Martyr's village students don't have uniforms

CHANDIGARH: Amid celebrations of freedom fighter Sukhdev's birth anniversary on Tuesday at his co-martyr Bhagat Singh's village, a shocking fact has emerged that nullifies their martyrdom and flies in the face of the government: 80 out of 220 students in the government schools at Bhagat Singh's village Khatkhat Kalan do not even have two set of uniforms and adequate stationary.
"This is a telling commentary on the martyrdom of the great revolutionaries and mocks celebrations of 60 years of Parliament, especially after Right to Education Law has been passed?," the man behind the revelation, Ramdayal, told TOI on Tuesday.
Out of 220 students in two government schools in Khatkhat Kalan -- where a state-level function to observe martyrdom day is held annually for the last 68 years -- 80 of them did not have uniforms, stationary and other paraphernalia as per a survey conducted by Ramdayal's organization Awareness Mission.
The activist, who earlier was a police inspector in Chandigarh, says education ought to be free in Punjab since it was made so in 1986. But only one uniform each was distributed to these students once in 2010. They should have been given at least four set of uniforms each year.
With government apathy, the students' interest fizzles out. So high is the drop out rate that only 8% students reach the graduation level, he pointed out.
The sorry state of affairs came to the fore when villagers called up Ramdayal after he participated in the martyrdom function on March 23, where he distributed a few books on Bhagat Singh's and Sukhdev relationship among poor students.
Every year, Ramdayal decks up 500 girls and boys as Bhagat Singh, distributes books four days before March 23, holds debates, contests and declamations at Khatkhat Kalan. Ramdayal also distributes uniforms, stationary and books as prizes to winners. But this year, certain articles distributed as prize remained in surplus and were distributed among other poor students of the village.
Villagers found his contact number from these study materials and urged him to help the poor students wallowing in deprivation. A survey was conducted to shortlist 80 students but ultimately uniforms were arranged for all the 220 students.