7 months ago
2
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Wayanad MP, has warned that attempts to relocate the Paniya and Adiya tribal students of Government Ashram High School, Thirunelli, to a exemplary residential schoolhouse astatine Aralam successful Kannur territory volition pb to wide dropouts.
In a missive to O.R. Kelu, Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes, Ms. Vadra cautioned that nary pupil should beryllium shifted retired of Thirunelli without their consent. A ample fig of students were reported to person expressed their unwillingness to relocate from Thirunelli to Aralam.
The Thirunelli school, lodging astir 250 students crossed Classes 1 to 10, is Wayanad’s sole residential instauration dedicated exclusively to Paniya and Adiya tribal children.
News of the schoolhouse authorities cramming 120 girls successful 3 classrooms with lone 1 toilet, aft their hostel was declared unsafe successful July, sparked protests connected Wednesday. Although the authorities had decided to relocate the children to the recently constructed Model Residential School astatine Aralam, the transportation determination was delayed for months due to the fact that of deficiency of powerfulness supply.
Mr. Kelu, who hails from Thirunelli and was president of that panchayat for 2 terms, connected Thursday claimed that helium was down the relocation decision, but helium sounded vague astir erstwhile it volition beryllium implemented.
Asking Mr. Kelu to reconsider his determination to determination the children extracurricular their district, Ms. Vadra demanded that the Scheduled Tribes Development section (STDD), nether which the schoolhouse functions, displacement the students to a “suitable spot wrong Wayanad, and guarantee that they person entree to prime sports infrastructure.”
On Wednesday, soon aft the tribal girls’ squalid surviving conditions were exposed, a squad of officials of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) visited the schoolhouse and examined the conditions there. The squad spoke to the students and staff, and is learnt to person reported to the higher authorities.
As an contiguous response, 32 girls from the schoolhouse were shifted to a exemplary residential schoolhouse astatine Kaniyambetta, 37 km away, connected Thursday. The territory medication acceptable up 5 bio-toilets astatine the school.
The BJP and the Congress took retired abstracted marches to Mr. Kelu’s bureau astatine Mananthavady, protesting against the neglect.
