KA KARACHA SHIKUN

IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT THAT THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN FROM NOMADIC COMMUNITIES LIVING IN SLUM AREAS FAIL IN ACADEMICS. ON THE CONTRARY, CURRICULUMS WERE DESIGNED SUCH THAT THEY SHOULD FAIL AND NOT BE EDUCATED. RIGID SCHOOL TIMETABLES AND THE CONVOLUTED MENTALITY OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND THE TEACHERS, AUTOMATICALLY LEFT THE DENOTIFIED TRIBES BEHIND. THERE WAS IGNORANCE AND NOT MUCH EMPHASIS ON PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION. ALSO, WHEN THE COALITION GOVERNMENT CAME, THE SCHOOLING OF THE BAHUJAN COMMUNITY WAS ECLIPSED. ANNOUNCEMENTS WERE MADE FOR WELFARE OF MASSES, HOWEVER, ALL THESE WELFARE SCHEMES WERE SUPERFICIAL AND WERE NOT AT ALL HELPFUL IN THE EDUCATION OF NOMADIC COMMUNITIES. ALTHOUGH SECONDARY EDUCATION BECAME FREE, THE ISSUE OF EDUCATION OF NOMADS BECAME DIFFICULT DAY BY DAY. EVEN THE POOREST OF THE POOR HAVE REALIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION, BUT EVEN TODAY PEOPLE ARE VERY DISSATISFIED WITH THIS SYSTEM. BECAUSE EVEN AN EFFECTIVE TOOL LIKE EDUCATION IS USED BY POLITICIANS AS A WEAPON OF EXPLOITATION. BEING EDUCATED OR UNEDUCATED MAKES NO DIFFERENCE TO OUR SITUATION; IN THIS HOPELESS SITUATION, COMMONERS AND NOMADS ALSO HAVE TO FACE NEW CHALLENGES EVERY DAY. THEREFORE, NOT ONLY THE DENOTIFIED AND NOMADIC TRIBES, BUT EVERYONE QUESTIONS- 'WHY SHOULD I STUDY'? THAT STILL REMAINS UNANSWERED.

समाजातील वाड्या-वस्त्यांतील, झोपडपट्ट्यांतील, भटऱ्यासमाजातील हजारों मुले नापास होतात, यात त्यांचा दोष नाही; उलट ती नापास व्हावीत, ती शिकूच नयेत, अशा प्रकारऱ्याअभ्यासक्रमाची रचना, शाळांची वेळापत्रके, शिक्षणखात्याची व मास्तरांची क्लिष्ट मानसिकता, यामुळे आपोआपच भटक्या-विमुक्त जमाती मागे पडल्या. अज्ञान, व्यावसायिक शिक्षणावर फारसा भर नाही. तसेच युती सरकार आल्यावर बहुजन समाजाऱ्याशिक्षणालाच ग्रहण लागलेलं. केवळ आम जनतेऱ्याकल्याणाचा घोष, वरवरऱ्यासर्व कल्याणकारी योजना, त्यामुळे भटक्या-विमुक्तांऱ्यासर्व पिऱ्याशिक्षणाची हेळसांड करतच नरकात गेल्या; माध्यमिक शिक्षण मोफत झालं, तरी भटक्यांऱ्याशिक्षणाचा प्रश्न दिवसेंदिवस कठीणच होत गेला. गरिबातऱ्यागरिबालाही शिक्षणाचं महत्त्व कळलं; पण आजही या व्यवस्थेबद्दल लोक अत्यंत असमाधानी आहेत. कारण शिक्षणासारऱ्याप्रभावी साधनाचाही शोषणाचे हत्यार म्हणून राजकीय लोक उपयोग करतात. शिकून व न शिकूनही आमऱ्यापरिस्थितीत काहीच फरक पडत नाही...या निराशाजनक परिस्थितीत...सर्वसामान्यांना व भटक्या-विमुक्तांनाही रोज नऱ्याआव्हानांना सामोरं जावं लागतं. त्यामुळे विमुक्त जातींनाच नाही, तर इतर सर्वांनाच ‘का कराचं शिकून’? हा प्रश्न पडल्याशिवाय राहात नाही, हेच खरं.