SCHOOL BELL, PRAYER HELD ON ROAD

SCHOOL BELL, PRAYER HELD ON ROAD

6-OCT-ENG 1

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-------------------------Outrage erupts over the collapse of a dilapidated school building roof; school set up on the road under AISA-RYA leadership; traffic blocked for over 6 hours.

Villagers, students, and parents expressed their anger over the collapse of the roof of a dilapidated government school building in Srinagar, Ara, and the lack of basic amenities at the school. Under the joint leadership of the All India Students Association (AISA) and the Revolutionary Youth Association (RYA), locals and students pitched a tent on the main road and began holding classes right there.

This unique roadside school session began with the formal ringing of a school bell. This was followed by a prayer and the commencement of classes on the road itself. Students studied while sitting on the road and held placards demanding that the administration provide a safe school building.

The protest caused long queues of vehicles on the main road, disrupting traffic for over six hours. The protesters stated that the agitation would continue until they received a concrete written assurance from the District Education Officer (DEO) and the administration, along with a fixed timeline for the construction of a new school building.

The protesters demanded the immediate and safe demolition of the dilapidated structure, the construction of a new, safe school building in its place, and the provision of essential basic amenities at the school.

During the protest, the District Education Officer (DEO) provided a written assurance on the spot and issued a written order regarding the construction of the new school building and immediate action. Following this, the protesters agreed to give the administration time to take further action.

CPI(ML) State Committee member Qyumuddin Ansari stated that this incident exposes the reality behind the Bihar government's claims of improving the education system. He said, “The District Education Officer (DEO) of Bhojpur is running schools merely on paper while sitting in air-conditioned rooms, whereas on the ground, these schools have turned into death traps. Complaints regarding the dilapidated building had been made earlier, yet the DEO’s office remained in deep slumber. Perhaps the administration was waiting for an innocent child to lose their life. The Bhojpur DEO and his entire department are responsible for this gross negligence.”

CPI(ML) Central Committee member Raju Yadav stated, “The collapse of the roof at the Srinagar school is an extremely serious matter. It is fortunate that no major tragedy occurred at the time; otherwise, many families could have lost their children. On one hand, the Bihar government trumpets its ‘model schools’ and grand arrangements, yet on the other, poor children do not even have a safe roof over their heads. The Bhojpur DEO and the Bihar Education Department have become completely apathetic. We demand the immediate demolition of the dilapidated structure and strict action against those responsible for this negligence.”

CPI(ML) leader and former Agiaon MLA Shivprakash Ranjan said, “The Constitution grants every child in the country the right to education in a better and safe environment. However, the wretched state of this school in Srinagar reveals how little value the Bihar government and the District Education Officer place on the lives of children from poor and Dalit communities. Instead of rectifying basic amenities, officials are turning a blind eye. Today, this school running on the street stands as a challenge to the government's negligence and arrogance. If the DEO does not take immediate cognizance and initiate the construction of a new building on a war footing, this agitation will be expanded across the entire Bhojpur district.”

The protesters asserted that this school running on the street is not merely an issue concerning the Srinagar school, but a matter involving the crumbling state of government schools in Bihar and the safety of children. Based on the written assurance and the construction order issued by the administration, they are now demanding that the announcement be translated into action and the construction of the new building be completed within the stipulated timeframe. Ultimately, the agitation concluded following a written assurance given to the protesters by the District Education Officer.

The protest was led by AISA District Secretary Jaishankar Prasad, RYA District President Vishal, and RYA District Secretary Niranjan Keshari.

Also present were AIPWA leader Sangeeta Singh; CPI(ML) Ara Assembly in-charge Vijay Ojha; RJD Zila Parishad member Dhananjay Yadav; AISA State Vice-President Neetu; RYA District Joint-Secretaries Raju Ram and Dhanoj Yadav; AISA District Joint-Secretaries Sahil Arora, Roshan Kushwaha, and Sumit; Vice-Presidents Sagar Paswan, Anup, and Vivek; AISA Social Media in-charge Sunny Deval; RYA leaders Appu Yadav, Akhilesh Gupta, and Ritesh; AISA leaders Varsha, Pragya, and Sanskritma; as well as leaders Govind Kumar, Siyakant, and other activists.