Families forced to dismantle houses for not sending kids to Govt school
Source: The Sangai Express
Kangpokpi, April 29 2018:
Six families of eight school going children at Kotlen Village under Saitu Gamphazol Sub Division in Kangpokpi District were allegedly driven out from the village by the Village Authority for sending their children in other school rather the Government school in the village.
Kotlen village is situated around 30 Km from the State capital Imphal towards north of Kangpokpi district with a population of around 293 with a total household of 51 according to the 2011 census.
Kotlen Village Authority ostracized the families of Tonglet Haokip, Henkholen Khongsai, Ngamhen Khongsai, Khaigin Khongsai, Paolun Khongsai and Hemkhothang Khongsai from the village allegedly for not admitting their wards to the Government school under ZEO Kangpokpi at the village.
A hand written notice of the Kotlen Village Authority served to the six families on April 24, asked the families to dismantle their respective houses on or before April 28 while restricting to take any materials provided to the families by the VA from the village.
It also said that the six families had violated the Resolution No 4 of the village Annual Assembly and added that the six families have willingly declared to leave the village before the Court of the Village Authority on April 22 .
According to the Village Annual Assembly, villagers of Kotlen must admit their children below Class-V in the Government school of the village with an aim to improve and uplift the school which was unanimously agreed by the villagers.
However, the six families complained the alleged injudicious action of the Village Authority led by chief Dongjang Haokip stating that it is contradictory to the Right to Education Act and the law of the land.
The families urged the concerned authority and the State Government to take appropriate action against the Chief of Kotlen and the Village Authority.
The victim families alleged that there were two Government schools in Kotlen village under ZEO Kangpokpi and Sadar Hills Autonomous District Council with three teachers provided by the ZEO Kangpokpi and two other teachers by the Sadar Hills Autonomous District Council, Kangpokpi.
The chief of Kotlen amalgamated the two Government schools into one and recruited two under matriculate locals in substitution of the Government teachers to look after seven classes of the school, the victim families alleged while adding that the existing condition of the school also does not meet the expectation of the parents as well as the students.
"We have decided not to admit our children in the school (in Kotlen) and rather enrolled our wards at Tongsat Memorial Junior High School in our neighboring L Hengjol village located around 1 Km from Kotlen village, which is far better than the Government school at Kotlen," said the families.
While questioning the sincerity on the part of the village chief in following the village annual assembly resolution, the victim families alleged that the village chief also enrolled his children in a school somewhere in the capital city while bulldozing us in the village.
The eight children of the six victims' families were studying in Class I, Class II and Class III respectively at Tongsat Memorial Jr.
High School in L.Hengjol village.
With the ultimatum of the Village Authority, the six families dismantled their respective houses at Kotlen village and shifted to the neighbouring L Hengjol and Tintong Laijang village yesterday where they temporarily settle without proper accommodation apart from various other grievances.