gulshan.
School authorities initially tried to negotiate with the Naxals, so that the functioning of the school wouldn’t be affected, but talks fell through, and the school had to close down.
“The Maoists have demanded five per cent levy through a letter,” says principal, Govt School, Amba, Vishwanath Singh.
Two other schools in the area are facing a similar fate, depriving over 1000 children of their right to a formal education.
However, the district administration claims there is nothing to fear.
“We are looking into the absence of teachers. There is nothing to worry about,” says DM, Aurangabad, Birendra Bahadur Pandey.
The Naxals in Bihar are fighting a war of supremacy with the government. But the victims in this battle are the children whose future is being affected.
Their school has been closed for two months, after Naxals threatened to blow it up, if school authorities did not pay a levy.
Their classrooms have been locked and their teachers are nowhere in sight.
“We haven't had teachers for a month. We usually come to school for a few hours, play and go home,” says a student, Gulshan.
School authorities initially tried to negotiate with the Naxals, so that the functioning of the school wouldn’t be affected, but talks fell through, and the school had to close down.
“The Maoists have demanded five per cent levy through a letter,” says principal, Govt School, Amba, Vishwanath Singh.
Two other schools in the area are facing a similar fate, depriving over 1000 children of their right to a formal education.
However, the district administration claims there is nothing to fear.
“We are looking into the absence of teachers. There is nothing to worry about,” says DM, Aurangabad, Birendra Bahadur Pandey.
The Naxals in Bihar are fighting a war of supremacy with the government. But the victims in this battle are the children whose future is being affected.
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