Lakhipur School on Brink of Closure Due to Erosion and Admin Neglect: Headmaster to Launch Hunger Strike on Teachers' Day

A More than 60-year-old school in the Lakhipur area of Cachar is on the verge of closing down due to administrative neglect and natural disaster. Gobindpur East M.E. School, standing on the bank of river Barak under the Lakhipur Education Block, is now facing a critical challenge for its existence. Established in 1960, the school has been a community pillar for decades, but recent events have pushed it to the edge of survival. The headmaster of the school frustrated with the bureaucratic red-tapism and neglect by the local administration is now suffering from depression. He has decided to launch a hunger strike on Teachers’ Day, September 5.

Gobindapur East M.E. School, a primary school under the Lakhipur Education Block, faces a dire situation as its entire building, including classrooms, toilets, and kitchen, was swallowed by the Barak River due to severe erosion on August 10. The erosion of the school’s property began in 2019 but intensified with the waves of flood in 2022. Established in 1960, the school has a current enrollment of 115 students, but now it lacks the basic infrastructure needed for education.

The school’s management committee along with Head Master, Kutub Uddin Laskar, have made repeated appeals to the education department’s higher authorities for funds to rebuild the school since 2022. However, their efforts have been in vain as no funds have been allocated to date, despite repeated promises from the department.

Out of desperation, the school’s teachers and management committee have decided to take a stand. Headmaster Kutub Uddin Laskar has announced a hunger strike starting on September 5, coinciding with Teachers’ Day, to demand the immediate release of funds for the school’s reconstruction. The hunger strike will be held in front of the Office of the Block Elementary Education Officer, and many others from the community are expected to join in solidarity.

Head Master Kutub Uddin Laskar said, “In 2022, during the floods 80% of our school buildings were submerged under the water. Last, on August 10, the remaining portions of the school were also eroded by the river. On that day the BEEO (Block Elementary Education Officer) came and assured us that the building would be constructed and we had to manage the land on our own. We got assurance from the block office as well. Grants for the construction of school buildings had come for the other schools in our education block and the construction had also begun. But our school was ignored. I am facing the brunt of the pressure from the local villagers who have arranged for the plot of land for the construction of the school. I am under immense mental pressure”.

The school which once had over 150 students currently has just 110 and with a lack of basic infrastructure, the headmaster doubts whether parents will be sending their children to this school anymore.

Interestingly, on August 12, just two days after the entire school was submerged, nearly 9 crore rupees were distributed to various schools under the Lakhipur Education Block for building construction. Yet, Gobindapur East M.E. School, which lost its entire building, was excluded from this allocation. In contrast, several schools that already have buildings were granted funds for new construction, raising suspicions of corruption and conspiracy among residents and school officials.

Adding to the controversy, it was revealed that two years ago, junior engineers from the Sarba Shiksha Abhiyan visited the school after the initial erosion and hinted that swift fund allocation would require “satisfaction” through unethical means. In simple words, under the table setting and in simpler words, bribe the engineers for approval. The school’s management committee and headteacher refused to engage in such practices, which some believe may have led to a deliberate delay in fund allocation.

A female teacher of the school said, “We have no permanent building left and now we take classes in makeshift rooms made of tin. The urinal was also washed away and being a lady teacher, it is causing us so much problem as we have to take classes for long hours in the school without proper toilet. Female students are also facing this issue and the water we are using here due to the absence of potable water can cause infection. Overall the condition is pathetic”.

With their backs against the wall, the teachers, staff, and local community of Gobindapur East M.E. School are determined to fight for their rights.