Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Seven-year old Panjoy Langthasa wants his books back. He had left them behind in his burning house on April 28,the day he and his parents fled for their lives after murderous men attacked their village,burnt down 40 houses and killed four people.
I havent been to school for long. I want to go back to my village and get my books, says Panjoy,one of the 231 inmates at a relief camp set up at the District Institute of Educational Training (DIET) at Kalachand near Maibang,about 60 km from Haflong in North Cachar Hills district.
Over 16,000 people have been lodged in 40-odd relief camps in different parts of the district since tension and violence broke out between the Dimasa and Zeme tribes in March. Over 6,000 of the camp inmates are children below 18 and they have been out of school for months. At least 65 persons have been killed since March.
The children are the worst hit because they have already lost six months of school, says Tanuja Kargapsa,secretary of Dimaji Hosom,a womens NGO in Maibang. The children are also traumatised,having witnessed the worst kind of violence.
Students of several schools in areas not affected by violence have also suffered because their schools have been converted into relief camps, says P. Jidung,Inspector of Schools,NC Hills district.
The authorities,meanwhile,are currently making an assessment of the number of students affected by the ongoing violence. We are in the process of drawing up a plan of action to put these children back in school. Teachers will be roped in from schools close to the relief camps. The number of primary school students affected would be around 3000, says P.J. Kalita,district programme officer,Sarva Siksha Abhiyan. We are also looking at providing them mid-day meals and nutrition supplements. What is appalling is that while the government has been providing four itemsrice,dal,salt and mustard oilto the people living in the relief camps,there is nothing special for the children.
A number of children in these camps are complaining of boils and skin infections. Children in these camps need special attention. Pediatricians should immediately be brought in. Aid agencies should make urgent interventions, said former Rajya Sabha member U.G. Brahma,who toured the affected areas
last week.
