Dhakka Basti kids use boat to reach Mundi Cholian school

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

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Jalandhar, September 14

Children of Dhakka Basti have seen it all after the village was struck by floods and several houses were damaged. Floodwater has not receded from the village, but children don’t want to miss their education — they use boats to go to their school. The residents said that the village remained inundated as a bundh had not been plugged.

The children get up early in the morning and use a boat to reach the Government Middle School in the nearby Mundi Cholian village. They are so enthusiastic to go to their school that the journey has become a routine for them. After the boat ride, they walk 2 km to reach the school.

These students are currently appearing in mid-term examinations in the school. “I want to become a police officer and serve my people,” says Jaspreet Kaur, a Class VIII student, who uses boat to go to the school. Jashandeep Singh and Hardeep Singh, both Class VIII students, are also ambitious. Jashandeep wants to become a doctor and join the Army. They want to keep going to the school no matter what happens. On the other hand, primary students are attending classes at someone’s house because the government primary school is unclean.

Kulwinder Singh, headmaster of Mundi Cholian Government Middle School, who is also the Democratic Teachers Front district president, said, “Students are ambitious and have a zeal for education.” “They come to school every day. We demand that the government should provide cycles to these students. It would help them,” he said.