Nashik: Parents, Students Protest Against Move To Shut 18,000 Government Marathi Schools

Nashik: Parents, students, teachers and representatives of various social organisations protested against the Maharashtra government's decision to close 18,000 government Marathi schools in the state on behalf of the All India Students Federation (AISF) Nashik in front of the Nashik District Collector's Office on Thursday (February 26) at 12 noon. The protest, which was attended by a large number of participants, strongly criticised the government's anti-education policies.

The protest strongly condemned the decision to close schools based solely on the number of students, in violation of the Right to Education Act. While it is mandatory by law for primary, upper primary and secondary schools to be near the students homes, the concept of 'school complexes' is being used to force students to go to schools 20 to 30 kilometres away, it was said in the protest.

Speakers said that this decision will hit children from rural areas, tribal remote areas and the working-class-Bahujan community the most. The increasing fees of private schools will make education impossible for poor students. It is serious that thousands of students have already stopped their education in Maharashtra, and a large number of them are girls.

Questions were also raised about the dual role of the government. On the one hand, a decision is being taken to close more than 200 government Marathi schools in the district, while on the other hand, a World Marathi Conference is being organised at a cost of crores of rupees. It was alleged that this is not love for Marathi but hypocrisy. Policies that threaten the future of Marathi education for poor children while celebrating festivals in the name of the Marathi language were publicly condemned.

In a statement submitted to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister of the state and the School Education Minister, through the District Magistrate, demanded to immediately withdraw this decision, that all government Marathi schools stop the quota-based ban and implement the Right to Education Act.

The demonstration was led by AISF State Joint General Secretary Prajakta Kapdne; State Council Members Talha Sheikh, Harshali Adhangale, Monica Page, Sandeep Pagare, Akash Kamble, and Mukta Kawale. On this occasion, Communist Party of India State Joint General Secretary Col. Raju Desale, District General Secretary Col. Manohar Pagare, Col. Mahadev Khude, Mayatai Khodve, Soujanyani Gotpagar, Kiran Mohite of Bharatiya Hitrakshak Sabha, Prafulla Wagh of Sambhaji Brigade, Samvidhan Gaikwad, Navinder Ahuvalia of Aam Aadmi Party, Abhijit Gosavi, Vadiraj Naik, Karunasagar Pagare, Rahul Gaikwad of SFI, Sakshi Kakade, Atmaram Daware of CITU, Thaksen Gorane, Mukund Dixit, Captain Kunal Gaikwad, Vijay Bagul of Ripai Secular, Krishna Shilawat, Shivdas Mhasade, Danish Qureshi, Soma Kurhade, and Kalyani A. M. were present with a large number of students and parents.

The demonstration was peaceful. AISF has warned of intensifying statewide agitation if the government does not withdraw the decision.