Nirjala Karki, an 11-year-old Itahari-2 resident had lost her father Bhim Bahadur to the quake, who was in a guest house in Kathmandu to process documents for foreign employment. He was killed when the guest house collapsed. This was a great tragedy for the family and because of she could not focus on her studies when schools finally resumed.Now after few months of the disaster, Nirjala, a sixth grader at a local school, was starting to gain interest in education and was beginning to involve in various school activities like singing, dancing, reading and writing. However, the recent strikes and banda called by various agitating groups in the district has forced her to shut herself inside her house, just like the days after the quake. Every educational institute in the district has remained shut for weeks and children have no means to keep themselves occupied, other than to remain indoors.
Nirjala's mother Dhan Kumari fears that her daughter, which is the eldest among the siblings, might loose focus from studies and eventually not complete her education if the current situation continues.
The earthquake had affected children's studies for over two months and the ongoing banda induced closure of schools has added concerns for the students and their parents. "We have already been through a lot of hardships. The ongoing protests and banda have only added problems to our already difficult life," said Firoj Raut, a student from Duhabi. "It is a serious lack of judgment on the part of the protestors to enforce prolonged banda and affect our studies and future. They should seek alternatives for protesting and call off banda immediately," Raut opined calling on for creating conducive environment to resume schools.
Nirjala and Firoj represent a large number of students in the district who are deprived of school and education due to the ongoing banda. "The future development of nation largely depends on physical and mental well-being of today's children. Instead of providing them with nutritious diet, better education, and healthcare facilities to ensure their overall development, political parties have completely negated such issue," Nirjala's mother said.
On Tuesday, the protests and district-wide banda called by Tharuhat Struggle Committee and Madheshi Morcha entered 25th day. Along with them, other regional and religious groups have also been complimenting banda in the region, bringing normal life to a grinding halt in the district.
Janak Basnet, a school resource officer at the District Education Office, informed that few schools in northern part of the district were operating while all educational institution in the southern part remained closed.
On Tuesday, students organized protest rallies in main areas of Itahari against the prolonged banda and strikes. Students for over a dozen schools participated in the rally chanting slogans against the banda and demanding favorable environment for resuming academic institutions.
"Innocent children should not be used as bargain chip for securing vested political interests. Prolonged closure of academic institutions will hamper production of productive human resource," said Dr. Tanka Neupane, principal of a local school.
Rudra Prashad Dulal, District Education Officer urged agitating groups to create environment for children to resume education. The concerns were similar among other stakeholders. Central President of Community School Association, Mani Ram Giri demanded action against teachers affiliated with political parties and have been actively involved in politics, including in shutting down schools.
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