‘Sikhiya Kranti’ vs reality: Underprivileged students endure shocking conditions at Jamalpur hostel

As many as 28 students of a government school, living in a state-run hostel at Jamalpur, are forced to stay in unsafe and unhygienic conditions. Broken windows, unsafe buildings, electric shock while touching fans and switches and washrooms without doors are some of the ordeals they face on a day-to-day basis. Most of these children belong to underprivileged backgrounds, with their parents working as daily wagers who cannot afford to keep them at home. For them, this dilapidated hostel remains the only option. Ironically, the living conditions here present a stark contrast to the government’s ‘Sikhiya Kranti’ slogan.

Prince Kumar, a student of Class VI, said his father earned about Rs 700 a day as a

labourer, with no income on days when there was no work. “He cannot keep me with him, so I stay here and he comes once a month to meet me. I have no complaints, but when I sleep, my back hurts as the beds are broken. There aren’t enough fans where we sleep and during rains, current runs through switches. Still, I like being with my friends here,” he added innocently.

Navdeep Singh, another Class VI student, rued the absence of a safe playground. “We want to play but it’s not safe. When we play cricket, the ball often goes towards unsafe parts of the building which we are scared to enter, as the structure can collapse any time. The hostel has enough space — if someone aid is sent, we would be live properly here,” he said.

The washrooms are in a pathetic state and have no doors. Even the hostel’s caretaker admitted that the walls of the washrooms is weak and could collapse anytime. The students and staff often burn dry leaves around the premises to ward off swarms of mosquitoes, as repellents fail to work.

Interestingly, students pointed out that the area’s MLA had recently visited the locality to inaugurate a tubewell but did not step into the hostel to check their condition.

Three kilometres from school

The hostel building is located in MIG Colony, Sector 32, while the government school where the students study is about 3 km away. Transport remains another challenge, as only one auto-rickshaw caters to all 28 students. The driver makes two trips daily, ferrying overloaded autos of children along with their bags.

Since parents cannot afford private arrangements, they pool in Rs 400 each to pay the auto driver. However, the risk of overloading and daily travel continues to loom large over these students.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Mahajan issued a letter to the department today to urgently make arrangement to shift the hostel inmates as the building was in a shambles. Jain said, “It came to my notice as team had visited the hostel and submitted its report. I have asked the DEO to immediately make arrangement to shift the inmates from here till the building is renovated.”