Nagpur, September 16 (Daily Kiran) : The issue of student fatalities in Maharashtra’s tribal residential schools has sparked significant political controversy. Following the revelation that 584 students have died in these institutions over the past two years, the ‘Cockroach People’s Party’ (CJP) has launched a campaign titled ‘Fix Tribal Schools.’
Abhijit Dipke, the national convenor and founder of CJP, announced the campaign during a press conference in Nagpur. He was joined by national organization in-charge Ajinkya Shinde and joint secretary Akshay Shinde. Dipke emphasized the need for accountability regarding the ongoing deaths of tribal students in these schools.
The timing of the campaign is critical, given the alarming statistics. According to government reports, an average of one child has died daily in ashram schools over the last two years. In August, three tribal girls died from snake bites at a hostel in Gadchiroli, where they were forced to sleep on the ground due to a lack of bedding, sharing a room with 79 others. The National Human Rights Commission has also issued a notice regarding this incident.
During the press conference, Dipke criticized the government, stating, “The continuous neglect of our tribal and marginalized communities is a deep stain on our nation’s conscience. When tragedies occur, the government often tries to downplay the loss of human life with minimal compensation or livestock. I ask today, if a minister’s family faced such a loss, would they settle for a check of two lakh rupees or a goat? Why is the life of a tribal child valued so little in the eyes of the state?”
He also highlighted the deaths of over 30 children in Balaghat, pointing out that these children are deprived of their most basic rights to live. “They are dying from contaminated water and preventable food poisoning. Are they not citizens of India? Our Constitution grants them the same rights as the most privileged citizens, yet they receive no medical care.”
The CJP asserts that these deaths are not isolated incidents but part of a troubling pattern. A parliamentary committee has found that the ashram school scheme has only reached 14 states in 20 years, identifying overcrowding and poor food quality as national issues. Of the 720 schools approved under the new Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) scheme, only 477 are operational, and the ministry spent only three-quarters of its approved EMRS budget last year, leaving thousands of teaching positions unfilled.
The party is demanding an independent audit of every tribal residential school within three months, the public release of results, and state-wise data on deaths over the past decade. They are also calling for the creation of a public dashboard comparing approved versus operational schools.
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