Shutting doors to their rights
The wards of Harijan people marched streets carrying banners and chanting slogans at Kumarkhali upazila headquarters yesterday and the day before for the fundamental right granted by the Constitution.
But their demands went unheeded as there was no response from either the administration or authorities of schools or the Kushtia district education officials.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. In recent years, awareness about education increased among Harijan community people in Kushtia and Kumarkhali following a campaign by some NGOs.
Some of the Harijan children are now going to school braving all obstacles and neglect by the society.
About 100 children of the community are attending three schools set up for Harijans at GK Harijan Colony and Chaitonaya Palli in Kushtia town and at Kumarkhali by Kushtia and Kumarkhali municipal authorities.
"We want to see our children go to school rather than cleaning dust on roads," said Panna Lal Bashffor, the lone graduate in Kushtia district from Harijan community now studying L.L.B at Kushtia Law College under National University.
"Constitution has guaranteed the rights to education for all, but all do not enjoy those.
"The reality is far from what is in the Constitution. Why?", Panna posed the question while talking to this correspondent. Panna said he was once denied admission to school.
He said most of the people of his community are now aware of their fundamental rights to education but it is virtually denied by the society as their children have limited scope to enter schools.
"Many of us are striving for education, but schools in the district are not allowing our children," said Kajol Rani, who passed SSC (Higher Secondary School Certificate examination) and is a teacher at Chaitonaya Palli School.
They claimed that Harijan children are generally not allowed at any high schools in the town. As a result, after primary education, most of the children can not enter high school.
In the recent past, some Harijan children got admitted to some non-government schools. But they were driven out when school authorities came to know their identity. This is continuing, they alleged.
A large number of Harijan children complete primary education every year but they are not getting scope to enter high schools, said Harijan leader Shangkar Lal.
When asked, district education officials earlier told this correspondent that they have nothing to do if private schools do not admit Harijan children. They can not go to government schools because of social discrimination, which can not be removed overnight, the officials said.
FAIR, a local NGO working for underprivileged people took an initiative in 2003 to make Harijans conscious about education.
After a study on life and culture of Harijan community people, FAIR set up four pre-school centers to prepare their children for education and to create awareness among the elders.
FAIR supplies books and education materials to the children and holds weekly meetings with elders to motivate them.
"Their (Harijan) response to education is good but the scope is still denied", said FAIR Executive Director Dewan Aktharuzzaman.
This is due to discrimination and lack of government steps, he said.
According to FAIR survey, there are about 300 Harijon families in Kushtia and Kumarkhali. Only five of their wards Harina boys are now going to high schools.