February
10, 2010
Madhyamik Shala Mumbra & Thane
Mahanagarpalika Dharna
on 8 March, 2010 at 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Parents of the Mumbra primary school backed by Khoj Education for a
Secular, will stage a dharna outside the Thane Municipal Corporation to
demand implementation of the 2006 decision to set up a secondary school
upto Std. X in Mumbra.
KHOJ has been agitating for the implementation of this GR (passed in 2006
& June 11, 2009).
A mass signature campaign on the issue was organized two years ago but
still the Government is delaying in this decision.
Over 300 parents attended the meeting organized by KHOJ at the Mumbra
School on February 10, 2010. Smt. Ruta Aawad wife of Local MLA Shri
Jitendra Aawad was also present.
The indefinite dharna will be launched on March 8, 2010 (International
Women’s Day) and will continue until the Municipal Commissioner gives the
written assurance that the secondary school will start in June.
Teesta Setalvad, Director, KHOJ.
Noorjahan Shaikh, Co-ordinator KHOJ.
CONDITIONS & PLIGHT OF MUMBRA
Backgrounder
Mumbra, a densely Muslim populated area, has been always denied the basic
rights & requirements due to its citizens. A hegemonistic Thane municipal
corporation dominated by the chauvinistic Shiv Sena has despite passing
one GR in 2006 and another n 2009 refused to extend the Std VII level Urdu
medium schools to Std X (secondary level) As a result as many as 120
children have been dropping out each year unable to afford free and high
donations KHOJ education for a secular India project has been activating
the parents teachers association and agitating for the school since 2004,
People of Mumbra have been struggling for the basic necessities of water,
electricity & employment . Due to this irony even children are not spared.
In school at Mumbra, which is called as center of education also running
without or short of water, electricity & the other basic amenities, so how
could children get the basic education? Without proper lights children
can’t get & understand what is written on the blackboard? In summer due to
not working of fans children gets exhausted & can’t concentrate on their
studies, for this plight whom to be blamed?
Khoj has tried to figure out this irony many a time and finally in
collaboration parents and KHOJ installed. A water tank for the school.
There is not a single Govt. Municipal school for eighth Std in Mumbra for
any medium. As a result financially weak parents of those children who
passed their 7th Std school and unable to get admission in other private
school drops out to their studies. Private schools monopolise and limit
the access to education. Children from deprived section who has today have
the Right to Education are denied this right. And he or she lands in a
situation where one can’t say that whether they are literate or
illiterate.
Though there was a huge resistance to our efforts to get water and
electricity in the schools regular meetings with elected representatives
got some response, though slowly.
The issue of load sheddding especially when children are studying was
discussed power failure with M.S.E.B. & requested them to separate the
connections of Municipal Schools with local connection so that schools are
not affected. A mass signature campaign was launched with parents on the
issue which received huge response. We also held meetings with
commissioner & deputy commissioner also. Commissioner told us that he
would talk with deputy commissioner & education officer about. Through
KHOJ s consistent RTI applications we found that twice in 2006 and 2009
GRs to start a secondary school had been passed but because deputy
commissioner’s dept. forgot to deposit 5000/- Rs before 20th may 2007.
because of which the order to start 8th Std. Classes in school get
cancelled.
KHOJ has raised the issue with the TMC Commissioner DMC and others.
Officials showed a callous disregard for their own GE and the future of he
children of Mumbra and Kausa. Why they are playing with the future of the
children? Who is responsible?