PTA
President Gives His Life
For Want Of School Building
By Anil Gulati
18 January,
2008
Countercurrents.org
Shiv
Prasad Ahirwar was president of Parents' Teacher Association of a
primary government school in Bhagwanganj area of the Sagar district
of Madhya Pradesh. He had burnt himself in protest and frustration
on January 7, 2008. This was not for any of his own personal demands
but for want of school building for the children of the school of
which he represents. He had suffered 80 per cent burns and then he
succumbed to death in the Bhopal government hospital. This incident
is probably first of its kind in India when someone had given his
life for a cause of school building for children.
In this case, money had been approved for the school building, in
fact had lapsed twice but the problem was that land could not be allocated.
Why? Probably the district did not have any government land to be
allocated for the school in the area, because of which he protested.
Majority of children in the school are harijans and his point was
that if the land could be provided for other buildings then why not
for a school, a point which leaves all of us to ponder. Hope his sacrifice
does not goes unnoticed, and brings light to problem of poor children
in this area and across India in years to come.
At a time when government of India spends more than 32,000 crores
on primary education and a special cess of 2 per cent is levied on
citizens of India for making sure that each and every child of India
goes to school, this incident bring us back to the question of implementation
of the much pronounced schemes and the kind of glitches which get
into the way of providing each child the basic right to education.
Let his fight which he has started not get lost but ignite more momentum
to civil society and media to push hard for the implementation of
the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. Let's not allow more Shiv Prasad Ahirwars
to place their life at stake for need of a school building. It may
be important to mention here that this is not the only one school
in the district, which does not have a building, but as per District
Elementary Education Report Card popularly known as DISE report, 6.9
per cent children are enrolled in schools without a building in Sagar
district. It is also reported that more than 46,000 schools in India
don't have a school building, one of the basic minimum needs for making
sure that all children go to school to gain knowledge.
