Uninviting School Apr 8, 2015, 02.00 AM IST The Times of India
Isidore Domnick Mendes "Tan, tan, tan, suno ghanti baji school ki, chalo school tumko pukare," (Listen to the school bell ring, the school calls out to you). This was the anthem of the RTE (Right to Education) Act, 2009, that was made in 2013 by the central government. The song had lyrics by Javed Akhtar, it was sung by Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan and it starred Hindi film stars Ranbir Kapoor, Anuskha Sharma, Katrina Kaif and Imran Khan, who gave a clarion call to all children, including the physically-challenged to attend school. The National film development corporation (NFDC) produced the anthem to elucidate the message of RTE, 2009, of free and compulsory education for every child in the age bracket of 6-14 years. This message would fall flat if it is applied to the present three room, worn-out roof of the government primary middle school (GPMS), built between 1960-62 at Bhati, a village of Sanguem taluka housing 3,286 residents. Bhati village, which is bordered by Curdi (Vaddem) and Uguem, comprises four vaddos (wards) including Tisk, Zori vaddo, Bhatkar vaddo, Madianomos and two resettlement colonies of Valkinim 1 and Valkinim, which were built for the locals of the submerged Curdi village when the Selaulim dam was being constructed three decades ago. The pathetic condition of the Bhati school would certainly not exercise a magnetic pull on the students because of its dilapidated state. The school comprises two buildings. The older one became operational in 1963 and served as the primary section till 1985. In 1986, the Goa government added a middle school with the incorporation of three more classes; classes V, VI and VII. The building was built on adjacent land admeasuring 439 sqm and within a year, the total area of the complete school measuring around 800 sqm was given protection for the first time by the building of a boundary wall. Immediately after the construction of the wall, three brothers came into the forefront and put a claim as original owners of the land on which the middle school building was constructed. Due to denial of a no objection certificate (NOC) by the landlords, no maintenance work was allowed in the middle school especially to its damaged roof tiles. As a result, in the year 2008, the 22-year-old middle school building had to be shut down on instructions of the public works department (PWD) as it had become unsafe for human life. "It is sad that our village does not even have a proper school where minimum elementary education could be imparted to children. The decrepit state of GPMS is not only an eyesore, but, also an eye-opener to the way our children are getting educated," said Krishna Oshelkar of Bhati-Tisk. Concurs Laxman Vitobha Naik, a resident, "Before I die, it is my dream to see a proper school coming up. It is a sorry plight of our children. They study in an environment where they are distracted from studies either by the water seeping through the roof during rains or the furnace-like heat from March onwards." GPMS Bhati has still managed to educate scores of children. Among the noted alumni of the school are Shankar V Gaonkar, an academician and Atchut J Gaonkar, a chartered accountant. "The present structure does not house modern aspects of education. There is no computer lab, no computer teacher. We want the school to be demolished and a new, modern primary and middle school to be built," says PTA chairman Vishaya Naik, a resident, and mother of a student studying in Class 3 of GPMS-Bhati. At present, there are 70 students enrolled from the primary section to Class VII. In cramped conditions, Classes V to VII are imparted education in the morning, while students of Classes I to IV attend school in the afternoon. Almost all villagers in Bhati feel the present state government is not serious in giving the village a modern school. "Since the BJP government was elected to power in 2012, on three different occasions, I had met the then CM Manohar Parrikar, who was also holding the education portfolio. I also met Anil Powar, who was at that time in charge of education as its secretary. Assurances given by both officials have proved to be empty promises," says Purso Naru Gaonkar, vice-chairman of the PTA and a resident of Madianomos vaddo. Gaonkar, whose son is in Class IV, believes that the only course of action remaining with the government is initiating swift changes in the ownership of the land. "For years, authorities in the state have been lacking in will power to take over the land as it is purely for social purpose called education. The time has come for the Goa government to acquire the land for the school via the mutation route," he added. All Bhatikars are keen that the government of the day should rise to the occasion because all major schools and colleges are either in Sanguem town or Sanvordem. "For primary and middle school, we cannot think in our wildest dreams of sending our children to schools situated at a distance of 22-35km. The villagers are hoping against hope that a new school will be constructed in place of the current one, which is on the verge of collapsing," says Rama B Gaonkar, an ex-parent and resident of Madianomos vaddo. The GPMS lies adjacent to the village panchayat office of Bhati. The local body finds itself in a helpless state on the NOC issue. "The issue of getting a new school in the place of the existing one, has come up many times in the gram sabha. We still have high hopes in the present state government that much before its tenure comes to an end in March 2017, it would give us a new, modern school," says sarpanch Shilpa Naik. The present legislator too highlights his own anguish at not getting the NOC obtained. "Sometime back, after so many tireless efforts, I almost got the three brothers to agree on the NOC based on a good compensation in lieu of land, but, to my surprise, one of the brothers backed out at the eleventh hour. A strong rule like the pending land acquisition bill of the Modi government at the Centre would take care of such anomalies where it is difficult to obtain a NOC to pursue social objectives like running a school or college," states Sanguem MLA Subhash Phal Dessai. Top View We still have high hopes that the state government will give us a new school before its tenure comes to an end in March 2017 Shilpa Naik, sarpanch The pending land acquisition bill can help in situations where it is difficult to obtain a NOC to pursue social objectives like running a school or college Subhash Phal Dessai, Sanguem MLA People's take We want the school to be demolished and a new, modern primary and middle school to be built Vishaya Naik, resident Assurances given by former CM Manohar Parrikar and education official Anil Powar have proved to be empty promises Purso Naru Gaonkar, resident Our children study in an environment where water seeps through the roof during rains and they bear the furnace-like heat from March onwards Laxman Vithoba Naik, resident Problem Problem Drinking Water Villagers do not receive 24 hours water supply. It is available only for a few hours; from 2pm to 5pm, and between 8pm and 12am. Wild animal attacks As the village is set in the forest, the residents have to bear daily attacks on their agricultural fields as well as their fruit orchards by wild animals. BSNL woes Hardly 20 percent of the villagers have BSNL landline connections as almost all of them have given it up due to frequent problems of telephone connectivity. "The coverage of the mobile phone network is also very poor," says Purso Naru Gaonkar of Madianomos. Trivia The 'zatra' starting on the third day of Mahashivratri from Sri Kaneri-Siddha dongor (hill) at Bhati is famous in the state. The village has produced famous children including Arvind Bhatikar, former chairman of MPT (Mormugao Port Trust), former two-time erstwhile BJP MLA from Sanguem constituency, Vasudev Gaonkar, newly-elected South Goa zilla panchayat chairman Navanath Naik. Late Jayakrishna Bhatikar was a singer on All India Radio. The village remembers him nostalgically as he had mentored over 100 of its natives in the genre of 'bhajans'
