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Will Free Compulsory Education Possible In A Maoist Conflict Area? by Jyoti Sonia Dhan

The Child Right to Education Bill 2009 which was passed by Parliament in last August 2009, which speaks about the free and compulsory education to all children between 6 to 14 years. On other hand there was nation wide campaign by Child rights organization CRY for “saman shiksha sabko shiksa”. Both tell about education to children. In states of Jharkhand, Bihar few areas of West Bengal and Orissa there are security forces set up their camps in the schools of the Maoist affected area sometimes for longer period of time like 10 years or more. This has resulted in blowing up of the school by Maoist, which caused wide spread damaged to school especially in the Palamua and Chatra district of Jharkhand.

The high school of Telumath of Nimdih block of Sareikela district at Jharkhand has the security forces in their attention position right from the top of the building to play ground. And huge trenches dug all around the school campus. It makes one wonder how the children in that school were able to study. The report by Human rights watch on the “sabotaging school” narrates about the child right violence in the schools of Maoist affected area.

The rooms occupied by the security forces reduce the class room to lesser areas or sometimes under the tree in the school premises. On one hand there are child rights activist demanding for infrastructure development in schools but here it is seems not use. The kitchen was occupied for preparation of meal for security person hence mid day meal for children is not possible. Even the toilets were occupied which creates the children to go outside in the open areas. So do the other facilities in the schools, even the Voluntary education committee become defunct.

When there is campaign for girl child education by child rights organization how it can be assured that parents will send their daughter aged 6 to 14 years to school. There is a fear and hesitant by the parents of being sexual harassment as the police and security person stays in school or their children can be tagged as Maoist. Will these security force will provide the safe environment to the children.

The report from Human right watch on “sabotaging school” says that children live in fearful condition when they come to school. Sometimes the security person points out the gun to children in order to create threat. Even children cannot play freely during their recess time.

The statistic of education of Jharkhand as of 2001 speaks about the high drop out rate, and less enrollment form most marginalized section. Adding to quality of education there are no books distribution, teachers engageded in non teaching jobs , no subject wise teachers, less number of classrooms, no midday meal and absent of enrollment of girl child. In order to address theses issues “Sarva Shihska Abhiyan” was taking pace in all the areas. Many schools were upgraded to middle school high school in the schedule tribe dominated areas. This is to encourage and to include marginalize community into education.

Now, the question comes how it will be possible when the schools are boomed and parents fear to send the children as there is police or security person there, who at any movement of time might call any of the tribal children as Maoist. (As the humour which circulates now days that all tribals can be Maoist in the Maoist affected area.)

It is quite sure that all the moment of time the Child Right to free compulsory education is violated and also other child right too. There should be some mechanism to make all children to school without threat. The government should think of alternative place for camps it does not mean to make camps to education or health centres which are basic facilities centres were common villagers interact in continuation.

So, above all the core message is that these security forces are there to provide security to common people in the Maoist area and not to create destructor. The Indian constitutional mandate has to be followed when moving out from schools. Hoping the Indian constitutional of child right education of free compulsory education can be visible at the ground level too.